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Strengthening families for healthier youths and communities
FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. – “Why not give it a try?” Sarah Kelly thought as she looked over the letter from her children’s Fredericktown middle school. The pressures of everyday life — and the easy escape that technology provides — make it harder for families to spend time together and connect.“We can all use all the help we can these days in getting closer as a family,” the Madison County mother thought as she read about the Strengthening…
Spring activities bring stress
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The busy time of the year is upon us – prom, graduation, spring sports and end-of-school banquets. This flurry of activities can bring stress, especially in rural communities, where these activities may coincide with spring planting, says Jeremiah Terrell, a University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.Now is the time to set priorities and make a plan for the entire family, Terrell says. Good time…
Risk for Loneliness and Social Isolation in Older Adults
Older adults are at risk for loneliness and social isolation. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) issued a report stating more than one-third of adults aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated. Some might use loneliness and social isolation interchangeably however there are differences. Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, regardless of the amount of social contact an individual…
Patience is lawn owner's friend in March
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Be mellow until the forsythia turns yellow.That’s the advice from University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Lee Miller for applying crabgrass pre-emergent herbicides to lawns.“The forsythia bloom has been used as a phenological indicator on when to apply pre-emergent herbicides and it’s a fairly easy and obvious sign,” he says.
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Pansy: Not just another pretty face
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Nothing says spring like the shining faces of pansies.But pansies aren’t just for spring, says David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist.
MU Extension boosts leadership programs with $475,000 foundation grant
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension has been awarded a $475,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health to enhance leadership development in Missouri.
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MU Extension and partners combat COVID-19 misconceptions
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With Missouri seeing hundreds of new COVID-19 cases each day, University of Missouri Extension and partners are working to decrease these numbers as much as possible.
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To help empower youth leaders, support Mizzou Giving Day
Troy Ludwig is a senior at Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City, Missouri. Throughout his nine years in 4-H, he has served as a Jefferson City 4-H club secretary and president, State 4-H Council member, and currently serves as a youth representative on the Missouri 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees.
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For programs that are out of this world, support Mizzou Giving Day
Outer space is what first brought Ron Boain together with MU Extension's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute as a learner, instructor and donor. Not long after he and his wife Catherine retired and returned to Columbia, Missouri, Ron spotted an Osher brochure at the bank. A course about the Apollo 11 mission, commemorating its 50th anniversary, particularly caught his eye.
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For life-long learning and connections, support Mizzou Giving Day
For Helen and George Washburn, "lifelong learning" is more than a program motto: it is central to how Helen, former president of Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri, and George, a former high school principal, create community.
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Support Mizzou Giving Day: the perfect recipe for Missouri 4-H impact and success
Theresa Alvarez carefully counts down two minutes on her watch before flipping the tortilla chips so they will have just the right crunch. This is one of the final steps in the recipe the Ruskin High School student prepared during a Saturday iCook 4-H class at the Bethel Family Worship Center in Kansas City.
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Impact of 4-H Programming: A Ten-year Review
The Issue Youth involved in 4-H have the opportunity to be members from ages eight to eighteen. According to a 2009 study from Tufts University, 4-H youth appear to have higher levels of developmental assets that are found to be most important in positive youth development (Lerner et al., 2009). Assessment of long-term 4-H programming is critical to evaluate the success of meeting the objectives of positive youth development.
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4-H: All Access - Bringing Community Club Concepts to the World of Afterschool
The Issue In the state of Missouri, and many other states, traditionally 4-H has been delivered in community clubs that are family based and operate outside of any school, church, or other identifying community. This Community Club model has proven to offer youth an opportunity for positive youth development. However, there is a large section of the population who has not found their way to 4-H within this model, mainly due to the…
MU study looks at nitrogen products for pastures
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension forage researchers studied the effects of treated urea products on soil fertility, forage yield and quality.This information can help producers control risk on nitrogen investments, improve tall fescue forage yields and improve water quality.
Legumes improve pastures, grazing and profits
STOCKTON, Mo.- Add legumes to grazing pastures to improve cattle performance and forage production, says University of Missouri Extension regional livestock specialist Patrick Davis.Frost-seed clovers and lespedeza now, Davis says. They grow well with cool-season grasses in Missouri and improve spring and summer pastures.
Positive Relationship Development Impacts Your Neighborhood and Community Says Specialist
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The relationships we have with others impact different aspects of our lives, according to Amber Allen, a human development specialist with University of Missouri Extension. We have relationships with our children, significant others, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and anyone we interact with daily. Those relationships impact our families, neighborhoods, communities, coworkers, schools, churches, organizations, and…
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Business Development Program celebrates performance of staff, teams
MISSOURI – On Jan. 27, 2021, the University of Missouri Extension Business Development Program (BDP) recognized members for their performance and accomplishments during the organization’s first virtual professional development conference. The annual celebration awards individuals and teams for performance in the most recent fiscal year.
A Handwritten Note to a Neighbor Can Be a Game Changer
SPRINGFIELD, Mo -- When a neighbor receives a kind note from us in the mail, especially if it is handwritten, they feel like the writer has a deeper desire to serve them or to connect. “One might say that a handwritten note can be a game changer. Especially now when many consider a handwritten note a dying art form,” said David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
Evaluate your calving distribution this spring
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Record calf birthdates this calving season to track calving distribution.“Evaluating a calving distribution takes very little time but can provide valuable insight into reproductive performance and productivity of the herd,” says University of Missouri Extension veterinarian Craig Payne.Calving distribution is often expressed as the percentage of calves born at 21-day intervals, since 21 days is the average length of…
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Marking a 100-year legacy for three Missouri 4-H families
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri 4-H Foundation recently recognized three families with the 2020 Missouri 4-H Century Family Award. Each family represents a combined 100 years or more of membership and volunteer service within 4-H.Bates CountyThe Arnold FamilyPike CountyThe Branstetter FamilyVernon County
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Missouri 4-H faculty share expertise in national journals
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri 4-H faculty have recently shared their expertise and influence nationally about issues as diverse as programming for youths who are homeless and the decision-making process behind going to the State Fair in the midst of a pandemic. Four articles by Missouri 4-H faculty were published this past December in national journals directed at extension and youth development professionals.
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From Idea to Fruition
ROLLA, Mo. – Men have long dominated the forestry industry, but within the last 30 years women have made great strides in forestry, according to the United States Forestry Service. University of Missouri Extension natural resources specialist Sarah Havens is one individual helping women find their passion in the field of forestry.
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Data sheets document UM System's impact
COLUMBIA, Mo. – County-level data sheets on the impact of the University of Missouri System are at www.umsystem.edu/ums/sc/datasheets. The printable two-page PDFs have been updated with data for FY 2020.
Missouri land values continue to grow
COLUMBIA, Mo. – All classes of Missouri land values grew steadily in the past year, according to the University of Missouri Extension’s annual survey of farmers, rural appraisers and agricultural lenders.Ray Massey, MU Extension agricultural economics professor, heads the survey efforts.
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Frost seeding improves yield, quality
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Forage yield and quality improve when legumes are frost-seeded at the right time, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts. Frost seeding, a method of broadcasting seeds over snow- or frost-covered pastures, improves poor pastures at a low cost. Seeds work their way into the soil and germinate as the ground freezes and thaws between winter and spring.