FFA judging teams from Green City and Putnam County at Unionville captured two first-place events during the Schuyler County Truman FFA contests held Monday. Schools with one first-place winning team include Newtown-Harris, Milan, and Brookfield. The Green City team took first place in farm management and FFA knowledge. Putnam County FFA teams placed first in […]
Princeton had three FFA judging teams win first place and another took second in various categories during career development events Monday in Savannah. Princeton won first place in horses, livestock, and dairy cattle; second in meats judging, and other teams finished fourth both in poultry and the FFA knowledge event. Among other first place FFA teams […]
More than 200 head of cattle have died of nitrate poisoning in Missouri in roughly the past month. University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey says the problem has become worse because of the extended winter. University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey says weather extremes have contributed to toxic levels […]
Bacon is popular, but living near a hog farm is not. Bacon isn’t possible without hogs, so if we want bacon, we’re going to have to raise pigs. Missouri Senate Bill 391 is opposed by people who either don’t like bacon or don’t realize how it’s made. The bill would require that county regulation aimed […]
Weed problems may explode this year thanks to the drought of 2018 and residual problems associated with overgrazing in parched pastures, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Valerie Tate. Last year’s extreme weather conditions created a forage shortage. As a result, many pastures were overgrazed. When pastures are overgrazed, there is little green leaf material […]
Two years of abnormal weather changed plant growth, which changes livestock digestion and in the end, cows die. The words “it’s very complex” kept popping up in a University of Missouri emergency teleconference of state and regional MU Extension specialists. This winter farmers find groups of cows dead, often falling on newly unrolled baled hay. […]
The Trenton R-9 Board of Education approved annualizing the salaries of the district’s support staff at a special meeting on Tuesday evening. Superintendent Dan Wiebers reports the district will figure the amount those employees would earn in one year and divide that amount by 12. Those employees would receive 12 equal paychecks—one each month. Wiebers […]
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources submitted the 2018 Drought Response Report to Governor Parson today. The report provides detailed information about 2018 drought conditions and the state’s response to the drought. “Shortly after taking office, we witnessed one of the worst droughts we have experienced in many years,” said Governor Mike Parson. “As a […]
On top of dealing with harsh winter weather in feeding cows, cattle farmers must guard against too much nitrate in poor-quality hay. “Just from cases we’ve confirmed, I know of 150 cows dying in the last month,” says Tim Evans, head toxicologist at the University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. High nitrate, mostly concentrated in […]
Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn says the cold weather has been a danger to new-born calves and other livestock. She says it’s common for farmers to take extraordinary measures to see that calves are kept as comfortable as possible. Chinn says the cold weather is making calving especially difficult for cattlemen if they […]
Winter feeding of forage to beef herds doesn’t rank high as a favored job for herd owners. But there’s a bright side to feeding fescue, whether in hay or grass. Fescue toxins are down. “This is the best fescue will be, now until pastures green up again,” says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage […]
The Missouri State Fair Youth in Agriculture scholarship application for Missouri High School seniors graduating in 2019 is due this week. Applications should be submitted to the Missouri State Fair and must be postmarked by Feb. 1, 2019. Applicants must submit an original copy of their application and five additional copies. These scholarships are possible thanks to […]
A program meant to educate landowners and tenants on Missouri Farm Leases will be held February 12, 2019, at the Harrison County Extension Office, located at 1505 Main, Courthouse Basement, in Bethany. The course will be instructed by a team of MU Extension Agricultural Business Specialists via live-stream and will be held from 6:00 to […]
The East Locust Creek Reservoir Project Team and North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission have released the 2019 Work Plan for the reservoir in Sullivan County. Water Commission General Manager Brad Scott reports the Commission and Project Team “are at the mercy” of about 23 agencies and their oversight, inputs, and approvals. The East Locust […]
Sixty years after the first of 1,182 flood-prevention structures were built in Missouri with federal financial and technical assistance, landowners who have witnessed the before-and-after effects of heavy rain are still praising the benefits of the watershed projects. “Panther Creek used to flood almost every time it rained, but it hasn’t flooded at all since […]
The major players in the meat industry have developed what they’re calling a “stewardship plan” they say will ensure that they use antibiotics in livestock only when necessary. At issue is the possible development of deadly “super-bug” infections that are resistant to antibiotics and harmful to humans. The group has developed a set of guidelines and […]
Do the math on temperatures and rainfall for all of 2018. On average, you get “near normal,” says Pat Guinan, University of Missouri Extension climatologist. “Weather was anything but that,” Guinan adds. Record-setting numbers hide in an average. For starters, look at the “non-spring” of 2018. April was the second coldest on record going back […]
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is looking for people in need of providing Christmas gifts for their children or grandchildren. Sheriff Steve Cox reports his office has gently used or new unwrapped small toys and stuffed animals that could be used as small gifts or stocking stuffers. Someone wanting or needing the free gifts should be […]
Smithfield Foods, Inc. has announced a $15,000 donation to the Sullivan County Exposition Center & Fairgrounds to support the construction of an outdoor amphitheater overlooking Lake Cowgill that will be utilized for events throughout the year. “Our goal is to provide a venue that delivers recreational, social, educational, and cultural opportunities for Sullivan County families,” […]
The Princeton R-5 Board of Education approved the renewal of liability and property insurance Monday evening. The insurance was renewed through CPSK and Missouri Public Entity Risk Management Fund for a total of $54,197. That is an increase from the previous year due to the district needing to insure additional buildings completed during construction projects. The […]
