Momentum

A sprawling oil refinery with numerous storage tanks and industrial structures is pictured at sunset. The sky is a gradient of warm hues, and city buildings can be seen in the distant background.

Now What?

After the coronavirus caused a precipitous decline in WTI crude prices that saw oil futures take an unprecedented dip into negative territory, it’s fair to wonder what we can expect moving forward. Will there be a so-called new normal for energy prices, or can we expect more of the same? […]

A New Look for Break Time

Since 1985, the logo for Break Time convenience stores has become instantly recognizable to many Missourians. With its bold lettering and fluid typeface, the logo has long complemented the brand’s reputation for delivering friendly service. However, the opening of the newest Break Time store in Columbia symbolizes a new era […]

A row of white gravestones in a cemetery is adorned with holiday wreaths and red bows. The grass is green, and the sunlight casts a warm glow on the scene. The gravestones are aligned in neat rows, creating a solemn and respectful atmosphere.

Honoring Our Heroes

Since 2018, Orscheln Farm and Home has participated in a coordinated volunteer effort led by nonprofit Wreaths Across America to deliver Christmas wreaths to military veteran cemeteries. Each holiday season, an honor fleet of volunteer drivers and trucks carrying millions of ceremonial wreaths fan out across the country to deliver […]

Video chat helps keep older adults connected during pandemic

Connecting in the Time of COVID

At the outset of the pandemic, many people bunkered down in their homes and self-isolated for safety. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities, where many occupants are elderly and have chronic medical conditions, banned visitors to protect the health of their residents. While the seclusion helped keep the virus out […]

Not Just Cows and Plows

Dean Reichel, ag teacher and FFA advisor at New Bloomfield R-III, goes above and beyond to make a difference. That’s a cliché in today’s cynical age, but it’s true in his case. He’s making lesson plans for eighth to 12th grade ag education classes that, thanks to COVID-19, he knows […]

Jon Ihler - MFA Oil Company president and CEO

Adapting to the Circumstances

The 2020 MFA Oil Annual Delegate Meeting is going to look a little different this year. Rather than hosting a centralized meeting with hundreds of attendees at a conference center in December, this year’s meeting is coming to an office near you and will be unlike any we have held […]

Meat Mania

Pandemic Puts Pressure on Local Processors As a boy, Mike Cloud anxiously anticipated the flip of the calendar page from June to July, and it wasn’t just because of the ensuing Fourth of July holiday. While the parades and picnics, festivals and fireworks meant lots of fun for Mike and […]

Dual Day Jobs

When it came to picking a profession, Joe Kleeman of Braymer couldn’t settle on just one. “I always had a love for veterinary medicine but also for farming in general — from livestock to row crops,” he says. “So, I did both.” A half-century ago, Joe hung out his shingle […]

Close-up of lush, green sunflower sprouts with water droplets on their leaves, creating a fresh and vibrant texture.

Tiny Crop, Big Returns

Microgreens Fuel Growth at Farmboy Garden Richard Leiweke was staring at a bag of pea seeds that was past its prime, and he was tempted to throw it out with the garbage because he had serious concerns about its ability to germinate. Years earlier he had read stories of people […]

Big O Tires Opens New Store in Sedalia

MFA Oil Company, a Big O Tires franchisee based in Columbia, Mo., officially opened its newest Big O Tires store at 4106 W Broadway Blvd. in Sedalia Mo., on August 17. Local residents are invited to visit the store for a grand opening celebration on Friday, August 28, where free […]

A child wearing a blue Coyote Hill t-shirt stands smiling with hands on hips in the foreground. In the background, a group of people gather on a gravel path with green fields and trees under a partly cloudy sky.

A Safe Haven for Kids

Just north of Harrisburg, Mo., there’s a home that serves as a refuge for children who have been mistreated or neglected. Coyote Hill Christian Children’s Home offers children a safe, loving home environment and an opportunity for stability. “The kids we serve have been removed from their homes for some […]

A brown cow is standing in a grassy field while a calf feeds from it. The calf, slightly smaller in size, is positioned on the right side of the cow. Both animals have tags on their ears. The background is a clear sky.

Targeting Optimum Cow Size

K-State beef cattle specialists discuss factors that influence the most efficient cow size Genetics, feed resources and calf marketing windows are just some of the influencing factors that determine the optimum size for cows to grow, according to the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute’s team of experts. Defining the […]