Stories

March 7, 2023

Get to Know Matt Fleming

Matt Fleming and his wife Kate plan an annual fun-filled trip to Disney World for their family. What are your job duties/job responsibilities in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources? As the CAFNR Coordinator of Facilities and Operations, I work closely with faculty and staff to ensure their spaces are best supporting the strategic plan of the College and the Education, Research and Extension mission of the University. In my role, I’m able to help plan long and short term on how CAFNR can best use its spaces both in Columbia and within the four Research, Extension and…

March 7, 2023

$10 Million Grant will Help MU Double the Acreage of Cover Crops in the U.S. by 2030

Rob Myers, director of MU’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture, is leading a new $10 million grant project from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to support farmers and improve agriculture practices during severe weather and a warming climate.The project aims to help double the acreage of cover crops in the U.S. to 40 million acres by 2030. Cover crops — plants that are used to protect and improve soil during a time when other crops are not being grown — help reduce soil erosion, improve soil health, smother weeds,…

March 2, 2023

Five CAFNR Students Earn Mizzou ’39 Honors

This week, the Mizzou Alumni Association and Alumni Association Student Board named the 2023 Mizzou 18 Award and Mizzou ’39 Award recipients. In the spirit of service that was the cornerstone of the 1839 founding of the University of Missouri, the Mizzou Alumni Association Student Board presents the Mizzou ’39 Award to 39 outstanding seniors each year. Recipients are chosen for their academic achievement, leadership, and service to Mizzou and the community. The five CAFNR students to earn the honor are: Javier Kelly Cuenca – Biochemistry Kelly Gillespie – Hospitality Management Isaiah Massey – Agriculture Jack McGrath – Parks, Recreation,…

Feb. 26, 2023

CAFNR Advisor Spotlight: Libby Johnson

Libby Johnson serves as an academic advisor for the natural resource science and management degree program. How rewarding is it to work with students in the natural resource science and management degree program? I love it! I love relating to the students through my nerdy office décor and being interested in what they are interested in. I also feel like my faculty and students are so kind and down to earth. Even if I don’t feel competent in the position, the students are appreciative of my help. I feel like I get to help them and see fruits of…

Feb. 24, 2023

Mizzou Livestock Judging Team Finishes Third at Dixie National

The Mizzou Livestock Judging Team recently finished third at the Dixie National Collegiate Beef Judging contest, held in Jackson, Miss. Along with the third-place overall finish, the team finished third in Reasons, Market Steers and Continental Cattle. The group earned fifth-place markings in Brahman Cattle and English Cattle as well. Jenna Blessing, a senior agriculture major, finished sixth in Market Steers. Pictured, left to right: assistant coach Clint Bailey, senior, agriculture; Shane Vehige, junior, animal sciences; Sam Wheeler, junior, agriculture; Grant Stafford, junior, agriculture; Brady Schnelten, junior, animal sciences; Addie Thessen, junior, plant sciences; Blessing; Allison Eitel, senior, agriculture; and…

Feb. 23, 2023

MU Grape & Wine Institute Grows as Interest in Winemaking Grows

Interest in Missouri winemaking exploded during the coronavirus pandemic and the University of Missouri Grape and Wine Institute (GWI) has responded to meet the demand. The GWI is a collaborative partnership between the Missouri wine and grape industry and the University of Missouri. The Missouri Wine and Grape Board provides guidance and oversight to ensure that GWI fulfills its responsibilities. GWI provides information and advice on all issues related to viticulture and enology. Viticulture is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes for winemaking. Enology is the science of wine and winemaking. There are 130 wineries in Missouri with several being large…

Feb. 23, 2023

Enhancing Learning Opportunities

With funding help from the University of Missouri to enhance teaching and learning across campus, the Henry Kirklin Plant Sciences Learning Laboratory has added even more features to help with student success. A team of Division of Plant Science and Technology faculty secured $100,000 to buy state-of-the-art equipment – and the division also added funds to make it even more worthwhile. Photo courtesy of Soyon Park. Two years ago, CAFNR recognized Henry Kirklin, a celebrated Black farmer and educator who lived in and around Columbia from 1858 until his death in 1938, with the naming of the Henry Kirklin Plant…

Feb. 23, 2023

2023 CAFNR Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program Winners Announced

The second batch of proposals funded by CAFNR’s Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program has been announced. The Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program supports nascent, collaborative, multi transdisciplinary research with the goal of developing a competitive proposal for federal funding. The following proposals were selected (listed by the PI, Co-PI/s and title of the project): David Braun, Zachary Traylor, Sherry Flint-Garcia and Pavel Somavat; Developing the new “craft whiskey” market: Evaluation of Missouri heritage corn lines Jill Kanaley and Abdelnaby Khalyfa; Sleep Restriction, Exosomes and Insulin Resistance Abraham Khoo; Novel ways to increase biomass oil production Mengshi Lin and Jung Mun (Journey) Yang; Development…

Feb. 22, 2023

Pursuing His Dreams

Dorian Giles had a tough decision to make early on as a student at the University of Missouri. Giles, an avid basketball player throughout his youth, had dreamed of one day suiting up at the collegiate level. While those dreams were put on the back burner as Giles chose to attend Mizzou, during his sophomore year he was in contact with a university about a playing opportunity. He suddenly had a life-changing choice to consider. Giles graduated in 2016 with a degree in parks, recreation, sport and tourism (emphasis in sport management), as well as a minor in business. He…

Feb. 20, 2023

Q&A with Ray Massey

What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri? I am an extension economist in the Division of Applied Social Sciences. My primary responsibilities revolve around crop production economics. I tend to focus on the intersection of production and the environment. So, I have done research and education on manure value, biosecurity, managing under extreme weather events and insurance decisions. I am fortunate to be able to work with faculty from other departments to create programs that meet the needs of Missouri farmers and businesses. Some programs that I have contributed. These programs…