Loren Ray Parkhurst

Obituary & Services: Loren Ray Parkhurst

Loren Ray Parkhurst, 89, Eagleville, MO, passed away Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at a Des Moines, IA hospital. He was born on July 24, 1932, the son of Orville and May (Hunsicker) Parkhurst. He was the second of six children. Loren attended grade school at a country school just a few miles from home. He […]

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University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine tracking the spread of bird flu, one test at a time

Throughout the country, an extremely infectious disease called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been circulating rapidly among flocks of chicken and turkeys. While the disease poses little risk to humans, it presents a serious threat to infected birds as well as the nation’s poultry industry, which is already facing supply chain disruptions. At the […]

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USDA offers CLEAR30 option for producers to enroll land with expiring conservation contracts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing the signup period for its Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative (CLEAR30) — a nationwide opportunity for certain landowners and agricultural producers currently implementing water quality practices through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to enroll in 30-year contracts, extending the lifespan and strengthening the benefits of important water quality […]

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Missouri Department of Agriculture launches annual “Focus on Missouri Agriculture” photo contest

The Missouri Department of Agriculture is launching the 13th annual Focus on Missouri Agriculture photo contest. The Department is asking Missourians to share their agriculture story through photographs. The contest, which runs through June 10, is an opportunity for photographers across the state to submit their best images of Missouri agriculture. That image may take […]

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Supreme Court to hear case against Proposition 12 by National Pork Producers Council and American Farm Bureau Federation

The U.S. Supreme Court at its Mar. 25 conference agreed to hear a case brought by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation against California’s Proposition 12, which bans the sale of pork from hogs born to sows that weren’t raised according to the state’s “arbitrary” production standards. “We are extremely […]

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USDA extends to May 11 the application deadline for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program funding

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the Department is extending to May 11, 2022, the application deadline for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program, which provides funding to expand meat and poultry processing capacity. The decision to extend the deadline comes after Rural Development heard directly from applicants about challenges with […]

National Agriculture Week 2022

Missouri Celebrates National Agriculture Week

This week, the Missouri Department of Agriculture celebrates the state’s position nationally in agriculture production. Missouri is home to 95,000 farms, employs nearly 460,000 people in agriculture, forestry, and related industries, and has an estimated economic impact of $93.7 billion. Agriculture remains the state’s number one economic driver, supporting both rural and urban communities from […]

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Audio: Missouri farmers deal with stress on a daily basis

Missouri farmers and ranchers deal with stress on a daily basis but when natural disasters strike the mental stresses mount. In this Managing for Profit on Brownfield, Rachel Jones, Manager of Trauma-Informed Care with the Department of Mental health, recaps our series. Jones says rural resiliency is very important in overcoming the mental health effects […]

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U.S. Senate Republicans attack Biden on energy costs, regulations after new inflation report

(Missouri Independent) – Nebraska’s Deb Fischer and fellow U.S. Senate Republicans slammed President Joe Biden on Thursday for the sharp rise in consumer prices, calling for policy shifts to increase U.S. energy supply, roll back regulations and curb spending. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday the consumer price index rose nearly 8% in February over the […]

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Video: Congressman Sam Graves responds to President Biden’s State of the Union Address

In response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address, Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) highlighted the many struggles real Americans are dealing with every day in President Biden’s America. “The difference between what we’re feeling in North Missouri and what the President says we’re feeling is stark,” Rep. Sam Graves said. “The supply chain crisis, […]

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USDA announces March 2022 lending rates for agricultural producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced loan interest rates for March 2022, which are effective March 1, 2022. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment, and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs. Operating, Ownership, and Emergency Loans FSA […]