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I attended the predator control meeting in Lambert on Jan. 8th, 2014. After listening to Michael Foster representing Wildlife Services, a federal agency, I have a few thoughts to share with Richland County Livestock Producers. I will not support a “petition” to tax ourselves forever. I believe this idea has two strikes before it gets off the ground. First: There is no sunset clause in this law. If this tax is imposed whether effective or not, it says on the tax assessment until another “petition” removes it. In my lifetime I have seen many taxe...
How best to protect Montana’s sage grouse population has been a top priority for agriculture and industry groups alike. Finding a solution that sufficiently protects these birds, while not posing an undue burden on those trying to make a living is no easy task. To make the issue even more difficult is the looming threat of Endangered Species Act listing that could result if a sage grouse management plan is not put into place that satisfies the federal government. In short, it is in the best interest of all Montanans to be proactive in p...
The promise of Obamacare was too simple. It was supposed to provide more affordable access to quality health care to more people at a lower cost. Unfortunately instead of increased coverage we have 5 million Americans who have already seen their coverage canceled and new reports surface everyday showing that number could grow by up to 100 million additional policies canceled by next fall. I could list all of the failures, but there are articles in every corner of the internet pointing to them. Too often I hear people comment that conservatives...
The Montana Department Fish, Wildlife, and Parks is on a strange mission to impose a free-roaming bison herd in Eastern Montana. It’s puzzling because it’s a plan that few Montanans want, and a large, diverse majority oppose. Yet, inexplicably, Governor Bullocks’ administration and FWP Director Jeff Hagener seem determined to give us a dose of a bitter medicine we don’t want or need. The opposition to free-roaming couldn’t have been more evident at a recent FWP meeting on the issue in Lewistown. One after another, ranchers, sportsmen...
Last year I devoted part or all of my weekly column describing trees that are found in this area. A couple of readers suggested I do the same for shrubs and smaller trees. Recently a wonderful lady who is enthused about promoting shrubs that bare edible fruits asked for information about chokecherry. She reminded me that, like her, there are many new people now living in this area who know very little about plant life adaptable to northwest North Dakota and northeast Montana. So, my lead-off...
This past week I had the opportunity to drive through the eastern two-thirds of the county. The countryside has a beauty we do not see often. On the negative, the number of acres planted exceeded my expectations. It looks like there will be a few more acres of corn to harvest this fall, anyway, I hope so. The last time we gave corn a good try on the non-irrigated acres, the summer and fall did not produce enough heat units to make corn again. Compared to wheat, we know that the above ground...
Weed resistance to popular herbicides is a growing concern amongst those of us involved in producing crops for the world’s growing population. I have not heard many crop growers in this region share resistance problems but kochia resistance to glyphosate (Roundup) and fluroxypr (Starane) is moving westward. Just a few years ago high levels of resistance were documented in southern Minnesota. Last year, there was widespread concern in eastern North Dakota that glyphosate was not killing k...
Planting a tree correctly and following recommended practices for early care are extremely important in giving the tree a good start. Besides selecting the right tree for the environment it is very important to plant it at the proper depth. The root collar should be just above the soil layer. The root collar is at the bottom of the main stem which slightly flares out just before the roots begin. When planting trees there is a rhyme that goes as follows: plant too high the tree will die; plant...
As I write this column (May 21) the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network reports there have been approximately 200 accumulated insect degree days in the Williston and Stanley area. This data has some implications as to when we can expect adult alfalfa weevil emergence which is around 250-300 degree days. Degree days are calculated by averaging the high and low temperatures of each day and subtracting the base of 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on day time temperatures, it is possible...
The optimum plant population for corn production has been increasing in recent years. Much of the gains in corn productivity have been attributed to higher populations and corn hybrids that are adapted to these higher populations. Also, in drought prone areas, high populations are needed to reach maximum yield. Based on data from research conducted at NDSU and by other regional entities, plant population in drought prone areas with an expected yield of less than 100 bushels per acre, should be...
If you’re a gun owner, whether it be rifle, pistol or shotgun you undoubtedly have one lingering question: “Where’s my ammo.” Walk in to any spring goods or gun store in search of ammo for your guns and you’re apt to come away empty handed. The problem is so acute that many large retailers (Cabelas, Scheels, etc.) have placed limits on the amount any customer can buy (assuming, of course, that the customer can find it). So where have all the shells gone? Panic buying by those who fear more restrictions on guns and gun owners may be a factor. W...
Spring is here and new homeowners are very enthused about beautifying their new home with trees, shrubs and a lawn. Developing a home landscape plan can be fun but requires a lot of hard labor and patience as plants, especially trees, grow to maturity. When it comes to trees for new home yards and farmsteads we tend to prefer those that grow fast. Years ago, we looked to the Siberian Elm to fulfill growth expectations. Many were planted in field shelterbelts, around farmsteads and homes. It...
Livestock manure has value. It can provide valuable nutrients to crops grown on land where it is applied. However, the exact amount of nutrients can be highly variable. According to data archived at the NDSU Soil Testing Laboratory the nitrogen content of manure from beef cattle ranged from 6.7 to 64.8 pounds per ton. Similar ranges were also found for phosphorus and potassium. These variations in nutrient content are associated with diet, age and storing practices. With such variation in...
Spring must be coming. Anyway, the thought of green grass is on the minds of many people. When is a good time to plant grass to establish a new lawn? What should I seed and should it be fortified? These are frequent questions this time of year. Let’s start with the first question – When is a good time to use Kentucky blue grass as the base species with maybe a sprinkling of fescue which tends to be more shade tolerant. I encourage homeowners to plant the grass just as soon as daytime tem...
It’s disappointing that the Legislature tabled SB 295 – the bill to repeal the oil and gas tax holiday. Had it passed, the bill would have provided millions in new revenue to communities in eastern Montana that are facing major infrastructure expenses due to the oil boom. Now, instead of generating new funds to address the impacts, the Legislature is moving forward proposals that raid the general fund. All of the remaining bills that are still moving forward take this approach. Why are we giving the oil and gas industry a break while sim...
We at AWARE Inc., the Montana affiliate of The Arc, are proud to join advocates across the country to recognize March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. This month commemorates the progress in improving the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and highlights the challenges that remain in achieving full inclusion. The Arc’s advocacy efforts were crucial to President Ronald Reagan’s signing of a proclamation in 1987 affirming that “Americans are becoming increasingly aware that such disab...
In recent years North Dakota crop producers have been offered at least one new active ingredient per year for weed control. For 2011 it was saflufenacil, commonly known as Sharpen. It has become a popular herbicide for use in chickpeas, field pea, small grains and other crops. Sunflower growers can use it as a harvest aid/desiccant. In 2012 Bayer released thiencarbazone. It is a relative of flucarbazone (Everest 2.0) and propoxycarbazone which is contained in Olympus and Rimfire Max. Thiencarbaz...
Words. They’re a God thing. And they’re a human thing. Think about it. How did God create the world? By the power of His word. He spoke, “Let there be,” and there was. And what is the one biological creature He created that has the ability to speak words? Only human beings. Words are God’s domain, and because He created us to bear His image, He has made words our domain. He has given us the capacity to speak. Words. Enter Satan. Jesus describes Satan as “the father of lies.” And what does a liar do? He uses words to do something God cannot do...
Recently a cattle producer asked about the term “drop credit” as it related to beef value. Drop credit (or drop charge) is the value of nonmeat items such as blood, meat, hides, fat, bones, hair, etc. The term is also applied to pork values. Today’s drop credit for a steer or heifer is approximately $14 per cwt. live weight. Much of this value is influenced by energy prices and those parts of the animal carcass which provide energy by-products such as tallow. The weighted average price of choic...
A few weeks ago I wrote about corn being one of the most profitable crops for northwest North Dakota according to the recently released 2013 crop budget of North Dakota State University. Then Rick Bieber of Trail City, South Dakota spoke during the Wheat Show explaining how corn and the crops worked so well in his no-till cropping system. He gave corn a lot of credit for his farm’s profitability. Also, about this time, I received research reports of Williston and Minot and found two-year d...
The 60th National Hard Spring Wheat Show is now history. I may sound a bit prejudiced by saying the line-up of speakers was outstanding starting with Jolene Brown, who is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and ending with Rick Bieber, a self-spoken farmer who has taken his farm rags to riches. Jolene is an exciting public speaker with a vast amount of experience working with farm families who desire to pass the farm’s legacy from one generation to another. One of her many statements w...
Plans for the 13th annual MonDak Pulse Day are now complete. It will take place on Wednesday, February 20 at the Airport International Inn in Williston beginning at 8:30 am CST with registration. One of the featured speakers will be Dr. Rosalind Buckert, Professor at the University of Saskatchewan. Some of her research is to study whole plant and field responses of crops (particularly pulse crops) to nutrients, water, and weather. In her research, she is working to understand and improve yield...
It seems everyone wants to bury a pipeline from Canada to Texas. Has anyone thought of processing oil through a refinery in North Dakota and then deliver the finished product? This seems to me it could really reduce cost of gas and other products throughout the United States from a more centralized area than out of Texas. Lloyd DeBruycker, Dutton, MT...
“The Top Ten Mistakes That Break Up a Family Business” is one of two topics that Jolene Brown, a family business consultant, will address during the National Hard Spring Wheat Show on Tuesday, February 5. Jolene is an award winning communicator who has spent many hours sitting around kitchen tables and family business meeting rooms. She has learned what works and what doesn’t. During her first presentation she will discuss the following: 1)The top ten assumptions that create major problems for i...
Some of 16 experts scheduled to speak during this year’s National Hard Spring Wheat Show will include representatives of four commodity groups who work hard to make sure there is profitability in providing the crops they represent. All are scheduled to report to area producers on Tuesday afternoon, February 5. Doug Opland and Deanna Weise, President and Executive Director respectively, of the U.S. Durum Growers Association will share efforts of that organization to maintain the dominance of that...
