The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Creeping Bellflower is a Persistent Weed in Montana Lawns Creeping bellflower is an herbaceous creeping perennial in the Harebell family. Native to Eurasia, it has become widely naturalized in North America. Initially introduced as an ornamental, thi...

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in states throughout the central and western United States including Montana. Although avian influenza is a highly contagious disease to domestic poultry, there are no apparent risks to...

Insecticide-Resistant Alfalfa Weevils Found in Bighorn County Kevin Wanner (MSU Extension Entomologist) informed Extension that the alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) has developed resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in Bighorn County. He also put...

A Few Facts about Dimilin 2L Insecticide for Grasshopper Pest Management If we continue to have drought conditions, grasshopper pest populations will explode this spring. One insecticide available is Dimilin 2L. Below are a few facts about Dimilin...

Notes from Master Gardener Classes in Big Sandy and Fort Benton The Master Gardener class (Level 1) began in Fort Benton and Big Sandy on the first week of March and will finish the last week in April. A total of nine are taking the class in Fort...

Initial Private Applicator Pesticide Training in Stanford MSU Extension Judith Basin County will be offering a Private Pesticide Applicator Initial Training on April 21, 2022 in Stanford. The training will take place at the Stanford City Hall located...

Drought Persistence and Cattle Decisions from the MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Unfortunately, the drought continues to persist throughout Montana and relief is not forecasted. The current drought map has 92% of Montana in a drought, with...

Question and Answers on Grasshopper Management in Cropland 1. Why should I be concerned about grasshoppers in 2022? Drought conditions in 2021 and an open fall promoted a high egg lay which will result in large hatches this spring. If a drought conti...

Rules of Thumb to Help You Prepare for the Gardening Season Believe it or not, the gardening season will be upon us before we know it. Below are a few gardening facts to help you prepare for the upcoming season. • Soil tests should be taken in the...

Many Reasons Why Deciduous Trees Should Not Be Topped Topping is the drastic removal or cutting back of large branches in mature trees. The tree is sheared like a hedge and the main branches are cut to stubs. Many homeowners top trees when they... Full story

Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Big Sandy on March 3 (please pre-register) MSU Extension Level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Big Sandy on March 3rd from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Big Sandy Library. Now is your chance to participate in an...

The Montana State University Pesticide Education Program is offering a training in Fort Benton to assist farm applicators in safely managing pests with phosphine fumigants. Some common examples of products containing aluminum or magnesium phosphide...

The Golden Triangle Barley Conference will be in Conrad on Tuesday, February 22, 2022. The triennial event features some of the industry’s top professionals. The meeting will be held at the Pondera Shooting Sports Complex (972 Granite Rd, Conrad),...

Agricultural Testing Facility in Chinook Many Chouteau County producers are sending samples to the new agricultural testing facility in Chinook. Because of its location, producers can get test results back in a couple of days rather than a week or...

Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Fort Benton or Big Sandy (please pre-register) MSU Extension level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Fort Benton or Big Sandy in February pending pre-registration numbers. Now is your chance to participate...

2022 Montana’s Next Generation Conference will be Virtual The 2022 Montana’s Next Generation Conference will provide six evening sessions covering recordkeeping, markets, marketing, crop production, succession planning, and business topics....

Utilizing Snow as a Water Source for Wintering Cattle Careful management of snow fed cows is essential in cattle management in Montana. Consider the following points from Manitoba Agriculture. The complete article is located at bit.ly/3mmm88F. ...

Fire Fighting for Farmers Class Offered during the Cropping Seminar in Fort Benton Montana State University Extension will host a free, annual cropping seminar series January 14th in Fort Benton at the Ag Center located at 1205 20th Street. Speakers...

Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Fort Benton or Big Sandy (please pre-register) MSU Extension level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Fort Benton or Big Sandy in February pending pre-registration numbers. Now is your chance to participate...

Front Range Wool Pool Annual Meeting is December 11 in Conrad The Annual meeting of the Front Range Wool Pool will take place on Saturday, December 11 at the Moose Lodge in Conrad. The meeting will start at noon with registration and a potluck...

2022 Golden Triangle Cropping Seminar -Thanks in Advance to MaxAg for Sponsoring Lunch at the Seminar in Fort Benton Seminar in Fort Benton will be on Friday, January 14th Montana State University Extension will host a free, annual cropping seminar...

Christmas Tree Care There are many “tips” to caring for a Christmas tree that propose to make it last longer or stay greener. In truth, all a tree really needs to maintain freshness is adequate water. Longevity is easily achieved by using the pro...

Montana State University Extension has a new, free, color booklet (EB0235) is available. The booklet is a great resource for helping identify and manage pests and problems in ornamental trees and shrubs in Montana. The 240-page guide is intended to...

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