What winter-weary heart is not thawed by the arrival of sunshine-yellow daffodils and colorful tulips? Unfortunately, once their blooms fade, these harbingers of spring are often relegated to afterthoughts, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. more

One of the main reasons plants use water is to allow them to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This means that, in plants, the water and carbon cycles are tightly linked. more

The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced Monday that the Missouri Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (WICFMNP) have launched for the 2023 season. Both programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service and assist low-income recipients in obtaining fresh Missouri Grown produce. more

Gov. Mike Parson has declared a Drought Alert in the state of Missouri in accordance with the Missouri Drought Mitigation and Response Plan.  more

Clint Hinds, West Plains, is a new junior member of the American Angus Association, reports Mark McCully, CEO of the national organization with headquarters in Saint Joseph. more

The Missouri Department of Conservation encourages producers to get the most from their grazing operation through the use of native forage. more

Raised bed gardens, building accessible picnic tables, creating outdoor classrooms and landscaping community buildings are a few of the community projects that 4-H and FFA youth will be doing this summer as recipients of a Shaping Rural Missouri Grant, announced FCS Financial officials Monday in Jefferson City. more

True armyworms have been reported in the Howell County area, and farmers shoul begin scouting pastures, wheat and cornfields for the destructive pest, say officials with the University of Missouri Extension Office in West Plains. more

Weston Adams in Ava has been awarded $14,989 from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) program for his project, "Breeding a Cold-Hardy, Non-Astringent Hybrid Persimmon Cultivar." more

The Missouri Soybean Association (MSA) and Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC) in Jefferson City welcome three interns for the summer of 2023, one of whom is Jackson Bailey of Willow Springs. more

The West Plains FFA held its annual banquet May 5. Several awards and honors were given that night, including Star Greenhand Degrees, Star Chapter Degrees, Honorary Degrees, leadership medals, scholarship medals and college scholarships, said Adviser Tonya Jedlicka, who shared the highlights to follow.    more

The Missouri Corn Merchandising Council (MCMC) on Friday announced its sponsorship of the Heartland Whiskey Competition and extended an invitation to Missouri distilleries to vie for state bragging rights. more

University of Missouri Extension and AmeriCorps are teaming up to offer a weekly “Become a Garden Steward” program online. more

On behalf of cattlemen and cattlewomen across the state, Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday proclaimed May to be Beef Month in Missouri. more

The University of Missouri, through MU Extension, will partner with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on a $25 million award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create the Heartland Regional Food Business Center, which will foster more vibrant, resilient food systems throughout a five-state region. more

Area Future Farmers of America (FFA) members who want to continue their affiliation with the agriculture education organization following high school graduation can do so now through a new alumni and supporters chapter at Missouri State University-West Plains. more

To celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary, Heritage Tractor, a local John Deere dealership, has committed to planting more than 25 trees in communities it serves. Employees of the West Plains store, located off of U.S. 63 at 3285 Porter Wagoner Blvd. in West Plains, gathered together on Arbor Day, Friday, to plant a tree on the Missouri State University-West Plains campus as part of the university’s Arbor Day ceremony.  more

Farmers and farm families have experienced increasing pressure resulting in high levels of stress, mental health issues and suicide, points out the Missouri Department of Agriculture. more

High school students who are interested in the future of pork production, new technologies or want to be a leader in the pork industry are invited to attend the 2023 University of Missouri Youth Pork Institute in Columbia. more

A riparian corridor is a stream’s last — and most important — line of defense from other issues occurring on the dry land on either side of the stream. more