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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on December 9, 2019. The deadline for agricultural producers to sign up for general CRP is February 28, 2020, while signup for continuous CRP is ongoing. Farmers and ranchers who enroll in CRP receive a yearly rental payment for voluntarily establishing long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, improve wat...
Producers across northwestern North Dakota and northeastern Montana who are interested in soil health are invited to participate in a workshop on “Changing Dirt in Soil” on December 18, 2019 at the Williston Research Extension Center. The workshop, which will start at 8:30 a.m. Central time, is being sponsored by the Williams County Soil Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service. One of the featured speakers for the workshop will be Jay Fuhrer, Soil Health Specialist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service. On a S...
(U.S. Senate) – Following two weeks of heavy snow in Northeast Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester urged Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to reconsider his decision not to extend disaster assistance to the region’s wheat farmers who were forced to leave their crop in the ground or were left with unsellable product due to excessive moisture this harvest season. “In the last two weeks, Northeast Montana received more than a foot of heavy, wet snow…The Additional Supplemental Appropriators for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157) extends...
In a petition to Montana Governor Steve Bullock, Richland County commissioners have requested that he submit a request to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the President of the United States for an agriculture related disaster declaration for Richland County. The Commissioners state, “the declaration would benefit the entire population of Richland County, contiguous counties and the county’s wider economic trade area by making crop producers eligible for disaster programs, emergency assistance, and emergency loans, or by streamlining pro...
Local research results ready to roll out in your fields will be featured at the upcoming third annual MonDak Ag Research Summit in Sidney, Thursday December 12. But that’s not all. Several outside speakers are also planned to address timely questions producers have on our long term erratic weather patterns (10 inches of rain in September!) and what it means for spring planting, as well as feeding weather damaged grain to livestock, and tips on managing irrigation equipment. Addressing the first two issues is Dr. Kevin Hyde, coordinator of t...
The 2019 Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections began on November 4, when ballots were mailed to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices, or to be postmarked, is December 2, 2019. County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support...
As 2019 nears a close, farmers and ranchers have a lot of questions: What’s the deal with this weather? What do we need to brace for next? What can be done with all that damaged grain? What about disease….white mold? Fusarium? And what about new crop options to help battle low prices…Kernza, Hemp? Can these crops be adapted here? How do we manage them, and what about markets? These and many other questions will be addressed during the 3rd Annual MonDak Ag Research Summit to be held Thursday, December 12 at the Richland County Event Cente...
“The growers did a good job of getting the beets out of the ground,” stated Sidney Sugars general manager David Garland last Friday. Beet harvest for area growers officially ended on November 5 with an average of 31.89 tons per acre and 17.02 sugar. The numbers were down a bit from the average but tonnage was up a bit from what was expected. 97% of the beets were harvested, leaving 1200 acres in the ground, 900 of which growers were going through their insurance and 288 acres which would directly affect growers. “It was an unusual year from...
Helena, Mont. – Montana’s Livestock Loss Board pays livestock owners for verified livestock losses due to wolves, grizzly bears and mountain lions. SB 133 was passed during Montana’s 2019 legislative session and requires a livestock owner to be current on their per-capita fees in order to receive a payment from the State for their loss. A portion of the text of SB133 bill is as follows: (b) Before the board may issue a reimbursement for losses to a livestock producer eligible for coverage for losses, the department of revenue shall certi...
Sidney, MT - A free workshop on Palmer Amaranth, one of the most dangerous weeds facing American Agriculture, is set for Tuesday, November 5 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Richland County Extension Office Conference Room in Sidney, MT. The goal of the event is to provide producers with the tools needed for early detection and removal of this dangerous weed, including not only what needs to be done but also what to avoid doing. However, the event also has a lighter tone when it comes to refreshments where producers will be able to literally take...
Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said today that producers who currently participate in Federal crop insurance and are experiencing a delay in harvesting their crop should contact their Approved Insurance Provider (AIP) to file a Notice of Loss and request more time to harvest. Producers in several states, including Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming have been affected by extremely wet and snowy conditions early this fall. “Farmers are having a hard time wit...
Early autumn means the start of harvest season for thousands of farmers across Montana. But for many, their ability to compete in an increasingly challenging and globalized agriculture market is hampered by a lack of broadband connectivity. Without adequate access to the internet at broadband speeds, too many Montana farmers and agricultural communities across the state can't access the same basic tools and advanced precision agriculture technologies that are available in connected areas. These...
SIDNEY, MT - What’s scarier than all the ghosts and goblins roaming the countryside on Halloween? Palmer Amaranth lurking in your fields! Palmer Amaranth, a pigweed relative, is one of the most serious weeds facing American agriculture today and it’s coming this way! After traveling across the southern U.S. and moving northward through the Midwestern states into North Dakota, it now sits on our doorstep ready to pounce. Be prepared. Join us for a free half-day workshop, “Palmer Amaranth: It’s Coming! What You Need to Know” on Tuesday,...
MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock yesterday evening signed an executive order allowing increased weight limitations on transportation vehicles in order to protect sugar beet farmers in Montana. “Montana’s farmers and workers got dealt a bad hand during this harvesting season with early winter storms,” Governor Bullock said. “As our producers work hard around the clock, we need to make sure we have their backs in order to get beets on trucks and ensure that Montana ag remains a backbone of our economy.” The agricultural industry, in the middle...
Each year in October, Watford City FFA members along with contestants from nine other chapters compete in Stanley during the District Leadership Conference. We were represented well with 23 of our students who attended, along with chapter advisors Mr. Wisness and Miss Gunderson. We took 5th place as a chapter with all of our points added up, behind Ray, Berthold, Powers Lake and Stanley. The most competitive event at districts is always Parliamentary Procedure, where students exhibit their...
BOZEMAN – The Montana State University College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station will host the 20th annual Celebrate Agriculture weekend Nov. 1 and 2 on the MSU campus. The event will include an agricultural economics conference, an ice cream social and a celebratory Saturday morning event preceding the weekend's home football game against Southern Utah. The Celebrate Agriculture event is held each fall in honor of alumni, students and Montana's agricultural community t...
Keith Steinbeisser Memorial Judging Contest Livestock Judging Novice High Teams Placing Total Team 1 1468 Golden Valley/Wibaux Novice 2 1402 Richland Novice 3 942 Custer Novice 1 4 709 Roosevelt Novice 5 679 Richland Novice 1 6 663 Dawson Novice 7 359 Sandhill Rangers Novice 8 358 Roosevelt Novice 2 High Individuals 1 388 Tayler Feiring / Golden Valley/Wibaux Novice 2 368 Carly Buxbaum / Richland Novice 3 368 Jack Tvedt/ Golden Valley/Wibaux Novice 4 362 TC Berwick / Roosevelt Novice 5 360...
SIDNEY, MT - What’s scarier than all the ghosts and goblins roaming the countryside on Halloween? Palmer Amaranth lurking in your fields! Palmer Amaranth, a pigweed relative, is one of the most serious weeds facing American agriculture today and it’s coming this way! After traveling across the southern U.S. and moving northward through the Midwestern states into North Dakota, it now sits on our doorstep ready to pounce. Be prepared. Join us for a free half-day workshop, “Palmer Amaranth: It’s Coming! What You Need to Know” on Tuesday,...
As days start to get colder and leaves start to fall, you may find yourself wondering; what fresh fruits and veggies are in season this time of year? In the Explore Fall’s Seasonal Foods (2014) Article, written by Pamela Daniels, from Michigan State University Extension Services, produce when in season is usually better quality, tastes better, is more affordable, and usually is available in large amounts. Some fall fruit and veggies that are in season are apples, beets, broccoli, carrots, kale, leeks, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, winter squash a...
Ali Merritt, a nine year member of the Forever Buds 4-H club, was awarded the highest honor a Montana 4-H member can receive for 4-H project work; a state award. Ali applied for a state award for her dedication and work in the market and breeding beef projects in May and received the award at Montana 4-H Congress in Bozeman during the month of July. A state award recognizes outstanding accomplishments of 4-H members who have reached a standard of excellence in a project area. State award...
Helena, MT - The Montana Department of Agriculture’s annual Pesticide Disposal Events will be held in several locations across Montana during September. The collection events will be held September 17 in Wolf Point; September 18 in Sidney; September 19 in Miles City; and September 20 in Billings. The annual events have collected more than 638,000 pounds of waste pesticides since it began in 1994. The program was designed to help individuals dispose of any pesticides that are unusable as originally intended and cannot be used for any other p...
Registration is now open for the 16th Annual Young Ag Leadership Conference (YALC)! This exciting, one-of-a-kind conference is set to take place October 4-6 at the Copper King Convention Center in Butte, MT. YALC is a collaborative effort between nine of Montana’s agricultural organizations, offering attendees a chance to discuss current ag issues, take part in various workshops, meet with industry leaders, and network with fellow young people who love Montana agriculture. The weekend kicks off on Friday offering a unique networking o...
Helena, MT - The Montana Department of Agriculture’s annual Pesticide Disposal Events will be held in several locations across Montana during September. The collection events will be held September 17 in Wolf Point; September 18 in Sidney; September 19 in Miles City; and September 20 in Billings. The annual events have collected more than 638,000 pounds of waste pesticides since it began in 1994. The program was designed to help individuals dispose of any pesticides that are unusable as originally intended and cannot be used for any other p...
The Richland County 4-H held their annual Richland County Fair livestock sales on Aug. 2 at the Richland County Fairgrounds. Maddie Schieber had the Grand Champion steer purchased by Border Steel and Recycling. Grand Champion hog winner was Avery Johnson, purchased by Montana State University. The Grand Champion rabbit trio winner was Aiden Berntson, purchased by Steppler Ranch. Poulty Grand Champion was Rylan Kunick, purchased by T & J Farms. Grand Champion lamb winner was Olivia...
Five McKenzie County 4-H preteens participated in the Second Annual North Dakota 4-H State Rube Goldberg Competition held on July 20 at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot. Brandon Spacher of Banks Willing Workers 4-H Club, Gracyn Darrington of Star 3, Nicholas Ellis of Storm Riders and Kyle Best and Jaden Murphy, both of The Young Guns, all shared their team contraption that successfully put a quarter into a piggy bank in more than 7 steps. The team prepared a recordkeeping journal, a poster and presentation of their experiences and chain rea...
