Spotlight

With cattle prices at record high levels and many forecasts projecting relatively high prices for the next couple of years, some producers feel they can do no wrong. In times like these, even less-productive cows and mismanaged calves are likely to make a profit. High prices are a welcome change […]

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 […]

New Federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements went into effect on Feb. 7, 2022, establishing a single national standard for obtaining a commercial driver’s license. The regulations set a baseline for training requirements for drivers seeking to:• obtain a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time;• upgrade […]

In December 2022, MFA Petroleum Company (MPC), a Big O Tires franchisee and a wholly owned subsidiary of MFA Oil Company, announced the acquisition of 13 Big O Tires stores in the Kansas City metropolitan area. MPC purchased the stores from TBC Corporation, which owns and operates more than 730 […]

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. […]

Fifth-generation farmer Garrett Riekhof isn’t afraid to try new things on his family’s century farm in Lafayette County, Mo. Whether it’s testing new technology, researching production decisions in test plots, or re-evaluating inputs, Riekhof is looking for any edge he can find. Together with his wife, Cara, who helps co-manage […]

Select Break Time locations now serve delicious scoops of premium, Missouri-made ice cream from Ice Cream Factory. Visitors to Break Time stores in Ashland, Clinton, Lebanon, Lee’s Summit and Macon can treat themselves to unique ice cream flavors like gooey butter cake, blackberry cobbler, Cobalt Cookie and more. Ice Cream […]

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 […]

For centuries, the barn was the space for celebrating. No matter the occasion — whether it be a birthday, wedding, holiday or even the raising of the barn itself — this place for housing crops and livestock would transform for communal gathering, making way for dancing and merriment. Somewhere along […]

Since 2018, Orscheln Farm and Home has participated in a coordinated volunteer effort led by nonprofit Wreaths Across America to deliver Christmas wreaths to military veteran cemeteries. Each holiday season, an honor fleet of volunteer drivers and trucks carrying millions of ceremonial wreaths fan out across the country to deliver […]

A ‘happy accident’ 50 years ago launched a legacy Few foods are as synonymous with a season as the lauded caramel apple. For a handful of weeks each autumn, this timeless treat — with its classic combination of tart apple, sweet caramel and salty chopped peanuts — adorns countless grocery […]

Western St. Louis County might not seem like the ideal spot for a ski resort, but that’s exactly what it’s been since 1982. At Hidden Valley Ski Resort in Wildwood, Mo., fans flock to ski, snowboard and tube each year from around mid-December to mid-March. “One of the things that […]