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The NDSU Williston Research Extension Center (WREC), located 4.5 miles west of Williston, will be hosting its annual Field Day Tours this month. The Dryland and Horticulture Field Day Tour is set for Wednesday, July 13. Registration will begin at 3 p.m. CT and the tour will kick off at 4 p.m. NDSU Extension specialists and researchers will share their studies and new ag-related information. The WREC dryland studies focus on research in a no-till environment. “We are expecting a large turnout this year as the drought conditions that persisted in...
FARGO, N.D., July 6, 2022 – Agricultural producers in North Dakota who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after planting should make an appointment with their U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) service center before the applicable deadline. “Many USDA programs require producers to file an accurate crop acreage report by the applicable deadline,” said Marcy Svenningsen, State Executive Director in North Dakota. “Once planting is complete, call your local FSA office to make an appointment to report...
On the summer solstice, June 21, Maka Flora, the eastern Montana chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society had their second plant hike for June. It was a family-friendly get together of eastern Montana native plant enthusiasts in the great outdoors. It started with a BBQ at 6 p.m. MT at Sather Lake. Fraser Watson, Maka Flora chapter president, mingled with his fellow members, their family, and friends. Between 20 and 30 different people showed from all across eastern Montana, as far as...
The Richland County Farmers Market will once again be in Sidney this summer. The market will be held on Saturdays starting July 9 - Oct. 8 from 7:30 a.m. -12 p.m. at the Richland County Courthouse parking lot, on the corner of 2nd St NW and 2nd Ave NW. There will be a variety of produce and handmade items at the market, and this year there will be additional food products available under the new Montana Local Food Choice Act. This act exempts certain homemade food producers from food licensures and requirements. Food that may be sold at the...
Williston and Sidney have held annual field day tours for many years to showcase their involvement and research with agriculture. It is now that time of year where research centers are planting seeds in the ground and getting ready to present new ideas and studies to the public. The Williston Research Extension Center (WREC), located 4.5 miles west of Williston, will be hosting their annual Dryland Tour on Wednesday, July 13. Registration will start at 3:30 p.m. followed by the tour at 4 p.m....
June 3 - Bismarck – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced Agricultural Diversification and Development (ADD) Fund awards for three projects. The awards totaling $750,000 were approved at the ADD quarterly meeting May 19 in Watford City. The ADD Fund is administered by the North Dakota Department of Agriculture in association with the Bank of North Dakota. The fund was created to support new or expanding value-added-agriculture businesses that demonstrate financial feasibility, enhance profitability for farmers and ranchers, creat...
The cool and wet spring delayed grasshopper hatching. However, you may now be seeing small grasshoppers out on your rangelands or in your crops. These small grasshoppers are in the nymphal stages where they progress through 5 instars before becoming an adult (Figures 1 & 2). The nymphal stages are the best time in which to manage grasshoppers. Treatment thresholds that indicated when control measures should be taken are based on the number of grasshoppers per square yard (Table 1). Therefore,...
Physical loss loans can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees and harvested or stored crops and hay. State: Montana Triggering Disaster Event 1: Blizzard, Excessive Snow, and High Winds that occurred during April 11–April 25, 2022. Application Deadline: Jan. 25, 2...
Alfalfa weevils can be very damaging to your alfalfa stand, beginning with pinholes in the leaves and progressing to defoliation and crown injury in severe cases. The potential for this much damage, especially in years like this when hay is of high value, makes managing for alfalfa weevils very important. The first step in management is proper identification. Adult alfalfa weevils are a beetle typically less than ¼ inch long, with an oblong shape and a snout. They are dark brown and have a stripe down the middle of their back. These adults...
The breeding season may have already begun for some, but it is coming up in the near future for others. Here are a few considerations as you prepare to turn your bulls out. Having a breeding soundness exam (BSE) on your bulls prior to breeding season is critical. To put it into perspective, in one breeding season an individual cow is expected to contribute to one pregnancy, whereas a bull is expected to contribute to 20-50 pregnancies. The BSE that is conducted by your veterinarian includes a physical exam, an exam of the reproductive organs,...
Alfalfa weevils can be very damaging to your alfalfa stand, beginning with pinholes in the leaves and progressing to defoliation and crown injury in severe cases. The potential for this much damage, especially in years like this when hay is of high value, makes managing for alfalfa weevils very important. The first step in management is proper identification. Adult alfalfa weevils are a beetle typically less than ¼ inch long, with an oblong shape and a snout. They are dark brown and have a stripe down the middle of their back. These adults...
Helena, Mont. – The Agriculture Development Council will meet on Thursday, June 9, 2022, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Montana Department of Agriculture (302 N. Roberts) in Helena, Montana to review Montana Student Loan Assistance Program applications and Growth Through Agriculture Program priorities for the year ahead. For more information or to request information to join the meeting virtually, contact Dani Jones at (406) 444-2402 or [email protected]. The Agriculture Development Council establishes policies and priorities to enhance t...
The 2022 McKenzie County 4-H Project Expo and 4-H Communication Arts events were held on May 16 at the NDSU Extension/McKenzie County Office. The 4-H Project Expo event provides youth with the opportunity to plan, prepare and display an article, educational or food related project. 4-H members also verbally express themselves to a judge. At the close of the contest, ribbon awards were presented to each participant. Senior (13-18 year olds) Ethan Roffler was awarded a Grand Champion ribbon on...
MSU Richland County Extension will be hosting an organization meeting for this year’s Richland County Farmer’s Market at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 19 at the MSU Richland County Extension Office, 1499 N Central Ave. If you are a past vendor or are interested in becoming a vendor, you are encouraged to attend this open meeting. Market vendors can sell a variety of products; ranging from handmade items to produce, baked goods, and more. The organization details and safety regulations of food sales at the Richland County Farmer’s Market will be discu...
As your crops and gardens begin to grow, please keep in mind that the MSU Richland County Extension Office is here to assist you with plant and weed identification, insect identification, and plant disease diagnostics. If we are unable to identify or diagnosis your sample in house, we seek the help of the MSU Schutter Diagnostic Lab. This lab processes plant diseases, insects, weeds and plants, and herbicide injury, all free of charge. If you have any samples that need identified or a plant disease that needs diagnosed, please contact the MSU...
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...
Hoping everyone faired the spring storm. As you begin to prepare to turn livestock out on rangelands, it is important to monitor both rangeland conditions and livestock water sources. Monitoring the quantity of water in your reservoirs, stock ponds, and wells is necessary, however, monitoring the quality of that is also imperative. There are two main concerns with livestock water quality: elevated total dissolved solids (TDS) and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can be problematic in stagnant...
Hoping everyone faired the spring storm. As you begin to prepare to turn livestock out on rangelands, is it important to monitor both rangeland conditions and livestock water sources. Monitoring the quantity of water in your reservoirs, stock ponds, and wells is necessary, however, monitoring the quality of that is also imperative. There are two main concerns with livestock water quality: elevated total dissolved solids (TDS) and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can be problematic in stagnant...
As producers are preparing to start seeding, there are many factors to consider, and pure live seed (PLS) is one of them. Recommended seeding rates for crops are given in pounds of PLS per acre. Using these seeding rates would assume that every seed is viable and able to establish a plant, when in reality not every seed that is planted will result in a plant. Therefore, you must adjust the seeding rate based on the given germination and purity percentages. On a seed tag, there should be a germination percentage, which is an estimate of how...
Helena, MT – On Friday, April 8, the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) announced the confirmation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in two Montana flocks. These are the first cases of HPAI reported in domestic poultry in Montana since 2015. Montana is the 25th state to report cases of HPAI in domestic poultry in 2022. Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease of birds that can cause high mortality rates in domestic flocks. Migratory waterfowl are the primary source for avian influenza (AI). Wild birds can be infected and a...
MALTA, MT – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued a proposed decision on a bison grazing proposal involving seven allotments in Phillips County, held by American Prairie (AP). In conjunction with the proposed decision, the BLM released an associated Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The Telegraph Creek, Box Elder, Flat Creek, White Rock, French Coulee, Garey Coulee and East Dry Fork allotments – a total of approximately 63,500 acres of BLM-administered lands – currently provide 7,969 anima...
Helena, MT – On Friday, April 8, The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) announced the confirmation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in two Montana flocks. These are the first cases of HPAI reported in domestic poultry in Montana since 2015. Montana is the 25th state to report cases of HPAI in domestic poultry in 2022. Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease of birds that can cause high mortality rates in domestic flocks. Migratory waterfowl are the primary source for avian influenza (AI). Wild birds can be infected and a...
Bozeman - Montana State University Extension and USDA Agricultural Research Service will host a free, two-hour workshop, "Grasshopper Outbreaks and Management Options in 2022," at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 29. The event will be held in-person at the Richland County MSU Extension conference room in Sidney and will also be viewable online. ]Over the last year, eastern Montana and western North Dakota farmers and ranchers endured the second-largest grasshopper outbreak in the last 35 years. Annual...
National Ag Day 2022 was Tuesday, March 22, making it appropriate to highlight the important agriculture commodities in Richland County. The 2017 Census of Agriculture shows there is 898 agriculture producers on 527 farms in Richland County that account for 1,270,080 acres. Based on the most recent Montana Agriculture Statistics, the county produces approximately 169,000 acres of spring wheat, 35,000 acres of alfalfa, 13,700 acres of sugar beets, 13,700 acres of barley, 9,700 acres of spring durum, 9,684 acres of corn, 8,400 acres of winter...
