Sorted by date Results 1831 - 1855 of 2265
Laura Burkle and her colleagues captured 2,778 bees while retracing the muddy steps of a scientist who studied the interactions between bees and flowering plants more than a century ago. Occasionally stung, but considering herself lucky to have access to the rich historic records that guided her field work, the Montana State University ecologist and her collaborators have now published their results in the prestigious journal, “Science.” “It’s exciting,” Burkle said as the Feb. 28 publicati...
Senators want Canada to update trade policy, pay farmers a ‘fair price’ Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus want America’s top trade officials to make sure Canada gives Montana wheat growers a fair shake come harvest time this summer. Tester, a dryland farmer, and Baucus, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and chairman of the Senate committee that oversees international trade, recently told U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk that Canadian officials are using outdated wheat gradi...
Living on or visiting a ranch/farm is an exciting and educational experience for our children and it is also a very special way of life for many of us in Richland County. Knowing the dangers and how to prevent accidents will ensure generations of new ranchers and farmers in our community. Children who live on ranches & farms need protection from the many elements that pose a risk of injury. These children live and play in a setting that often includes heavy equipment, specialized implements, large animals, grain elevators, chemicals and water...
The PBR’s Stanley Make Something Great Invitational presented by Cooper Tires comes to Rimrock Auto Arena April 5-7th They’ve been coming every year since 1996. The world’s best PBR bull riders will buck into Billings Rimrock Auto Arena, April 5-7th, with their 18th appearance for the Stanley Make Something Great Invitational presented by Cooper Tires. One of the most visited cities on the Built Ford Tough Series, the NILE welcomes the Top 35 bull riders in the world to Billings to face the rankest bucking bulls in competition today. They’ll be...
When Julie Lander’s kids got a market pig for 4-H in 2008, it started a whole new life for the family. The kids quickly got attached to their pig and begged their mom to keep it. Lander, being an animal lover, agreed to their plea. Soon they wanted more pigs, so Lander decided they should start raising them. After discovering a champion show pig breeder out of Iowa, it all took off. Lander, along with her kids Ryan, Randy, Riley and Allison, then became ‘4 Kids Farm Show Pigs.” They soon found o...
In recent years North Dakota crop producers have been offered at least one new active ingredient per year for weed control. For 2011 it was saflufenacil, commonly known as Sharpen. It has become a popular herbicide for use in chickpeas, field pea, small grains and other crops. Sunflower growers can use it as a harvest aid/desiccant. In 2012 Bayer released thiencarbazone. It is a relative of flucarbazone (Everest 2.0) and propoxycarbazone which is contained in Olympus and Rimfire Max. Thiencarbaz...
Pork production and waste management are among the topics that will be discussed. The North Dakota State University Extension Service and North Dakota Pork Council are sponsoring a swine education seminar Friday, April 12, at the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center. The seminar is for pork producers, Extension personnel, NDSU faculty and staff and anyone else with an interest in the swine industry. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Topics that will be covered and the presenters are: Update of the Pork Quality Assurance Plus program...
The United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) is applauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rule to modify certain provisions of the country of origin labeling (COOL) program. USCA leadership says the proposed rule would modify the labeling provisions to require origin information about where each of the production steps occur and would remove the allowance for the commingling of muscle cuts. The rule was published in the March 11, 2013 Federal Register and can be viewed at www.federalregister.gov/public-inspecton. Com...
It’s that time of the year again where we need to begin thinking about flood season. As any snow on the ground begins to melt, the ground will become more saturated. If we experience a late season snowstorm followed by very high temperatures, rapid snow melt can also cause rivers and streams to begin to flood as they rise out of their banks. Any springtime rains would only exacerbate the situation. In addition, excessive spring rains and summertime thunderstorms can produce flash flooding. Of course not every year brings about a bad flood s...
Cattle producers need to set focused, systematic goals to capture more net dollars. When the discussion rests on the income side, marketing is the focus. Improved marketing to capture the monies available in the market is the key. Regardless of current net returns, the goal of increasing net returns in the cattle operation is always commendable. For those who are struggling with negative net returns, the increase should move the cow-calf operation in a positive direction and provide enough...
With the oil boom people are seeing many changes, some positive and some negative. When it comes to the agricultural community, there are many concerns regarding the land. The McKenzie County Soil Conservation District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are actively trying to address the many concerns and issues that are being seen. They have had a few public input sessions to find out what the main concerns are. They have done prior sessions regarding other topics, but this time...
The 27th Annual KUMV-TV Farm & Ranch Show will be held March 12th and 13th at the Raymond Family Community Center in Williston, ND. With over 30,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space, there will be about 70 different exhibitors. So you can expect to see the latest in agricultural technology and equipment, along with all areas of farming. The exhibit will be open Tuesday from 9 am until 6 pm and Wednesday from 9 am until 5 pm. The Cattlewomen will once again be in charge of concessions,...
Area farmers and ranchers will learn how to save the family farm for the next generation at a farm and ranch meeting hosted by Rocky Mountain College, March 20, 2013, from 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon, in the Great Room of Prescott Hall. “The speakers at this meeting are addressing issues that are very important to farmers and ranchers in Montana and Wyoming. The topics are relevant to our everyday lives,” said Sam’s Club Manager and landowner Cody Mitchell, who is also a sponsor for the event. Dr. Marsha Goetting will speak about the legal implica...
Researchers, extension personnel and local growers gathered together to discuss the latest information regarding Pulse crops at the MonDak Pulse Day which was held Feb. 20th. Many discussions were held covering various topics concerning Pulse crops including: weed control, diseases, management, dry bean production and soil quality and health. One of the featured speakers was Dr. Rosalind Bueckert. Dr. Bueckert is a Professor at the University of Saskatchewan in the Plant Science Department who f...
University of Montana scientists, including Regents Professor of Ecology Steve Running, recently published the cover story for the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society on satellite-based drought monitoring. The group, including Qiaozhen Mu, Maosheng Zhao, John Kimball and Running, all from UM, and Nathan McDowell from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, developed a satellite-sensed global drought severity index. Accurate mapping and monitoring of drought severity worldwide is needed as water becomes a more valuable and scarce...
Four members and leaders of Richland County 4-H program participated in the 14th bi-annual 4-H legislative breakfast in Helena, Mt on January 22nd. They were Holly Bouchard and Sierra Osborne of the Richland Rockets 4-H club, Taylor Schepens of the Brorson Farmhands 4-H club, and leader Kathy Helmuth of the Lambert Hi-Liters 4-H Club. The Breakfast is sponsored by the Montanans for 4-H, an all-volunteer group of concerned citizens. The 4-H legislative breakfast is one of the best-attended in Helena. This year, a majority of egislators attended...
The Montana Farm Bureau wants to remind all producers, their families and employees that Agricultural Safety Awareness Week is slated for March 3-9. This year’s theme “Agricultural Safety: Your Best Investment,” emphasizes that farmers need to make safety a priority as they prepare to plant crops. Making safety a priority on the farm and ranch can save both lives and resources by preventing accidents, injuries and lost time, according to Gene Surber, co-coordinator of the Montana Ag Safety Program. “It cannot be over emphasized how importa...
The state Agriculture and Game and Fish departments have launched a cooperative project to connect coyote hunters and trappers with landowners who would like to reduce coyote populations in their area. Called the “Coyote Catalog,” the project creates an online database similar to what the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has used for the past several years to match deer hunters with farmers/ranchers who wanted to reduce deer populations on their land. Registration Landowners can sign up via the North Dakota Department of Agr...
The MonDak Stockgrowers Association and the Foundation for Community Care held a Cattlemen’s Ball on Feb. 23 at the Richland Co. Fair Event Center. The event preliminarily grossed over $33,000 to be donated to the Foundation for Community Care and the American Heart Association. Above Staci Miller from the Foundation for Community Care speaks to attendees....
A Bozeman biofuels start-up is partnering with Montana State University in an effort to turn a fungus discovered in the highly acidic hot springs of Yellowstone National Park into sustainable energy. The discovery a fungus pulled from a geyser basin in 2009 and now dubbed MK7 came from research allowed under a permit MSU has on file with the National Park Service. MSU filed a patent on MK7. Funded by a Small Business Innovation and Research grant from the National Science Foundation, Mark Kozubal and his start-up company, Sustainable Bioproduct...
Ranching resilience will be the focus of this year’s Montana Nutrition Conference and Livestock Forum in Bozeman. The conference will begin in the afternoon of Tuesday, April 9, and run through the morning of Wednesday, April 10, at the GranTree Inn, 1325 N. 7th Avenue. Jude Capper, a sustainability consultant and adjunct professor of animal sciences at Washington State University, will give the keynote address, speaking on “How Do We Maintain U.S. Beef Production Sustainability and Resilience Moving Toward 2050?” Other conference speakers will...
Private Applicator Certification Sessions are being offered for people needing to be certified or recertified as a private pesticide applicator. Those purchasing and/or applying “restricted use” pesticides for private use are required to have a private applicator’s license. There is a $25 charge to be certified for 3 years in both the general and fumigation categories. The upcoming sessions will be held as follows: March 6th Alexander City Hall beginning at 9:30 am CT, March 12th at Cartw...
The 30th annual KATQ Northeast Montana Farm Expo will be held in Plentywood at the Sheridan County Civic Center March 15th and 16th. The hours are 9-5 on Friday and 9-4 on Saturday. Fifty vendors from the northern plains states as well as Saskatchewan and Alberta will exhibit their products. Starting out the activities will be a Farm and Ranch Appreciation Breakfast Friday morning from 7:00-8:30. Tickets for this event are free, but there is a limited number and attendees must pick up their free tickets from KATQ studios, 112 3rd Ave....
Signup for Farm Service Agency’s Direct and Counter Cyclical Program and the Average Crop Revenue Election Program during the 2013 crop year began on February 19, 2013. The signup deadline for the 2013 ACRE program is June 3 and signup for the DCP program is August 2, 2013. Producers have a new election opportunity for the ACRE or DCP program. Farms enrolled in ACRE at the end of the 2012 crop year are allowed to make a new election between ACRE or DCP in 2013. Producers who choose to participate in either the revenue-based ACRE safety net o...
The farm management team at North Dakota State University has released its projected crop budgets for 2013. The budgets for each crop are in a pamphlet form which includes spring wheat, durum, malting barley, corn grain, oil sunflowers, canola, flax, field peas, oats, lentils, yellow mustard, safflower, buckwheat, millet, chickpeas, winter wheat, and rye. Except for oats, all the budgets listed for northwest North Dakota show positive returns to labor and management. Corn, yellow mustard, chickp...
