Sorted by date Results 146 - 170 of 949
Park County, MT - Montana Non-Profit, the Producer Partnership, calls on the help of farmers and ranchers who want to work together in ending hunger in Montana. Since foundation in 2019, the Producer Partnership has donated nearly 80,000 pounds of beef to Montana Food Bank Networks (MFBN). “We are local producers, local meat processors, and local food centers working in partnership to provide Montana meat to those individuals and families with food insecurity. This is the spirit of Montana neighbors helping one another in times of t...
Washington - In response to the severe drought conditions in the West and Great Plains, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its plans to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. USDA is updating the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to immediately cover feed transportation costs for drought-impacted ranchers. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide more details and tools to help ranchers get ready to apply at their local USDA Service Cente...
Billings - USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds producers of fall-planted crops in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming to apply for crop insurance coverage for the 2022 crop year before the Sept. 30 sales closing date. Current policyholders who wish to make changes to their existing coverage also have until the Sept. 30 sales closing date to do so. The Sept. 30 sales closing date applies to the following crops and states: Fall Planted Wheat with Winter Coverage - Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming; Forage Production - M...
Washington - In response to the severe drought conditions in the West and Great Plains, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its plans to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. USDA is updating the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to immediately cover feed transportation costs for drought-impacted ranchers. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide more details and tools to help ranchers get ready to apply at their local USDA Service Cente...
Sidney - USDA, Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, in collaboration with the Soil Health Institute in NC, evaluated the measurement of carbon dioxide flush—a rapid, reliable, and inexpensive method producers can use to measure soil health on dryland cropping systems—and refined it to be closely associated with most soil properties and long-term crop production. Farmers, producers, and managers increasingly want to use soil health assessments to measure the level of desired properties in their...
Physical loss loans can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees and harvested or stored crops and hay. State: Montana Triggering Disaster Event #1: Tornado, excessive rain, hail and high winds that occurred June 10, 2021. Application Deadline: April 11, 2022 Primary...
Bozeman - Montana agricultural operations have been significantly impacted by the wildfires and ongoing, severe drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages. “Production agriculture is vital to the Montana economy, and U...
Fargo & Bismarck - North Dakota agricultural operations have been significantly impacted by the ongoing, severe drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover. As agricultural producers move into recovery mode and assess damages, they should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages....
Helena - With every region of Montana facing severe to extreme drought conditions, Governor Greg Gianforte again urged U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to allow for emergency haying and grazing on all of Montana’s participating Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage. “Following up on my July 1 letter requesting a federal drought designation for all Montana counties, which I sent immediately after declaring a statewide drought emergency, I write to follow up on my request to allow for emergency haying and grazing on all of Montana’s...
Helena - The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) is pleased to announce its plans to prioritize mental health through a comprehensive program aimed at alleviating stress for Montana farmers and ranchers. The Montana Department of Agriculture recently secured a $500,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), a program authorized through the Farm Bill to connect individuals engaged in farming, ranching, and other agriculture-related occupations to stress assistance p...
As the heat of summer continues and harvest is just around the corner; canning, pickling, and preserving season is here too. The number one priority when preserving your harvest is the safety of the finished product by destroying any bacteria, and molds that might cause foodborne illnesses. One of them being botulism, caused by a toxin in bacteria. The bacteria can grow, especially in improperly processed home-canned foods. Have no fear home-canning foods is still a great way to preserve your harvest. It is recommended to use recipes that have...
The 40th Swank Variety Plot Tour on Monday, July 19 will be held at the Swank farm north of Poplar. This event has two pesticide applicator points available. Beginning at 5 p.m. at Swank test plots, introductions by Dr. Chengci Chen, EARC Superintendent, will lead into presentations by four invited plant breeders and new varieties of durum, spring wheat, and pulse crops. From MSU-Bozeman, Dr. Mike Giroux and Dr. Jason Cook; and from USDA-ARS, Dr. Rebecca McGee; and a presentation about genes related to protein concentration in grains by Dr....
8-8:30 a.m.: Refreshments and Registration 8:30-8:40 a.m.: Welcome, Dr. Chengci Chen, MSU-EARC Superintendent Tour Begins 8:45-9 a.m.: Improving Spring and Winter Barley for MT. Dr. Jamie Sherman (MSU-Bozeman barley breeder) 9-9:15 a.m.: Spring Wheat Breeding. Dr. Jason Cook (MSU-Bozeman spring wheat breeder) 9:15-9:25 a.m.: Cereal Forage Issues in the Drought Year. Tim Fine (MSU-Richland County Extension agent) 9:25-9:35 a.m.: Screening Oilseed for High NUE. Shreya Gautam (MSU-EARC graduate student) and Dr. Charlie Lim (MSU-EARC postdoc)...
Dr. Clarice Coyne will be speaking about increasing yellow pea seed protein yields by increasing seed protein concentration and total yield at the MSU EARC Field Day. She said, "We're conducting a multi-year field research study in Montana and Washington on the genetic control of pea seed protein concentrations targeting the plant-based protein market." Coyne is a USDA Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research Unit curator/geneticist in Pullman, WA. She specializes in curation and...
Bozeman - June 22 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting nominations for county committee members on June 15. Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for these members who make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2021 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 2, 2021. “We need enthusiastic, diverse leaders to serve other agricultural producers locally on FSA County C...
HELENA, Mont. – With every region of Montana facing severe to extreme drought conditions, Governor Greg Gianforte today called on U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to identify all counties in Montana as primary natural disaster areas. “As we continue to see record-breaking temperatures from Libby to Glendive, it is imperative that the U.S. Department of Agriculture aid Montana communities in accessing critical resources, such as the Livestock Forage Program, Emergency Conservation Program, and Emergency Livestock Assistance Pro...
The Montana Farmers Union (MFU) held a meeting on Thursday, June 10, at The Rod Iron Grill to discuss topics such as The American Rescue Plan, a new Meat Cooperative, food resiliency and much more. Opening the meeting was MFU President Walter Schweltzer. After a brief rundown of recent events held by MFU and a bit of their history, Schwelter discussed food resiliency in Montana. According to Schweltzer, 50 years ago Montana raised and processed 70% of our own food. Today we only raise and...
BOZEMAN, Mont., June 16, 2021 – United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Rural Business-Cooperative Service Administrator Karama Neal unveiled a new grant program to help rural communities create good-paying jobs and support new business opportunities in high-growth fields. Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) is intended to help rural communities identify and maximize local assets and connect to networks and industry clusters within their region. The new grant encourages a regional, innovation-driven approach to eco...
Sidney - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Executive Director Tammy Lyseng today announced that Richland County is accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from Fire. ECP signup for fire begins on June 1, 2021 and ends on June 30, 2021. The approved ECP practices under this authorization include rehabilitation or replacement of fences that were destroyed or seriously damaged, debris removal, grading, shaping, releveling land, or similar land damaged by fire. ECP...
Helena - The Montana Department of Agriculture is reminding producers to participate in the upcoming Wheat and Barley Varieties Survey conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). “This year’s varieties survey will give our breeding program unique and widespread insight into the characteristics that are truly important to Montana farmers,” said Cassidy Marn, Montana Wheat and Barley Committee executive vice president. “With producer checkoff dollars helping to fund breeding...
Livestock producers in 14 Montana counties are eligible to apply for 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on small grain, native pasture, improved pasture, annual ryegrass, and forage sorghum. LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or leased land or fire on federally managed land. County committees can only accept LFP applications after notification is received by the National Office of qualifying drought or if a federal agency prohibits producers from...
Sidney - May 25 - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Executive Director Tammy Lyseng announced that Richland County is accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from drought. ECP signup for drought began on May 24 and ends on July 22. The approved ECP practices under this authorization include installing pipe to an existing or newly developed source of water, one-time connection fees to public rural water utility lines charged by the water service authority which...
Livestock producers in 14 Montana counties are eligible to apply for 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on small grain, native pasture, improved pasture, annual ryegrass, and forage sorghum. LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or leased land or fire on federally managed land. County committees can only accept LFP applications after notification is received by the National Office of qualifying drought or if a federal agency prohibits producers from...
Great Falls - Montana Farmers Union appreciates the efforts of two state law makers whose work to amend HB 2, a budget bill, that will allow the state to explore more opportunities for meat processing as well as level the playing field for custom butchers. The two bills sponsored, by Rep. Brandon Ler and Sen. Ken Bogner, proposed significant changes to state and custom exempt meat inspection for sale of meats. The USDA threatened to refuse funding for meat inspection if these bills passed in their original form. Montana Farmers Union President...
