Sorted by date Results 876 - 900 of 947
U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., announced in April that former president of the Montana Economic Developers Association and chairman of the Governor’s Economic Development Council Tony Preite will serve as coordinator to help oil-impacted areas find possible government assistance. Preite made a stop in Sidney last week to explain his role as coordinator for 16 different eastern Montana counties. Preite’s role is the direct result of a letter from Senator Baucus sent in January to President Bar...
Officials with the U. S. Department of Agriculture have been notified that fraudulent letters and at least one fraudulent phone call have been received by individuals in a number of states. The phone call was received by an individual in Indiana, and letters are being sent by FAX to individuals and businesses in a growing number of states. The letters and call purportedly come from a USDA procurement officer and seek personal information. These letters are false and in no case should a recipient respond with personal and financial information....
If we stop and think about it, we all realize the value of agricultural research. Studies show repeatedly that federal and state funding for agricultural research and development produces high returns for the money spent and it also ensures a safe, abundant food supply for Americans. However, politics dictate the amount of money spent for agricultural research. Some politicians who have no understanding of agriculture still feel qualified to make decisions regarding this vital industry, and...
North Dakota State University’s new, state-of-the art Beef Cattle Research Complex is taking beef cattle research to a new level. “This facility is the piece we needed to allow us to meet the challenges of 21st century beef cattle production,” says D.C. Coston, NDSU Agriculture and University Extension vice president. “It complements intensive campus-based facilities such as the Animal Nutrition and Physiology Center and the extensive research capabilities at the Research Extension Centers in Ca...
In recent years we’ve heard a lot about the green movement, or attempts to conserve natural resources and to find suitable alternatives to oil. Growing crops to determine their worth as a biofuel has become a focus for scientists and likely will continue to take precedence in the coming years. A group of researchers at the USDA/ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab in Sidney will collaborate on a long term study that will look at rotations using oilseed and pulse crops in rotation w...
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced a new conservation initiative to protect up to 750,000 acres of the nation’s most highly erodible croplands. Vilsack made the announcement via video to attendees of the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic, held Feb. 17-19 in Kansas City, MO. The new initiative will assist producers with targeting their most highly erodible cropland (land with an erodibility index of 20 or greater) by enabling them to plant wildlife-friendly, long-term cover through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). P...
The North Dakota Field Office of USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service conducts an annual survey of farmers and ranchers to obtain average rental rates and the value of rental land in their localities. Approximately 4,600 North Dakota agricultural producers were sampled for this survey conducted Jan. 17-Feb. 2, 2012. More than 2,950 reports were collected with almost 2,150 containing positive data. We recently received a copy of the survey report and will share it upon request. It a...
U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-MT, held an energy jobs roundtable last Wednesday at the MSU Eastern Ag Research Station, Sidney. He was joined by USDA Rural Development Deputy Undersecretary Cheryl Cook, U.S. Small Business Administration leaders and other state officials in a call to action to support Eastern Montana in their struggles to solve oil impact issues. Baucus explained that a multi-agency “one-stop-shop-” in Sidney has been established dedicated to the infrastructure and development nee...
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Bruce Nelson today announced that the sign-up deadline for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been extended to April 13, 2012. “Due to strong interest in CRP, the decision was made to extend CRP sign-up 43 for an additional week. I encourage all eligible farmers and ranchers to take advantage of this opportunity to participate in CRP,” said Nelson. “Whether new enrollees or re-enrolling existing CRP contracts, producers who sign up for CRP help to conse...
Wheat stem sawfly has been on the rise in recent years and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Sidney are looking at a variety of impacts arising from the pest presence. Those impacts and new weed biocontrol research also underway at Sidney’s USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory are the subjects of this year’s final BrownBagger session on Friday. ARS Entomologist Kevin Delaney will give the final one-hour talk beginning at noon on Friday, April 6th. His presentation is entitled Wheat stem sawfly – wheat i...
Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus will be in Culbertson at the Dry Prairie Rural Water Authority, 5808 Hwy. 16, on April 4 at 10:30 a.m. to announce the latest breakthroughs in his call to the White House to unleash every appropriate resource to assist with the infrastructure needs of Montana communities most impacted by the energy boom in the Bakken. “Montana communities throughout the Bakken region are some of the nation’s most dynamic areas for job growth – it’s only fair that they get the tools necessary not only to absorb the shock...
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is sponsoring a program to train a group of conservation professionals to provide planning, implementation, and management services for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. A team led by NRCS, the Farm Service Agency, Montana State University, and representatives from NRCS partner agencies and organizations has collaborated to develop the trainings and make them accessible, convenient, and consistent in Montana and the rest of the country. The new initiative is called the...
Producers interested in submitting bids to enroll land in Conservation Reserve Program acres have a deadline of April 6. Kevin Kading, North Dakota Game and Fish Department private land section leader, said applications received during the current sign-up period are ranked against others according to the Environmental Benefit Index. “Producers can receive assistance from private land biologists with the Game and Fish Department, Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever,” Kading said. “Private land biologists can help producers find the best possi...
Last spring, the North Dakota State University Foundation Seedstocks (NDFSS) and Busch Agricultural Resources, Inc. (BAR) cooperated in releasing a new malting barley named Innovation. The release was made through the North Dakota Crop Improvement Associates and county associations. An allocation was awarded to Hal Hickel, Ray. Despite a very, very late planting Hal was able to harvest 1100 bushels of seed which has met the standard of registered grade, the highest possible. Hal reports the...
Wheat stem sawfly has been on the rise in recent years and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Sidney are looking at a variety of factors to keep the pest in check. In particular, Sidney researchers and their collaborators in Montana and North Dakota have been looking at numerous solid stem lines to determine their resistance to wheat stem sawfly but also their impact on native wasp parasitoids that attack and kill the pest. They want to know if varieties currently exist, or can be developed, that aid both efforts. They also...
On March 9, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announced regional pulse crop loan rates for the 2012 crop. Pulse crops include dry peas, lentils, small chickpeas and large chickpeas. Regional loan rates are established for dry peas, lentils and large chickpeas, but not for small chickpeas. Due to limited market price information from which to establish a 2012 regional loan rate for large chickpeas, the statutory loan rate will again be applicable in all states and counties. The West region includes Alaska, A...
In water-limited arid and semiarid regions, water needs to be used efficiently for sustaining irrigated crop yields and that efficiency can vary widely with the type of irrigation system used. But what other impacts do these differing systems have on sustainability? For example, how do they impact key soil nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen? And what of the increased use of strip tillage for sugar beet rotations in the MonDak? How do these different irrigation systems impact soil carbon and nitrogen under strip tillage? These questions and m...
Agriculture/FFA students take time to witness, experience and participate in this pick-up site at Reynolds’ Market in Sidney. It is reported that the compactor truck is a welcome addition to ROI’s fleet and service to Richland County for recycling of cardboard products. The FFA encourages the community and businesses to join the efforts of ROI and assist financially and in participation in the recycling movement. Marianne Gartner applies the finishing touches on the truck. This project and add...
USDA’s FSA will conduct a four-week Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup, beginning on March 12 and ending on April 6. For more information, contact the FSA county office. FSA’s Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) was designed to provide financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields or prevented planting occurs as the result of natural disasters. Application deadlines for 2012 NAP coverage in Montana is March 15. For more info on NAP or other FSA programs, contact your local FSA off...
The Richland County Extension Service will be conducting an initial private pesticide application training course March 23 at the extension office meeting room. Pre-registration is encouraged by March 21 for a meal. 8:30-9 a.m.-Registration 9-9:15a.m.-Welcome and Introductions 9:15-9:30 a.m.-Your Pesticide License 9:30-10:15 a.m.-IPM 10:15-10:30 a.m.-Break 10:30-11:15 a.m.-Calibration 11:15-noon-Testing poly tanks for structural integrity-Don’t spring a leak Noon-1 p.m.-Lunch 1-1:45 p.m.-USDA recordkeeping, Pesticide disposal, and recycling p...
Russian olive, a popular shelterbelt tree in this region due to its hardiness, also has a darker side. At the USDA-ARS Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory near Miles City, Russian olive has escaped the confines of the shelterbelt and has now invaded thousands of acres of rangeland and riverbank, crowding out native plants and limiting river access with its painful barbs. As a result, its removal has become the focus of a new multi-agency study looking at not only what methods are most effective in getting rid of the tree where...
North Dakota had its share of production problems in 2011. Approximately 5.6 million acres of cropland were not planted because of wet conditions, and crops that were seeded often suffered lower than normal yields. Many producers may receive some help through the federal Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program. SURE is a program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). “SURE is a critical part of the safety net for our producers because it provides a good level of protection against sha...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) invites minority farmers and ranchers across the nation to voluntarily join the USDA Minority Farm Register to receive information and opportunities from USDA agencies. “The new Minority Farm Register is an outreach tool to reach underserved farmers and ranchers who are not currently enrolled in USDA loan, farm or conservation programs,” said Russell Snedigar, Richland County FSA county executive director. “The Register is a shared outreach list that will help USDA, communi...
A former pet shop manager, zoo keeper and now ARS scientist will share his insights into successful management of crop pests using ecological principles on Friday, Feb. 17, as part of the USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory’s (NPARL) 2012 BrownBagger series. Dr. Jon Lundgren, ARS’ North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory entomologist, Brookings, SD, will discuss “Using ecological principles to manage pests: A case study involving the corn rootworm.” The one-hour session begins at noon and is open to the public....
Montana State University Extension is sponsoring two regional barley update meetings. They will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Pondera Shooting Sports Club in Conrad and on Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Northern Plains Ag Research Conference Center in Sidney. Organized by Montana State University Extension and the Institute of Barley and Malt Sciences, the workshops will feature speakers from Montana State University, North Dakota State University, the USDA Risk Management Agency, the National Barley Growers Association, the Northern Broadcast...
