MU Extension Master Gardener Program - Jefferson County

08/21/2026

07/25/2026

Could a tick bite make you allergic to bacon, burgers and steak? As strange as it sounds, it can happen.

Alpha-gal syndrome is a serious food allergy linked to the bite of a lone star tick. Symptoms can appear hours after eating beef, pork, venison or other mammal-based products and may range from stomach issues and hives to severe allergic reactions.

Missouri is one of the states where lone star ticks are common, making awareness and prevention especially important. Since there's no cure, preventing tick bites is key and recognizing symptoms early may help you get the care you need.

MU Extension offers credible resources with information on symptoms, testing, prevention tips and guidance on food substitutions and avoiding hidden mammal ingredients.

Download and print the guides: https://brnw.ch/21x4oTu

07/12/2026

July is here, and so is the heat. Keep your garden thriving with these timely tips from theJuly Gardening Calendar.

• Flowers & Ornamentals: Deadhead annuals and perennials, keep up with weeding, water newly planted trees and shrubs weekly during dry weather, and watch for Japanese beetles and rose diseases.

• Vegetable Gardens: Maintain consistent soil moisture to prevent blossom-end rot, harvest onions, garlic and potatoes when ready, make successive plantings of warm-season crops, and scout regularly for pests and diseases.

• Fruits & Nuts: Remove old raspberry and blackberry canes after harvest, monitor peaches for brown rot, protect grapes and tree fruit from birds, and provide summer care for strawberries.

• Cool-Season Lawns (Tall Fescue/Kentucky Bluegrass): Limit nitrogen applications, water deeply but infrequently, mow at 3½ to 4 inches, and check for sod webworm damage.

• Warm-Season Lawns (Zoysiagrass): Apply a light nitrogen feeding, monitor for chinch bugs and billbugs, mow weekly at 1 to 2 inches, and water only during extended dry periods.

07/05/2026

Online Core MG Training starts in Aug 23. Register today. https://extension.missouri.edu/courses/missouri-master-gardener-online-core-training-fall-2026

02/11/2026

Grow With Us at the 102nd Jefferson County Agriculture Conference!
Join us on February 21st from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM for a full day of insight, innovation, and inspiration. Connect with fellow producers, industry experts, and community leaders. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, network, and cultivate success!
Register today at https://pears.io/events/mu/2886/registration
You may also register in person at the Jefferson County Extension, 301 Third Street, Hillsboro.
Walk-ins will be welcome.