Sorted by date Results 995 - 1019 of 2253
David McMillen, a long-time member of Richland County Farm Bureau, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Montana Farm Bureau during the MFBF Awards Banquet November 14 in Billings. According to Richland County Farm Bureau President Don Steinbeisser, Jr, McMillen is "one of the most respected ranchers and businessmen in the region. He has instilled in his children and grandchildren the importance of being excellent stewards of the land and supporting agriculture." McMillen, who has...
A new Montana State University-developed spring wheat that's already attracting attention because of its potential for excellent yields and superior bread-making qualities is making its way through the pipeline toward Montana growers. Lanning hard red spring wheat was increased from breeder seed to foundation seed this season and farmers are already requesting it, said Doug Holen, manager of the MSU Foundation Seed Program. Holen explained that breeder seed is the initial source of the new...
Don Steinbeisser of Sidney recently received the Distinguished Service Award from the Montana Water Resources Association (MWRA) and its counterparts in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming citing his lifelong dedication and concern for agriculture and water users throughout Montana, and for his effort and participation as a director of the MWRA. Steinbeisser has served on the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation District board of directors for 50 years, including 29 years as president and still...
The MonDak Ag Research Summit was held November 15th at the Richland County Event Center in Sidney. Agricultural scientists and researchers from the NDSU Williston Research Extension Center, MSU Eastern Agricultural Research Center, and USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab presented current and past research results. The presentations included management strategies that can save both dryland and irrigated growers time and money. The topics presented at the MonDak Ag Research...
The success, dedication and hard work of outstanding agriculturists in 53 counties in North Dakota and nine counties in Minnesota were honored during the 44th annual Harvest Bowl program at North Dakota State University, on Nov. 10. Information on the outstanding agriculturists listed by county is available at http://bit.ly/2017HarvestBowlBios, and photos are available at http://bit.ly/2017HarvestBowlPhotos....
Losing a calf at birth challenges the beef operation, including the cow and producer. But, as we know in the cattle business, the cycle of life starts with conception and concludes at death. Our goal is to minimize calf death loss. Data from the Cow Herd Appraisal Performance Software (CHAPS), through the North Dakota State University Extension Service and North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association (NDBCIA), show the 2017 benchmark average for calf death loss relative to the number of...
Cherry Pie Filling Bread (First Place Bread – Carli Karren) 1 ½ cups oil 3 eggs 1 teaspoon almond extract 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 (20-21 ounce) can cherry pie filling ½ cup white chocolate chips (optional) 1. Beat together oil, eggs and vanilla. 2. Sift dry ingredients together and add egg mixture. Mixture will be thick. 3. Stir in cherry pie filling and nuts by hand. 4. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. 5. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Autumn Apple Cake (First Place Cake – Amaria...
Sidney Sugars has implemented six strip trials on sugar beet seed varieties during this 2017 growing season. The purpose of these trials is to identify what sugar beet seed variety proves to be most successful in this area. Each seed variety is used in different locations to determine how they perform under various environments, soils, and management. At the beginning of the growing season, Sidney Sugars asked local growers if they would be willing to participate in growing strip trials on their farm. “There is also another trial conducted a...
Most years, the terms “mixed bag” or “very variable” pretty adequately sum up how small grain and hay harvest went in Richland County. The 2017 harvest, however can simply be described as below average. I do not know for sure what the average yield was for small grains in Richland County but I do know in many instances, farmers were using more fuel to run their combines across their fields than they were getting in bushels per acre. What started out as a fairly promising spring ended up turning into a dismal summer and beginning of fall. T...
Beet harvest 2017 is now over, fortunately with nothing catastrophic to mark it as one to be remembered 50 years from now. Weather has mostly cooperated, with some rain, wind, frost and heat all managing to delay digging somewhat. According to Sidney Sugars agricultural manager Duane Peters, tonnage should be in the 31.25 to 31.5 range with sugar good at around 18%. Early harvest, brought back after many years, went well, and should be even smoother next year when some of the kinks are worked out. “Growers have been great to work with. They, l...
During the 2017 Richland County Fair and Rodeo members of the Richland County 4-H Program donated funds to help those who were affected by the fires in Garfield County this year. Members who chose to donate gave a portion of their market livestock proceeds to help out their neighbors. Many of the youth who donated said that this was something that they really wanted to do to help out those in need. Collectively the youth donated $1145 to the Garfield County Fire Relief Fund. To join in that there were multiple 4-H clubs who also donated funds...
Novice Division Ag Days 2017 individuals: First place, Harley Feiring, Golden Valley, Novice, 456; second place, Taylor Feiring, Golden Valley Novice, 448; third place, Myli Josephson, Richland Novice 1; 437; fourth place, Tenley Berwick, Roosevelt Novice, 429; fifth place, Kaylee Olson, Roosevelt Novice, 429; sixth place, Shelby Reese, Richland Novice 1, 422; seventh place, Maddie Schieber, Richland Novice 1, 419; eighth place, Levi Hecker, Golden Valley Novice, 408; ninth place, Tally Berwick, Roosevelt Novice, 394; tenth place, David...
Since June of 2016, Dr. Clair Keene, Area Extension Specialist in Cropping Systems, has been researching how to prevent saline seep formation and growth. Saline seeps are discharge areas on the soil surface that are caused by salt accumulation at low points in the landscape. When salty groundwater is within six feet of the soil surface, it is pulled to the soil surface, and the water evaporates and leaves behind dissolved salts, which then create a saline seep. They typically form at the bottom...
Jamie Selting, District Conservationist at Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) located in Sidney, visited with students at Fairview High School to inform them about soil sciences, slake testing, available water capacity, and NRCS careers. Selting demonstrated how to identify particle size and differentiate between sand, clay and silt. He also demonstrated how to use moisture sensors for soil moisture management and how to test aggregate stability of a healthy soil. Monitoring soil...
The old idiom of "too much of a good thing" rings especially true for salt. From kitchen tables to water tables, it is present nearly everywhere you look. Human bodies need it to survive, and french fries wouldn't be the same without it. But, just as doctors have told us for years, it can be harmful in high concentrations. Jane Holzer, Director of the Montana Salinity Control Association, recently returned from an annual meeting which addresses soil salinity in Eastern Montana. "I was letting...
Oil spills are easy to see, but psychological wounds are completely invisible. Landowners across the Bakken are being affected by brine spills, oil spills, and pipeline projects in ways we are just beginning to understand. Dr. Tom DeSutter, Associate Professor of Soil Science at North Dakota State University, has been researching soil issues associated with the oil and gas industry. Typically, those studies focus solely on the ground itself. "We're trying to work closely with land owners and the...
Officials from North Dakota traveled to Richland County on Sept. 21 to tour the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project. North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford, McKenzie County Economic Development Coordinator Daniel Stenberg and McKenzie County Commissioner Gene Veeder were in attendance. The officials were invited by LYIP Project Manager James Brower and Chairman of the Board of Control Richard Cakyo to tour the irrigation project and gain a better understanding of its importance to the region. The Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project ex...
The Montana Potato Advisory Committee is seeking proposals for the Montana Potato Research & Market Development Program. Proposals should relate to demonstration projects, applied research, and market development projects designed to address needs and opportunities for the Montana potato industry. The committee has established the following research priorities for the 2017-2018 funding cycle: - Management of potato viruses and their vectors; - Stem and tuber diseases caused by fungi and bacteria (such as blackleg, scab, soft rot and ringrot);...
Six years ago, about the time Vawnita Best gave up a 15-year career involving extensive travel to stay at home to raise her then-2-year-old son and help her husband build their registered Angus herd, she was accepted into the North Dakota State University Extension Service's Rural Leadership North Dakota program. "I was excited to find a leadership program structured for people with a passion for North Dakota, agriculture and community," the Watford City rancher says. The 18-month leadership...
The Montana State University College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station will host its 18th annual Celebrate Agriculture event, set for Nov. 3-4 on the MSU campus. The event is held in honor of the state and university’s joint agricultural legacy and in celebration of current students, agriculture alumni, and MSU’s extended agricultural community across Montana. MSU Vice President of Agriculture Charles Boyer said the event is a longstanding tradition at the university. “Each year, we look forward to the weekend in Novem...
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will be conducting its annual County Committee election in November 2017. FSA County Committees represent farmers in their local communities and make decisions on crop bases and yields, commodity loans, conservation programs, disaster payments and other federal farm assistance programs. The current County Committee consists of 3 members elected from 3 Local Administrative Areas (LAA’s). The LAA that is up for election this year in McKenzie County is LAA #2, which encompasses the middle third of the county. We e...
Montana State University's Steer-A-Year program is seeking steer donations for the 2017-18 academic year. The donated steers will allow agriculture students to gain hands-on learning experience in all aspects of the beef industry, from anatomy to production. Throughout the academic year, students in the Steer-A-Year program provide daily care for steers that Montana ranchers have donated to the university. The steers are then sold in the spring, and profits from the sales fund student...
It's been said that two's company, but three's a crowd. While this old aphorism may be true in some circumstances, it fails to hold as much water in regards to irrigated crop rotation in sugarbeet fields. Dr. Bart Stevens, Irrigated Systems Research Agronomist/Research Leader at the USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory in Sidney, has been studying a three-year crop rotation system alongside a number of other experts. With the aid of Montana State University and North Dakota...
More money for less work simply doesn't sound American. But when it comes to conservation practices, offering an incentive to give the plowshare a break can be a profitable investment for everyone involved. Jamie Selting, District Conservationist at the NRCS in Sidney, is helping local farmers utilize two programs which provide a monetary incentive to try economically viable stewardship practices. "In the past there's been a customary way of farming which involves a lot of tillage," Selting...
Anthrax could be a risk to livestock in North Dakota this year, North Dakota State University Extension Service veterinarian Gerald Stokka warns. Very dry conditions, which North Dakota experienced this year, or high rainfall can cause it to be a health issue. "Anthrax is a disease caused by a bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis," Stokka says. "This bacteria has a special survival mechanism called spore formation. This characteristic allows the bacteria to produce spores with a very hardy,...
