Every city council, county commission, and University of Missouri Extension Council has the opportunity to do something meaningful this September. It takes only a few minutes during a public meeting. It costs nothing. Yet it has the potential to spark thousands of conversations, inspire countless acts of kindness, and strengthen the social fabric of an entire community. That opportunity is to adopt a proclamation recognizing Missouri Good Neighbor Week , September 28 through October 4. At first glance, a proclamation may seem like little more than a ceremonial piece of paper. But history tells a different story. Public proclamations help establish community priorities. They communicate values. They signal what a community chooses to celebrate and encourage. In many ways, they become an invitation for residents to participate in something larger than themselves. When a mayor signs a proclamation or a county commission adopts a resolution, they are sending a simple but powerful mes...

County Commissioners at the Backyard Pantry with the Mounteer family. The 10th Annual Greene County Commissioners Agriculture Tour, held Friday, September 5, 2025, showcased the diversity and creativity of western Greene County’s agricultural community. Traveling through Republic, Bois D’Arc, and Ash Grove, commissioners, elected officials, and community leaders saw firsthand how local farmers and entrepreneurs are strengthening the county through innovation, food access, and education. Backyard Pantry: The Mounteer Family Homestead The day began in Republic at the home of Cassi and Bill Mounteer, whose “Backyard Pantry” is a thriving model of self-sufficiency and community education. Their 20-by-40-foot garden, 11 raised beds, berry bushes, bees, rabbits, and chickens all work together in a cycle that feeds their family and neighbors. “We are really passionate about sharing self-sufficiency and showing that it doesn’t take as much as we’ve done here to provide for your family,” ...