Sorted by date Results 1721 - 1745 of 2265
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced the release of the State of the Birds 2013 Report on Private Lands. A collaborative effort as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, involving federal and state wildlife agencies and scientific and conservation organizations, the report shows how private land conservation incentives positively impact bird habitat. “Sixty percent of U.S. land is in private hands, making the efforts of farmers, ranchers and landowners critical when it comes t...
The Extension Entomology office has started getting calls on annoying hornets swarming, or hornet nests in homes or in trees near houses. Prairie YellowjacketHornets (or yellowjackets) belong to the family Vespidae. All yellowjackets sting and their stinging behavior is considered a defensive reaction when the colony is threatened. They can sting more than once because their stinger stays with the insect. Yellowjackets are more aggressive during August and September and more likely to sting...
New shepherds will receive educational material on managing a sheep flock. Anyone interested in starting a sheep-production operation will be able to learn more about it at a workshop the North Dakota State University Extension Service is hosting Sept. 21 at NDSU’s Hettinger Research Extension Center. The New Shepherds Clinic will start at 10 a.m. Mountain time. “Sheep are a good livestock enterprise for youth, families with off-the-farm jobs or existing livestock enterprises seeking diversification,” says Reid Redden, NDSU Extension sheep...
Often called the “mother grain,” quinoa has been used for food for at least 5,000 years. While at a nutrition conference, I tasted a delicious salad made with a grainlike food called quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) mixed with fresh vegetables. I decided to make a similar salad at home. Making the recipe, however, required a bit of a scavenger hunt at the grocery store, and the ingredients became a conversation piece. “Where do you suppose I’d find the quinoa?” I asked my husband as we meandered around a grocery store on our weekly grocery shopp...
This year acknowledges the 37th year that the three independent Farm Credit Services associations in North Dakota have donated FFA Handbooks to agricultural students in area schools.. This year, approximately eighty high school agriculture education programs in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota will receive over 2,600 of the student handbooks for the start of the 2013/2014 school year donated by the Farm Credit Services Association in North Dakota. Over the past three and a half decades more than 65,500 of the books have been presented to...
Experts on pesticides, Montana plant diseases, insects and weeds will present half-day and all-day workshops on Oct. 7 through 9 to help residents of seven northwest Montana counties renew their private pesticide applicator licenses before the end of the year. Individuals who wish to purchase, use or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides on land they own, rent or lease need a private applicator license. Private applicators in Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders counties need to requalify by the end of 2013,...
Montana State University’s College of Agriculture is seeking nominations for outstanding agricultural leaders to honor during its 2013 “Celebrate Agriculture!!” on Oct. 25-26. “The weekend is about sharing ideas and developing relationships,” said Jeff Jacobsen, college dean and director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. The College of Agriculture annually presents Outstanding Agricultural Leaders awards to those who have exhibited outstanding leadership in Montana public service, as an agricultural producer, industry advocate, ag...
Today, natural gas is among the biggest issues in renewables because its low cost has disrupted global energy and manufacturing, including biofuels and bioproducts. While its price has made it a desirable fuel for heat and power generation and a feedstock to produce other chemicals and fuels, the impacts on biofuels and bioproducts have been good and bad. Let’s start with the bad. The relatively low cost of natural gas has obliterated the business plans of many renewable projects. Five years ago, many developers looked forward to c...
The North Montana Angus Association is excited to host the 2013 Montana Angus Tour September 17-19. The event will be head quartered in Great Falls, MT and will showcase Angus breeders and Angus operators throughout North Central Montana. The tour will kick off Tuesday, September 17th with a golf tournament and a social to follow at the tour headquarters, Holiday Inn of Great Falls. Wednesday September 18th, tour participants will travel to the Sweetgrass Hills, Valier area, and finish their day with dinner in Choteau. Thursday’s agenda include...
For the past 16 years our community has benefited from the generosity of the Richland Federal Credit Union for hosting and sponsoring the Farmer’s Market. We want to give a big ‘Thank you’ to the folks at the Credit Union for volunteering their time and resources all these years for managing this local market that has brought local, fresh produce to our community. The success in the Farmer’s Market can be observed in its continually expanding size. For that reason, the Credit Union has now passe...
Dr. Jan Knodel, NDSU Extension Entomologist, recently reported finding a relatively uncommon insect, cereal leaf beetle, feeding on barley and winter wheat in three new countries of North Dakota. These insects were found at the North Dakota Research Extension Center at Minot, in Burke County near Flaxton, and in Renville County near Mohall. Adults and larvae both feed on the leaves of cereal crops with the larvae being responsible for a majority of the damage which looks like elongated windowpan...
Montana farmers and ranchers can purchase state hail insurance at Department of Revenue Property and Assessment county offices until August 15. With crop values high, now is the time to evaluate crop insurance needs. Montana state hail insurance is designed to cover basic crop inputs and, for many farmers, supplements crop insurance offered by private companies. All of the commonly grown crops in Montana are eligible for state hail insurance. The Montana Legislature recently increased coverage limits under the program. However, the law takes...
Agricultural production is in full swing in North Dakota, and flowering field crops or weeds in the field are important food sources of many species of pollinators, including honey bees and native bees. Bees are attracted to blooming field crops, such as canola and sunflowers, and even weeds, such as dandelions, wild mustard, white clover and goldenrod, in the field for nectar and/or pollen. Remember if you need to spray a flowering crop with insecticide or any other pesticide, please read,...
Hydroponics is a combination of two Greek words, “hydro” meaning water and “ponics” meaning labor. It is a method of growing plants using a mineral solution in water, without using soil. Research has proven soil is not required for plants to thrive. When a plant root is placed in a mineral nutrient solution or in an inert medium, such as gravel, mineral wool, expanded clay, coconut husk or pebbles, it will grow at a rate of 30-50 percent faster than plant roots planted in soil and will produce a...
Searching for the longhorn beetles of Montana has transformed Charles Hart into a night stalker who pursues his prey with nets, traps and a crowbar. The 33,000 mile quest over three summers has also turned the Montana State University graduate student into a published author and demonstrated that undergraduate research can foster success, said MSU entomologist Michael Ivie. Hart was an MSU undergraduate in biology when he joined the Montana Wood-Boring Insect Survey, a joint effort of the...
Don Kress, professor emeritus at Montana State University, has received the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Fellow Award in honor of his research in the beef industry. Kress received the award July 9 at the ASAS national awards program in Indianapolis. Kress was recognized for improving the beef industry through the study of genetics and breeding. He studied the genetics of a variety of traits under Montana range conditions, including calf growth rate, cow size, cow milk production,...
The Dickinson Research Extension Center had three pens of yearling steers. One pen (A) was harvested when the steers were 18.1 months old. The next pen (B) was harvested when the steers were 21.4 months old and the last pen (C) was harvested when they were 22.1 months old. The world of beef revolves around the steer because it is the principle product of a beef production system. The efficiency of a beef production system is perceived to be based on rapid growth with an early harvest. Is that true? Having personally assumed that for years,...
An ATV and lawnmower pull will again be a feature of the MonDak Harvest Fest held by the Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture on August 24th. This event will be held at the grandstand arena of the Richland County Fairgrounds in Sidney, MT. Classes will include ATVs under 500cc, 500 to 700, over 700, steering wheel class, along with lawnmowers. A specific pulling sled designed and provided by Marvin Varner of Terry, MT will offer the challenge for anyone wanting to compete. Entry fees and a purse will be awarded to the top finishers...
The other day, I stopped at a convenience store to fill my vehicle with gas. A nationally produced canning book with a colorful, attractive cover beckoned me. I plucked a book from the shelf and quickly paged through it as I awaited my turn in line. The author talked about “great-grandma’s recipes” and provided recommendations for canning based on yesteryear. I am interested in food history, so that aspect caught my attention. Unfortunately, the processing times for several foods would not be considered safe by today’s standards. If my great-g...
Last week, an industry colleague forwarded to me an article that criticized corn-based ethanol on a number of fronts. Among the article’s major criticisms was that corn-based ethanol uses more energy to produce than it delivers, a very powerful claim that resonates well, true or not. To investigate the issue, scientists often calculate a fuel’s energy return on energy invested, or EROI. The arithmetic is simple because it’s just energy output divided by energy input. However, the results can vary greatly depending on the data and assum...
Lee Pourroy, Parts Manager of Tri-County Implement Inc., in Sidney, MT., is pictured with his new 2013 RAM pickup truck that he won at the CNH Parts & Service EXPO dealer event held earlier this year. At the bi-annual dealer event, more than 5,000 dealers, suppliers and CNH employees were introduced to the newest products and business initiatives from Case IH and its after sales unit, CNH Parts & Service. Every registered dealer had a chance to win prizes, including a RAM pickup truck, as part of a random drawing. Mark Reed of CNH parts and...
Seth Indergard, son of Stacey & Kelly Indergard, Sidney MT. is teamed up with his team roping partner Hayes LeMieux, son of Mary & John LeMieux, Manning ND. The two qualified 3rd at the North Dakota State High School Finals in Bowman ND in team Roping. Only the top 4 placers at state get to go to National High School Finals in Rock Springs, Wyo July 14-20. This is quite an accomplishment as they went in to state sitting in 9th and had to really rope well to make it. The boys are freshmen in high school and friends....
Alfalfa is the second most important crop in Montana after small grains, and alfalfa weevil is the most serious pest of alfalfa in the High Plains region. The USDA Agricultural Research Service in Sidney has been monitoring weevil populations since 2009, and last year (2012), represents the first year in which economically damaging levels of weevils were observed in irrigated fields in the Yellowstone and Missouri river valleys, according to Tatyana Rand, a Research Entomologist with the...
Montana State University’s College of Agriculture is seeking nominations for outstanding agricultural leaders to honor during its 2013 “Celebrate Agriculture!!” on Oct. 25-26. “The weekend is about sharing ideas and developing relationships,” said Jeff Jacobsen, college dean and director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. The College of Agriculture annually presents Outstanding Agricultural Leaders awards to those who have exhibited outstanding leadership in Montana public service, as an agricultural producer, industry advocate, ag...
A beekeeping workshop for beginners will be offered Saturday, August 24 in Billings. The workshop will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Yellowstone County Courthouse. Participants will learn how to buy bees and equipment, establish a new beehive, register their hives, conduct yearly hive maintenance, prevent pests and harvest honey and wax. They will also taste some varietal honey types and look at hobby-scale honey harvesting equipment. Cost of the workshop is $25. Those who want to attend should make out a check or money order to MSU and...
