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A reminder that MSU Richland County Extension will be hosting a series of educational workshops throughout this winter. The first Winter Series program will be Monday, Dec. 19th beginning at 1 p.m. in the Richland County Extension Office meeting room. Topics covered include 1) Beef Cattle Nutrient Requirements & Supplementation - 3rd Trimester Through Breeding, and 2) Nitrates & Cropping Options. Please contact the MSU Richland County Extension office at 406-433-1206 or [email protected] for more information. We hope to see you...
Bozeman, MT - The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Montana is accepting applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) enrollment option and the Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE). While NRCS accepts easement applications year-round, applications for the current funding cycle must be submitted by Dec. 30, 2022. “Agricultural Land Easements are one of the many tools available to landowners for the long-term protection of working lands which build sustainable agriculture, m...
Bozeman - Montana youth swine exhibitors and breeders have been recognized by the Montana Symbol of Excellence program. The program annually honors both 4-H and FFA youth and swine breeders who raise market swine that meet quality standards and show a commitment to producing quality pork products. The Montana Symbol of Excellence program evaluates carcass and ultrasound data on swine from across Montana, with 32% qualifying in 2022 to be Symbol of Excellence swine, according to Rose Malisani, MSU Extension agent in Cascade County and Montana...
Bozeman, MT - The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Montana is accepting applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) enrollment option and the Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE). While NRCS accepts easement applications year-round, applications for the current funding cycle must be submitted by Dec. 30, 2022. “Agricultural Land Easements are one of the many tools available to landowners for the long-term protection of working lands which build sustainable agriculture, m...
The MSU Richland County Extension Office is hosting a series of educational workshops throughout the winter months. The first installment of the Winter Series will be on Monday, Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. in the Richland County Extension Office meeting room, 1499 N. Central Ave., Sidney. Dr. Sam Wyffels, MSU Extension beef specialist, will be covering Beef Cattle Nutrient Requirements & Supplementation – 3rd Trimester Through Breeding. For an April 1 calving date, the third trimester of gestation will be beginning on Dec. 29, based on a 283-day g...
Helena, MT – The Montana Pulse Crop Committee will meet in person on Monday, Nov. 28, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Heritage Inn, Great Falls, MT. The committee will review new business, financial reports, FY23 proposals, and address general updates. To request more information, please email Dani Jones at [email protected]. The Montana Pulse Crop Committee invites proposals to fund market development projects and educational projects designed to address Montana’s pulse industry. Visit https://agr.mt.gov/_docs/pulse-docs/com...
Now that the snow and cold temperatures have arrived, it is time to consider how you are managing your bulls for the winter and if the current management is meeting their requirements. If you haven’t already, examine bulls and determining if they need to maintain their current condition or gain some weight back that they might have lost during the breeding season. Mature bulls can get by on an all-forage diet, however, young bulls that are still growing need to be fed to reach 75% of their mature body weight by the time they are two years o...
Jerry Bergman, Sidney, started his long time ag career 48 years ago with the Montana State University’s Eastern Agricultural Research Center, Sidney, as a research agronomist/safflower breeder in 1973. He served in this position until 1980 when he was named Superintendent of the MSU Eastern Agricultural Research Center, Sidney. In 1994, he became the co-director of both the Williston Research Extension Center and EARC, Sidney. He continued in this position until December 31, 2011 when he retired from the MSU university system and became the d...
Bob Gannaway, Buckshot Seeds, and Mark Erickson were proud to have their open house for their Gold Standard Seed distributorship's new warehouse on Friday, Oct. 28. Neither man is new to the area or seed sales. Gannaway and his wife, Teri, have served eastern Montana and western North Dakota through their business, Buckshot Seeds for 23 years with storefronts in Fairview, Glasgow, Wolf Point, and Sidney. He is a retired farmer, yet still keeps a few head of cattle. Erickson is the former...
As we head into the winter-feeding months, feed costs make up 65% or more of total input costs. It is important to compare feed costs on a “unit nutrient basis” which really means just getting the most bang for your buck. This approach will come in useful for all feed costs, but especially when you are comparing and pricing out different supplements. There are three pieces of information about the feed in question that you will need in order to do this calculation: 1) total price per ton, 2) percentage dry matter of the supplement (% DM), and...
AGT Foods has its finger on the pulse of agriculture; or rather the pulse crops of agriculture. AGT is a buyer, processor, and distributor of pulse crops such as lentils, chickpeas, beans and peas, and additionally offer cereal grains, flax, canola, popcorn, millet, mustard seed, and sorghum on a global level. "Our Minot, ND facility is a pulse fractionation plant that makes value-added food ingredients. We supply pea protein, fiber, and starch to the pet food and human consumption markets and...
Harvested forages are a critical component of winter feeding programs for many of North Dakota's cattle herds. "Conducting a hay inventory now will give producers a good idea of possible deficiencies and allow time to develop the best options for the upcoming feeding season," says Janna Block, North Dakota State University Extension livestock systems specialist based at the Hettinger Research Extension Center. The first step is to get an accurate count or measurement of bales harvested. Bales...
Bismarck, ND - The Northern Pulse Growers Association (NPGA) and The Pacific Northwest Canola Association (PNW Canola) invite you to attend a FREE “Meet & Greet” social featuring Shaun Haney from RealAgriculture this Nov. 28 to kick off the Montana Grain Growers Association Convention. “Pulses and canola will be featured commodities on the MGGA Convention agenda this year, and we thought hosting a social would be a great way for us to interact with attendees and answer any/all questions that were pulse or canola related.” Said Erin Becker,...
With almost perfect weather in the forecast, Sidney Sugars Incorporated is looking forward to a great start to the annual beet harvest. Culbertson, Sugar Valley and the factory yard will all start accepting beets on Sept. 30 while Savage and Pleasant Valley will begin on Oct. 1. Slicing at the factory will start Oct. 1. According to Sidney Sugars agricultural manager Duane Peters, root samples taken in the 18,300 acres of area beets showed a good crop with tonnage averaging 29 and sugar at...
Bozeman, MT, Sept. 15 - USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Montana reminds producers of approaching application deadlines for purchasing risk coverage for some crops through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). NAP covers losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available, including forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables, floriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass, and more. Coverage varies by county and by crop, so interested producers contact their...
While winter may seem like a long way off, now is the time to start testing your feed as you inventor the amount you have to get you through the winter months. Winter feed costs, on average, account for 65-70% of production costs for a cow-calf operation. Having a feed analysis done will allow you to match your available feed options with your animal’s nutrient requirements in a cost-effective manner. Feeding in excess of your animal’s nutrient requirements is not only cost inefficient, it also isn’t beneficial to your livestock’s perform...
Sorghum, sudangrass, and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids are a great warm season forage option. However, these plants contain cyanogenic glycosides that can be converted to hydrocyanic acid (HCN), also known as prussic acid, when the plants are injured by freezing, cutting, or crushing. Prussic acid can be very toxic to livestock as it interferes with aerobic metabolism, which results in lack of oxygen and ultimately leads to suffocation of the animal. Signs of prussic acid poisoning include difficulty breathing, staggering, muscle spasms,...
Bozeman - The College of Agriculture at Montana State University is accepting applications for a new leadership program focused on sustainable agriculture and agritourism. The Montana Agritourism Fellows Program: Developing Leaders to Advance Sustainable Agritourism is designed to establish and train leaders who will communicate and promote sustainable agriculture topics to farmers, ranchers, professionals and communities. The inaugural cohort will consist of 12 fellows, and applications are...
Fourteen-year-old William Head had a successful first year at the Richland County Fair. He is a member of the North Road Renegades 4-H Club and shows steer, market lambs, and breeding sheep. He had the 2022 Grand Champion market lamb, Grand Champion pen of two ewe lambs, Reserve Champion overall lamb breeding, Reserve Champion female lamb under one year, and Top of the Class market beef. "I was very proud of myself this year! It really encouraged me to push myself harder next year. I have worked...
The Richland County Farm Bureau is holding its annual meeting Sept. 15 at the Elks Lodge, Sidney. The county Farm Bureau will elect officers and directors, select voting delegates for the Montana Farm Bureau Convention in November, and discuss new policy that will guide the organization in the coming year. Farm Bureau leaders and staff will provide brief updates on agriculture issues and programs Farm Bureau is working on at the local, state and national level. The meeting’s guest speaker is nationally known Glen Bloomstrom, Faith Community E...
As breeding season wraps up and weaning time approaches, it is a good time to think about body condition scoring your bulls and cows. A body condition score (BCS) is based on a scale of 1 to 9 with a BCS 1 being extremely thin and a BCS 9 being extremely obese. The optimal score is a BCS 5 up to a BCS 6. A cow in a BCS 5 would have the hooks, pins, and last two ribs visible, and no fat in the brisket area. Bulls typically lose 100-300 pounds throughout the duration of the breeding season, as they have had to travel long distances to cover cows...
The Sidney Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture is excited to be kicking of the 25th class of the Sidney Area Leadership Program this September. The Leadership Task force is utilizing feedback from over 250 graduates from industries in the community. They will be retooling the program and ensuring beneficial outcomes for the future participants. “We are excited for this new direction and thrilled to make these adjustments for the community,” states Katie Dasinger, Chamber director of programs. Registration is open on the Chamber website, www...
If you are preparing to plant winter wheat soon, it is important to consider green bridge control to prevent wheat streak mosaic (WSM). Wheat streak mosaic is a viral disease that impacts small grains, including spring wheat and winter wheat, as well as durum, barley, oats, and corn, among other crops. Symptoms of WSM include yellow streaking and mottling, which usually affects the entire plant. Early infections lead to plant stunting. Wheat streak mosaic impacts can range from insignificant up to 100% yield loss. This viral disease is...
Farmers across the region have experienced significant losses due to the sky-rocketing grasshopper population. "The population levels this summer have met the USDA-APHIS projection and, in some areas, have greatly exceeded it. The late snowstorms and cool and wet weather this spring helped combat grasshoppers early on by 1) delaying their hatching, and 2) allowing the grass to grow and get a head start before the grasshoppers had finished hatching," explained MSU Richland County Extension Agent...
Bozeman - Montana State University will partner with area organizations to host a free webinar series focused on techniques to mitigate predator-livestock conflicts. The series, Pathways for Practice Implementation: Non-lethal Predator Management through EQIP – Environmental Quality Incentives Program – will take place from noon-1:30 p.m. on the following Tuesdays: Aug. 23, Sept. 20 and Oct. 18. It is targeted to producers and local conservation district practitioners. In 2020, a team working in lands conservation across the West - including Ja...
