Year: 2017

The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) has barred the sale of tractor hydraulic fluid (THF) labeled as “John Deere 303” effectively immediately. The ban was announced by MDA’s Weights, Measures & Consumer Protection Division which called John Deere 303 fluids misbranded “because they fail to meet any current tractor manufacturer’s […]

MFA Oil Company, a farmer-owned energy supply cooperative, recently held its 88th Annual Delegate Meeting in Branson, Mo., where the co-op’s elected representatives approved a return of $5.2 million in patronage to the membership. The patronage disbursement, which was recommended by the MFA Oil Board of Directors, represents 80 percent […]

MFA Oil Company, a farmer-owned energy supply cooperative, recently held its 88th Annual Delegate Meeting in Branson, Mo., where the co-op’s elected representatives approved a return of $5.2 million in patronage to the membership.

In a recent sermon, my pastor focused on the idea of ensuring the church understands and sticks to its mission of serving God. This notion, keeping the main thing the main thing, originated from famous self-improvement guru Stephen Covey. It’s a strong point, and it made me reflect upon the […]

For the past 11 years, Mid-America Biofuels, a biodiesel production plant in Mexico, Mo., has become a large contributor to the growing renewable fuels industry. The plant, which became Missouri’s first large-scale biodiesel production facility when it opened in 2006, has grown from its original production capacity of 30 million […]

With limited funds designated for facility upkeep, universities around the country are facing a mounting backlog of maintenance needs, and farmers could soon feel the effect. The widespread problem of deferred maintenance has the potential to limit agriculture research findings, and ultimately halt future innovations the United States may make […]

No easy answer to herbicide controversy Uncertainty is swirling in the Midwest, where millions of acres of crops may have been damaged by a controversial herbicide. An estimated 3.1 million acres of soybeans have been affected by off-target movement of dicamba across the country, and that figure doesn’t include other […]

Break Time unveiled its first truck stop in Moberly, Mo., in September. Located at the southern edge of the city where U.S. Highway 63 and State Highway M intersect, the store features many amenities for truck drivers, including: parking space for 25 tractor-trailers, a lounge, showers, laundry machines, free WiFi […]

3 Tips for Propane Preparedness Fall is here and heating season is just around the corner. If you haven’t planned for your propane needs yet, now is the time. MFA Oil is committed to keeping your home, farm or commercial business adequately supplied with propane all winter long. The price […]

Fruit and vegetable farms, gardens and other agricultural sectors rely on pollinators to ensure abundant production, but wild pollinator populations are in decline, says Dirk Philipp, associate professor of animal science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “The original prairies that covered much of the United States […]

Thirty years ago, agricultural cooperative leaders from across the country gathered for a series of focus panels to discuss the future of farmer-owned cooperatives. The panelists’ discussions were summarized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the report “Positioning Farmer Cooperatives for the Future,” which concluded cooperatives must continually adapt […]

A change is coming to the cattle seedstock industry. Breed associations have long been interested in finding the genetic basis for feed efficiency, with the aim of breeding more efficient animals. But the first step—accurately measuring how much cattle eat across different life stages and diet types—has been a missing […]