rumor mill

Interim dean announced: Missouri State University has announced that Dr. Melissa Bledsoe will be the interim dean of the Darr College of Agriculture. She replaces the current interim dean Dr. Ken Brown, who has accepted the chief academic strategy officer position in the provost’s office. Bledsoe is currently serving as the college’s interim associate dean and will begin her new post on July 1.

Bill advances: A bill that would prohibit any further foreign ownership of Missouri land was passed in the Senate on April 17. The Senate amended a bill from the House to add an emergency clause and expand the definition of what is included as a foreign business. The bill also requires a 30-day notice to the Department of Agriculture in cases of transfers involving land that is already owned by a foreign entity. Current law limits foreign ownership of Missouri land to 1 percent of the total acreage. The vote was 31-3 in favor. The bill now moves back to the House, which can pass it as is and send it to the governor or request a conference committee to hash out any changes.

Hawkins honored: Missouri Farm Bureau President and St. Clair County, Mo., farmer Garrett Hawkins was recently honored by the Missouri State University Alumni Association with the Bears of Excellence Award. Hawkins is a 2002 grad of the university.

Interns sought: The Missouri Pork Association is seeking applicants for its internship program. The program involves off-campus training to develop personal, organizational and public relations skills, and experience. To apply, interns must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and completed at least two years (four semesters) of college courses, demonstrated maturity and sincerity towards the program, and be deemed acceptable by both MPA and the cooperating college. For more information or to apply, visit go.ozarksfn.com/0qk

Nelson sentenced: A farmer from Missouri received a prison term for a $215,000 cattle fraud operation that resulted in the deaths of two men from Wisconsin. Garland Nelson was found guilty of cattle fraud and given a sentence of 32 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole and a fine of $261,000 in April. In October 2022, Nelson pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Nelson also admitted guilt last year to killing Justin and Nicholas Diemel after they met him at his Missouri farm to pay off a debt of $200,000 in 2009. For their slayings, he received two life sentences in prison.

The

Just A Thought

3 Jerry Crownover –Cleaning fish

4 Julie Turner-Crawford –Celebrating the industry

Meet Your Neighbors

7 Lifelong cattleman

Josh Glendenning wears many hats

8 Couple focus their Angus operation on quality female production

10 A fairy tale awaits near Fordland, Mo.

12 Eye on Agribusiness spotlights East 32 Meat Processing

13 Menzies Cattle Company has several operations in one

14 Town & Country features Marla Moreland

18 Happy Critters Farm & Orchard began in 2018

20 Youth in Agriculture highlights Kiley Evans

Farm Help

22 The highs and lows

24 Cull open heifers or feed them?

25 Shedding and cattle health

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26 Animal health and spring pastures

27 Plan before breaking ground