Magazine Issue: Summer 2021

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 […]

With lower initial investments and higher returns, fruit and vegetable production could play a big role in doubling the state’s agricultural economy by 2030, according to a study by University of Missouri researchers. “Compared to row crops, you don’t have to have as many acres of fruit and vegetables to […]

In the poultry industry, being “up with the chickens” isn’t an expression reserved exclusively for early mornings. It also means late nights, weekends, holidays and everything in between. Tammy and Richard Hale know this all too well—yet they wouldn’t change a thing. “The chickens are kind of like your kids […]

More than half the students at Ash Grove High School are food insecure. That’s a shocking figure for Lawrence County, Missouri’s top county for beef cattle. It’s especially astonishing considering southwest Missouri is among the leading cattle production areas in the country, and the Show-Me State is home to the […]

The coronavirus pandemic turned our lives upside down. Everyone was affected in some fashion. Now that we hopefully see some light at the end of the tunnel, it’s worth looking back to see what we can learn from the experience. My biggest takeaway is to take nothing for granted, especially […]

The Missouri General Assembly has passed a bill that would increase the state’s motor fuel tax rate for the first time in 25 years. The measure, which was sent to Gov. Mike Parson on May 11, would gradually increase the tax on gasoline, diesel and other transportation fuels by 12.5 […]

The price of motor oils, greases, hydraulic fluids and other lubricants has been steadily climbing in 2021. Major oil refiners have already announced five price increases in the first five months of 2021 on base oils, the foundational ingredient in most modern lubricants. Base oil prices have been pushed higher […]