The annual Southwest Research Center Field Day is set for Saturday, Sept. 10. Tours will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first 400 attendees will receive a free lunch, provided by the Mt. Vernon FFA. Topics at the Field Day include:

Beef

• 9 & 10 a.m.: Successes with Show Me Select Heifer Development, Eldon Cole

• 9:30 a.m. & noon: Missouri Beef Industry Council, Mark Russel

• 9:30 a.m. & noon: Genetic Adaptation in Beef Cattle, Jared Decker

• 11 a.m.: Fescue Trial (Tour Bus), Cargill

Pollinators

• 10:15 & 11:30 a.m.: Lifecyle of the Butterfly, Kelly McGowan

• 9 & 11 a.m.: Free Honey Bees: “How Do You Capture Them?” Terry Halleran

• 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.: Southern Missouri Beekeepers from Monett: “Honey Bees and Equipment, John Schmidt and Scottie Scott

Horticulture

• 9:45 & 11 a.m.: Blackberry Project, Patrick Byers

• 10 & 11:30 a.m.: Banker Plants — High Tunnel, David Middleton and Randy Garrett

• 9 & 10 a.m.: Horticulture, Andy Thomas

• 10 & 11 a.m.: Viticulture, Dean Volenberg

• 10 & 11 a.m.: Peppers and Tomatoes, Tim Reinbott

• 9:30 & 10:45 a.m.: USDA Programs for Vegetable and Fruit Growers, Shon Bishop

• 9:15 & 10:30 a.m.: Walking Tours

• Noon: Walnut, Pecan, Hickory Bus Tour

Farm Technology

• 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.: Farm Tech Innovations, Dan Downing

Agronomy

• 9 & 11:30 a.m.: Soil Interpretation, Jill Scheidt

• 10 & 11 a.m.: Benefits of Good Soil Health, Henry Rauch

• 9:30 & 11 a.m.: Johnsongrass: “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,” Tim Schnakenberg

Small Ruminants

• 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.: Small Ruminants, Charlotte Clifford-Rathert

Dairy

• 9 & 10:30 a.m.: Ruminant Nutrition, Reagan Bluel

The fourth annual Missouri Soil Health Expo will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be activities for kids, including a free pumpkin patch, maze and airplane rides. The airplane rides are $25 for attendees 16 years old and over and $15 for attendees 15 years old and under.