Momentum

Aerial view of a series of rectangular fish ponds with varying shades of blue and green, surrounded by grassy embankments and trees. In the distance, fields and forested areas stretch toward a horizon with blue skies and some clouds.

Piscine Purveyors

It’s a scene that plays out every spring and fall at local agricultural cooperatives and farm supply stores across the country. A single-file, serpentine line of pickup trucks and trailers forms in the parking lot, often before the start of business hours. Loaded down with stock tanks, garbage cans and […]

A person in a pink checkered shirt and blue cap stands in front of a large green agricultural machine on a sunny day. The background includes a metal silo.

Q&A with Tony Dameron of the MFA Oil Board of Directors

Tony Dameron of Vandalia, Mo., raises row crops and cattle with his wife. He is a third-generation MFA Oil member and has served as a delegate for the cooperative since 2015. Dameron was elected to the MFA Oil Board of Directors in September 2018. How would you describe yourself and […]

A silhouette of birds flying in a V formation against a vibrant sunset sky with hues of orange, pink, and purple. The sun is partially visible above the horizon, and a dark mountain range is in the foreground.

Fall Brings Renewed Threat of Virulent Bird Flu

When migratory geese and other waterfowl fly south this fall from their Canadian breeding grounds, they will bring with them an uncharacteristic specter of dread. There’s a chance that the migration may reignite a wave of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks that spread across the North American continent earlier […]

Two people are observing animals in a pen. One person is wearing a blue face mask and a white shirt, while the other wears a jacket. There is straw on the ground, and a pig can be seen in the background.

Elsberry FFA Emphasizes Diverse Ag Experiences

“There’s a little bit of everything for any type of personality or interest group,” ag teacher Sarah Ray said of the Elsberry (Mo.) FFA Chapter, which she leads with Jason Vandivort. That may be an understatement. Elsberry FFA students have one of the widest ranges of hands-on learning opportunities, which […]

MFA Oil Foundation Gives More than $219,000 to Community Organizations

The MFA Oil Foundation announces it awarded $219,943 in grants to 132 nonprofit organizations during its 2022 fiscal year, which ended on Aug. 31, 2022. The grants were distributed to 108 communities throughout a seven-state region where MFA Oil Company, a farmer-owned energy-supply cooperative, operates. “Our vision is to empower […]

Bovines and Baitfish

When Roger McCallie tells people he’s in the feeder business, some assume the central Arkansas farmer is talking about cattle. They’d be partially correct. While he does raise about 750 head of feeder calves annually, that number pales in comparison to the millions of “feeder” fish he produces each year. […]

Silhouetted oil pumpjacks in a field at sunset with a descending graph line overlaid, indicating a decrease in oil production or prices.

Inventory and Recessionary Concerns Drive Prices

Two forces opposing market forces—low inventories and recessionary concerns—are battling to determine the direction of diesel fuel prices in the near term. From a supply standpoint, total distillate inventories stood at 116.020 million gallons as of the week of Sept. 9., 2022. At the same time last year, there were […]

A bald man wearing a black suit jacket and a white shirt with blue stripes is smiling slightly against a dark gray background.

News Briefs – Fall 2022

MFA Oil Laboratory Leader Certified for Lubricant Expertise Zach Studer, who oversees the MFA Oil laboratory, is now part of a select group of experts in the lubricant industry. He has been recognized by the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers as a Certified Lubricant Specialist. He is now one […]

A person in a gray suit smiles confidently with arms crossed, standing outdoors in front of a large truck. The sky is clear and the trees show autumn foliage. The truck is white and blue with red accents.

Wrestling with the Inflation Bogeyman

Thanks to a unique convergence of events, including an extended period of near-zero interest rates, pandemic-driven government spending, supply chain disruption, labor shortages and geopolitical unrest, we are dealing with inflation near 40-year highs. Data from the Consumer Price Index showed that U.S. inflation had hit 8.6 percent in May […]

A bright, sunny day at a modern gas station featuring multiple fuel pumps under a white and blue canopy, with visible signage for Marathon. In the background, a large fuel storage tank is seen against a clear blue sky.

Spotlight: Reformulated Cold-Weather Additive Bolsters BOSS Performance Diesel

Diesel gelling. Few phrases are more dreaded for anyone who runs a diesel-powered truck or equipment for a living throughout the winter months. Gelling occurs when paraffin wax within diesel fuel solidifies and bonds together at extremely low temperatures. This is known as the fuel’s cloud point, which for No. […]

A man and woman smile under a tree. The man holds two bags of flour, and the woman holds a carton of eggs. They appear to be outdoors on a sunny day.

A Passion for Poultry

For more than a quarter century, Campo Lindo Farms has raised the freshest free-range chicken and eggs. Just a few. That was the plan when Jay and Carol Maddick raised their first broiler chickens in the 1990s on their farm in Clinton County, Mo. But a few quickly turned into […]

A person in a gray sweater and blue jeans stands confidently in front of large metal silos on a farm. The sky is cloudy, and the ground is gravelly, indicating a rural setting.

Livestock Legacy

Overcoming tragedy, fourth-generation Sullivan County farmer forges ahead to grow the family business in animal agriculture Growing up in north Missouri’s Sullivan County, just a few miles from Green City, Trevor Shafer always felt his place was on the family farm. After all, the Shafers’ roots run deep in this […]