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Recently, I joined other National Farmers Union leaders in meetings with the House Ag and Senate Ag committees about each of their versions of the 2024 Farm Bill. Based on those discussions, a tight timeline, and the need for modifications to both versions, I’m not optimistic for the passage of a 2024 Farm Bill but foresee another extension. The Senate version and the House version of the Farm Bill are strikingly different — and, in the current Congress, “compromise” is a dirty word. Nonetheless, Congress will not allow the Farm Bill to expi...
The North Dakota State University Research Extension Centers’ annual field days are set. The events take place at the Research Extension Center sites across the state and feature speakers, tours and field demonstrations for farmers, ranchers, crop advisors, landowners, horticulturalists and local stakeholders. “The agricultural research conducted at our NDSU Research Extension Centers provides research-based solutions that advance agricultural production systems in a variety of areas, including agronomy and crop production, livestock and ran...
July 10, 2024 residents in the MonDak area may find a way to save a life in a special addition to the Williston Research Extension Center Field Day with STOP THE BLEED® training. The Williston REC is known for its long history of collaborative research as part of NDSU Agriculture. The crop research taking place at the WREC has brough new varieties and cropping system advancements into the MonDak region. The information from the WREC has been used in fields to enhance profitability with pest control and assisted with recommendations for...
Join the MonDak Area Stockgrowers Association for an evening of family fun as it hosts its Spring Meeting on Thursday, June 13 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Sidney Livestock Market Center. Dinner and Goat Roping are on the agenda. Meat will be provided by the Stockgrowers; those whose last name start with A-K, please bring a salad and those whose last name starts with L-Z, please bring dessert. Goat Roping should provide some excitement for contestants and spectators alike. The contest will be divided into two age groups; 10 and under and 11 and...
The Montana State University Eastern Agricultural Research Center (MSU EARC) is preparing to host their annual Field Day on Thursday, June 27 at the center, located north of Sidney, 1501 N Central Ave. The day will include information on variety selection, cropping systems, fertility, disease management, weed management, and more, all of which will be beneficial for producers in the region. Plan to come from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for coffee and donuts before the field day begins at 8:30 a.m. During the field tours, Dr. Chengci Chen, EARC...
North Dakota State University Extension has developed a spreadsheet to help farmers analyze and make prevented-planting decisions. "Producers in North Dakota are waiting for fields to dry out so they can start field work and crop planting," says Ron Haugen, NDSU Extension farm management specialist. "If wet conditions continue in certain areas of the state, it will prevent some producers from seeding all their acres before the dates that crop insurance coverage starts to decrease. Now may be a...
BOZEMAN — The Montana State University College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station will once again host a series of field days this summer at six of the university’s research centers around the state, plus two additional events at campus farms in Bozeman. “We look forward to our field days every year because of the opportunities they create to interact and share research results with agricultural producers and friends around Montana,” said Sreekala Bajwa, director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station and the...
With the relatively warm spring that we have had, it is important to start scouting for grasshoppers hatching. Typically, scouting begins around Memorial Day, but it may be a good idea to be on the lookout even earlier this year. USDA-APHIS has predicted Richland County and the surrounding area will again be experiencing high grasshopper populations this year. Review of the Life Cycle Grasshoppers deposit eggs in the soil in the fall. These eggs overwinter there and begin to hatch from May through July. Grasshoppers develop through 5 nymphal...
The Fairview FFA Chapter awarded five area adults with honorary chapter degrees for their contribution to the program during its awards banquet April 29. Honored were Mark and Sheila Neu, Shaun and Michelle Jensen and Vicky Cayko. Officials said that the Neus have been strong supporters of the Fairview FFA chapter for many years. They have provided a lot of behind-the-scenes help because of their love for FFA. Mark was even an FFA officer himself. The Jensens, parents of 2023-2024 Fairview FFA...
Richland County/MSU Extension agent Josie Evenson was surrounded by some of the youngest individuals interested in 4-H during a day camp at the Extension center on Saturday. In attendance were about 20 Cloverbuds, who are between the ages of 5-8. The youngsters are introduced to 4-H before taking part in competitive projects in future years. Evenson said the day included teaching the children the 4-H pledge through different fun activities. Part of the time featured the kids painting the 4-H...
Emergence and establishment of your pulse crops can be negatively affected by dampening off and root rot pathogens. To avoid these issues, consider using a seed treatment. Dampening off occurs when a fungus or oomycete causes banding and restriction of the developing plant. Examples of these fungus and oomycete include Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium. Dampening off can be worse when the soil is cool and moist around the time the crop is planted. Symptoms of dampening off include a reduced stand, girdling, seedling yellowing, reduced...
State health officials are raising awareness about the health risks associated with raising backyard birds. Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) epidemiologist Rachel Hinnenkamp said that while raising backyard birds has become an increasingly popular activity in the state, there are health risks to be aware of. She said live poultry can carry germs such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, which can cause humans to get sick with symptoms including diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, an...
Montana State University has released their 2023 Montana Spring Wheat Performance Evaluations. These trials are based on wheat variety performance in multiple locations across the state through multiple years. This performance summary compares agronomic characteristics of spring wheat varieties evaluated by Montana Agricultural Experiment Stations and other varieties commonly grown in the state. The trials take place in 11 locations across the state and region, which locally include Sidney (irrigated and dryland) and just across the border in...
Although some are finishing up calving and others are still yet to begin, it is always necessary to remember the importance of colostrum. This is the first milk produced by a cow after she has given birth. Colostrum contains immunoglobulins, IgG in particular, as well as white blood cells, milk fat, and vitamins A and E. All of these components are important to the newborn calf. A calf is born without immunoglobulins, because the placenta prevents immunoglobulins from being transferred from the cow to the calf in utero. Immunoglobulins are...
BOZEMAN – The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) interviewed six dryland grain producers to compare the ownership and operation costs of disc drills and stripper headers with hoe drills and auger/draper headers. According to the NRCS economic report, switching to a stripper header and disc drill from a draper header and hoe drill resulted in an average savings of $4.40 per acre/year for the six producers interviewed in this study. While the initial investment is substantial, all produ...
The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) is hosting a Producer Profitability listening session for all area ranchers on Tuesday, April 2 at 5 p.m. MDT at the Sidney Livestock Center. The local MSGA board, plus staff from the Helena office, invite all Montana and North Dakota livestock producers to attend and provide input and ideas on where the American livestock industry can be strengthened. Membership in MSGA is not required. Local member Kristin Larson said one of the concerns is how to get more cows back into production after having so...
The warmer winter and early spring have increased the potential for grain storage problems and the need for grain monitoring and management, says Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension agricultural engineer and grain drying expert. Stored grain temperature increases in parts of a bin in the spring, which is not only due to an increase in outdoor temperatures but also due to solar heat gain on the bin. Solar energy produces more than twice as much heat gain on the south wall of a...
GLENDIVE - Congressional candidate, Ric Holden, is calling on congress to reinstate country-of-origin-labeling for the livestock industry in the United States. At the present time the U.S. consumer does not know if they are eating an American raised meat product or some product from a foreign country. Large meat packing companies have been flooding the market with imported meat products and denying consumers the right to know the origin of their food purchases. Year after year the large meat...
The Sidney Chamber of Commerce held their annual MonDak Ag Days event March 7-8 at the Richland County Event Center....
Agriculture is the biggest food contributor in America. America is the net exporter of food, which means that this industry is a source of food and wealth. The rich history of agriculture in the U.S. attracted colonists to the area. Since most colonists were European, the styles of agricultural cultivation and production were Europe influenced as well. Colonists also brought a large amount of livestock with them to America, which caused changes in its natural landscape. As the population grew, farms expanded, and settlements moved from the...
In November 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit issued a ruling overturning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s final rule of August 2021, which revoked all food crop tolerances for chlorpyrifos. The Eighth Circuit Court's decision was based in part on the fact that the EPA had issued a Proposed Interim Decision (PID) in 2020, which included 11 chlorpyrifos crop uses that the EPA determined met safety tolerances. Before the PID could be finalized, the U.S. Court of...
The application window for Montana Farmers Union scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000 closes March 31. The annual scholarships are offered through MFU as part of the organization’s commitment to education and include the Bud Daniels Memorial Scholarship for $1,000 and the John Korsbeck Memorial Scholarship for $1,000. Montana Farmers Union Foundation $1,000 scholarships also are available. Several Farmers Union Locals also offer scholarships for county residents, with Cascade County-wide Farmers Union Local offering a scholarship worth $...
BOZEMAN – Registration is now open for the three-day 406 Grazing Academy, an annual workshop aimed at ranchers seeking to hone their grazing management skills and learn new strategies. This year's event will be held June 11-13 in Miles City, and registration is open until April 26. Registration costs $200 per person and includes materials, a range monitoring kit, and lunch and dinner each day of the workshop. Those interested in attending can register at https://svc.mt.gov/do...
As a Sidney, graduate, Evan Roberts is no stranger to the sight of pivots in the fields of the area. While Evan graduated with a degree from MSU Billings College of Technology, he has been working with pivots for the last 15 years. Evan owns and operates Dirtech, a soil moisture monitoring business, based in Fairview, servicing Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota. Evan's goal is to give growers the ability to make informed irrigation decisions from the information that the moisture probes...
HELENA - The Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council will meet beginning on Monday, March 18, from 1-2 p.m. for the business meeting followed by a grant hearing with the presentation of grant proposals through 5:15 p.m. at the Delta Hotel in Helena. The hearing of proposals will continue Tuesday, March 19, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. through Wednesday, March 20, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Starting Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., the business meeting will reconvene followed by deliberations only to conclude when a consensus is reached Meetings will be conducted...
