Farm & Ranch

Market your trees as you market your livestock

Study and know your market before you sell trees, says University of Missouri Extension forestry specialist Hank Stelzer. MU Extension, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation, offers a series of workshops to help landowners learn how to improve the quality of their timber and how to market it. MU Extension in Laclede County

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NRCS funding available to protect wetlands and other agricultural land

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has $9.5 million available to help Missouri landowners restore wetlands and $360,000 available for easements to protect agricultural land from conversion to non-agricultural uses. The funding is part of a national effort by USDA to protect and restore key farmlands, grasslands and wetlands through NRCS’ Agricultural Conservation Easement

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FDA changes coming for livestock owners Jan. 1

Livestock owners across Missouri are encouraged to be prepared for the upcoming Food and Drug Administration changes to antibiotics that will go into effect on Jan. 1. Craig Payne, director of veterinary medical extension at the University of Missouri, said there are two main changes. The first deals with medically-important feed grade or water soluble

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Farmers’ Almanac finds

by Chris Fennewald The 2017 Farmers’ Almanac is out, and as always, it makes for some interesting reading. My copy says it is the 200th edition. That means for 200 years, folks have relied on it to determine the best days to wash their windows and wax their floors. How is that possible? There are

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Show-Me-Select sale in tune with the times

The 35th Show-Me-Select Bred Heifer Sale had a $1651 average on 364 heifers Nov. 18 at Joplin Regional Stockyards in Carthage. The price range varied from $1100 to $2050 according to Eldon Cole, livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension. The most active bidding was done on 55 head of Red Angus heifers consigned by

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Redbook available for cattle producers

Most cattle producers who have heard University of Missouri Extension livestock specialists speak in recent years know specialists stress the value of records in managing their cow-calf or stocker operations. “You can’t determine how your cattle and pastures are performing if you don’t use records,” said Eldon Cole, livestock specialist, University of Missouri Extension. Since

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MU receives USDA grant to help some to farm

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $179,614 grant to the University of Missouri to support efforts to help to veterans, Latinos, women and socially disadvantaged persons to farm or go into agribusiness. The grant will fund eight workshops over the course of a year, said MU Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch.

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Agricultural Policy in the 2016 Election

By Shiloh Perry In the midst of debates and with Election Day quickly approaching, the importance of agricultural policy is even more pressing. In fact, everyone has a stake in American agriculture and protecting our farmers and ranchers’ ability to produce. Agricultural policy issues hit home for all Americans, both on and off the farm.

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Bumper crop may cause storage issues

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sept. 12 crop production report estimates corn production up by 11 percent over last year. USDA predicts three percent more soybean this year. Crop producers will have more grain to sell at lower prices in 2016. Storage might become tight after this year’s excellent wheat yields, says University of Missouri

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Hartzler receives Farm Bureau Award

During a farm tour stop Oct. 7 on the Stanton Brothers farm near Centralia, Representative Vicky Hartzler was presented the Friend of Farm Bureau Award by Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst. The Friend of Farm Bureau Award is a joint award given by Missouri Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation to members

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