Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA will open enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program with higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on the program’s role in climate change mitigation. Additionally, USDA is announcing investments in partnerships to increase climate-smart agriculture, including $330 million in 85 Regional Conservation Partnership Program […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Missouri Acting State Director D Clark Thomas announced the agency is investing $35,046,000 in critical infrastructure that will help rural Missouri communities build back better and stronger while prioritizing climate-smart solutions and environmental stewardship. USDA is making the investments under the Water and Environmental Program, the Rural Energy for […]
Cows need to conceive and calve early to earn their keep. University of Missouri Extension beef cow-calf specialist Jordan Thomas says managing for a short or even an “ultra-short” calving season should determine which cows get to stay on the farm. Late-conceiving cows should go to market. Thomas and MU Extension beef nutrition specialist Eric […]
If not managed properly, muddy pastures can affect grazing the rest of the year, says University of Missouri Extension regional livestock specialist Patrick Davis. “Cattle producers need to evaluate their pastures,” Davis says. Identify pastures that are thin and in need of renovation and consider using those as sacrifice pastures. Davis recommends consulting an MU […]
Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe announced today that 40 youth, selected from Missouri 4-H and FFA State Fair exhibitors, will be awarded scholarships by the Missouri State Fair and the Youth in Agriculture (YIA) committee. These students are seeking higher education at a Missouri university/college. “Cultivating Missouri agriculture youth is at the core of […]
Erica Williams, the founder of a nonprofit urban agriculture program in North St. Louis County, had a vision of how to reclaim a community that had suffered through disinvestment and neglect. Across the state in Clay County, Smithville’s mayor hoped amenities like a farmers market would help reinvigorate the small city 20 miles north of […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency announces the availability of $2 million to establish partnerships with organizations to provide outreach and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The funding was made possible by USDA’s new Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, an effort to distribute resources more broadly and to put greater […]
Large government payments helped 2020 Missouri net farm income match or exceed the 2014 record of $3.4 billion, according to Abigail Meffert, senior research associate with the University of Missouri Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI). Missouri’s outlook falls in line with the U.S. Agricultural Market Outlook, a summary of 10-year baseline projections presented […]
Advocates for family farms, rural neighborhoods, and the environment are asking Iowa lawmakers to find a more equitable balance between the interests of factory farms and of the communities they’re in. Research has shown higher levels of nitrates and phosphorus in the water, as well as air quality issues, in communities with nearby concentrated animal feeding […]
The American Pickers are planning to return to Missouri, and while here, plan to film episodes of The History Channel television series throughout this area in May 2021. American Pickers are taking the pandemic very seriously and will be following all guidelines and protocols for safe filming as outlined by the state and CDC. While […]
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to support the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers to Families Food Box program and recommend adjustments to improve the program’s effectiveness. “The Farmers to Families Food Box program has been a critical tool during the COVID-19 pandemic […]
The newly elected president of the National Pork Producers Council outlined the organization’s priorities following the conclusion of their meeting at the National Pork Industry Forum. Jen Sorenson, an Iowa pork producer, says the expansion of export markets is at the top of their list. “Ultimately we see joining CPTPP as a major opportunity under […]
A Missouri state lawmaker is calling for a state investigation of potential price-fixing in the cattle market. Representative David Gregory, a Republican from St. Louis, is chair of the House Special Committee on Government Accountability, “There’s some pretty strong circumstantial evidence that the meatpackers are coordinating efforts to suppress the price of fed cattle. And […]
Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2021 must do so by March 15. Producers who have not yet signed a 2021 enrollment contract or who want to make an election change should contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office […]
University of Missouri Extension forage researchers studied the effects of treated urea products on soil fertility, forage yield, and quality. This information can help producers control risk on nitrogen investments, improve tall fescue forage yields and improve water quality. MU Extension specialist Ryan Lock led the study to evaluate commercial nitrogen products in unbiased, replicated […]
Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, a major broiler chicken producer based in Greeley, Colorado, has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to pay approximately $107 million in criminal fines for its participation in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products, the Department of Justice announced today. According to the plea agreement entered […]
AEI Premium invites agricultural decision-makers to participate in a virtual event exploring lessons learned from its “Escaping 1980” podcast to be held on March 3 at 1 pm eastern. Farmers, agribusiness leaders, farm policy wonks, and students can click here to register for the free webinar. Agricultural economists Brent Gloy and David Widmar will […]
The director of Missouri agriculture says it’s been a tough few weeks, especially for livestock producers, in the frigid weather. Chris Chinn, who owns a hog operation with her husband, says it’s also impacting growers who have a lot of grain to get to market. “A lot of farmers had contracts that they […]
Enrollment for the Show-Me-Select Heifer Replacement Program ends February 15, 2021. Show-Me-Select helps Missouri producers raise and market high-quality beef replacement females, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Kendra Graham. The educational program uses the latest research on health, nutrition, genetics, and reproductive science. “Now is the time to enroll in the program for […]
Record calf birthdates this calving season to track calving distribution. “Evaluating a calving distribution takes very little time but can provide valuable insight into reproductive performance and productivity of the herd,” says University of Missouri Extension veterinarian Craig Payne. Calving distribution is often expressed as the percentage of calves born at 21-day intervals since 21 […]
