STEELVILLE, Mo. – Ag Tidbits, produced by University of Missouri Extension faculty in east-central Missouri, provides relevant and timely online tips for farmers and ranchers statewide at facebook.com/MUecAgTIDBITS.

The brief informational videos and text posts cover topics as varied and practical as how to get a good soil sample with a shovel, what to feed pigs to hold them longer during meat processing plant slowdowns, best ways to plant potatoes, how to determine nutritional adequacy for beef cattle, and more.

“These tidbits are a short, simple, digital way to address typical questions extension specialists receive this time of year and to provide timely agricultural information to Missourians,” said Gatlin Bunton, field specialist in agronomy in Crawford County. He also serves Dent, Maries, Miller, Phelps and Pulaski counties. Information about MU Extension webinars, courses and programs will be readily available through the page.

This time of year, MU Extension specialists receive numerous questions in their county offices as well as through in-person consultations. COVID-19 restrictions have moved work away from face-to-face meetings, “but that doesn’t keep us from being able to share our agricultural knowledge with you when you need it,” Bunton said.

Also lending their expertise to the Tidbits team are livestock specialists Anita Ellis and Kendra Graham; Rachel Hopkins, county engagement specialist in agriculture and environment in Washington County; horticulture specialist Kate Kammler; agricultural engineering specialist Charles Ellis; and agronomy specialist Rusty Lee — with guest appearances planned from other extension specialists as needed.

Other topics in the works include spray tip selection and calibration for different herbicides, making hay bales, and freeze branding on livestock.

“This is proving to be another way for people to find and connect with MU Extension’s business, agronomy, horticulture and livestock specialists in their area and the knowledge and resources they have to share, if they haven’t done so before,” Bunton said.

Photo available for this release:

https://extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/NewsAdmin/Photos/2020/20200507-ecat-1.jpg
MU Extension agronomist Gatlin Bunton demonstrates how to take a soil sample in a video from the East Central Ag Tidbits page on Facebook.