The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

MSU Extension Chouteau County Has Hay Probe and Nutrition Decision Software Sampling of hay is essential to livestock management. Hay sampling is best accomplished with a hollow core probe consisting of a stainless-steel tube and a sharp cutting...

Grasshopper Management Q&A I hear ranchers can get assistance from the USDA in grasshopper spraying. Who do I contact? Contact Eric Norderud at 406-449-5210 or erik.d.norderud@usda.gov. Please have a breakdown of private acres and government acres be...

New informational Guide on Noxious and Invasive Weed Management A new informational guide EBO242 is now available at the Chouteau County Extension office. It is titled Revegetation Guidelines: Considering Invasive and Noxious Weeds. The guide was...

Gardeners Wishlist nformation for this article came from the 2023 Urban IPM Calendar which was created by Montana State University Integrated Pest Management. Calendars are still available at the Chouteau County Extension Office. If you still have...

Dry Matter Losses of Hay from Field to Feeding This article was written by Dennis Cash, retired MSU Extension Service forage specialist. Winter feeding is likely your single largest ranch expense. Reducing hay waste can save you money. Hay losses at...

Deer Need a Little “Tough Love” in Winter Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recently sent out a warning to Montanan’s that it is illegal to feed deer under Montana law. Jim Knight, MSU Extension Wildlife Specialist (retired) explained a 2003...

MSU Extension Cropping Seminar Scheduled for January 13 in Fort Benton Montana State University Extension will host a free, annual cropping seminar on January 13 at the Ag Center located at 1205 20th Street. Three commercial or private pesticide...

Gardening tips for the Winter Season January is a time to promote healthy trees and house plants. MSU Extension has a few important recommendations for the cold winter months. • Poinsettias do best when house temperatures are consistent and placed...

Christmas Tree Care hen it comes to Christmas tree care during the holidays, the best strategy is to keep it simple. All a tree really needs to maintain freshness is adequate water. Longevity is easily achieved by using the proper tree stand and...

Grain storage inspections should begin close to Thanksgiving Inspecting grain bins for pests on or before Thanksgiving is a great rule of thumb for Chouteau County producers. The Lesser grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica is one of the most injurious...

Cropping Questions and Answers to the Chouteau County Extension Office I have a prickly lettuce problem in my farm ground. Is it an annual? Prickly lettuce is a biennial and a winter annual. Do we have herbicide resistance in prickly lettuce in Chout...

Montana State University Extension will host a free, annual cropping seminar series January 9-13 in Great Falls, Choteau, Conrad, Cut Bank, Shelby, Chester, Havre, Fort Benton, and Stanford. Speakers will cover cereal grain varieties, pea and lentil...

New Tree and Shrub Pest Diagnosis Guide Available from MSU Extension Montana State University Extension has a free, color booklet (EB0235). The booklet is a great resource for helping identify and manage pests and problems in ornamental trees and...

Dr. Jeff Mosley to Speak at Chouteau County Livestock Protective Association The Chouteau County Livestock Protective Association annual meeting will take place on Thursday, November 17th at 3:00 p.m. at the Vets Hall in Geraldine. A social will...

The article below is a portion of an article written by Peter Kolb (MSU Extension Forester). The article is available in full at the Chouteau County Extension office or on the website. The article explains the natural phenomenon of fall needle drop,...

Lawn and Garden advice for October and November Managing horticultural landscapes and house plants in November is important for healthy production during the growing season. Below are a few recommendations for Chouteau County gardeners. • Apply...

Lentil Yield and Nitrogen Fixation Response to Inoculant and Fertilizer Lentil production has grown dramatically in the northern Great Plains over the past 20 years. In Montana and North Dakota, planted acreage of lentil has increased from 67,000 in...

October is a Great Time to Order Shelterbelt Trees The Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery (MCSN) will be receiving orders on October 1st 2022. Rocky Mountain Juniper is the most popular windbreak species and sells out quite quickly. If you are int...

Fall Management of Cheatgrass in Fallow Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), also commonly called downy brome, is a problematic weed in winter wheat and in rangeland throughout Montana. Cheatgrass typically germinates in the autumn, overwinters, and...

Six 4-H and FFA Youth Meet Excellence Criteria for Livestock Carcass Quality The 2022 Chouteau County 4-H and FFA livestock carcass contest took place at Pioneer Meats in Big Timber. A total of 60 Chouteau County animals were evaluated for carcass qu...

September Horticulture Management Managing horticultural landscapes in September is essential to healthy production during the growing season. Below are a few recommendations for Chouteau County gardeners. • The average first frost is September 15...

Emerging Winter Wheat, Grasshopper Pests and Systemic Seed Treatment The following information was prepared by Kevin Wanner (MSU Extension Entomologist). Emerging winter wheat can be particularly vulnerable to damage by grasshoppers. The larger...

Thanks to our Chouteau County 4-H Club Organizational Leaders and FFA Advisors Before the Chouteau County Fair begins next week, Chouteau County Extension thanks our 4-H organizational leaders for guiding and preparing our 4-H youth through...

Top Yielding Winter Wheat Varieties for Chouteau County MSU Agricultural Research Centers have one test plot for winter wheat in Chouteau County which is managed by MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) north of Loma. A special thanks to...