Sorted by date Results 176 - 200 of 944
Billings - USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds producers in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming that the final date to purchase or make changes to crop insurance on spring-planted crops in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming is March 15 for the 2021 crop year. Farmers also need to notify their agent if they have planted winter wheat in a county with only spring wheat coverage by this date. Federal crop insurance is critical to the farm safety net. It helps producers and owners manage revenue risks and s...
Montana legislators have heard more than 400 bills this week, which shows the staggering pace that comes on the eve of transmittal deadline. We’ll cut straight to the chase here in week eight of the Montana Legislative Session, with a focus on meat processing bills and private property rights. House Bill 336: Interstate cooperative meatpacking compact, sponsored by Rep. Brandon Ler (R), HD 35. Montana Farm Bureau member policy opposes. The Interstate Compacting Bill sets up a framework to allow Montana to enter into agreement with other states...
On Friday, March 5, at 1:30 p.m. MST, Dr. Dave Branson will be speaking at MonDak Ag Days on grasshopper problems in 2020 and a grasshopper outlook for 2021. For over 20 years, Branson has been a research entomologist at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Sidney. Here he is a part of Pest Management Unit; he studies the biology and ecology of grasshoppers to find ways to manage outbreaks without chemical pesticides. Scientists that are a part of this unit are also researching the benefits grasshoppers can provide. Prior to working at...
Thursday, March 4, at 12:30 p.m. MST, Dr. Tatyana Rand will be discussing alfalfa weevil and wheat stem sawfly identification, research and management. Dr. Rand is a research ecologist, in Pest Management Research Unit, at USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab, Sidney. She received a PhD in biology from Brown University, Providence, RI, and joined ARS in 2009, following postdoctoral positions at University of Goettingen, Germany, and the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. She said, “My postdoctoral work focused on understanding...
The Montana Department of Agriculture would like to make you aware of a funding opportunity available through the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant program. Applications are due March 22, 2021. USDA Rural Development’s Value-Added Producer Grant is available to independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer- or rancher-cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures. The program is designed to help producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. Total P...
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 beginning at 10 a.m. MT, 11 a.m. CST. In his keynote presentation – entitled Seasonal outlooks and potential climat...
As farmers prepare for spring planting, the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee is reminding producers to ensure that wheat shipments destined for export are buckwheat-free. In light of the ongoing global pandemic, food safety has become one of the most important factors for purchasers of ingredients. Montana exports 60-80% of its wheat to countries located in the Pacific Rim. Since Asian countries are large importers of Montana wheat, it is important that producers and handlers understand the serious health risk and potential economic impact po...
New bills are arriving rapidly in the 2021 Montana State Legislative Session, and we're here to bring you the highlights. We're in the final push before transmittal deadline, which is the date when all non-revenue bills have to make their way into the second chamber. We'll focus on two big issues in this column: meat labeling and bison bills. House Bill 324: Generally revise certain labeling laws, sponsored by Rep. Frank Smith (D), HD 31 and Senate Bill 210: Revise laws related to country of ori...
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds rural communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses affected by the recent winter storms that USDA has programs that provide assistance. USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices are prepared with a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance to residents, agricultural producers and impacted communities. “USDA is committed to getting help to producers and rural Americans impacted by the severe weather in many parts of the country. As severe we...
As farmers prepare for spring planting, the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee is reminding producers to ensure that wheat shipments destined for export are buckwheat-free. In light of the ongoing global pandemic, food safety has become one of the most important factors for purchasers of ingredients. Montana exports 60-80% of its wheat to countries located in the Pacific Rim. Since Asian countries are large importers of Montana wheat, it is important that producers and handlers understand the serious health risk and potential economic impact po...
Whether herbicide resistant or just aggressive spreaders, weeds are a constant plague in both crops and pastures, which is why management options are a key research subject for university and federal scientists. For Dr. Brian Jenks, North Dakota State University’s North Central Research Extension Center weed scientist, Minot, weeds have been at the heart of his research program for more than two decades. That research and its application to local farms and ranches is featured in the fourth webinar of the 2021 MonDak Ag Research Summit Series ...
Whether herbicide resistant or just aggressive spreaders, weeds are a constant plague in both crops and pastures, which is why management options are a key research subject for university and federal scientists. For Dr. Brian Jenks, North Dakota State University’s North Central Research Extension Center weed scientist, Minot, weeds have been at the heart of his research program for more than two decades. That research and its application to local farms and ranches is featured in the fourth webinar of the 2021 MonDak Ag Research Summit Series ...
Pulses have become a very successful crop in the MonDak following their introduction to the region in the 1990s. Today, North Dakota and Montana have consistently ranked #1 and #2 in pulse production in the US for more than a decade. That success, however, has also brought with it-increased threats from disease. Luckily, that threat, in turn, has attracted the interest of pulse crop researchers who have come together in a large, multistate collaboration focusing on root rot in lentil under the direction of Dr. Mary Burrows, Extension Plant...
Weeds and plant diseases are perennial problems for farmers and ranchers in the MonDak and a ripe research topic for university and federal scientists. That research and its application to local farms and ranches is featured in two February webinars from the 2021 MonDak Ag Research Summit Series, which began in January and concludes in March. Tuesday, Feb. 9: Dr. Mary Burrows, Montana Agricultural Experiment Station plant pathologist and associate director and Research Development at Montana State University will present a keynote address on...
Helena - The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) continues to prepare for a foreign animal disease (FAD) introduction into the state. The Animal Health Bureau (AHB) and the Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MVDL) were recently awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to increase practical livestock biosecurity measures and address needs related to receiving, testing, and reporting diagnostic test results, respectively. The AHB was awarded over $29,000 to c...
Fargo, ND - Due to the national public health emergency caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the temporary suspension of past-due debt collections and foreclosures for distressed borrowers under the Farm Storage Facility Loan and the Direct Farm Loan programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). USDA will temporarily suspend non-judicial foreclosures; debt offsets or wage garnishments, and referring foreclosures to the Department of Justice. USDA will work with the U.S....
Technology's role in agriculture is rising exponentially, but that doesn't mean there aren't other factors of equal importance, particularly in irrigation management. That's the message to be delivered by Dr. Thomas Scherer on Thursday, Jan. 28, in the second webinar of this year's 4th annual MonDak Ag Research Summit online seminar series. "Over the last 15 years there have been many technological developments for more informed irrigation water management," Dr. Scherer, North Dakota State...
The 4th annual MonDak Ag Research Summit has moved online due to COVID-19 and features a series of six webinars, each an hour and a half long, focusing on agricultural issues and research applicable to area farmers and ranchers. The 2021-webinar series kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. MST/11 a.m. CST with a keynote presentation looking at appropriate fertilizer application decisions in the face of our recent fall drought. That presentation will be followed by three short talks by...
While the arrival of new vaccines for COVID-19 should enable a return to in-person events, the sheer mechanics of their mass distribution mean that early 2021 events are still primarily virtual. That’s certainly true for the 4th Annual MonDak Agricultural Research Summit, typically held late in the year, but now moved online and converted to a webinar series, beginning Thursday, Jan. 14. Webinars will be held on Zoom every other Thursday, with one Tuesday thrown in, and all will run from 10-11:30 a.m. MT/11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT. According to o...
While the arrival of new vaccines for COVID-19 should enable a return to in-person events, the sheer mechanics of their mass distribution mean that early 2021 events are still primarily virtual. That’s certainly true for the 4th Annual MonDak Agricultural Research Summit, typically held late in the year, but now moved online and converted to a webinar series, beginning Thursday, Jan. 14. Webinars will be held on Zoom every other Thursday, with one Tuesday thrown in, and all will run from 10-11:30 a.m. MT/11 a.m.-12:30 pm CT. According to organi...
Bozeman, MT – Governor-elect Greg Gianforte has announced his appointment of Mike Foster to lead the Department of Agriculture. "Montana farmers and ranchers drive our state's number one industry, and deserve a leader who will work tirelessly to help them capture more of the value they create," Governor-elect Gianforte said. "With a robust understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by our producers and a strong commitment to meeting their needs, Mike Foster will serve Montana ag w...
While the arrival of new vaccines for COVID-19 should enable a return to in-person events, the sheer mechanics of their mass distribution mean that early 2021 events are still primarily virtual. That's certainly true for the 4th Annual MonDak Agricultural Research Summit, typically held late in the year, but now moved online and converted to a webinar series, beginning Thursday, Jan. 14. Webinars will be held on Zoom every other Thursday, with one Tuesday thrown in, and all will run from...
Washington - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) by Dec. 11. This program provides direct relief to producers facing market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. “With over 300 eligible commodities, from livestock and row crops to specialty crops and aquaculture, most farmers and ranchers are potentially eligible for CFAP 2,” said Richard Fordyce, Farm Service Agency administrator. “FSA offers sever...
Fargo, ND - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is temporarily restricting in-person visits for USDA Service Centers in North Dakota because of elevated rates of coronavirus community spread, but USDA employees will continue to assist agricultural producers with programs and services. USDA is using a phased, data-driven approach to determine which Service Centers are open for in-person appointments. Fieldwork, including conservation planning assistance, will continue with appropriate social distancing. “While many of our Service C...
Specialists from the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program of the National Center for Appropriate Technology are available to help farmers and ranchers apply for assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) 2. The CFAP2 program has almost $14 billion available to help almost every form of agriculture business impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More crops and agriculture operations are eligible under CFAP2 than under the first CFAP program earlier this year. Farmers and ranchers can apply d...
