Momentum

In late March 2020, we noticed a decrease in our job applications even as unemployment spiked to an all-time high. Fast forward to today and finding talent is still a huge challenge for many companies. The job market is steadily recovering, and unemployment claims are falling. Yet, many companies are […]

Select Break Time locations now serve delicious scoops of premium, Missouri-made ice cream from Ice Cream Factory. Visitors to Break Time stores in Ashland, Clinton, Lebanon, Lee’s Summit and Macon can treat themselves to unique ice cream flavors like gooey butter cake, blackberry cobbler, Cobalt Cookie and more. Ice Cream […]

After Years of Struggles, One Bootheel Farm Family Found Success Growing Organic Crops In a post-pandemic world, the video teleconference has become an essential tool for conducting business—even for farmers like Steve McKaskle of Braggadocio, Mo. He’s found unique ways to use the technology to his advantage. “We’re going to […]

Investor Seeks to Revitalize Community, Create National Tourism Destination The streets of small-town Augusta, Mo., are bustling with activity in early September. Harvest season for the local vineyards among the rolling hills of the Missouri Rhineland is quickly approaching, and work crews are busy preparing for the annual influx of […]

How would you describe yourself and your farming operation? I didn’t grow up on a farm. Through a series of life events and experiences, in 2014, I decided to make the leap, follow my dreams and start a farming operation at the age of 36. As a first-generation farmer, I […]

For millions of years, there has been a night shift at work pollinating flowering plants and fruit trees. But only recently have these workers started to get a little credit for their contributions to agriculture. Moths may not produce a sweet treat like their daytime counterparts, the honeybees, but pollination […]

Kansas State University researchers have completed a study that looks at the potential value of carbon credits—and whether it’s an opportunity for farmers in Kansas to earn some extra income. “There are starting to be a few more concrete opportunities for producers to sign up for carbon credits, and especially […]

Brookfield wins! Brookfield FFA, that is. The prize: a cowbell. Not just any cowbell; the FFA version of the Bell Game prize. The annual Bell Game, between the high school football teams of Brookfield, Mo., and nearby Marceline, is one of the oldest sports rivalries in America. It is called […]

Over the years, Rance Daniels has tried his hand at several cash crops. He’s cultivated corn. He’s grown and baled cotton. But here in southern Dunklin County, Mo., just a stone’s throw from the Arkansas border, one crop excels where others struggle. “This is rice ground,” the third-generation Bootheel farmer […]

MFA Oil Company announced it acquired American Propane Incorporated, an independent propane retailer based in Pevely, Mo., on June 30. “The acquisition of American Propane fills a gap in our operational footprint and will help us solidify our operations in the southern St. Louis metro area,” said Kenny Steeves, senior […]

You likely have seen many signs from employers seeking workers lately. Bloomberg reports thousands of cities and states across the United States are facing the most acute labor shortage in recent memory. The high demand for workers is across the board in a wide range of industries. The U.S. labor […]

Donations from the Annual MFA Oil Charity Golf Scramble and Concert Provide Over $1 Million of Support for Operation Homefront Over Seven Years MFA Oil announces its Seventh Annual Charity Golf Scramble and Concert benefitting Operation Homefront raised $150,000 in donations and more than $1 million of support for America’s […]

Recent news in the energy industry has been dominated by the push to cut carbon emissions. In the second week of May, that debate took a backseat to another issue: the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline Company. The Colonial Pipeline, which supplies more than 100 million gallons of fuel per day—including […]

Nestled along the crystal-clear waters of Courtois Creek, Bass’ River Resort in Steeleville, Mo., offers pristine conditions for campers, canoers, floaters and anglers to enjoy the outdoors. The resort, owned and operated by the Bass family, has hosted guests seeking to explore scenic Ozark waterways such as the Courtois (pronounced […]

More Than Two Decades Ago, One Southwest Missouri Company Helped Turn an Unwanted Byproduct into a Valued Commodity They say perception is reality. In the late 1990s, the perception among poultry producers was that oak shavings weren’t a good bedding material inside chicken houses. Del Oney didn’t believe that was […]

Smithfield Foods and Roeslein Alternative Energy Partnership Turns Waste into Energy Concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, have been in the news lately for a variety of reasons. Can these operations be sustainable, create good jobs and benefit the environment, too? Critics would say, “When pigs fly.” A joint venture […]

Through Sept. 15, MFA Oil customers can lock in prices with propane contracts for this coming winter. The MFA Oil Pre-Buy Program allows individuals and businesses to contract a predetermined volume of propane at a set price. Spring and summer are traditionally great times to contract propane. The Pre-Buy Program […]

In Washington, policy focus is shifting to building for the future. On the rural front, agriculture has its swagger back. Anticipation of a return to normal is in the air. But for the economy and rural industries, there will be no going back to pre-COVID conditions. The combination of trillions […]