The Polk County Junior Livestock Show and Youth Fair has been bringing people from all around the surrounding area to enjoy a weekend of livestock shows, tractor pulls, auctions, contests and so much … more

Martin Porter says he was inspired by "poverty" to get into the seed business. He started out selling encyclopedias, he says. Then he went to work sweeping floors at Green Seed Company in Springfield … more

New members of the Polk County University of Missouri Extension Council will be elected from Jan. 12 to Jan. 16 from candidates nominated by county citizens. more

The SW MO Spring Forage Conference will be held Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center, 2546 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO. more

On Saturday evening, Nov. 8, Clover Kids and 4-H members from Polk County were recognized for their accomplishments during the 2024-25 4-H year. more

The Woodlawn 4-H club had their second meeting of the new program year with a whopping 28 members attending. The meeting was held on Monday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. Club President, Ellie Samek, called the meeting to order and discussed the 4-H Paper Clover Campaign. When checking out at Tractor Supply you have the opportunity to purchase a paper clover in which 100% of the money goes to 4-H. Woodlawn also has the opportunity to participate in Light the Park at Dunnegan Memorial Park from 5-6 pm on December 12th. The Eudora 4-H club will be ringing on the same day but from 6-7 pm. The Polk County 4-H Club will hold their next meeting on Monday, Dec. 15, at 6 p.m. at the Polk County Fairgrounds. For more information contact Velynda Cameron at the Missouri Extension Office at 417-326-4916. The Woodlawn Club hopes to see you at the next meeting! more

“A full house saw a strong Show Me Select™ (SMS) Replacement Heifer Program Sale on Nov. 21 at Joplin Regional Stockyards,” says Patrick Davis MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. 246 heifers sold from 13 consigners for an average price of $4,177 per heifer. This average was higher than the record average for this sale location in the spring 2025 sale when 124 heifers sold for an average price of $4,010 per heifer. This sale totaled over a million dollars in sales which is the highest total sales for an SMS sale at Joplin Regional Stockyards since the fall of 2014 when 521 heifers sold for an average price of $2,888 per heifer which is 1.5 million dollars in sales. more

The Polk County Extension Council will increase fees for soil testing beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Fees per single sample will increase from $18 to $20. more

“Understanding markets as well as suggestions on feeding cattle through the winter are important for a cattle operation to function properly,” says Patrick Davis, MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. Furthermore, understanding financial tools that are available to cattle producers is helpful in planning for operational success in the future. Therefore, MU Extension is partnering with FCS Financial to provide a cattle producers meeting to cover these topics on December 11, at 6 p.m. at the Vernon County Fairgrounds Centennial Hall at 1641 E Ashland Street, Nevada, MO 64772. more

From December through February, Missouri's winter eagle watching is spectacular. more

“The numbers were low, but the prices were high at the SW MO All Breeds Performance Tested bull Sale on October 27th in Springfield, MO,” says Patrick Davis, MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. The current market is fueling high bull sale averages, and this sale was no different as 21 bulls sold for an average of $7,128 per bull. more

Beef producers who have lost cattle to Theileria orientalis may qualify for financial assistance through USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), says Craig Payne, University of Missouri Extension director of veterinary medicine. more

“Understanding markets as well as suggestions on feeding cattle through the winter are important for a cattle operation to function properly,” says Patrick Davis, MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. Furthermore, understanding financial tools that are available to cattle producers is helpful in planning for operational success in the future. Therefore, MU Extension is partnering with FCS Financial to provide a cattle producers meeting to cover these topics on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Vernon County Fairgrounds Centennial Hall at 1641 E Ashland Street, Nevada. more

Polk County MU Extension Council will be accepting nominations for the 2026 public election of county extension council members. Names of nominees are needed for review by existing county council members at the Dec. 1 council meeting. This invitation is to any Polk County resident interested in joining the council. more

“Providing education to cattle producers in the areas of cattle grading, feeding and marketing helps them make management decisions to add value to their cattle operation,” says Patrick Davis MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. Understanding calf feedlot performance and carcass characteristics helps build a reputation that leads to marketing your calves postweaning at a premium. Therefore, MU Extension is partnering with the Show Me Youth Ag Academy, Missouri State University, and ACRISURE®-Gibson Insurance to hold a Feeder Cattle Grading, Feeding and Marketing Workshop on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. at the Lamar First Baptist Church FLOC Building at 1301 East 6th Street, Lamar, MO 64759. more

This year at the 98th National FFA Convention and Expo, Pleasant Hope had five of Missouri’s nine Agriscience Fair projects advancing to the National level. Missouri submitted 22 projects in total, six of which came from Pleasant Hope, and only nine statewide projects were selected as national top-ten finalists. more

University of Missouri Director of Veterinary Extension Craig Payne urges cattle producers to watch for signs of disease associated with Theileria orientalis (ikeda), a protozoal organism recently detected in Missouri. more

“Providing education to cattle producers in the areas of cattle grading, feeding and marketing helps them make management decisions to add value to their cattle operation,” says Patrick Davis MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. Understanding calf feedlot performance and carcass characteristics helps build a reputation that leads to marketing your calves postweaning at a premium. Therefore, MU Extension is partnering with the Show Me Youth Ag Academy, Missouri State University, and ACRISURE®-Gibson Insurance to hold a Feeder Cattle Grading, Feeding and Marketing Workshop on December 9th at 6 p.m. at the Lamar First Baptist Church FLOC Building at 1301 East 6th Street, Lamar, MO 64759. more

Source: Robert Pierce, 573-882-4337 more

PHMS Pirates 4-H Club, Polk County, has received a grant from the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation’s Drive to Feed Kids matching grant program which empowers youth to lead hunger-relief efforts in local communities through Missouri FFA chapters, Missouri 4-H clubs, collegiate, and career and technical education organizations. Since 2022, grant recipients have raised resources to provide more than 575,877 meals to families in need. more

“Feeding management of cattle is important to the profitability of the cattle operation,” says Patrick Davis MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. Furthermore, forage is the main part of the diet for cow-calf producers, so economics related to acquiring that forage is important to an operations bottom-line. Therefore, MU Extension, with the help of Wheeler Livestock Auction is providing a workshop to discuss these topics on December 15th at 6 pm at the Landmark Restaurant at 301 South Main, Lowry City, MO 64763. more

On Saturday, Oct. 4, 4-H’ers from across Missouri participated in one of Missouri 4-H’s oldest competitions, the State 4-H Public Speaking Contest. Held on MU’s campus, 61 4-H’ers from counties across the state gathered to show off their skills. These 4-H’ers worked hard all year to prepare for this annual culminating experience which allows them to showcase their skills to a panel of judges. Senior participants that won first place in one of the five categories had the opportunity to show off their skills to participants and their families at the end of the contest. In 4-H, youth begin at a young age to learn to speak in front of others by giving age-appropriate demonstrations to their peers, and then participating in conference judging for their projects. Through this contest, 4-H’ers grow in their abilities. The contest consists of five speech categories, appealing to a variety of interests and skill levels. more

The annual Southwest Missouri Beef Conference and Trade show will be held Monday, Nov. 17 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Church, 1405 West Fair Play Street in Bolivar. more

Livestock producers now have more flexibility under recent updates to USDA’s Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program, which helps safeguard against unexpected price declines in feeder cattle, fed cattle and swine markets, says Jacob Hefley, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agricultural business. more

The Woodlawn 4-H Club held its first meeting of the new program year on Monday, October 20, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.. The members mainly focused on project, snack, and demonstration sign-ups. After the meeting was adjourned, the club members participated in a hayride, as well as roasting s’mores and hotdogs over a fire. more