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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...
This year a brand-new beef processing facility opened up in Sidney called Eastern Montana Meats, LLC. This facility is located at 12314 Co. Rd 351 in Sidney and is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. Steve Lunderby and his two sons, Jake and Dillon, own and operate Eastern Montana Meats. They are all involved with the process from start to finish. The cattle that are brought in for processing are born and raised on local ranches and brought to Lunderby Livestock for finishing in the feedlot on...
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...
On April 13 the Richland County Commissioners sent a letter to Montana Governor Greg Gianforte requesting a Drought Natural Disaster Declaration. The letter can be viewed in its entirety on The Roundup website, roundupweb.com. The letter read as follows. Dear Governor Gianforte: The Board of County Commissioners of Richland County; Montana petitions that you: 1. Submit a request to the U. S. Secretary of Agriculture and the President of the United States for an agriculture-related disaster declaration for Richland County; Montana based on droug...
Washington, DC - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is establishing new programs and efforts to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. The new initiative - USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers - will reach a broader set of producers than in previous COVID-19 aid programs. USDA is dedicating at least $6 billion toward the new programs. The Department will also develop rules for new programs that will put a greater emphasis on outreach to small and...
The Easter lily is a symbol of beauty, hope and life. For those reasons and many more, Easter lilies are a popular potted flower this time of year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Floriculture Crop Summary, more than 5 million Easter lilies were sold (wholesale and retail) in 2019. The Easter lily is native to the southern islands of Japan. Western explorers helped spread the bulbs across the globe. Japan was the top exporter of Easter lilies to the U.S. until World War II....
What can producers expect as the economy recovers from COVID-19 and discussion begins on innovative agricultural policies leading up to a new farm bill? What about existing risk management tools? What support can producers expect in the next few years? Montana State University Ag Economist Dr. Vincent Smith, an internationally recognized expert on agricultural and international trade policy, shares his considerable insight into these questions in the final webinar of the 2021 MonDak Ag Research...
Conversations at the Capitol have taken a turn this week to focus on strategy for spending federal funding brought to Montana from The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act is the Biden Administration’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package. The nearly $3 billion in funding is roughly equal to our state’s typical annual budget, so the legislators have a big job to do in strategically and thoughtfully distributing the money. They’re handling this money – marked as House Bill 632: Implement receipt of and appropr...
Bozeman - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking proposals to fund up to $75 million in new, unique projects under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program’s (RCPP) Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA) that take innovative and non-traditional approaches to conservation solutions at the local, regional and landscape scales. In making selections USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will prioritize projects related to climate smart agriculture and forestry. NRCS will fund up to 15 projects this year thr...
Farmers and ranchers in the MonDak region are readying their equipment for spring planting. The big question now is the weather. What can farmers and ranchers expect this growing season? Patrick Gilchrist with the National Weather Service Office, Glasgow will help answer that question in the fifth webinar of the 2021 MonDak Ag Research Summit Series to be held on Thursday, March 11 at 10 a.m. MT, 11 a.m. CT. In his keynote presentation – Seasonal outlooks and potential climate change impacts for eastern Montana and western North Dakota – Gilchr...
MonDak Ag Days is an annual event sponsored by Sidney Chamber Ag Committee. It provides educational opportunities for MonDak area farmers and ranchers and showcases the latest in agriculture related equipment and technology. This event is traditionally held in person, but due to circumstances related to COVID-19, it will be offered in a hybrid virtual/in person format. To attend virtually, attendees can use this link: https://montana.webex.com/montana/j.php?MTID=mde8774804e41...
