Stories from Tuesday, March 25, 2014

From AP reports Poultry supplier Peco Foods Inc. announced plans earlier this month for a new plant, hatchery and feed mill in northeast Arkansas, a $165 million operation expected to create 1,000 jobs in two rural counties. Groundbreaking for the feed mill site in Corning is set for April, while initial work on the hatchery and processing plant site near Pocahontas is set for July. ...

America's Farmers Grow Rural Education program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, is currently accepting applications for grants (up to $25,000) from local school districts. Local eligible farmers must nominate the school district, and his/her nomination will strengthen the school district's application. Nominations will only be accepted up to April 6, 2014...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor Officials in the northeastern Arkansas counties of Clay and Randolph are spreading their wings, welcoming the boost Peco Foods Inc. will make to their economy. Peco's expansion into the area will create about 1,000 new jobs has mayors and quorum judges talking about bright futures for their communities, as well as their neighbors in Southeast Missouri...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Southeast Missouri students who are interested in a career in agriculture have access to a variety of programs nearby. For those living in Poplar Bluff, Mo., Butler County and surrounding counties, they may wish to begin their study of agriculture at Three Rivers College as the Associate of Arts degrees, Agriculture concentration, are designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to major in Agribusiness, Agriculture Education, Agronomy, Animal Science, and Horticulture.. ...

University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist Ray Massey and Pat Guinan, climatologist for MU Extension Commercial Agriculture, are collaborating with participants across the nation to make information easily available. Massey and Guinan recently presented at MU's Crop Management Conference in Columbia...

By SAM ATWELL UMO Agronomy Rice Specialist Every year is different and 2014 already has started very different from the past three years. But remember, it's still early. Missouri rice farmers are indicating they will plant more rice this year. This article is regarding the effect of planting methods including levee construction and what is acceptable as an approved practice for all Southeast Missouri rice producing counties. ...

The 7th annual Bootheel 200 and its eight races threw dust into the spring air over the weekend at the Poplar Bluff Speedway. NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader highlighted the competition and finished third in the USCS Outlaw Modified Series race. "There are a lot of good cars here," Schrader said on Friday night. "We've run with a lot of these guys the last couple of weeks in Tennessee and Mississippi and stuff. There are a lot of good cars here and a lot of cars I haven't seen before."...

CROWDER -- The Lady Raiders' winning ways came to an end Sunday against Crowder. Three Rivers lost both games in the doubleheader, 2-1 and 15-0, and didn't get a hit in a five-innings nightcap. "We started climbing the mountain and we got almost to the top and we didn't make it in the first game. Then we fell back to the bottom," Three Rivers coach Jack Childress said. "It wouldn't be so disheartening except I know, the way we've been playing, we can beat those guys."...

GREENVILLE -- Sarah Hillis and Lauren Luke each had hits in the eighth inning as the Greenville Lady Bears came out on top 11-10 over Woodland Saturday afternoon. Allison Hughey knotted the game up for the Lady Bears (1-0) in the bottom of the seventh as she had a 2-run hit...