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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' representatives provided information about plans for the Fort Peck test flow during a Missouri River water management meeting held in Poplar on March 28. In November 2021, the Fort Peck Dam test release EIS Record of Decision was signed. The purpose of the test flows is to evaluate the potential for achieving pallid sturgeon spawning and recruitment on the upper Missouri River. John Remus, Missouri River Basin Water Management office for the northwestern office...
About 300 second and third grade students from throughout Richland County learned valuable information during the Ag in the Classroom program held at Sidney High School on April 18. "It's to teach the kids about agriculture and show them where their food comes from," Extension agent Marley Voll said of the program's goals. Organizers of the program included the Extension office, MonDak Stockgrowers, the Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture and area FFA advisors. Farm Bureau...
Montana State University Extension has selected Teri Antilley to be the next director of the Montana 4-H Center for Youth Development. As director, Antilley will provide leadership and establish strategic direction for the center and for all 4-H programs. She will also serve as the state 4-H program leader. Montana 4-H is the youth development program of MSU Extension. It reaches more than 17,000 youth each year and is supported by more than 3,000 volunteers. Antilley has served as interim direc...
HELENA – The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) spent last week in Washington D.C. meeting with Montana’s congressional delegation and other congressional staff sharing the work the Association has been focusing on around Producer Profitability. “Stockgrowers’ trip to Washington D.C. was a success. We would like to thank the Montana delegation for meeting with us and for their interest in the work we have been doing around Producer Profitability,” shared Montana Stockgrowers Association President John Grande of Lennep. “From our convers...
Richland County/MSU Extension agents provided encouraging information to Richland County Commissioners while reviewing programs during a meeting on April 22. Extension Agent Josie Evenson provided preliminary numbers for 4-H projects for this year’s county fair. She noted there are 240 4-H members in Richland County, which is a 23% increase since she started in the position 10 years ago. Preliminary amount of entries for the fair include 100 for market beef, 25 for breeding beef, five in d...
Emergence and establishment of your pulse crops can be negatively affected by dampening off and root rot pathogens. To avoid these issues, consider using a seed treatment. Dampening off occurs when a fungus or oomycete causes banding and restriction of the developing plant. Examples of these fungus and oomycete include Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium. Dampening off can be worse when the soil is cool and moist around the time the crop is planted. Symptoms of dampening off include a reduced stand, girdling, seedling yellowing, reduced...
Organizers of the McKenzie County Fair in Watford City have planned four days of fun and excitement just for you Wednesday, June 12, through Saturday, June 15. Gates open at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening and 8 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Admission to the grounds is free. All times are Central Daylight Time. Start the weekend at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening with the Olaf Leiseth Memorial Draft Horse Show. This free event showcases the hard-working draft horses and their drivers as they navigate an...
The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) invites ranchers to attend the 140th MidYear Meeting slated for May 28-30, in Miles City at the Custer County Event Center. The MidYear Meeting is one of two meetings held by MSGA to set policy that guides the Association through the year. While the main focus of the meeting is for the setting of interim policy, the meeting is also used as a networking opportunity for MSGA members and Montana’s livestock industry. This year, attendees will be the first to see results from MSGA’s Producer Pro...
A member of the Three Buttes 4-H Club assisted the Richland County Food Bank by donating a pig to help feed area people in need. Brynn Spinner, an eighth-grade student in Lambert, made the donation of a little over 100 pounds of ground pork last week. Spinner explained that she donated her back-up pig to Lambert School and six more pigs were born. "The whole donation is a lovely donation," Candy Markwald, Richland County Food Bank, said. "It's a huge blessing to use, and the fact that there's...
MSU Richland County Extension will be hosting an organizational meeting for this year’s Richland County Farmer’s Market on Tuesday, May 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the MSU Richland County Extension Office, Sidney. If you are a past vendor or are interested in becoming a vendor, you are encouraged to attend this open meeting. Market vendors can sell a variety of products; ranging from handmade items to produce, baked goods, and more. The organizational details, applications, and safety regulations of food sales at the Richland County Farmer’s Marke...
The Foundation for Montana History announced its largest ever grant making cycle last week, awarding over $240,000 to communities across Montana, including Sidney. The foundation is a nonprofit based in Helena that raises funds and makes grants for community-based history initiatives. Since starting the grant program in 2012, they have placed over $1.7 million into history and preservation projects. “Working with communities to save and share history is the core of our mission,” says foundation president/ CEO Charlene Porsild. “Topping our f...
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...
BOZEMAN – Ten agricultural research projects in the Montana State University College of Agriculture received support from the Montana Fertilizer Advisory Committee last month, seeking to advance knowledge around cropping systems, environmental preservation, water management and more. Each year, the seven-member Montana Fertilizer Advisory Committee disburses funds collected through an assessment on commercial fertilizers. The assessment was approved by the Montana Legislature to support research and education focused on soil fertility and m...
Ranchers depend on grass as a primary source of forage, whether it be rangeland, pasture or hay. While they carefully select species to plant as cover crops or plan a total mixed ration, many ranchers do not know the primary grass species their livestock consume. “Knowing the predominant grass species is important because not all grass is equal,” says Kevin Sedivec, North Dakota State University Extension rangeland management specialist. “Different species have different growth patterns and n...
The Montana Farm Bureau Summer Conference is set for June 10-12 in the historic cow town of Miles City. The summer conference provides an opportunity for the organization’s advisory committees to discuss current agricultural issues and concerns, and surface ideas for policy development. Events take place at the Custer County Events Center and the MCC Ag Advancement Center. “Members from across the state are excited to attend our annual summer committee meetings and foundation fund raiser. It’s been over 10 years since Montana Farm Bureau hoste...
The Williston Area Chamber of Commerce and the Williams County Soil Conservation District are presenting a Farm to Table Event on Wednesday, June 19, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Williams County SCD Tree Shed. The Farm to Table dinner is an opportunity to bring the agriculture industry and the community together to engage, learn and eat a quality meal. The dinner offers the public an interactive way to learn about the expansive agriculture industry around them and the importance of those fields and pastures that span the region. Michelle Miller,...
The 36th Annual Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be happening at Medora Community Center, Medora, ND on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26. Everyone is welcome to attend. On Saturday, May 26 registration is at 9 a.m. with a celebration from 10-11 a.m. for “Ask A Cowgirl Poet”, and a program from 1-4:30 p.m. The night show starts at 7:30 p.m. featuring Betty Lynne McCarthy, Buffalo, MO; Dorothy Vincent, Felton, MN; Carson Houser, McClusky, ND; and Jan Schiferl, Fordyce, NB; with Emcee Bill Lowan, Sentinel Butte, ND. On Sunday, May 26 the...
The Montana Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Student Loan Assistance Program is now accepting applications. Established during the 2019 legislative session, this program provides student loan assistance to Montana’s college-educated youth pursuing careers in farming or ranching. “The Student Loan Assistance Program seeks to relieve the financial stress facing our young producers so that they can focus their energies on raising some of the world’s highest quality commodities and carrying forward Montana’s agricultural traditions,” said MDA dire...
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, and sometimes vomiting. “Healthy poultry, i...
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 producers interviewed believed that both the economic a...
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...
Family farmers and ranchers from Montana traveled to Scottsdale, AZ., March 10-12 for the 122nd National Farmers Union convention. Delegates and attendees heard from nationally known speakers, administration officials, and each other during policy debate. Over the past year, NFU has increased membership by more than 12,600 members, as well as continued the impactful Fairness for Farmers campaign. This campaign and meetings with administration officials in the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of...
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 bin in spring as it does during the summer. That,...
If plants were well established prior to the onset of winter and had the opportunity to harden and tiller, chances of survival are very good, but forage production may be impacted. This year's unusual winter has led to questions for farmers and ranchers who grow forage crops in North Dakota. The lack of snow cover has left winter crops uninsulated from cold temperatures for much of the winter. Recent extreme temperature fluctuations have led to concerns about possible damage to winter annual...
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 send directly to their cell phones, which he a...
