Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 211
Every summer, Sidney Sugars crews work to repair, maintain and upgrade the six pile grounds, preparing these beet receiving stations for the upcoming beet harvest. Some years, a particular pile ground may require additional attention, and this past summer, both the Savage and the Culbertson stations had special needs that crews attended to over the summer months. Because of this extra work, Savage this year has the capability to weigh semi trucks, an improvement that brings this pile ground...
When sugarbeet harvest ends each fall, many of us figure that harvest has ended for another year. Not so, for those who have planted such crops as corn, sunflowers and pumpkins. These crops may still be in the field, awaiting picking or combining, as the case may be. Pumpkins have a long growing season, usually needing anywhere from 75-100 frost free days to reach maturity. Those who plant pumpkins commercially often do not start the harvest until October, depending on weather conditions, as...
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...
For the 38th straight year, Sidney Sugars Agriculturist Kerry Rasmussen has supervised beet harvest, organizing and training pile ground employees, working with growers, and doing everything possible to ensure that beet harvest runs as smoothly and trouble-free as possible for everyone. Rasmussen, who plans to retire from Sidney Sugars in the spring, expects harvest 2011 will be his last harvest as an agriculturist. “It’s been a good run,” Rasmussen remarks. “I’ve served at every pile ground in...
Land usage changes through the years. The small patch of ground located along the highway south of the Dore elevator served as a sugarbeet pile grounds for many years until sugar factory officials closed it in 1996. During that time, residents saw a lot of heavy truck traffic in and out of the pile grounds during harvest. Today, that same piece of ground now stores tanker rail cars for the movement of crude oil and residents see a tremendous amount of truck traffic all year long, not just during...
While rushing around town the other day, hurrying so I could get out of the crowded mess and disarray of what used to be a peaceful little burg, I bumped into an acquaintance I haven’t seen for several years. When she said ‘hello’ to me, I looked at her, realized in short order who she was, and the first thought that entered my head was ‘my goodness, has she ever aged’. My next thought, following a nanosecond after my initial shocked disbelief at seeing the gray hair and other signs of age in...
The calling of cranes and the honking of geese high overhead reminds us in no uncertain terms that summer has fled, fall has arrived, and the birds have packed their bags and started their annual migrations south to warmer climates. The cawing of blackbirds as they flock up by the hundreds preparing to take flight out of this region reinforces the truth that winter will arrive sooner than we care to admit. Many bird populations travel long distances twice a year along flyways that generally...
Change happens all the time; nothing lasts forever or remains static for very long. Some change we regard as good and embrace with open arms, while we dread and anticipate the worst case scenario when other events cause change to occur in our lives. Our outlook depends on circumstances and experience. Supposedly older people have more problems adapting to change, but I don’t believe that. Regardless of how old we are, circumstances can bring much wanted and appreciated changes which we d...
I just completed the book The Language of Flowers written by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, and I thoroughly enjoyed this read. The story kept me engrossed throughout the entire book, not only because of the great prose and the plot, but also because of the different world it opened for me. The story revolves around a lonely young woman who has encased her heart in cast iron because of her life experiences. Abandoned as an infant and growing up in foster homes and group homes, her childhood experiences...
Upland bird season has arrived, and hunters tend to separate into two loose groups: those who hunt with dogs and those who hunt without the assistance of a four-legged friend. Those who prefer to have trained dogs along to help with the hunt generally use either pointing or retrieving dogs in their quest for game birds. Bob Crandall, Yellowstone Kennels owner/operator, Sidney, trains both pointing and retrieving dogs but he specializes in the retrievers, as he believes retrieving dogs best fit...
It turned out to be the year of the grasshopper in many areas of eastern Montana. Many regions did not notice these voracious pests early in the spring, but by summer’s end, hoppers had appeared in droves throughout eastern Montana. Dave Branson, USDA/ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab ecologist, Sidney, notes that grasshopper populations were particularly high in certain regions, with highest populations largely south and west of Richland County. “We saw areas in eastern Montana wit...
With the start of sugarbeet harvest, we all realize summer has truly come to an end. Area growers began the 2011 fall beet harvest last week, and Russ Fullmer, Sidney Sugar Agriculture Manager, expects harvest will take between two to three weeks to complete, depending on weather. "The Eastern Ag Research Center harvested their plots in late September, and the neighbors harvested Nathan Langwald's beets on Sept. 28," says Fullmer. "Sugar Valley and Sidney started on Sept. 30 with some quotas...
Once again area rural folks demonstrated to the rest of us what it means to be good friends and good neighbors. A band of over ten Fairview area growers got together on Sept. 28 to harvest 120 acres of beets planted by Nathan Langwald. Langwald suffered an injury this summer and could not harvest his crops, so neighbors took it upon themselves to complete the harvest. “Nathan had an accident,” says Laurie Hurley, who along with Ross Buxbaum organized the beet dig. “Sidney Sugars opened the F...
This year’s Bovine Connection, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Dec. 1-2 in Sidney, promises to provide an interesting program, complete with a variety of pertinent information for cattlemen and agribusiness people. Although the agenda was not quite finalized by press time, Richland County Extension Agent Tim Fine points out that people will certainly benefit by attending this year’s event. “We will offer a diverse program that includes everything from genetics and nutrition to people manageme...
Bovine Connection organizers have invited Steve Dittmer, Agribusiness Freedom Foundation, to speak at the Thursday, Dec. 1 session of the Bovine Connection. Dittmer will discuss free marketing and the preservation of free market options. “We promote free market principles throughout the food chain,” Dittmer comments. “We aren’t just promoting cow calf production or packers, but rather the entire chain all the way through to the plate. The more free market options and the less government involve...
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...
Most of us have heard the ‘first in time, first in right’ slogan when someone refers to water rights and water usage in Montana. With the increasing demand for water for both business and domestic purposes, now may be a good time to review water rights and what it all means to rural folks who depend on well water. “The system of water rights goes way back,” says Denise Biggar, unit manager at the DNRC Glasgow unit office. “Montana is a Prior Appropriation state, as are most of the western s...
The Eastern Agricultural Research Center (EARC) has completed its move to the new facility. The staff moved on Wednesday, Sept. 21 following the arrival of furniture and the installation of telephone and computer services. Along with the Richland County Extension staff, which made the move to the new facility in June, the EARC staff now will conduct its work from the new building. “It’s nice to finally move in,” says Jerry Bergman, EARC director. “It’s a thrill to be here, to have computers and...
Anyone who has ever watched dementia or Alzheimer’s destroy a loved one knows the heartbreak this disease brings to families. In an effort to deal with dementia and to pass along what she learned while coping with her mother who developed Alzheimer’s disease, Kim Syth, Fairview, has written a book, A Long Walk with my Mom. This book, written from notes made during the time Syth helped care for her mother, contains a personal viewpoint of dementia, lessons learned, and how family members lea...
Sometimes it takes a fresh viewpoint or a new perspective to see the potential in a dilapidated building. I had a 30 x16 foot decrepit shed on my property with a ruined roof, a nearly nonexistent north wall, and the occasional hole poking through the remaining three good walls of the building. I planned to tear this wreck down but never got around to actually following through on my threat to demolish this worthless structure. All that changed this summer. “I” became “we” and my better half to...
We’ve all heard that worn-out adage, ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’. Nonsense! Of course an old dog can learn new tricks and older people also can and do continue to learn new tricks, additional skills, and enjoy fresh experiences. It isn’t a question of having the ability to learn something out of the ordinary, rather it is the desire to try something different or to pursue an interest that makes us want to attempt a new venture. Dogs are not stupid. Puppies learn tricks, commands...
Take a lifelong yearning to visit a particular country, couple that with the fact that your grandparents emigrated from that country, and you have the perfect set-up for a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime vacation. Recently, Dianne Swanson, along with her sister Elaine and brothers Alan and Brian, spent ten days in Scotland, exploring the byways, visiting the rural communities, meeting the people and learning about the culture of this magnificent country. “Other than visiting Edinburgh and G...
The thought of approaching winter leaves me cold – no pun intended. Labor Day, the most depressing holiday of the year because of the many events it signifies, has come and gone already, meaning summer has packed her bags with the intention of departing while winter lurks gleefully just around the corner. To make matters worse, the Glasgow weather office informs us that La Nina plans to return, meaning the potential exists for another cold winter with above normal precipitation. Just what I d...
The Montana State University Pesticide Education and Integrated Pest Management Programs will offer a 2011 Pest Management Tour for private, commercial, and government applicators in eastern Montana. The tour will cover a ten-county area over a five-day time period, Oct. 3-7. The information provided will include a variety of topics, and participants who attend the full day will receive six credits towards certification. “The 2011 Pest Management Tour will cover many subject areas of local i...
The MonDak Ag Days Committee is pleased to announce that Trent Loos, passionate advocate for agriculture, will serve as the Thursday night, Jan. 12 after-dinner speaker at the 2012 MonDak Ag Days banquet to be held at the Richland County Fair Events Center. 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...
