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As grass begins to grow following the much-needed moisture, there is a potential for grass tetany to occur. Grass tetany is a serious metabolic disorder in cattle that is a result of two issues occurring simultaneously: 1) lactating animals have high magnesium requirements, and 2) lush, green grass is low in magnesium and unable to meet such requirements. Grass tetany is caused by low levels of magnesium in the blood and affects lactating cows grazing lush, green grass. Magnesium requirements are high in lactating animals and increase as their...
Helena, MT - In an effort to provide support for Montana’s agricultural community, Frontier Psychiatry has partnered with the Montana Department of Agriculture to provide free access to counseling. Funded through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), this partnership will offer a variety of services, including individual counseling and medication management, at no cost to the participant. Telehealth services ensure broad access to care and maximum privacy to the individuals in the program. Farmers and ranchers in M...
Following a cooler-than-normal spring 2022 and the 2021 drought, ranchers should expect a delay in grass development and growth this spring. "Air temperature is the main environmental factor that determines the rate of grass development," says Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. "Each leaf produced on a stem requires a specific amount of accumulated heat, or heat units. The temperature when plants initiate development, or the...
Helena, MT – For over 100 years, the Montana State Hail Insurance program has provided vital hail coverage to producers in every corner of the state. With planting season right around the corner, the Montana Department of Agriculture is reminding folks to contact the program and get covered. “The Montana State Hail Insurance Program was established over 100 years ago at the request of producers to fill coverage gaps in hail insurance. Due to the support of Montana producers, the program remains strong and to this day and is an effective too...
Conflict between Russia and Ukraine has sent wheat prices soaring. "The available supply to be able to trade is much lower than before, causing global wheat prices to explode," said NDSU's Crop Economist/Marketing Specialist, Dr. Frayne Olson. The war is raising significant questions about the ability of Russia and Ukraine to continue exporting. U.S. prices have been supported with quotes for Hard Red Winter wheat and Soft Red Winter wheat, commanding the largest price increases (up more than...
Bozeman - An emerging energy storage technology could soon have an unexpected ally thanks to research at Montana State University: the pulp left over from processing sugar beets into sugar. Backed by a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, a team of scientists will study how the byproduct of the starchy root crop can be refined into cellulose nanocrystals that shows promise for improving how heat is captured and recycled in a variety of industrial settings. The project also...
Helena, MT - On Monday, April 4, the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) implemented an updated policy for recording, transferring, and rerecording of brands. The policy was developed by a committee of state legislators, representatives of industry organizations, members of the Board of Livestock, and MDOL staff in response to the industry’s requests for increased availability of 2-character brands. Major changes include additional acceptable characters, more lenient format guidelines, and the elimination of over 40% of regional character c...
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in a wild snow goose in North Dakota on March 24 and in a non-commercial, backyard chicken flock in Kidder County. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department sampled a wild bird mortality in Burleigh County that was confirmed positive by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, IA. Samples from the North Dakota flock were tested at the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and confirmed by the...
Helena, MT – The Department of Livestock (DOL) is asking Montanans to be aware that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been diagnosed in domestic poultry and wild birds in 18 states to date in 2022. HPAI spreads rapidly and is associated with severe disease and high death loss. Migratory waterfowl are the primary source for avian influenza (AI). The virus is shed in the feces, saliva, and other respiratory secretions of infected birds. Wild birds can carry the virus and appear healthy. Domestic poultry become infected through d...
Sarah Rachor, Sidney, is helping advocate for agriculture at both the state and national level. She recently attended the 120th Anniversary National Farmers Union Convention Denver, CO, providing a voice for farmers by serving as a delegate for Montana Farmers Union and serving as Policy Committee chair. As a delegate, Rachor helped approve five special orders of business including Fairness for Farmers, Family Farming and Supply Chains, Family Farming and Agricultural Workforce and Food...
MSU Richland County Extension Agents (MSUE) works to improve the lives of Montana citizens by providing unbiased, researched-based education and information that integrates learning, discovery, and engagement to strengthen the social, economic and environmental well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The main program areas of MSU Extension include 4-H/Youth Development, Family and Consumer Sciences, Community Development, and Agriculture and Natural Resources. County Extension programs are a cooperation between the land grant...
Soil sampling in your garden may be beneficial if standard fertilizer rates have left your plants unhealthy or under producing. A soil test allows you to determine the amount of nutrients currently in your garden and determine the correct amount of nutrients and fertilizer that are needed to support your plants. Soil samples should be a 6-inch-deep core from the soil surface. A spade or shovel may be used, but a soil probe or auger is the best option, as it allows for the same amount of soil to be collected from each depth. The MSU Richland...
The Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC) is performing soil acidity studies on land throughout North Dakota. Chris Augustin, North Dakota State University's Dickinson Research Extension Center director and soil scientist, is leading the project. "Soil acidity is a big soil health issue that has come to the forefront in the past 4-5 years, and we are trying to figure out how much lime is needed to remediate these soils." Augustin and DREC staff performs the soil acidity study on small secti...
Bozeman - March 30 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages producers and landowners to enroll in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) starting next week through May 13. Grassland CRP provides a unique opportunity for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners to keep land in agricultural production and supplement their income while improving their soils and permanent grass cover. The program had its highest enrollment in history in 2021 and is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader effort to equip p...
This year, Mondak Ag Days is back to an all in-person format, held at the Richland County Event Center on March 3-4. “The 2022 MonDak Ag Days will follow its traditional footprint and we are adding some pretty sweet door prizes to the banquet,” Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture Executive Director Kali Godfrey said. The event features a trade show with several vendors showcasing the latest in agriculture related equipment and technology and provides educational opportunities for MonDak area farmers and ranchers. The educational ses...
Patrick Gilchrist, National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist, Glasgow, will be discussing the 2022 weather outlook at 10 a.m. MT, Thursday, March 3 at Richland County Event Center during MonDak Ag Days. He will look into the ongoing drought over the past 12 plus months, the current situation (snowpack, etc) and what the short term, medium term, and long term outlooks tell producers about what the future might bring. This past year has been one of the driest on record; the droug...
Chris Augustin, North Dakota State University's Dickinson Research Extension Center director and soil scientist, will be speaking on remediating soil acidity at 2 p.m. MT on Thursday, March 3 during MonDak Ag Days. Augustin has a lengthy background in agriculture, growing up on his family's farm and earning a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in natural resources management, with an emphasis on soil science, and his doctorate in soil science from North Dakota State University in...
MonDak Ag Days is bringing together agriculture and entertainment on March 3-4 at the Richland County Event Center. This year’s entertainment features “Laura and the Soo Valley Boys”. “I’m particularly drawn to this band for Ag Days because essentially all of the band members are from within our own agriculture community,” Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture Executive Director Kali Godfrey said. Last year, due to COVID-19, the event was held in a hybrid format but this year the Chamber is happy to announce that it will be an all in-pe...
Dr. Chengci Chen, MSU-EARC superintendent and agronomist, will be presenting data of his research results of nitrogen and irrigation management affecting sugar beet root yield and sucrose concentration at MonDak Ag Days, Friday, March 4 at 11 a.m. MT. Chen has been working on pea, lentil, and chickpea crops for 20 years in Montana and has performed extensive research on sugar beet and cereal grains for the past 6 years at MSU-EARC. “Sugar beets are the most important cash crop in this valley. Sugar beet growers got paid not only based on the to...
Montana Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras visited Sidney on Feb.18. Juras visited Sidney Sugars, the county commissioners and Sidney High School during her trip. Juras toured Sidney Sugars following a roundtable with local officials....
The National Hard Spring Wheat Show was Feb. 9 at the ARC in Williston. Banquet speaker Jolene Brown shared hilarious anecdotes in educating the attendees about the complexities of working with family and passing property to next generation....
Washington - Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2022 crop year have until March 15 to sign a contract. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers these two safety net programs to provide vital income support to farmers experiencing substantial declines in crop prices or revenues. “The Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs provide critical financial protections to many American farmers. As producers continue to weather a...
Soil samples in North Dakota indicate lower levels of overwintering wheat midge larvae (cocoons) for the 2021 season, says Janet Knodel, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension entomologist. A total of 2,070 soil samples were collected from 22 counties in the fall of 2021 to estimate the statewide risk for wheat midge in the 2022 wheat-growing season. The distribution of wheat midge is based on unparasitized cocoons found in the soil samples. "The majority of the soil samples had zero...
Planning for the future can be a very frustrating process especially in times of market volatility. Planning typically pays high dividends. For most farm and ranch managers, developing realistic commodity price expectations is one of the most difficult and complex tasks of the planning process. To make the planning process easier, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension has released its 2022 short- and long-term agricultural planning price projections for North Dakota, says Ron Haugen,...
The North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension projected crop budgets for 2022 are available for the state's farmers, says Ron Haugen, NDSU Extension farm management specialist. The 2022 projected profits vary by region and crop. "The budgets are guides for large multicounty regions," says Haugen. "Returns and costs can vary considerably between producers within a region. Also, the budgets estimate returns to labor and management with no consideration of price and yield variability or risk....
