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Invasive weeds, droughts, fires, energy development and other disturbances are all impacting the quality of one our most important natural resources in the Northern Great Plains.... our grasslands. ARS scientists are looking at ways to address those impacts, including a recent project enabling scientists to study methods for restoring our grasslands over a large scale in order to determine which techniques are the most effective. The latter is the subject of the second presentation in the USDA-Agricultural Research Service’s Northern Plains A...
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering additional funding through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to target specific resource concerns in Montana in 2016: On-Farm Energy, Organic, Seasonal High Tunnel, Prairie Pothole Wetland and Grassland Retention, Honey Bee Pollinators, Big Horn Irrigation Improvement, and Drought in the Missouri Headwaters Basin. While NRCS accepts applications for EQIP on a continuous basis, NRCS has set a deadline of Feb. 19, 2016, to apply for 2016 initiatives funding....
Upcoming trainings hosted by the Montana Food and Agriculture Development Center Network (FADC) will help Montana food-based businesses and providers institute best practices, comply with existing safety ordinances, and prepare their business for the new updates mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act. The trainings will cover a variety of food safety and food business topics and be held in locations around Montana. Trainings Include: Wholesale Success— Great Falls; Feb. 8, On Farm Food Safety Training— Bozeman, Feb. 11-12; Ronan, Feb...
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Montana State University (MSU) Extension today announced seven Farm Bill informational meetings in communities across Montana. USDA and MSU Extension are conducting the meetings to inform Montana producers about important changes to the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill). NAP coverage provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occurs due to natural...
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Montana State University (MSU) Extension today announced seven Farm Bill informational meetings in communities across Montana. USDA and MSU Extension are conducting the meetings to inform Montana producers about important changes to the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill). NAP coverage provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occurs due to natural...
USDA’s Risk Management Agency today announced that producers in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota can insure Carinata by written agreement under the canola and rapeseed insurance plans. Producers must submit a written agreement request to their insurance company by the March 15 sales closing date. Crop insurance provides protection against a loss in production due to natural perils, such as drought or excessive moisture. A written agreement is a document designed to provide crop insurance for insurable crops when coverage or rates are u...
Montana Pork Producers Council (MPPC) invites Montana pork producers to attend the annual meeting January 21, 2016, at the Mansfield Civic Center in Great Falls. By design, the event coincides with the MAGIE Ag Expo for producer convenience. The theme is “Leading with Integrity” focusing on the subjects of marketing & contracts, as well as animal and human safety. John Uecker of USDA’s Packers and Stockyards Program will provide guidance to producers negotiating contract terms with their packers, in regards to the program’s regulations and rul...
Building soil quality isn’t an easy task on the semi-arid prairies of Montana and North Dakota or neighboring Saskatchewan, Canada. But that hasn’t stopped Jered Axten, an enterprising dryland farmer at Minton, Saskatchewan, from working with “Mother Nature to improve soil health” on his farm. Axten will be in Sidney Fri. to discuss the techniques he uses to improve profitability on his dryland operation “by caring for our soil and reducing our dependence on synthetic inputs.” He is the opening speaker in the USDA-Agricultural Research Se...
In agricultural circles pulse crops may be discussed without batting an eye. However, when most Montanans are asked what a pulse crop is they might say, ‘What are pulse crops?’ Pulses are annual leguminous crops such as lentils, beans, peas, and chickpeas. After 2016 was declared International Year of Pulses by the United Nations and Montana, again, led the nation in pulse production, the Montana Pulse Advisory Committee & Specialty Crop Block Grant Program are making a pitch to Montana consumers to integrate more pulses into their diet. “Fo...
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today reminded farmers and ranchers that the next general enrollment period for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) began, Dec. 1, 2015, and ends on Feb. 26, 2016. December 2015 also marks the 30th anniversary of CRP, a federally funded program that assists agricultural producers with the cost of restoring, enhancing and protecting certain grasses, shrubs and trees to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and reduce loss of wildlife habitat. As of September 2015, 24.2 million acres were enrolled in...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today finalized a rule to ensure that farm safety-net payments are issued only to active managers of farms that operate as joint ventures or general partnerships, consistent with the direction and authority provide by Congress in the 2014 Farm Bill. The action, which exempts family farm operations, closes a loophole where individuals who were not actively part of farm management still received payments. “The federal farm safety-net programs are designed to protect against unanticipated changes in the m...
The American Farm Bureau Board of Directors has voted to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, stating that it would be economically beneficial for agriculture. Montana Farm Bureau President Bob Hanson, who sits on the AFBF Board, noted that Montana agriculture would benefit, as well. “There are many positive aspects for beef producers,” said Hanson. “We will increase the amount of beef we export, which will help beef prices rebound. With this agreement, a 39 percent tariff of beef drops to zero. Japan is our largest consu...
R-CALF USA may be defined as a non-profit producer organization, but our work benefits anyone who eats meat and lives in an economy that includes agriculture. We’re more than a producer organization; we’re your organization! Recently the World Trade Organization (WTO) authorized Canada and Mexico to recover over $1 billion in damages each year from the United States because it claims those countries are harmed by our mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law. The COOL law requires retailers to inform consumers where their meat was bor...
Montana farmers planted wheat varieties developed by the Montana State University Montana Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) more than any other variety in 2015, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. USDA statistics show that Montana planted 5.8 million acres of wheat this year, with 2.2 million acres of spring and winter wheat varieties developed by MAES. MSU wheat varieties accounted for approximately $500 million of $1.2 billion wheat sold by Montana farmers in 2015, according to MSU wheat breeding specialists. Some...
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Montana will accept applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) until Jan. 15, 2016. “Easements are sometimes a perfect fit for a landowner who is looking to protect his or her land from future development or to protect and improve wetlands or provide critical habitat for wildlife,” said Erik Suffridge, NRCS assistant state conservationist for programs in Montana. In Montana, $7.5 million will be available to help landowners protect and restore key farmlands, gra...
Acting State Director Janelle Gustafson today announced that USDA has invested more than $12.3 million in rural Montana communities through the Community Facilities Program in fiscal year 2015. Of that investment, $11.1 million was awarded to rural health care facilities. “Providing access to affordable, modern health care for rural Montanans is essential and we are proud to say Rural Development has played a part as USDA celebrates National Rural Health Week,” Gustafson said. “Since 2009, Rural Development has invested more than $80 milli...
USDA North Dakota Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director, Aaron Krauter announced that approximately 26,000 North Dakota farms enrolled in new safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill are receiving financial assistance for the 2014 crop year. The programs, known as Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), are designed to protect against unexpected drops in crop prices or revenues due to market downturns. “These new safety-net programs provide help when price and revenues fall below normal, unlike the p...
R-CALF USA may be defined as a non-profit producer organization, but our work benefits anyone who eats meat and lives in an economy that includes agriculture. We’re more than a producer organization; we’re your organization. In a recent letter to President Barack Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and U.S. Trade Ambassador Michael Froman, R-CALF USA stated the U.S. has a new and unique opportunity to persuade Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to cease Canada’s saber rattling against the U.S. mandatory Country...
Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) has been a hot policy topic for the past two decades, with voluntary and mandatory labeling being debated and discussed by Farm Bureaus at both the state and national levels. In the 2002 farm bill, the issue jumped to international debate when Congress included provisions mandating COOL for all U.S. commodities. Simply put, Country of Origin Labeling law meant just that: the label Product of The U.S.A. should be stamped on agricultural commodities and products raised and processed in the U.S. However,...
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2015 – Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin mailing ballots to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country for the 2015 FSA County Committee elections on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Producers must return ballots to their local FSA offices by Dec. 7, 2015, to ensure that their vote is counted. “County committee members represent the farmers and ranchers in their communities,” said Dolcini. “Producers elected to these committees have al...
The Montana Agriculture in the Classroom program has released a comprehensive educational project on invasive species to help increase public awareness, identification, and reporting procedures. Species that are non-native to Montana, interfere and often destroy native plants, wildlife and livestock habitat, forests, waterways, and food crops. These species, which may not harm the environment in their native area, can cause destruction and major problems when introduced to a new environment. “The impact to agriculture and the environment can t...
The USDA has announced that nearly one half of the 1.7 million farms that signed up for either the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs will receive safety-net payments for the 2014 crop year. “Unlike the old direct payments program, which paid farmers in good years and bad, the 2014 Farm Bill authorized a new safety-net that protects producers only when market forces or adverse weather cause unexpected drops in crop prices or revenues,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “For example, the corn price for 2...
Acting State Director Jangle Gustafson announced $1.1 million in loans and grants for 13 projects to help small rural businesses in Montana. “These funds are part of nearly $20 million USDA has invested in small rural Montana businesses this year,” Gustafson said. “These dollars represent our commitment to supporting and growing Montana’s rural businesses and agriculture industries which in turn, strengthens Montana’s economy and creates jobs.” USDA is awarding the $1.1 million through the Intermediary Relending Program (IRP), the Rural Busin...
Janelle Gustafson, USDA Rural Development Montana acting state director, has announced that Eric Joyce has joined Rural Development Montana as a loan specialist in the Billings office. “Eric brings years of diverse financial lending experience to the Community Programs team. We look forward to the great service we know he will provide to our Rural Development customers and partners,” said Gustafson. The University of Iowa alumni is a new transplant to Montana, relocating from the Midwest. Joyce’s background is in lending, with years of exper...
Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana, in partnership with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, will be holding a series of soil health workshops throughout Montana next month. The workshop series will feature regional and local producers who have incorporated various practices into their farming and ranching operations that have improved their soil resources, management, and bottom-line. Included among the speakers is Gabe Brown, a farmer and rancher from Bismarck, North Dakota. Brown and his family operate a 5,000-acre...
