The approach of spring signals that Missouri Beef Days 2024 is not far away. The weeklong event packed full of family fun including a rodeo, parade, banquet, ag expo, cowboy church, and concert by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils runs from May 4-11 in Bolivar, but those still wanting to become a sponsor have only until March 1 to guarantee the best choice of benefits – including one of those famous cut-out cows. more

Some things that happen on a hobby farm just have to be shared. As I was feeding the cows on Wednesday afternoon I noticed one of my cows, Reva, was going to calve at any time. On Thursday when I was feeding as expected I had a new heifer calf that had been born the night before on Valentines Day. When I have new calves I always take pictures and send to my niece and nephew so my great-niece and -nephew can name them. After they decided on the name Valentine, Val for short, I posted the picture on Facebook as usual. After posting I looked at the photo and realized that Val had an almost perfect heart on her forehead. What are the chances of that? When talking with one of my coworkers the next day he commented that the stars had to align perfectly for this to happen!! more

Mason Bruce Hopkins, a member of the Fair Play FFA chapter recently received the American FFA Degree. Members earning this degree were among a select group of individuals to be recognized for years of academic and professional excellence. The honor was presented on Nov. 4 at the 96th National FFA Convention, held in Indianapolis, IN. more

Missouri Beef Days, the state’s signature family event celebrating the beef industry, announces the hiring of Katie Roweton as Executive Coordinator in preparation for this year’s events, which run from May 4-11 in Bolivar. more

Wednesday, Feb. 14 more

Feb. 17 at the Polk County Fairgrounds more

Applications are now available to apply to become a Missouri Century Farm. Guidelines for becoming a Century Farm are: more

The Polk County Extension Council held their annual meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5. more

Bolivar Liberators will celebrate their courtwarming, Friday, Feb. 16. Games begin at 6 p.m. against Lebanon. more

Those wanting to take their wardrobe to the next level for this year’s Missouri Beef Days in Bolivar this May have an opportunity to find great options at this year’s Missouri Beef Days Fashion Show in March. more

Caleb is excited to explore agriculture policy opportunities and careers as he serves as a Missouri Farm Bureau 2024 Ambassador. more

The Polk County Extension Center will be holding a Private Pesticide Applicator Training on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the Polk County Fairgrounds, 4560 S.100 Road, Bolivar. The class will start at 6 p.m. and conclude around 9 p.m. There is no cost for the training. Terry Halleran, Regional Agronomy Specialist, will facilitate the training. more

The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association recognized a Bolivar cattle producer as the 2023 Cattleman of the Year at the 56th Annual Missouri Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show on Jan. 20, 2024, at Osage Beach. Keith Stevens was presented the award for his commitment to advancing the Missouri beef industry. more

The Polk County Extension Center will be holding a Private Pesticide Applicator Training on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the Polk County Fairgrounds, 4560 S.100 Road, Bolivar. The class will start at 6 p.m. and conclude around 9 p.m. There is no cost for the training. Terry Halleran, Regional Agronomy Specialist, will facilitate the training. more

The Polk County Extension Center will be holding a Private Pesticide Applicator Training on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at the Polk County Fairgrounds, 4560 S.100 Road, Bolivar. The class will start at 6 p.m. and conclude around 9 p.m. There is no cost for the training. Terry Halleran, Regional Agronomy Specialist, will facilitate the training. more

ST. PETERS, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Agriculture, Food and Forestry Innovation Center offer a one-day workshop Saturday, Feb. 17, in St. Peters at the MU Extension Center in St. Charles County. more

Don’t ignore the warning signs. more

Winter storms create significant challenges and often result in catastrophic loss for agricultural producers, especially for those raising livestock, row crops and vulnerable crops like citrus. Despite every attempt to mitigate risk, your operation may suffer losses. As you prepare for the potential impacts of upcoming winter weather, know that USDA offers several programs to help with recovery. more

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Karen Stillings in Polk/Dallas Counties reminds producers that FSA continues to accept applications for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for grazing losses due to drought. The deadline to apply for 2023 LFP assistance is Jan. 30, 2024. more

State legislators from across Missouri descended upon the state Capitol last Wednesday to kick off the 2024 state legislative session. From now through May 17, these elected leaders will debate and deliberate bills and topics important to them and their constituents. The hope each and every year is for priority issues to be passed by the General Assembly and ultimately land on the Governor’s desk for his signature. more

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will release the 2022 Census of Agriculture data Feb. 13, 2024. more

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Karen Stillings in Polk/Dallas Counties reminds producers that FSA continues to accept applications for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for grazing losses due to drought. The deadline to apply for 2023 LFP assistance is Jan. 30, 2024. more

The Polk County University of Missouri Extension Council will hold their annual election from Jan. 16 thru Jan. 19. Balloting may be done online or in person at the Polk County Extension Center, 110 E Jefferson, Bolivar, Mo. The online link may be found on the extension Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/www.polkcounty.edu . Ballots may be requested to be mailed by calling the office at 417-326-4916. more

The Water Protection Program received notice on Jan. 2, 2024, that Missouri Prime Beef Packers is withdrawing its permit application to use the innovative iLEAF technology for discharge to the Pomme de Terre watershed. This permit application was the subject of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Draft Notice of Intent to Deny Missouri State Operating Permit MO-0113204, Nov. 7, 2023, and a public meeting scheduled for Jan. 6, 2024. As the department no longer has a permit application to consider or deny, a public hearing is no longer necessary. By way of this announcement, the department is notifying the public and interested parties that the public hearing scheduled for Jan. 6, 2024, is hereby canceled. No future public meetings for this site are scheduled at this time. more

Missouri Farm Bureau wrapped up another great Annual Meeting in December, and this year’s theme focused on our organization being “Guided by Tradition.” One of those annual traditions is the Farmometer survey. more