Forage yield and quality improve when legumes are frost-seeded at the right time, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts. Frost seeding, a method of broadcasting seeds over snow- or frost-covered pastures, improves poor pastures at a low cost. Seeds work their way into the soil and germinate as the ground freezes […]
Tag: produce
Northwest Missouri meeting for row crop producers to be held via Zoom
An upcoming meeting for row crop producers will be held next Thursday evening, January 28th on Zoom. The meeting will provide updates from State Specialists and is free of charge. The meeting will be held from 6-8 pm. Dr. Kevin Bradley, State Extension Weed Scientist, will start the meeting with an update on weed management […]
Increase in labor force sends unemployment higher in Missouri during December, 2020
Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased again in December 2020, but a large increase in the civilian labor force sent unemployment higher. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 10,400 jobs over the month, and over-the-year job losses from COVID-19 shutdowns fell below 100,000. However, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 1.3 percentage points from November […]
March webinar series on selling local food begins March 2 via Zoom
Producers selling local foods can learn about best practices, state regulations, and available resources at a four-part online series in March presented by the University of Missouri Extension. “This series will help farmers and other food producers gain knowledge to help them sell their food products direct to consumers in these ever-changing times,” said Leslie […]
United States reaches agreement with Midwest Can for Clean Air Act violations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement that will require Midwest Can Company, one of the largest manufacturers of portable fuel containers in the United States, to pay a $1.7 million civil penalty to resolve Clean Air Act violations. The violations resulted from failure to disclose test […]
Never say never to nitrogen
Sometimes it pays to be late. Nitrogen application is one of those times, says University of Missouri Extension nutrient management specialist Peter Scharf. Scharf, who has researched nitrogen application in corn, wheat, and other crops for 35 years, continues to favor spring nitrogen application over fall-applied application, especially during wet years, which are becoming more […]
Feds tell states to give COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 65 and older in bid to speed rollout
(Missouri Independent) – The Trump administration on Tuesday directed state officials to expand who is getting vaccinated for COVID-19, and announced that all available doses will be distributed to states instead of holding back a reserve of follow-up doses. Under the policy changes outlined by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, states should begin […]
Chillicothe City Council approves ordinance declaring Sliced Bread Building historic landmark
The Chillicothe City Council approved ordinances on January 11th accepting a re-subdivision in the Industrial Park and declaring the Sliced Bread Building a historic landmark. The re-subdivision involves lots of two, four, and five in the Industrial Park. City Administrator Darin Chappell reports the subdivision effort was originally presented to the city more than 20 […]
Governor Parson makes five appointments to various boards and commissions; fills seven county office vacancies
Governor Mike Parson announced five appointments to various boards and commissions and filled seven-county office vacancies. Governor Parson also named the new Acting Director of the Division of Professional Registration. Samuel Adams, of Ferguson, was appointed to the State Board of Mediation. Mr. Adams has served as business representative and organizer for the St. Louis – Kansas City […]
Trenton city sales taxes show increase for first nine months of fiscal year
Trenton city sales tax receipts are up more than 5-1/2% for general purposes, capital projects, and parks in the first nine months of this fiscal year involving May through January compared to the same months a year ago. Income from the Trenton city sales tax for transportation is up 7.7% and receipts from the city […]
Missouri 4-H continues the fight against hunger
Missouri 4-H continues its partnership with Feeding Missouri and the Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids. To date, efforts have raised more than 400,000 meals to feed Missourians. The third annual food drive runs January through April to allow plenty of time for clubs to plan and carry out their activities, says Anne Reeder, […]
Missouri State Auditor says Public Corruption and Fraud Division has produced results for taxpayers
Auditor Galloway outlined the successes of her Public Corruption and Fraud Division, which has contributed significantly to her office’s fight against public corruption. Auditor Galloway launched the division and announced efforts to direct increased resources towards investigations of fraud and abuse at the start of 2019. “I am proud of the work of my team and […]
Audio: If you have had COVID-19, should you still wear a mask and get vaccinated?
An infectious disease specialist at Washington University in St. Louis says if you have already had COVID-19, wearing a mask and getting the vaccine are still advised. Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis says you could still infect others after your symptoms subside. Plus, she says wearing masks and getting the vaccine are two of the most […]
Five-day virtual workshop on industrial hemp begins January 11, 2021
The University of Missouri Extension offers a virtual workshop about industrial hemp from 12:30-2:00 p.m. January 11 through the 15th. Topics include a legislative summary and regulatory update, agronomic practices, and pests, uses for hemp, crop enterprise budgets, and processing and contracts. Presenters include MU Extension specialists, CBD-hemp growers, and processors, processors from the Tiger […]
USDA Announces Commodity Credit Corporation lending rates for January 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation announced interest rates for January 2021, which are effective January 4-January 31. These rates are used for a variety of farm credit options available through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). The CCC’s borrowing rate-based charge is 0.125%, the same as December. The interest rate for crop year commodity […]
Missouri monthly jobs report for November, 2020
The Missouri labor market showed further improvement in November 2020. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 17,400 jobs over the month. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points from October 2020 to November 2020, and the civilian labor force increased more than 23,000. However, the labor market still showed substantial losses from […]
As Missouri deals with ongoing teacher shortage, education leaders want to step up recruiting efforts
The struggle is real for Missouri when it comes to a constant shortage of K-12 public school teachers. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) wants to ramp up its teacher workforce by seizing the opportunity in a relevant setting. Dr. Paul Katnik, the assistant commissioner of the Office of Educator Quality, says […]
Audio: Beef check-off encourages consumption and drives demand
Under the Beef Check-off program, producers and beef importers pay a $1-per-head assessment on animals they market and equivalent on beef they import. Missouri retains half of each dollar collected for marketing and research in state as identified by the Council’s board. On this episode of Driving Demand, a content partnership with Missouri Beef Industry […]
United States hog inventory down 1 percent
As of December 1, there were 77.5 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down 1 percent from December 2019 and down 1 percent from September 1, 2020, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Other key findings in the report were: Of […]
Chillicothe man pleads guilty to his role in $142 million fraud scheme
A Chillicothe, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a $142 million scheme to sell non-organic grain as though it was organic. Steven N. Whiteside, 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill A. Morris to a federal information that charges him with falsely signing documents related to the fraud scheme. […]