Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 211
We all know that many urban folks really don’t understand production agriculture. We also know that many organizations and groups have made it their goal to target production agriculture. Fortunately, the Montana Beef Council, along with other beef organizations, seeks to educate consumers about beef and works to combat the misinformation put out by those who wish to undermine agriculture. Because of the negative information circulating about agriculture, and in efforts to learn more about h...
Bovine Connection organizers have included informational sessions on AI updates and Market updates as part of the Bovine Connection Program, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Dec. 1-2 at the new Extension/EARC facility located on North Central Avenue. Willie Altenburg, Genex Cooperative associate vice president of beef marketing, will speak at noon, Friday, Dec. 2 and will discuss several aspects of A.I. techniques for beef cattle. “I’ll talk on synchronization systems and how they work whe...
While agricultural land continues to dwindle and water issues become increasingly critical, the population continues to explode at unprecedented rates. How to feed all these people on less and less land will become a huge challenge over the course of the next several decades. To address this issue, Bovine Connection organizers have invited Dr. Jon Seeger, Pfizer Animal Health technical services veterinarian, to discuss this looming problem. Seeger will talk at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1 in...
This year’s MonDak Ag Days and Trade Show, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Jan. 12-13 at the Richland County Fair Event Center, has a good mix of educational sessions, trade show displays, and Ag in the Classroom, with something to interest everyone. The show will provide agricultural presentations dealing with a wide range of relevant information, and a trade show that highlights new ideas and technology within the field of agriculture. “I invite people to mark this year’s Ag Days on their...
The Ag Days Committee is pleased to announce that Trent Loos, passionate advocate for agriculture, will serve as the Thursday night, January 12 Ag Days after dinner speaker. Loos, a 6th generation rancher, began speaking out on behalf of agriculture in 2000 and uses radio, publications, the Internet, and public speaking engagements as tools to get the positive message and the truth out about agriculture and food production today. For his topic of discussion at the Sidney Ag Days, Loos will...
A willingness to learn coupled with dedication and practice can lead to huge personal satisfaction. Paulette Westrum, Williston, learned that fact in October when, after showing only four times, she won the beginner ranch reining class and took second in the green reining class held at the Saskatchewan Reining Horse Show, Moose Jaw. “Both these classes were for people just beginning in reining,” Westrum comments. “To enter in the ranch class, neither the horse nor the rider could have won more...
Profitability allows us to stay in business; while no profits mean the potential of losing the farm and ranch. To address the issues surrounding profits and loss, the Bovine Connection committee has invited Lee Leachman, Leachman Cattle Company of Colorado, to discuss the keys involved in remaining profitable. He will present his “Five Keys to Long Term Profitability” during a 2:15 p.m. presentation scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 1 at the new Extension/EARC facility, 1499 N. Central Ave., Sid...
Mineral supplements cost money. Do they work? Are there tricks that a rancher can use that will enable his cattle to better utilize mineral supplements? To answer these and other questions about the use of mineral supplements, the Bovine Connection committee has invited Dr. John Paterson, Montana State University beef extension specialist, to discuss cattle response in relation to mineral supplements. Paterson will speak at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1 at the new Richland County Extension/EARC...
Those who attend both days of the Bovine Connection proceedings will receive a lot of pertinent information. What does it all mean and how does it all tie together? Bill Bowman, American Angus Association chief operating officer, will serve as the last speaker at the Bovine Connection and he will tie up all the loose ends and apply the information to the real world. Bowman will speak on Friday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. at the new Extension/EARC facility located at 1499 N. Central Ave., Sidney. “I’ll wra...
The Richland County Conservation District has named Craig and Cel Iversen as this year’s Cooperators of the Year. For the past 15 years, the Iversens have worked diligently with the NRCS and the Richland County Conservation District to improve their land for cattle and for wildlife. They have accomplished this by drilling wells, laying pipeline, installing stock tanks, cross fencing, reseeding old cropland to grass and planting shelterbelts. “When we picked up this place 15 years ago, there wer...
We all look forward to Thanksgiving Day, when the thoughts of turkey, mashed potatoes, wheat bread and butter, cranberries, and corn on the cob keep us salivating for weeks. Oh, and don’t forget the pumpkin pie to finish off a meal that causes the average American to eat a day and a half worth of calories, or an average of 4500 of these little heat units, in just a few short hours. Oh, and by the way, the Pilgrims did NOT eat any of the above for Thanksgiving Day; potatoes were a little known f...
In my opinion, nothing beats a great, well-written book with believable, all-too-human characters, an intricate plot, and the clash of good versus evil culminating in an exciting ending. Feast Day of Fools, written by James Lee Burke, provides all these thrills, exceptionally well-fleshed out characters, and with plenty of villains and good guys that clash, sometimes in gruesome ways, throughout the book. The story pivots around Hackberry Holland, the sheriff of a southwest Texas county. I...
The end of daylight savings time signals the arrival of long dark winter nights with their correspondingly short winter days. The end of daylight time is as depressing as Labor Day Monday, as there is no doubt about it, darkness envelops the MonDak by 5 p.m. Even on a bright winter day, long purple shadows stretch out from their sources by 3:30 or 4 p.m. in the afternoon, letting us know nightfall lurks just around the corner. We plan winter outdoor activities during the day in increments of...
My brother had knee surgery a few years ago and after the surgery, his doctor inquired as to whether my brother wanted crutches or a walker to use while the knee healed. My brother opted for crutches, which came as no surprise to me as not only do I know my brother very well, but I also have noticed the status we as a society apply to the use of crutches, canes and walkers. We also as a nation place a high premium on youthful attributes, and that also impacts the choices we make even on somethin...
Sherri Hardy, Fairview, snapped the photo which won The Roundup’s Women in Agriculture photo contest. As the picture demonstrates, women play an important role on the Hardy farm, particularly during harvest. Hardy explains that family and friends of both sexes all chip in to help out during the busy sugarbeet season. Without women, the Hardys would have a difficult time completing harvest. “We draw from family, friends and retired people to complete harvest,” explains Hardy. “My sister is a fl...
This year’s Bovine Connection, scheduled for Thursday and Friday Dec. 1-2 at the MSU EARC and Extension building meeting room, Sidney, promises to provide an interesting program, complete with a variety of pertinent information for cattlemen and agribusiness people. Committee members have worked hard to provide a quality program for those who attend. Richland County Extension Agent Tim Fine points out that people will certainly benefit by attending this year’s event. “The committee has obtai...
Bovine Connection organizers have invited Steve Dittmer, Agribusiness Freedom Foundation, to speak at the Thursday, Dec. 1 session of the Bovine Connection, scheduled at the Extension office building meeting room, North Central Avenue, Sidney, and also to present the address at the Thursday night banquet scheduled for the Sidney Country Club. Dittmer will discuss free marketing and the preservation of free market options. “We promote free market principles throughout the food chain,” Dit...
The Richland County Extension office, in cooperation with extension agents from adjoining counties and other professionals, will host two evening pesticide classes on Nov. 15-17 at the new extension building on North Central Avenue. The classes will enable people to obtain necessary pesticide points to remain current with their applicators licenses. Those who attend both classes will earn a total of four points. “People need to have points to keep their licenses current,” says Richland Cou...
Difficulties in communicating with others can lead to problems and misunderstandings. Getting your message understood, dealing with people of a different generation, and effectively airing viewpoints can present challenges for many of us. Times change, fashions change and attitudes change from year to year and from generation to generation, sometimes making it difficult to bridge gaps. When four generations live and work together, it is critical to maintain good communications and understanding...
The word ‘harvest’ brings to mind small grains, alfalfa, sugarbeets, potatoes, legumes and the bounty from the gardens and orchards. Harvest, the seasonal reaping of any natural product, also includes lesser thought about products, including the harvest of trees for wood. Crane resident Ken Redman harvests trees and runs the logs through his small mill, producing slabs and boards of whatever dimensions he desires. He uses his end product to build anything from cabinets and trim to corrals and...
Methods of handling cattle may differ from ranch to ranch. Some ranchers find livestock handling a relatively simple matter, while others feel it is a stressful experience for both man and beast. However, ways do exist to make handling livestock a chore than no one dreads, rather than a painful marathon for all involved. Because cattle handling has become something that the public looks at more carefully than they did in the past, and because methods do exist that make moving cattle easier for...
Although growers experienced a tough growing season this year, Mother Nature rewarded their perseverance by providing good weather for sugarbeet harvest. Growers had to wait an extra week before starting harvest due to warm temperatures, but once they began bringing in the crop, they had uninterrupted digging. “We finished on the 24th of October, with Savage the last station to complete harvest,” says Russ Fullmer, Sidney Sugars agricultural manager. “We had beautiful weather, the beets came...
Losing a child might be one of the most difficult situations families face. The loss of a child of any age can devastate families and it may take years for the healing process to complete. A group of three ladies, all of whom have lost a child, decided that a good way to remember their children who have passed and at the same time preserve precious memories for family and friends, lies in the development of a special cookbook. Jacquie Pourroy, Vicki Waddington and Becky Kallevig have teamed up...
The Dry Redwater Regional Authority (DRWA) has asked the Richland County Commissioners to fund a portion of the DRWA rural water system. Without this funding, the project will go on hold for several years due to new government regulations and required paperwork. Brian Milne, Interstate Engineering president, Sidney, the consulting firm assisting DRWA in its efforts to provide water for rural residents, explains that if the county provides funding, the project can begin construction as early as...
After over a week’s delay from scheduled start-up, the sugarbeet harvest got underway on Oct. 8 for Sidney, Culbertson, Savage and Fairview area growers. Those growers in the Powder River and Pleasant View areas followed suit on Oct. 9. At press time, weather has continued to cooperate and growers have had relatively smooth digging with only a few delays at individual stations due to heat. “We’re about a third done,” said Randy Jones, Sidney Sugars, on Oct. 12. “If the nice weather continues...
