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Michelle Taylor honored with Missouri 4-H Volunteer Leadership Award
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Celebrating National Volunteer Week, the Missouri 4-H Foundation presents Michelle Taylor with the 2025 Naomi Crouch 4-H Volunteer Leadership Award. Taylor is recognized for more than 19 years of service and support to 4-H in Henry County. “We are honored to recognize Michelle Taylor for her outstanding efforts on behalf of Henry County 4-H,” said Rachel Augustine, director of the Missouri 4-H Foundation.
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The Closet in Edina honored with Missouri 4-H Volunteer Leadership Award
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Celebrating National Volunteer Week, the Missouri 4-H Foundation presents The Closet in Edina with the 2025 Naomi Crouch 4-H Volunteer Leadership Award. The Closet is recognized for more than eight years of service and support to 4-H in Knox County. “We are honored to recognize The Closet in Edina for their outstanding efforts on behalf of Knox County 4-H,” said Rachel Augustine, director of the Missouri 4-H Foundation.
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Red, white and blue for the green thumb
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Plan now to use basic design principals to create a patriotic garden this summer, says University of Missouri Extension field horticulturist Gwen Funk. “Designing your outdoor living space comes with many opportunities for creativity,” says Funk. “One might be thinking about themed garden beds, pots and hanging baskets,” she adds. “Using a red, white and blue color scheme around your patio or deck could add a festive…
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![Beets are nutritious and easy to grow.Photo by Evan Amos [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons](/sites/default/files/styles/flexslider_full_no_crop/public/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/NewsAdmin/Photos/2025/20250415-beets-1.jpg?itok=J5SBJi8C)
Beets: Well-rooted in nutrition
Few vegetables elicit less excitement from the average gardener than beets. Once relegated to pickling or making borscht, beet is enjoying greater respect due to its reported health benefits.
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Damon Reynolds appointed director of LETI
Reynolds will bring his dedication to public safety, corrections management and professional development to his new role as leader of the Law Enforcement Training Institute.
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Expert tips on smart shopping and reducing food waste
With prices on the rise, families are looking to cut their food bills. Meal planning and smart shopping can help, but you can also make sure to use the more of the food you do pay for, says Tammy Roberts, a registered dietitian and a health and human sciences specialist at University of Missouri Extension. The USDA reports that as much as 40% of edible food in the U.S. currently goes to waste, and the average family of four loses an…
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Free invasive plants workshop set for June 13 in Alton
ALTON, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension and the Scenic Rivers Invasive Species Partnership will hold a free “Invasive Plants 101” workshop 10 a.m. Friday, June 13, at the Alton Freewill Baptist Church in Oregon County.
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Controlling sheep and goat parasites through forage management
OSCEOLA, Mo. – A new guide developed by University of Missouri Extension and Lincoln University Extension offers insights into controlling gastrointestinal parasites in sheep and goats through forage-based management.
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MU IPM issues pest alerts for black cutworm, true armyworm
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management has issued its first pest alerts of the growing season. MU Extension state field crops and forage entomologist Ivair Valmorbida says corn and wheat growers should be on the lookout for early season pests, including black cutworm and true armyworm.
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Survey seeks insights from Missouri sheep, goat producers
Missouri sheep and goat producers are encouraged to participate in a survey to help shape the future of the state’s small ruminant industry. The initiative is a collaboration between University of Missouri Extension and Lincoln University Extension.
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Dana Brown Haynes Memorial 4-H Scholarship
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H Foundation has announced the establishment of the Dana Brown Haynes Memorial 4-H Scholarship, created by the family and friends of Dana Brown Haynes, a former trustee of the Missouri 4-H Foundation who passed away Oct. 27, 2024.
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Master Pollinator Steward program begins May 5
The Master Pollinator Steward program starts May 5, teaching ways to protect pollinators vital to our environment and food supply.
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MU releases payment plan decision tool for corn, soybean, wheat
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As the deadline approaches for growers to select between USDA safety net programs, University of Missouri’s Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center has developed a tool to help growers decide which plans to choose for their major crops.
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Don't plant seeds you didn't order
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension horticulturists ask the public not to plant unsolicited seeds received in the mail. MU Extension horticulturist Kelly McGowan says she has had recent reports from Springfield-area residents who have been mailed seeds they did not order.
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Keep the bedbugs at bay
Learn how to prevent and manage bedbug infestations with practical tips for detection, treatment, and long-term control strategies.
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April is National Gardening Month
COLUMBIA, Mo. – April is National Gardening Month and a good time to plant a garden, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. For those who lacked the motivation in the past to garden, consider these benefits:
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Youths test equine knowledge at State 4-H Hippology Contest
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Extension State 4-H Hippology Contest on March 15 drew 30 youths along with their coaches. The event tested participants’ knowledge in areas such as equine confirmation, behavior, equipment, diseases, anatomy, terminology and characteristics, said Kelsey Fuller, MU Extension state 4-H agriculture educator.
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MU Extension offers feed safety plan assistance
MONTICELLO, Mo. – The federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), in place for nearly 10 years, requires elevator firms to develop and maintain documentation on their current good manufacturing practices for processing and selling animal feed. Brenda Schreck, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist, helps Missouri firms meet FSMA requirements through proper documentation.
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Happy 70th birthday to Missouri's state tree
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The flowering dogwood tree celebrates its 70th birthday as the Missouri state tree in 2025. There is no better place to celebrate than Missouri’s Ozark woodlands from mid-April to early May when the dogwood is in bloom, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.
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Soil tests key to fertilizing warm-season forages
TUSCUMBIA, Mo. – Soil testing and proper fertilization are key to productive warm-season forages in Missouri, says Rudra Baral, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy
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MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic offers digital sample submission
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic now offers a digital diagnosis service to quickly identify plant health problems. Growers can easily submit photos of plants injured by insects, pathogens, weeds, environmental stress or improper care, says Peng Tian, director of the MU Diagnostic Clinic in Columbia.
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Clematis, Queen of the Vines
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – You can look high and low, but you likely won’t find a climbing vine that compares to the clematis, known as the “Queen of the Vines,” says Gwen Funk, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in horticulture. Part of the buttercup family, clematis comprises several species and numerous cultivars. Color, bloom time, habitat and even growth habit vary among species. There are varieties to fit into most…
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Missouri youths lead the way at 4-H Day at the Capitol
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – On March 26, almost 900 Missouri 4-H members, staff, volunteers and parents gathered in Jefferson City for 4-H Day at the Capitol, a day of civic engagement, leadership and advocacy.
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The 'soy of gardening' includes edamame
COLUMBIA, Mo. – You may have seen edamame in grocery stores or on salad bars and not known what it is, says Todd Higgins, University of Missouri Extension specialist in horticulture. Edamame is a type of soybean grown for direct consumption by people. Edamame (pronounced eh-duh-mah-may) translates from Japanese as “beans on a branch” since they are often sold with the pod still attached to the stem.
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Easter lilies toxic to cats
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A favorite spring flower, the Easter lily, should be kept away from cats. If ingested, it could kill them. The perennial plant’s white, trumpet-like flowers might not sound the warning that all parts of it are highly toxic to felines.