Magazine Issue: Summer 2022

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

MFA Oil Company recently made a pair of acquisitions in the Show-Me State. The company acquired the propane and refined fuel operations of Griffin Oil & Propane, an independent retailer based in southeast Missouri, on March 30. MFA Oil completed another acquisition when it bought D&D Oil Company of Wheaton, […]

On May 31, MFA Oil and MFA Incorporated, a grain marketing and farm supply cooperative, announced an agreement under which MFA Incorporated will acquire full ownership of Northwest Missouri Grain, LLC. Five years ago, the two companies came together to construct a state-of-the-art grain-handling facility just outside Hamilton, Mo. MFA […]

Chuck Weldon, a lifelong resident of Gallatin, Mo., is the owner/operator of Weldon Farms LLC, a corn and soybean operation in Daviess County. He serves as an MFA Oil delegate, an MFA Agri Services delegate, a board member of Harrison Township, and a member of the Chillicothe Elks Lodge 656. […]

Missouri farm income appears on pace for another record year, according to John Kruse, associate research and extension professor in agricultural and applied economics at the University of Missouri. “It’s not often when there are back-to-back record years for Missouri farm income, but the data suggests 2021 set a new […]

When you visit an automotive repair shop, you want to know that your vehicle will be serviced by a reputable professional who knows what they are doing. Since 1972, the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has been certifying mechanics to ensure they have the experience and practical knowledge […]

Jason Dieckhoff and Marshall Streit teach ag at the Cass Career Center in Harrisonville, Mo. The center, which draws about 120 ag students from five area high schools, has had great success. Neither teacher likes to boast, though maybe they should. The two were named Harrisonville Community Teachers of the […]

As a farmer-owned cooperative, MFA Oil understands the need to support programs dedicated to developing future leaders in agriculture. The company has partnered with state FFA organizations in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma to sponsor opportunities for youth to pursue hands-on educational, personal development and leadership training. One of the […]

There’s something about digging holes that little boys and girls just can’t resist. Whether it’s in the sandbox, the backyard or at the beach, few children will pass up the opportunity to play with toy bulldozers, backhoes and dump trucks, moving sand and soil to build moats around castles or […]