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Williams County Over the past year or two I have given considerable attention to the importance of soil quality as it relates to crop production. A quick definition of soil quality is the maintenance or improvement of soil organic matter (SOM). For our area, most cropland is in need of SOM improvement. Improving SOM in this semi-arid of northwest North Dakota should become an important goal of crop producers simply because of its ability to hold more water with higher levels. More water almost...
There’s not anyone that likes being embarrassed. As I stop and think a minute on a couple of the more uncomfortable things I’ve been through, my face gets red just thinkin’ about them. But then on the other hand, a person with a depraved criminal mind such as I have been blessed with, can somehow find glee and immense satisfaction in trapping some poor innocent soul in an embarrassing situation … IF (and only if) it can be justified in my own twisted thought patterns that they somehow have it...
After a year of unprecedented warmth this summer, coupled by last winter's milder temperatures, the debate over whether Old Man Winter will make an appearance this year is the topic of discussion for many. "It is difficult to predict exactly what will happen this winter in our area. I do not think it will be a particularly bad winter and may be milder than normal, but again, at this point it is really all speculative. The Climate Prediction Center in Washington DC is predicting warmer, and...
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is hosting a free educational workshop on estate preservation. Called “Estate Strategy Essentials,” the 45-minute workshop will be held at 9:45 a.m. on October 14, 2012 at Pella Lutheran Church’s Education Wing Assembly Area, Sidney, MT. The workshop is presented by Ron Gebhardt, [email protected], 406-433-5287 and Harvey Senn, [email protected] 406-433-6143 CA/AR Insurance ID #58464 financial representatives with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans in Sidney. The “Estate Strategy Essenti...
Fall is the time to plant daffodils and other narcissus bulbs, according to Ron Smith, North Dakota State University Extension Service horticulturist. "For gardeners, the joy starts early by selecting what to buy and plant," Smith says. "Choose different types for a variety of looks and to create a staggered spring-season bloom schedule. When picking out daffodils, the classic trumpet types are a good place to start. They're the must- haves for that archetypal 'big yellow' appeal. Trumpet daffodils come in crisp solids or mixed colors,...
The Sidney High School Agriculture Department teacher and students have embarked on a community service project and “doing to learn” activity at the Eastern Agriculture Research Center (EARS) north of Sidney. The agriculture department volunteered this fall to assist in the landscaping of the new facility with EARS staff. It is estimated the project will take over 100 student hours to complete. The attached photo shows students at various phases of completing site preparation, laying fabric, planting shrubs, dispersing rock and rain water rem...
Montana Outfitters and Guides Association (MOGA) Executive Director Mac Minard, applauded today’s announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to delist the Wyoming population of gray wolves and declare them recovered and no longer in need of protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Of the action Minard said, “Beginning September 30th, wolves in Wyoming will be managed by the state under an approved management plan; this action places them on equal footing with the sister states of Montana and Idaho. Sportsmen in the Wes...
The Montana Farm Bureau Federation is taking exception to the new school food regulations coming down from the United States Department of Agriculture and the White House. According to the USDA, which released the rules in January 2012, the ‘Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act’ has new meal requirements that supposedly improve the health and nutrition of nearly 32 million kids that participate in school meal programs every school day. However, the state’s largest agricultural organization says that isn’t so. “First Lady Michelle Obama and USDA...
Covering hay bales cuts hay loss significantly. The U.S. drought of 2012 has left most livestock producers in the Midwest and beyond scrambling for more hay. Earlier this summer, I expressed what county Extension agents are verifying: Unprecedented hay prices are the reality, mainly the result of hay buying pressure to supplement out-of-state demand. Even though we looked relatively good in North Dakota, compared with the states deeply affected by the drought, as the summer wore on to yield little or no second cutting, in many cases, hay...
If you are a female farmer or rancher or a Hispanic farmer or rancher and you believe that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) improperly denied farm loan benefits to you for certain time periods between 1981 and 2000 because of your gender or race, you may be eligible to apply for compensation. You may be eligible if: · you sought a farm loan or farm-loan servicing from USDA during that period; and · the loan was denied, provided late, approved for a lesser amount than requested, approved with restrictive conditions, or USDA fai...
Ever have your combine burn up? The Montana Farm Bureau is urging everyone combining crops and baling hay to be extremely cautious this harvest season due to extremely dry conditions and high fire danger. Often the person driving the combine or pulling the baler can’t see what’s happening directly behind. By the time they notice a fire, it may be too late to save the equipment and the field. “We had one fire started by the sickle on our mowing machine. In another instance, we had had work done to a tractor’s engine, and an hour and a half in...
Blister beetles, which are toxic to horses, could be a problem in North Dakota this year. “While blister beetles are common in many areas of the U.S., horse owners in North Dakota usually have not been concerned with this toxic insect,” says Carrie Hammer, North Dakota State University Extension Service equine specialist. “However, several individuals in western North Dakota have reported alfalfa fields infested with blister beetles this year. Horse owners need to be cautious because horses that consume alfalfa hay contaminated with these...
As area farmers complete harvest, their focus will likely turn to marketing the 2012 crop and plans for 2013. Selecting crops and varieties along with determining fertilizer and machinery needs will require major decisions sometime this winter. The primary crop grown in the counties of northwest North Dakota is durum. I suspect it will remain number one but recent requests for information about varieties leads me to believe there will be more acres planted of spring wheat next year. In recent...
