Magazine Issue: Winter 2024

Momentum Magazine >> Winter 2024

Articles

A person with short gray hair, exuding trust, stands indoors wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and red striped tie. They smile warmly at the camera, surrounded by framed pictures and a counter in the background.

Thanks for Your Trust

MFA Oil was founded on the belief that farmers and ranchers would be best served by working with a cooperative. Fast forward 94 years, and that core belief and our purpose remain the same: to drive the success of our customers and communities through exceptional products and services. For us, […]

Setting a Grain Marketing Game Plan

Ben Brown meets many farmers in his role as an agricultural economist for the University of Missouri and MU Extension. During these interactions, he has discovered an unfortunate reality: Many farmers lack an exit plan for selling their grain. “I always encourage people to create a plan,” Brown said. “Farmers […]

Photo of Ty May in a plaid shirt and cap is sitting in a workshop, holding a cowboy boot and tools. Several pairs of cowboy boots are displayed on the shelf behind him. The space is filled with equipment and materials for boot crafting.

Legacies in Leather

When telling the tale of Andy Dufresne’s prison escape in the classic 1994 film, “The Shawshank Redemption,” actor and narrator Morgan Freeman explains how Andy wears the warden’s shoes back to his jail cell, shoes that he had buffed to a “high mirror shine,” as instructed. Yet neither the guards […]

Three men in suits, identified as MFA Oil Members, stand together smiling. They are in a formal setting with flags and a stage in the background.

Meeting Members’ Needs

MFA Oil Company had good tidings to share with its members this past holiday season. The company announced that members would receive a combined $19.9 million in cash and equity in exchange for doing business with the co-op. The company announced the planned distribution at its 94th Annual Delegate Meeting […]

Growing Together

MFA Oil and MFA Incorporated Hold Third Annual Emerging Leaders in Agriculture Conference More than 80 young farmers and ranchers from Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa and Kansas traveled to mid-Missouri for the third annual Emerging Leaders in Agriculture Conference. MFA Oil and MFA Incorporated jointly hosted the event on Jan. 10-12 […]

A group of five people, including two teens, pose in front of a large green tractor. They stand in a gravel area next to a building with a green and white exterior. The group appears relaxed and happy.

Family Tradition

Clay Farms Has a Rich, 200-Year History Can you imagine what it takes to run a farm that has been continuously operated since before Missouri earned its statehood? What steps would it take to ensure its survival and safeguard its legacy? John Clay and his wife, DaLana, are well-acquainted with […]

10 Tips to Bulletproof Your Beef Operation

Beef producers can use a window of profitability to make their farm business more bulletproof. University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist Joe Horner said successful beef producers can make small changes in three areas to make their farm less vulnerable to risks: plants, animals and business. Being good in just […]

Drought Creates Traffic Jam at Panama Canal

A withering drought has crippled one of the world’s most crucial maritime trade routes. Ships hoping to cross the Panama Canal have experienced significant delays since August 2023, when an unprecedented dry spell forced canal officials to limit traffic on the waterway. The Panama Canal requires 52 million gallons of […]

A group of nine people, wearing casual jeans and jackets, stand in front of a large agricultural machine at an indoor event. They pose for the photo with smiles. The setting appears industrial with exposed beams and concrete flooring.

Teaching Life Skills

In the far reaches of northwest Missouri, there’s an FFA program where students operate two full greenhouses, an 8-acre row crop farm raising corn and soybeans, and a 3-acre livestock farm. This organization has two, 300-gallon tanks to raise catfish and tilapia and an aquaponics system that uses water from […]

A group of people stand in front of a decorated Christmas tree, holding a large check for $18,036.85 from MFA Oil and Big Brothers Big Sisters, dated December 18, 2023. They are smiling and wearing casual attire.

MFA Oil Employees Give Back & Latest Foundation Grants

MFA Oil employees raised nearly $62,000 for charity while engaging in 2023 Week of Giving festivities from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. A company donation of $16,000 boosted the total to almost $78,000 that will be distributed to the Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association, Central Missouri Stop Human […]

Tyler Miller wearing a blue cap and tan jacket stands in a field. He has a slight smile and a beard. In the background, there is a barn and clear sky. The field appears to be composed of dry plants or crops.

Cooperative Spirit

When Tyler Miller was asked by his local bulk plant manager to consider becoming an MFA Oil delegate, he embraced the opportunity. Miller, 29, appreciated the chance to get more involved with the cooperative and deepen his understanding of the company’s operations. “I saw it as an important opportunity to […]

Biodiesel is a Reliable Component of Our Fuel Supply

In 1993, MFA Oil became the first fuel marketer to distribute biodiesel in the country. While the performance of the biodiesel was a success, the price of the biodiesel did not allow the program to continue. In the latter half of the 1990s, numerous soy-based biodiesel plants were constructed across […]