Loading

MU Extension: The Year in Review

A year and a half in, COVID continues to challenge us. I'm proud of our response in this time of constant change and uncertainty as we find innovative ways to serve the diverse needs of Missourians through effective combinations of in-person and virtual programming.

As we reflect on the past year, I find that I am overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude. I'm thankful for:

  • The people of MU Extension and the 6 million Missourians we serve.
  • The partners and collaborators who extend our capacity and reach.
  • The trust of the University of Missouri System administrators and the value they place on engaging with our communities.
  • The supporters, funders, advisers, council members and friends who share their time, talent and treasure to advance our efforts to improve the lives and communities in Missouri.

Below are just a few of the many examples of what MU Extension has accomplished over the past year to solve Missouri's grand challenges of economic opportunity, educational access and health and well-being.

Agriculture and Environment

Bold goal. Bold future. #2XAg2030

Our goal is to double the value of Missouri agriculture by 2030 while sustaining the state's natural resources. Seem impossible? Take a look at the progress we've made!

Over the last four years, we've doubled our shared credit expenditure. The result?

• More resources

• More one-on-one site visits

• More workshops

A new partnership

Missouri Small Business Development Centers and MU Extension partnered to provide resources to help agriculture businesses through CARES funding provided to the SBDC by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The center in action:

Missouri meat and poultry processors receive $16.7 million in grants with help from MU Extension partnership.

When the Missouri Department of Agriculture awarded $16.7 million to keep 150 meat and poultry processors in Missouri going strong during the pandemic, the Missouri Small Business Development Center for Agriculture, Food and Forestry created a rapid-response team to educate processors about the funding opportunity and assist them with the grant application process.

Top stories: Agriculture

A shocking new method to control weeds: electrocute them!

As more weeds develop resistance to herbicides, electrocution may be the weed management approach of the future.” — Kevin Bradley, weed scientist

The seed terminator makes sure weed seeds leaving combines are pulverized. This reduces reliance on chemical weed control.

Healthy communities begin with healthy food

A partnership between MU Extension and groups in the Mark Twain Lake area is teaching people in Monroe County to grow and use fresh produce.

This community gardening project engages the community in healthy eating and physical activity and focuses on nutrition education, food distribution and even taste tests.” — Carrie Elsen, county engagement specialist in nutrition and health

Cultivating inclusivity

After 260 people registered for a Spanish-language webinar series, MU Extension specialists realized they needed to find ways to continue to reach this audience.

Specialists are now translating vital MU Extension resources into Spanish.

Missouri Master Gardeners beautify their communities and help others learn to grow

The mission of the Missouri Master Gardener Extension Program is “helping others learn to grow.” The Master Gardener program provides in-depth horticultural training to individuals throughout Missouri who then volunteer to help others in their communities learn about gardening and environmental education.

Missouri Master Gardeners do more than garden. They transform the region.

Master Gardeners in the news

Master Gardener Ron Brown prepares for the 2021 growing season.
Friends of the Market Community Garden renovate space for indoor gardens and storage.
A future Missouri Master Gardener proudly shows off his harvest.
Business and Community

Business is grown here

The Missouri Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) help business owners overcome obstacles to success at all stages of their businesses' life cycle. Here are a few of this year's success stories.

Top stories: Business development

KC Cattle Co.

Throughout the years, Patrick Montgomery has sought the guidance of MU professors, extension specialists and Missouri SBDC business consultants.

What I tell other entrepreneurs and other people in the ag community is, ‘Why wouldn't you take advantage of programs like MU Extension and Missouri SBDC? You know, worst-case scenario, you save yourself a substantial amount of money.’” — Patrick Montgomery

Minglewood Brewery

When the pandemic hit, Stuart Matthews wanted credible information about how to take advantage of government programs available to help businesses survive the uncertainty. He contacted Jakob Pallesen, a business development counselor with Missouri SBDC at Southeast Missouri State University.

Strengthening communities

Healthier communities, resilient economies and stronger leaders create a better Missouri. Find out how MU Extension is improving communities around the state.

Top stories: Community development

Missouri EATs: Engage • Act • Transform

In partnership with communities across the state, Missouri EATs helps connect local stakeholders to strengthen their communities' food systems.

Missouri EATs is designed to engage people to identify local assets and needs, help them develop a plan to act on their top priorities and make lasting changes to transform their local food system.

Neighborhood Leadership Fellows

The mission of Neighborhood Leadership Fellows is to increase and amplify the voices of North St. Louis City and County residents to produce more equitable regional policies for neighborhoods.

Only in its fourth year, the program has produced two state representatives, seven public board and commission members, three city council members and two municipal aldermen.

The program received a What's Right with the Region! award in the "Demonstrating Innovative Solutions" category for ingenuity and vision in making the St. Louis region a better place to live, work or visit.

Supporting next-generation manufacturing in Missouri

The Consortium to Enhance Innovation, Resilience and Agility in Missouri Manufacturers is teaming up Missouri manufacturers, chambers of commerce and business organizations with UM System researchers.

It’s a commitment from our land-grant institution to be that connector between the manufacturers to identify and solve problems and grow Missouri manufacturing and our state’s economy.” — Steve Devlin, director, Business and Community Development program
Health and Safety

Confronting health issues and bringing services to rural communities

MU Extension aligns research, teaching and clinical approaches to empower Missourians to improve their health and well-being. Health was the focus of the 2021 Extension and Engagement Week. The week included faculty from all four universities in the UM System, MU Extension, MU Health, and statewide partners and stakeholders all working together to learn, brainstorm and create a plan for improving the health, well-being and health outcomes for people in the state of Missouri.

Top stories: Health and safety

Getting employees in recovery back into the workplace

A new MU community health initiative will help rural communities focus on local workforce recovery efforts, which could also help faltering rural economies.

The two-year Building Capacity for Recovery-Friendly Communities program will serve about 35,000 Missourians.

Strengthening families for healthier youths and communities

The pressures of everyday life make it harder for families to spend time together and connect. A new program helps preteens grow to become healthier adolescents and adults by embedding life skills and community and family support efforts into middle school.

Tackling mental health issues for Missourians

All of Missouri's 99 rural counties face shortages of mental health professionals even as rural areas deal with growing financial stress and rising suicide rates.

A new grant will help support projects that provide stress assistance and suicide prevention services for farmers, ranchers and others in agricultural professions.

MU Extension specialists, along with partners, provide training and education to raise awareness about behavioral and mental health.

MU Extension and Show-Me Farm Safety recently released a Together We Can toolkit to help rural Missourians access mental health resources.

Vaccine education

During the pandemic, vaccine education was an important part of MU Extension's ongoing commitment to bring unbiased information to Missourians. Resources included social media campaigns and promotional materials in English and Spanish.

Additionally, MU Extension made sure faculty and staff had the most up-to-date information to share within their communities. This included monthly livestreams featuring experts in a variety of relevant fields.

Youth and Families

Improving lives for Missouri youth, older adults and everyone in-between

Missouri 4-H is about young people making new friends and memories while preparing to be future leaders in both rural and urban areas.

Top stories: 4-H

Missouri Care gift to help grow 4-H student nutrition advisory clubs

Missouri 4-H received $25,000 from Missouri Care Inc. to support young people across Missouri in promoting healthy habits in their communities.

The 4-H Student Nutrition Advisory Council (SNAC) initiative, piloted last year in the Kansas City metropolitan area, creates new 4-H clubs that focus on teaching nutrition along with leadership and citizenship skills central to 4-H.

Missouri 4-H'ers flock to new American Sign Language project

Aynsley Harmon, a 12-year-old from Kahoka, Missouri, wanted to be able to talk with a deaf relative she sees at family reunions. So she did what any resourceful 4-H’er does: She looked for a project to help her accomplish her goal.

Eleven 4-H'ers participated in a pilot class, and there is a growing waiting list of others from across Missouri who want to get involved.

Watch 4-H'ers recite the 4-H pledge in American Sign Language.

Missouri 4-H partners with Missouri Farmers Care to curb food insecurity

Drive to Feed Kids

The third annual 4-H Feeding Missouri food drive secured more than 356,000 meals for hungry Missourians.

Hogs for Hunger

Youths involved in FFA and 4-H livestock exhibits donated hogs after show season to help feed families in need.

Missouri 4-H'ers raised more than 1,100 pounds of protein this summer by donating pigs at the 2021 Missouri State Fair. The pork contributed through Missouri Farmers Care’s Hogs for Hunger program provided 5,028 meals for food-insecure Missourians.

Top stories: Nutrition, health and families

Heroes to Hives

This unique program addresses the financial and personal wellness of veterans through free professional training and community development.

Veterans leave the program with a depth of beekeeping knowledge as well as personal and professional relationships that open up new opportunities and ensure long-term peer support.

More than 290 Missouri veterans signed up for the first program.

100 Miles in 100 Days

Randolph County motivates community to move.

This program fits well with our desire to get kids and others unplugged and outdoors being active. The timing is right. Especially after COVID-19, there’s no better time, as people are really seeing the value of outdoor activity.” — Troy Bock, director of Moberly Parks and Recreation

Connecting seniors with farmers market fare

Through the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, MU Extension helped distribute more than 800 vouchers to income-eligible people age 60 and older in the Kansas City area.

Food insecurity is a big issue for aging adults. Giving seniors the ability to get fresh local produce throughout the growing season while helping local farmers boost their sales is a great win-win for everyone.” Lorin Fahrmeier, Farm to institution project coordinator