This story originally appeared in print as part of “The Journey from Farm to Table” Doug Nichols is the owner of Cloverleaf Farms. “Most days start out at 6:30 a.m., checking the cattle to make sure they have adequate water, forage, shade (in the summer), and overall health. The rest of the day is […]
A Day in the Life of Mid-Missouri Farmer Doug Nichols Read More »
With the success of “on-demand” companies like Uber and Airbnb, entrepreneurs are riding the wave of a sharing culture. Hundreds of online services now allow people to quickly share everything from RVs to construction equipment, or pay willing side-gig hustlers for services like grocery delivery, pet sitting, and housework. Four local entrepreneurs have extended this
It was a weird transition for Doug Nichols. From banking to beef. Upon completion of his ag business degree at MU in 2001, Nichols left Mid-Missouri and moved to St. Louis, getting his start in a transaction-based financial advisory firm whose unofficial motto was “smile as you dial.” He didn’t like it. Quickly realizing that
In mid-July, Steve Barton and Bruce Tiejema, of Dana Incorporated, toured the automotive manufacturing company’s 176,000-squarefoot plant in Columbia. Barton, the environmental health and safety manager for the Columbia facility, and Tiejema, Dana’s regional environmental manager, took stock of the recently installed LED lighting on the plant floor, the mountains of cardboard, plastic and Styrofoam
What began as a handful of pork producers gathering one Sunday afternoon in 1954 has grown up a bit. There are now more than 300 members and 210 junior members of the Missouri Pork Association, all dedicated to the mission of enhancing opportunities and limiting barriers of Missouri pork producers and other industry stakeholders. “We
Every year, check fraud in which a business’s own checks are used costs businesses and financial institutions billions of dollars. The way it works is pretty simple: Criminals alter an existing check or create a counterfeit check using stolen or illegally purchased account information from a business. With today’s software and personal printers, it can
This story originally appeared in print as part of “ROI on Eco” Being eco-friendly doesn’t have to begin and end inside the walls of your business. Danielle Fox, community conservationist with the City of Columbia, says being cognizant of the greenery on your property is another way to reduce your footprint. Populating your grounds with
Community Land Trust is a buzz-phrase you might hear around Columbia these days. So what exactly is it? A community land trust, or CLT, offers individuals and families a path to homeownership that otherwise might not be affordable. A CLT is a nonprofit corporation that develops and cares for affordable housing. A CLT maintains ownership
The nation’s first facility for measuring crop erosion was established in 1888, and it continues to operate as an agricultural experiment field today. Research conducted at MU’s Sanborn Field has had wide-reaching influence on soil conservation policy and has continued to evolve with production practices over the decades. Sanborn Field’s seven acres of test plots
It’s luxurious to dream about having a personal grocery shopper whose mission is to track down only the finest foods for our personal consumption. For those who seek only locally sourced foods, it would be nearly impossible to personally drive to each farm in the surrounding counties, selecting the highest quality choice of each item
