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Clock is Ticking on Farm Bill Reauthorization

The prospects of a new farm bill passing in 2023 appeared increasingly slim as Congress returned for a potentially chaotic fall session. Following a monthlong summer recess, legislators faced a long to-do list, including preventing a government shutdown, reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration, replenishing disaster relief funds, deciding how […]

Q&A with Randy Pace of the MFA Oil Board of Directors

Randy Pace co-owns a diversified family farming operation in West Plains, Mo. He is an MFA Oil delegate and was elected to the MFA Oil Board of Directors in 2023. Q: How would you describe yourself and your farming operation? A: I was raised on a 167-acre beef cattle operation […]

A smiling couple stands in a lush garden at Long Row Lavender, in front of a white, barn-like building. The man wears a light shirt and jeans while the woman, wearing a striped dress, gazes at him affectionately. Vibrant purple flowers bloom in the foreground.

Scented Splendor

Long Row Lavender Allows Guests to Relax with an Ancient Herb On a brilliant May morning, Tracy Smith led a group of 10 ladies through rows of lavender—her farm’s signature crop in rural Warren County, Mo. While she discussed the do’s and don’ts of growing the fragrant shrub, she encouraged […]

A close-up of a black vulture showcases its textured dark feathers and sharp curved beak, capturing the focused expression against a moody dark background. The essence of black vultures is embodied in this striking portrait.

Vulture Vexation

Six years after Charlie Besher’s first experience with black vultures, the memory of the encounter remains vivid. He and his wife, Donnia, were checking on their cattle in Perry County, Mo., when they came upon a grisly scene. At least 20 vultures were ravaging the corpse of a newborn calf […]

Investments for the Future

Much has changed in the nearly 100 years since MFA Oil Company’s founding, but the need for a dependable energy supplier remains as vital as ever for the cooperative’s farmer-owners. MFA Oil understands the importance of investing in infrastructure to ensure the success of its member-owners. The cooperative is committed […]

A man wearing a cap and work jacket stands smiling next to large wooden crates filled with sweet potatoes. On top are purple boxes labeled Matthews Sweet Potato Farm, filled with more sweet potatoes.

Sweeter with Time

Tending to sweet potatoes has been a passion for the Matthews family since 1885 These days, it seems the sweet potato has found its way onto American dinner tables with increased frequency. No longer is the venerable vegetable simply baked and buttered or smothered with marshmallows. There’s an entire new […]

Poised for Growth

MFA Oil Company declared it would pay $6.9 million in cash to its members in exchange for doing business with the cooperative during the company’s 93rd Annual Delegate Meeting on Dec. 12, 2022. Nearly 300 elected representatives of the cooperative convened in Columbia, Mo., at the Holiday Inn Expo Center […]

A large group of people, diverse in age and gender, standing together indoors. They are dressed in casual and business casual attire, many wearing name tags. The group is smiling, and the setting appears to be a conference or seminar room.

Forging Valuable Connections

Nearly 80 young farmers from Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas participated in the second Emerging Leaders in Agriculture Conference hosted by MFA Oil and MFA Incorporated on Jan. 11-13. The event, held at Camden on the Lake Resort in Lake Ozark, Mo., is designed to help producers better manage and grow […]

A person in a brown jacket and blue cap stands in front of a herd of cattle on a farm. They are holding a green bucket and wearing gloves, with a clear sky in the background.

Q&A with Monte Fisher of the MFA Oil Board of Directors

Monte Fisher, a lifelong resident of Brashear, Mo., grew up on his family’s farm. Following his retirement from a 31-year career with the Missouri Department of Transportation, Fisher began farming full-time. Fisher was elected to the MFA Oil Board of Directors in 2017. You’ve served on the MFA Oil Board […]

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 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 […]

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