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Industrial hemp farming has become increasingly popular. Farmers that are growing hemp are seeing both a demand and profit increase, while farmers who have never grown hemp before are rushing to plant it in their fields. The production of industrial hemp in the United States was made possible in December 2018 when President Donald Trump signed the Farm Bill into law; the legislation removed hemp from the government's controlled drug category, stimulating a surge in demand for cannabidiol (CBD),...
Among the many presentations at this year's field day, Drs. Chengci Chen and Apurba Sutradhar discussed industrial hemp as a potential crop for Eastern Montana. Pictured is Dr. Chen with a sample crop of industrial hemp which was approved in the 2018 farm bill. Chen covered potential hemp varieties as well as agronomic practices such as seeding date, fertility rates and when to harvest....
Devan Leo joined McKenzie County as the new Agricultural and Natural Resource Agent in April 2019. So far Leo has enjoyed her time in McKenzie County. She said, "I really enjoyed my job thus far! I am still in the learning curve but am quickly picking up important information. It has been a wonderful experience, and I hope to continue this type of work for many years to come!" Leo is fresh off the press, so to speak, so she has plenty to learn. Leo added, "In the short time I have been here, I...
The NDSU Williston Research Extension Center's (WREC) employees and farmers in the MonDak trade area are excited about the good news the WREC received in late April. This good news was that the WREC received $750,000 in funding to build a brand new seed cleaning facility. This facility will benefit not only the WREC and its employees but also MonDak area growers who purchase seeds from the WREC on a regular basis. Kyle Dragseth, Farm Manager at the WREC, explained that the funding was finally...
Fargo, ND – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to file crop acreage reports for agricultural producers in North Dakota impacted by flooding and heavy moisture. The new July 22 deadline applies to reporting spring-seeded crops to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices and federal crop insurance agents. “Agriculture operations throughout the state have been hit hard by heavy rains and flooding that have affected their operations,” said Brad Thykeson, FSA State Executive Director in North Dakota. “The dead...
Schedule of Events: 8-8:30 p.m. – Refreshments 8:30-8:40 a.m. Welcome – Dr. Chengci Chen, MSU-EARC Superintendent Tour Begins: 8:45-9 a.m. – Drs. Bill Franck and Fatemeh Etemadi: Improving pea protein content through Rhizobium inoculants, plant growth regulators, and variety selection Dr. Bill Franck is a Research Scientist at MSU-EARC, who has a Ph.D. degree in microbiology and Dr. Fatemeh Etemadi is a Postdoctoral Research Associate, who has a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy. Drs. Franck and Etema...
The first days of summer have come and gone. Now, it is time for the field days, the Montana State University Research Center Field Days. Every year, through June and July, the MSU Eastern Agricultural Research Center in Sidney, Montana participates, along with other MSU Research Centers across Montana, in the Field Days program. During a Field Day, farmers and the general public are invited to come to the research station to go on a tour of the facility, learn about the researchers, places and...
BOZEMAN – Farmers and ranchers have long been in search of ways to limit the need for tillage and chemical herbicides on farmland, and two researchers in Montana State University's College of Agriculture are working on a project that may provide a solution. With help from the Western Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education program, which is being hosted by MSU until 2023, Devon Ragen, a research associate in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences, and graduate student Trestin B...
At the upcoming EARC irrigated field day I will be discussing problematic weeds and one weed in particular that may potentially be a problem for us down the road, Palmer Amaranth. In a June edition of the NDSU Crop and Pest Report (https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/cpr) this weed was addressed. "In 2018, Palmer amaranth was found in five North Dakota counties. We believe Palmer was introduced into the state through sunflower screenings, contaminated seed, custom combines, used combines purchased from...
FARGO, N.D., July 10, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to file crop acreage reports for agricultural producers in North Dakota impacted by flooding and heavy moisture. The new July 22 deadline applies to reporting spring-seeded crops to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices and federal crop insurance agents. “Agriculture operations throughout the state have been hit hard by heavy rains and flooding that have affected their operations,” said Brad Thykeson, FSA State Executive Director in Nort...
Dick Iversen and Buzz Mattelin attended the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) plenary session May 21 – 23 in Sioux Falls, SD serving as representatives of Richland and Roosevelt Conservation Districts. Dick and Buzz had both previously served as stakeholder representatives on the Committee but were attending this meeting to represent the interests of irrigators and agriculture producers in the area below Fort Peck dam to the Yellowstone River Confluence. The Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) s...
Farmers and ranchers wage a continuous battle with weeds in their crops and pastures, battles that have grown fiercer with new weed species popping up and the development of herbicide resistance in existing weeds. Knowing your enemy is key for combating resistance and preventing introduction of new species and area producers have an opportunity to brush up on their weed skills at the 2019 Froid Research Farm Field Day on Thursday, June 27, from 1-5 p.m. The day's program features discussions on...
Cauy Hartel is a fifth-year member of the Banks Willing Workers 4-H Club and he is also a member of the Watford City FFA Chapter where he is currently competing for a position on the 2019-2020 North Dakota State FFA Officer Team. While keeping busy with clubs, Hartel also helps out on his family's ranch and works for the City of Watford City. In the summertime Hartel looks forward to participating in the McKenzie County Fair. "My favorite part of 4-H is the fair time. It's cool to see everyone w...
Pesticide credits have been awarded for upcoming field days in Sidney and Froid on June 20 and June 27 respectively. First up is the joint dryland field day with MSU’s Eastern Ag Research Center and USDA’s Northern Plains Ag Research Lab at their adjoining research farms near Sidney on Thursday morning, June 20th, from 9 am to 12:30 pm. The event has been awarded 2 private and commercial pesticide credits. Featured tour talks include a special weed identification workshop, along with an update on winter and spring cereal variety trials usi...
Bozeman, MT — There are several factors that gardeners need to consider when choosing a soil test kit to make fertilizer decisions, according to a Montana State University Extension soil expert. Among those factors, according to Clain Jones, MSU Extension soil fertility specialist and professor in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, are how soil is prepared, the actual test used, how results are presented, cost and the accuracy of results. Test kits generally measure nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and soil pH. These a...
Helena, Mont. – Director Ben Thomas announced today that Andy Gray, a nearly 20-year veteran of the Montana Department of Agriculture, has been named as the new Montana Hemp Program Coordinator. Gray has been deeply involved in crafting Montana’s hemp plan since the beginning and he will begin his new position immediately. “Montana’s producers are fortunate to have a person of Andy’s caliber heading up our hemp program,” said Director Thomas. “With Andy’s knowledge of Montana commodity laws and his experience here at the Department I kn...
Farmers and ranchers wage a continuous battle with weeds in their crops and pastures, battles that are often compounded by the arrival of new weed species and the development of herbicide resistance in existing weeds. Knowing your enemy is a key component for combating resistance and preventing introduction of new weed species. Producers will have two opportunities to hone their identification skills at field days being conducted later this month in Sidney and Froid, along with learning about other dryland research underway in this area. The...
Lucas Oelkers, a senior at Culbertson High School, was elected the 2019-2020 1st Vice President of the Montana State FFA Organization on Saturday, April 6 at the Montana FFA State Convention. Oelkers has been a member of the Culbertson FFA Chapter for the past four years. He comes from a long line of FFA alumni, starting with his grandfather, Russell Oelkers, who was a charter member of the Culbertson FFA Chapter back in 1938. "Growing up, I always knew about FFA, but there was not really any...
USDA’s Farm Service Agency has announced that higher levels of coverage are being offered through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), a popular safety net program. The 2018 Farm Bill also increased service fees and made other changes to the program, including service fee waivers for qualified military veterans interested in obtaining NAP coverage. “When other insurance coverage is not an option, NAP is a valuable risk mitigation tool for farmers and ranchers,” said FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce. “In agriculture, losses...
Bozeman, MT - *USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for grants until July 1, 2019, to fund Montana projects that could stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) generally fund pilot projects, field demonstrations and on-farm conservation research.** Tom Watson, NRCS state conservationist for Montana, said $225,000 is available for the state-component CIG this year. He said applicants could request up to $75,000 for...
KWS Innovations and American Crystal Sugar Company announced today American Crystal has signed a multi-year agreement to purchase and utilize the Beetrometer F400 equipment for use in their central tare lab. Cory Kritzberger, American Crystal Sugar Company’s Ag Operations Manager, is looking forward to the potential efficiency savings which will be made possible from this technology. “We have worked closely with American Crystal for over three years as they sought to upgrade their quality lab equipment,” noted Duane Bernhardson, Business Devel...
McKenzie County 4-H Archers took home Second Place honors in the barebow senior division at the 4-H Archery Indoor Championships recently held at Nishu Bowmen Range in Bismarck. Team members were: Shyanna Hovde, Hosanna and Ezra Patten and Clay Ceynar. In addition, the following youth landed individual placings as follows: • Junior division-barebow boy-1st place--Ryan Pingel • Junior division-barebow boy-3rd place-Jeremiah Patten • Senior division-barebow girl-3rd place-Hosanna Patten • Junior d...
Isaac Sponheim, a freshman at Montana State University and former Richey FFA member, was elected the 2019-2020 2nd Vice President of the Montana State FFA Organization on Saturday, April 6th at the Montana FFA State Convention. "It was so surreal. After I didn't get elected last year, I wasn't sure how rerunning was going to go. When my name was called, there was a split second where I was just thinking "Wait... Did they really just say my name?" Then it was just a blur of running up to the stag...
BOZEMAN - In recognition of his contributions to society's understanding of weeds and weed control, a Montana State University researcher has won a national award from the Weed Science Society of America. Bruce Maxwell, professor in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences in MSU's College of Agriculture, received the Outstanding Research Award at the organization's annual meeting in New Orleans in February. "It's a nice honor," said Maxwell, who has been a member of WSSA...
