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Governor Parson announces $50 million in new grant programs for Missouri businesses

Governor Mike Parson announced $50 million in new grant programs for Missouri businesses. “The COVID-19 crisis has severely impacted Missouri businesses,” Governor Parson said. “However, this challenge has not stopped them from stepping up and finding new ways to serve Missourians. These critical programs will help Missouri businesses continue their operations, cover costs for increased […]

First Vesicular Stomatitis Virus case confirmed in Missouri horse

Missouri State Veterinarian Dr. Steve Strubberg announced the state’s first case of Vesicular Stomatitis in a horse in Newton County. The announcement follows a positive confirmation from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory, making Missouri the seventh state to confirm the virus this year. As a result, the Missouri Department of […]

Farmers Electric Cooperative Website

Farmers’ Electric Cooperative announces winners of essay contest

The Farmers’ Electric Cooperative of Chillicothe has announced essay contest winners. Two Chillicothe High School juniors initially won all-expense-paid trips to Washington, D. C. First place winner Carter Allen and second place finisher Emma Rule will now receive a $2,500 scholarship. Three Chillicothe High School sophomores would have won all-expense-paid trips to the Cooperative Youth […]

Typical pen style CAFO ( Photo by Darrell Hoemann - Investigate Midwest)

Missouri Supreme Court affirms Clean Water Commission’s decision approving CAFO in Grundy County

The Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed Tuesday, June 16th a Clean Water Commission decision approving a concentrated animal feeding operation in Grundy County. Hickory Neighbors United, Incorporated appealed a water commission decision affirming the Department of Natural Resources’ permit issuance to Trenton Farms RE, LLC. Court documents say Hickory Farms asserted that a House bill […]

CAFO Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation

COVID-19 pandemic hits livestock farmers hard

Missouri Farm Bureau public affairs director Eric Bohl says the COVID-19 crisis has hit livestock farmers hard. First, stay-at-home orders destroyed demand from restaurants and schools as well as a large portion of the meat and dairy market. As the pandemic grew, it began to impact employees at meat processing plants which caused several processors […]

Grazing School Map

Grazing schools postponed due to COVID-19

The University of Missouri and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service will postpone their annual series of management-intensive grazing schools in 2020 due to safety concerns about COVID-19. Organizers will look at the situation in late May to consider options, said MU Extension forage specialist Craig Roberts. NRCS and MU Extension specialists hold more than […]

Farmers Market

Farmers market vendors prep for season amid COVID-19 concerns

University of Missouri Extension food safety specialist Londa Nwadike says that, right now, science is on the side of produce growers.  “There is currently no evidence that the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, has been transmitted through food or food packaging,” said Nwadike, who has dual extension appointments with MU and Kansas State University. That’s […]

Farm equipment cultivator

Farmers face unique safety risks during COVID-19

Farmers and ranchers face unique safety risks as COVID-19 continues to spread. The predicted peak of the COVID-19 outbreak likely will hit as spring planting season shifts into high gear, says Rusty Lee, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy. Physical distancing becomes difficult as farmers receive seed and chemical deliveries, Lee says. Shipments […]

Animal Abuse

Missouri Attorney General shuts down dog breeder due to animals being kept in cruel conditions

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced his office has filed a lawsuit, citing violations of the Animal Care Facilities Act (ACFA), and obtained a temporary restraining order against Cornerstone Farms, a dog breeding company operated by Debra Ritter and located in Curryville, Missouri. This case was referred to the Attorney General’s Office by the Missouri Department of […]

Finance

Natural Resources Conservation Service announces March 30th application deadline for financial assistance

The Missouri USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced March 30th as the cut-off date to apply for Fiscal Year 2020 funds through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program -Environmental Quality Incentive Program (RCPP-EQIP). EQIP allows farmers, ranchers, forestland managers, and landowners an opportunity to conserve natural resources by […]