Magazine Issue: Fall 2017

In a recent sermon, my pastor focused on the idea of ensuring the church understands and sticks to its mission of serving God. This notion, keeping the main thing the main thing, originated from famous self-improvement guru Stephen Covey. It’s a strong point, and it made me reflect upon the […]

For the past 11 years, Mid-America Biofuels, a biodiesel production plant in Mexico, Mo., has become a large contributor to the growing renewable fuels industry. The plant, which became Missouri’s first large-scale biodiesel production facility when it opened in 2006, has grown from its original production capacity of 30 million […]

With limited funds designated for facility upkeep, universities around the country are facing a mounting backlog of maintenance needs, and farmers could soon feel the effect. The widespread problem of deferred maintenance has the potential to limit agriculture research findings, and ultimately halt future innovations the United States may make […]

No easy answer to herbicide controversy Uncertainty is swirling in the Midwest, where millions of acres of crops may have been damaged by a controversial herbicide. An estimated 3.1 million acres of soybeans have been affected by off-target movement of dicamba across the country, and that figure doesn’t include other […]

Break Time unveiled its first truck stop in Moberly, Mo., in September. Located at the southern edge of the city where U.S. Highway 63 and State Highway M intersect, the store features many amenities for truck drivers, including: parking space for 25 tractor-trailers, a lounge, showers, laundry machines, free WiFi […]

3 Tips for Propane Preparedness Fall is here and heating season is just around the corner. If you haven’t planned for your propane needs yet, now is the time. MFA Oil is committed to keeping your home, farm or commercial business adequately supplied with propane all winter long. The price […]

Fruit and vegetable farms, gardens and other agricultural sectors rely on pollinators to ensure abundant production, but wild pollinator populations are in decline, says Dirk Philipp, associate professor of animal science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “The original prairies that covered much of the United States […]

Thirty years ago, agricultural cooperative leaders from across the country gathered for a series of focus panels to discuss the future of farmer-owned cooperatives. The panelists’ discussions were summarized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the report “Positioning Farmer Cooperatives for the Future,” which concluded cooperatives must continually adapt […]

A change is coming to the cattle seedstock industry. Breed associations have long been interested in finding the genetic basis for feed efficiency, with the aim of breeding more efficient animals. But the first step—accurately measuring how much cattle eat across different life stages and diet types—has been a missing […]

Whether it’s the thrill of competition, the fun of building custom machinery or the comradery found at the track, something about tractor pulling has captivated the Dohrman family for generations. “The feeling you get when the tractor ignites and the wheels are spinning 70 miles per hour is sort of […]

A hint of a chill has returned to remind us fall has arrived and will soon be followed by winter. What does Mother Nature have in store for us this year? It is hard to predict the weather, but that doesn’t stop people from making predictions. Meteorologists have already begun […]

There is no gray area when it comes to MFA Oil’s stance on ethics and corporate citizenship in the company’s guiding principles: “When in doubt, do the right thing, ethically and morally.” Those words set forth an unequivocal directive for the cooperative to operate with integrity, fairness and respect in […]