Momentum

Atop a hill just off a gravel road in rural Buchanan County, an old, weathered barn stands sentinel over the rolling farm landscape of northwest Missouri. Once a place that bustled with activity, the structure now sits empty, its doors locked—a vestige of a bygone era. This was a tobacco […]

The energy markets have been on a tear to the upside recently. Prices have recovered over 50 percent from the pandemic lows, and it seems nothing, not even the latest COVID-19 variant, can derail the momentum. Energy analysts and companies are trying to figure out the current supply situation as […]

MFA Petroleum Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of MFA Oil Company, opened its newest Big O Tires store at 3033 E. Sunshine St. in Springfield, Mo., on Nov. 29. “This is a great location that’s near Highway 65, so we’re expecting to see strong traffic at the new store,” says […]

In November, Amanda Cooper joined MFA Oil Company as vice president of human resources. Cooper is now responsible for leading the company’s human resources department and oversees employee relations, recruiting, employee development, leave management, training, compensation and benefits, and payroll. Cooper brings more than 24 years of human resources knowledge […]

MFA Oil Company, a farmer-owned energy supply cooperative, announces the acquisition of the propane and refined fuel operations of Midwest Propane, the energy business of Mid-West Fertilizer, LLC, on Nov. 30. The deal includes customers, energy employees, trucks and storage tanks in eastern Kansas, western Missouri and northeast Oklahoma. “The […]

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 […]