Author: Jason Jenkins

A green cannabis leaf on a wooden surface.

The Hemp Hype

As legal hemp production produces headlines, hurdles exist for Missouri growers Kelly Nelson has grown his share of cash crops during 20 growing seasons at the University of Missouri’s Greenley Research Center just outside of Novelty, Mo. The research agronomist has raised everything in northeast Missouri from the traditional commodity […]

A smiling couple sits on a couch with their young child. The woman wears a striped shirt and holds a green toy labeled The Frog. The man in a gray shirt sits to their right. The living room background features a kitchen and sunflowers.

Mobile Hope

Centralia couple’s innovative solution helps kids around the world Headlines and awards weren’t on Taylor Moreland’s mind that night in August 2018 when he flipped on the lights in his Centralia garage, sat down and began to work. All he was thinking about was how he could help his son, […]

A close-up of a blacksmiths hand holding a hammer striking a hot, glowing piece of metal on an anvil, with sparks flying. The image captures the intense heat and energy of the metalworking process.

Timeless Tools

At 47 years old, Will Dobkins still remembers an age when things were built to last. Whether it was a television set, a vacuum or some other household convenience, there was an expectation that products would stand the test of time and regular use. And, should something go awry, there […]

A large pig stands in a muddy field, surrounded by a group of piglets. The piglets are various shades of pink and brown, and some are playfully interacting with the adult pig. The ground is covered in straw and patches of grass.

Pigs on Pasture

Raising Heritage Breed Hogs Outdoors Links Past and Present for Norton Farms For the Norton family, tradition runs five generations deep in the rolling hills just outside Plattsburg in northwest Missouri’s Clinton County. Since 1884, the family has followed the same farming formula for success. “You need to be diversified,” […]

Steve and Veronica Baetje have made goat cheese in the hills of Ste. Genevieve County since 2007.

Aged to Perfection

After producing award-winning goat cheese for more than a decade, Baetje Farms is poised to begin a new chapter With the pull of a rope, a trap door at the end of the milking parlor rises. Eight Saanen dairy goats enter, moving in unison like choreographed dancers taking the stage. […]

A man with crossed arms stands smiling in front of a herd of cows in a grassy field. He wears a blue t-shirt and jeans. The sky is overcast, and the cows are various colors, including black, brown, and white.

Black Cows, Big Dreams

From pasture to plate, Gourley Land & Cattle Co. offers premium beef When Billy Gourley Jr. says he manages from the ground up, he couldn’t be more literal. At Gourley Land & Cattle Co. based in Ozark, Mo., success starts in the soil. “If you have good soil, you’ll have […]

A green tractor equipped with a wide sprayer operates in a lush, green field. The sprayer emits a mist over the crops, and a row of trees lines the background under a cloudy sky.

Raising Rice

The only thing tougher than rice is the farmer who grows it. What would be the worst conditions for other crops makes the best environment for rice production. Rice thrives in heavy clay soils that retain water—the type of fields most growers try to avoid. “An old farmer once told […]