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State health officials are raising awareness about the health risks associated with raising backyard birds. Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) epidemiologist Rachel Hinnenkamp said that while raising backyard birds has become an increasingly popular activity in the state, there are health risks to be aware of. She said live poultry can carry germs such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, which can cause humans to get sick with symptoms including diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, an...
Montana State University has released their 2023 Montana Spring Wheat Performance Evaluations. These trials are based on wheat variety performance in multiple locations across the state through multiple years. This performance summary compares agronomic characteristics of spring wheat varieties evaluated by Montana Agricultural Experiment Stations and other varieties commonly grown in the state. The trials take place in 11 locations across the state and region, which locally include Sidney (irrigated and dryland) and just across the border in...
Although some are finishing up calving and others are still yet to begin, it is always necessary to remember the importance of colostrum. This is the first milk produced by a cow after she has given birth. Colostrum contains immunoglobulins, IgG in particular, as well as white blood cells, milk fat, and vitamins A and E. All of these components are important to the newborn calf. A calf is born without immunoglobulins, because the placenta prevents immunoglobulins from being transferred from the cow to the calf in utero. Immunoglobulins are...
BOZEMAN – The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) interviewed six dryland grain producers to compare the ownership and operation costs of disc drills and stripper headers with hoe drills and auger/draper headers. According to the NRCS economic report, switching to a stripper header and disc drill from a draper header and hoe drill resulted in an average savings of $4.40 per acre/year for the six producers interviewed in this study. While the initial investment is substantial, all produ...
The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) is hosting a Producer Profitability listening session for all area ranchers on Tuesday, April 2 at 5 p.m. MDT at the Sidney Livestock Center. The local MSGA board, plus staff from the Helena office, invite all Montana and North Dakota livestock producers to attend and provide input and ideas on where the American livestock industry can be strengthened. Membership in MSGA is not required. Local member Kristin Larson said one of the concerns is how to get more cows back into production after having so...
The warmer winter and early spring have increased the potential for grain storage problems and the need for grain monitoring and management, says Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension agricultural engineer and grain drying expert. Stored grain temperature increases in parts of a bin in the spring, which is not only due to an increase in outdoor temperatures but also due to solar heat gain on the bin. Solar energy produces more than twice as much heat gain on the south wall of a...
GLENDIVE - Congressional candidate, Ric Holden, is calling on congress to reinstate country-of-origin-labeling for the livestock industry in the United States. At the present time the U.S. consumer does not know if they are eating an American raised meat product or some product from a foreign country. Large meat packing companies have been flooding the market with imported meat products and denying consumers the right to know the origin of their food purchases. Year after year the large meat...
The Sidney Chamber of Commerce held their annual MonDak Ag Days event March 7-8 at the Richland County Event Center....
Agriculture is the biggest food contributor in America. America is the net exporter of food, which means that this industry is a source of food and wealth. The rich history of agriculture in the U.S. attracted colonists to the area. Since most colonists were European, the styles of agricultural cultivation and production were Europe influenced as well. Colonists also brought a large amount of livestock with them to America, which caused changes in its natural landscape. As the population grew, farms expanded, and settlements moved from the...
In November 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit issued a ruling overturning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s final rule of August 2021, which revoked all food crop tolerances for chlorpyrifos. The Eighth Circuit Court's decision was based in part on the fact that the EPA had issued a Proposed Interim Decision (PID) in 2020, which included 11 chlorpyrifos crop uses that the EPA determined met safety tolerances. Before the PID could be finalized, the U.S. Court of...
The application window for Montana Farmers Union scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000 closes March 31. The annual scholarships are offered through MFU as part of the organization’s commitment to education and include the Bud Daniels Memorial Scholarship for $1,000 and the John Korsbeck Memorial Scholarship for $1,000. Montana Farmers Union Foundation $1,000 scholarships also are available. Several Farmers Union Locals also offer scholarships for county residents, with Cascade County-wide Farmers Union Local offering a scholarship worth $...
BOZEMAN – Registration is now open for the three-day 406 Grazing Academy, an annual workshop aimed at ranchers seeking to hone their grazing management skills and learn new strategies. This year's event will be held June 11-13 in Miles City, and registration is open until April 26. Registration costs $200 per person and includes materials, a range monitoring kit, and lunch and dinner each day of the workshop. Those interested in attending can register at https://svc.mt.gov/do...
As a Sidney, graduate, Evan Roberts is no stranger to the sight of pivots in the fields of the area. While Evan graduated with a degree from MSU Billings College of Technology, he has been working with pivots for the last 15 years. Evan owns and operates Dirtech, a soil moisture monitoring business, based in Fairview, servicing Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota. Evan's goal is to give growers the ability to make informed irrigation decisions from the information that the moisture probes...
HELENA - The Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council will meet beginning on Monday, March 18, from 1-2 p.m. for the business meeting followed by a grant hearing with the presentation of grant proposals through 5:15 p.m. at the Delta Hotel in Helena. The hearing of proposals will continue Tuesday, March 19, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. through Wednesday, March 20, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Starting Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., the business meeting will reconvene followed by deliberations only to conclude when a consensus is reached Meetings will be conducted...
BOZEMAN – Thanks to a new license, barley research at Montana State University is set to extend beyond breeding and malting to the science behind brewing. In November, the Montana Board of Regents cleared MSU to apply for an academic brewer license. Similar to the licensure used by commercial breweries, the license allows researchers in MSU's Barley, Malt and Brewing Quality Lab to brew small amounts of beer as part of their research, identifying beneficial traits in new barley lines and e...
The Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture brings the MonDak Ag Days & Trade Show to the Richland County Event Center March 7-8. MonDak Ag Days offers nearly 50 agribusinesses in their tradeshow as well as education sessions throughout each day. The Sidney FFA Club hosts a free-will lunch both days of the tradeshow. Breakfast will be provided by the Sidney Chamber on Thursday and by Farm Bureau on Friday. Marley Voll, our Richland County MSU Extension Agriculture agent coordinated 2 full days of education sessions including local topics...
BOZEMAN – Montana State University Extension will host a feral swine education tour March 7-8 in northeast Montana, with stops held for landowners, farmers, ranchers and anyone else interested in attending. Registration is not required, and there is no cost to attend. Tours will be held Thursday, March 7 in Scobey, 10 a.m. Ambulance Room, 106 Railroad Ave.; and Plentywood, 2 p.m. Cousin’s Family Restaurant, 118 S. Main St;.and Friday, March 8 in Sidney, 10 a.m. Richland County Event Center, 2118 W. Holly St. Montana residents can report sus...
The Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project held its annual meeting Friday, Feb. 23 at the Sidney Moose Lodge guided by the irrepressible Richard Cayko, Board of Control and District 2 president. A delicious dinner was served by the Women of the Moose, with efficient table clean-up by members of the Fairview FFA. Fairview FFA members have been helping at the meeting for several years but this time capped off their projects during National FFA Week. There were no elections of board members since the...
MSU Extension will be offering an Initial Private Applicator Training on Tuesday, March 5, in Culbertson and Wednesday, March 6 in Glendive. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. with the program starting at 8 a.m. and adjourning at 5:15 p.m. The program will be held at the Dry Prairie Rural Water Building, 5808 MT-16, Culbertson and the Yellowstone River Inn, 1903 N. Merrill Ave., Glendive. Initial Private Applicator Trainings are for individuals who want to obtain a Montana Private Applicator License, which is required for anyone who is applying...
The Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture brings the MonDak Ag Days & Trade Show to the Richland County Event Center March 7-8. MonDak Ag Days offers nearly 50 agribusinesses in their tradeshow as well as education sessions throughout each day. The Sidney FFA Club hosts a free-will lunch both days of the tradeshow. Breakfast will be provided by the Sidney Chamber on Thursday and by Farm Bureau on Friday. Marley Voll, our Richland County MSU Extension Agriculture agent coordinated 2 full days of education sessions including local topics...
BOZEMAN, Montana – County and state Farm Bureau leaders across the nation are sharing resources that will help farmers and ranchers keep safety top-of-mind through the Agricultural Safety Awareness Program. As part of this year’s ASAP commemoration, March 4-8 has been designated as Agricultural Safety Awareness Week. U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers will join Farm Bureau in promoting the week with its theme “Cultivating Safety: Protecting our Future.” A different safety focus will be highlighted by Montana Farm Bureau and U.S. Ag...
Sidney farmer Devin Bell earned a spot with the top soybean growers in the country in the Go for the Gold Soybean Yield Contest sponsored by Golden Harvest Soybeans. His test plot of 20 acres of Golden Harvest soybean GH 0502XF yielded 69.51 bushels per acre, about two bushels more than his other varieties. "It was the highest yields I've ever had," Bell said. He farms about 250 acres of soybeans on irrigated land. Farmers Choice, which is new to the area and sells Golden Harvest seed,...
Local farmers, Justin Bieber, and his dad, Jeff, have been looking to increase profitability on their 1700 acres of irrigated farmland since the closure of the Sidney Sugars plant ended decades of sugar beet growing. The three primary crops they now raise are corn, wheat, and soybeans. Looking to increase yields, Justin delved into various varieties of wheat. The duo settled on WestBred Wheat 9719 due to its proven high yield and good standability. That variety, with increased nitrogen, and trying some new farming practices, yielded 109.33...
MSU Extension will be offering an Initial Private Applicator Training on Tuesday, March 5, in Culbertson and Wednesday, March 6 in Glendive. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. with the program starting at 8 a.m. and adjourning at 5:15 p.m. The program will be held at the Dry Prairie Rural Water Building, 5808 MT-16, Culbertson and the Yellowstone River Inn, 1903 N. Merrill Ave., Glendive. Initial Private Applicator Trainings are for individuals who want to obtain a Montana Private Applicator License, which is required for anyone who is applying...
Helena – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has announced the results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, spanning more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them down to the county level. The information collected directly from producers shows a decrease in the total number of Montana farms. The data shows an increase in the number of new and beginning (operating 10 or fewer years on any farm) as well as young (under the age of 35) produ...
