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Thirteenth Annual Chouteau County Agriculture Day for 4th and 5th Graders (Reprint to add photos) The thirteenth annual Chouteau County Ag Day for 4th and 5th graders will take place at the Chouteau County Fairgrounds on May 5, 2026. All 4th and 5th graders in Chouteau County are invited to attend. Home school kids who are interested in participating need to contact the Chouteau County Extension Office at 622-3751. Youth will learn why agriculture is important to their health, home and...
Summer MSU Agricultural Field Days in the Golden Triangle The Montana State University College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Stations will once again host a series of field days at Havre, Moccasin, and Conrad. “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 Stations and the College’s dean. “Getting to share and receive...
Alfalfa Weevil Information for this article was compiled by Dr. Kevin Wanner, previous MSU Extension Entomologist and Dr. Emily Glunk, previous MSU Extension Forage Specialist. Alfalfa weevil is the key insect pest of alfalfa, causing variable levels of economic damage across Montana. Females lay eggs in alfalfa stems. Larvae hatch and crawl up to developing terminal buds where they chew small “pin” holes in the leaves. Larvae develop through four instar stages. Larger 3rd and 4th instar larvae feed openly on unfurled leaves and cause the lar...
Helping 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 garden every three years. We have a great Montguide available at the Extension office which will help you understand your soil test results so you can determine how much fertilizer to apply. The Montguide is called “Home Garden Soil Testing and Fertilizer Guidelines.” •The best time to collect a soil sample is in the...
Thirteenth Annual Chouteau County Agriculture Day for 4th and 5th Graders The thirteenth annual Chouteau County Ag Day for 4th and 5th graders will take place at the Chouteau County Fairgrounds on May 5, 2026. All 4th and 5th graders in Chouteau County are invited to attend. Home school kids who are interested in participating need to contact the Chouteau County Extension Office at 622-3751. Youth will learn why agriculture is important to their health, home and community. For thousands of years, civilization has been built upon a foundation...
Making Springtime Fertilizer Decisions in 2026 According to Clain Jones, MSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist, Dry soil conditions will result in less soil nutrient release and availability, though warmer conditions might have counteracted this to some degree. The question is how these conditions have affected soil nutrient levels and whether it’s worth re-sampling soil if it was sampled last fall.” In general, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur levels aren’t expected to change much from last fall, as dry conditions have likely preve...
10 Chouteau County Invitational Shoot Results The 4-H Shooting Sports 2026 Chouteau County Invitational Shoot was held February 28 in Fort Benton with 75 members registered to shoot. Participants were mostly from the Golden Triangle counties. Other counties participating were Liberty, Hill, Pondera, Cascade, Toole, Flathead, Lewis and Clark, Glacier, Teton, Wheatland and Gallatin. Medals went to the following Chouteau County participants: REGULAR TARGET Name Division Award Score Bradshaw, Theodore Bare Bow (ages 9-10) gold 215.00 Brown, Emma...
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 reach heights considered unsafe fearing a strong wind might blow large trees over. However, the extensive root system of a healthy tree provides adequate support for the tree. Below are a number of reasons why deciduous trees should not be topped. Starvation: Trees need leaves to manufacture starches...
Top Yielding Spring Wheat Varieties for Chouteau County Producers MSU Agricultural Research Centers have one test plot for spring wheat in Chouteau County which is managed by MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) north of Loma. A special thanks to Peggy Lamb (NARC agronomist) for establishing and maintaining the Chouteau County test plot. The Extension office would also like to thank the McKeever family for donating the use of their land for MSU research. The Loma area top three yielding spring wheat varieties (10-year average...
MontGuide Available for Bull Buyers Kari Lewis and Wendy Becker, MSU Extension Agents from Glacier County and Fort Peck Reservation have developed a resource for the bull buying season. The MontGuide is available at the Chouteau County Extension office or online at https://bit.ly/43kVAsL. Bull selection is one of the most important management decisions a producer can make. Bulls are assessed phenotypically (appearance), genotypically (their genetic potential), and on performance (feed efficiency, carcass ultrasound, etc.) Bulls have a...
Winter Tree Management During Drought Conditions Peter Kolb (PhD) MSU Extension Forestry Specialist sent this email to Extension Agents last week. It is very timely for winter tree management in drought conditions. Such warm weather events are not entirely uncommon across Montana. Most of our native tree species need a minimum chilling period before they are able to break dormancy. There is a chance that this freezing requirement has not yet been met. Studies have shown that delays do take place in the breaking of tree dormancy. Some tree...
Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Chouteau County (Please Pre-register) MSU Extension Level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Chouteau County pending pre-registration numbers. Now is your chance to participate in an excellent educational opportunity. A minimum of 15 pre-registered participants is required. The class traditionally begins the first week in March. Please contact the MSU Chouteau County Extension office at 622-3751 to pre-register. The Level 1 Master Gardener course requires 16 hours of class time, and is taught by local...
New Montguide on Native Plants for Montana’s Home Gardens Abiya (Abi) Saeed, MSU Extension Horticulture Specialist, Andrea Beery, MSU Extension, Big Horn County and Noelle Orloff, MSU Schutter Diagnostic Lab Plant Identification Diagnostician have developed a new Montguide on native plants. Hard copies are available at the Chouteau County Extension Office. Landscaping with Montana’s native plants can have countless benefits. Native plants have cold and drought hardiness, provide food and habitat for beneficial insects, including pol...
Soil Acidity Workshop in Fort Benton on February 17th The Chouteau County Conservation District, Natural Resource Conservation Service and MSU Extension are collaborating for a soil acidity workshop on February 17th from 10:00-1:30. The event will take place in Fort Benton at the Community Bible Church located at 1600 Main Street. A special thanks to the Chouteau County Conservation District for sponsoring the event and for furnishing prizes for participants. Farmers in several Montana counties are experiencing nearly complete yield loss in...
Montana’s Next Generation Conference Returns to Shelby, MT, Jan. 31, 2026 The 2026 Montana’s Next Generation Conference is back Saturday, January 31 at the Shelby High School in Shelby, MT. The conference will offer keynote speaker, Rob Sharkey, followed by 30 workshops to choose from including recordkeeping, market outlooks, marketing, crop and livestock production, succession planning and business topics. The morning will kick off with a much-anticipated keynote address “Sharks Don’t Swim Backwards” from Rob Sharkey, also known as The Shark...
Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Chouteau County (Please Pre-register) MSU Extension Level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Chouteau County pending pre-registration numbers. Now is your chance to participate in an excellent educational opportunity. A minimum of 15 pre-registered participants is required. The class traditionally begins the first week in March. Please contact the MSU Chouteau County Extension office at 622-3751 to pre-register. The Level 1 Master Gardener course requires 16 hours of class time, and is taught by local...
Thank You to Those That Helped Out on Chouteau County Agricultural Business Day A total of 75 junior and senior students from Big Sandy, Fort Benton, Geraldine, Highwood and Chouteau County home schools participated in the 2025 Chouteau County Agricultural Business Day. The event took place on December 17th. The mission statement of the event was to educate Chouteau County juniors and seniors about agricultural career opportunities in an effort to promote growth in agricultural related careers. A special thank you to those businesses that contr...
Winter Watering Trees and Shrubs The following article was written by Abiya (Abi) Saeed, MSU Extension Horticulture Specialist. With unseasonably warm temperatures and lack of snow cover in many parts of the state, winter-related injuries such as moisture loss and desiccation are hurting our trees and shrubs. Evergreens less than five years old are the most susceptible. Moisture loss due to warm temperatures and wind, as well as low moisture availability in the soils can result in root damage, stunted growth, leaf discoloration and early defoli...
Montana State University (MSU) Extension will host its annual cropping seminar series January 5-9, 2026, in the Golden Triangle area. The Fort Benton seminar will take place on Monday, January 5 at the Ag Center, 1205 20th Street. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the seminar will begin at 9:00 a.m. A special thanks to MaxAg of Montana for sponsoring the lunch. Below is a list of the topics and presenters. (60 minutes) Marketing and Risk in a Price Crunch: Kelsey Larson MSU Agriculture Economics and Economics Specialist and Andrew...
The MCSN in cooperation with the Montana Extension Service, local Conservation Districts and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, offers low-cost tree and shrub seedlings for use in conservation plantings. MCSN seedlings are for conservation practices and cannot be used for ornamental or landscape plantings. Landscape plants can be purchased at your local private retail nursery or garden center. The Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery (MCSN) will begin taking orders for shelterbelt trees at 8:00 a.m. on January 21, 2026. MSCN operates...
Christmas Tree Care There are many recommendations online for Christmas tree care that promote longevity. In truth, all a tree really needs to maintain freshness is adequate water. Longevity is easily achieved by using the proper tree stand and keeping the water level in the stand above the base of the tree. The following research-based recommendations will help to maintain the freshness and aroma of a live Christmas tree this holiday season. Use a tree stand that holds enough water for the size of the tree. The rule of thumb is one quart of...
Junior and senior students from Big Sandy, Fort Benton, Geraldine, Highwood and Chouteau County home schools will participate in the 2025 Chouteau County Agricultural Business Day on December 17th. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. – noon at the Ag Center (1205 20th Street). An estimated twenty businesses will be in attendance to educate juniors and seniors about agricultural career opportunities in Chouteau County. Businesses will specialize in a variety of fields including vet science, agronomy, grain elevator management, insurance, a...
Megan Van Emon, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, Montana State University New World Screwworm (NWS) is a species of fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) that lays eggs in the wounds of living warm-blooded animals. Eggs hatch within 12-24 hours into larvae that burrow into the wound to feed. Burrowing creates a larger wound that can lead to illness and death if not treated. The fly was once native to the Southern United States and was eradicated in 1966 with the targeted release of sterilized male flies. Since females only mate once in their...
I found an interesting article from Canadian Cattlemen Magazine on stretching hay supply with straw (bit.ly/3w4HUBK). I asked Dr. Megan Van Emon, MSU Assistant Professor, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, to review the article to see if it is a good fit for Chouteau County producers. I have included Megan’s comments. Travis Peardon, the regional livestock specialist in Outlook, Saskatchewan says straw has its limitations when used in beef cattle diets. Straw does not contain enough energy, protein, minerals or vitamins to be the sole source o...
MSU Extension Chouteau County will host an Initial Pesticide Applicator Training on December 4th, 2025 at The Ag Center in Fort Benton. The class will take place from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Lunch will be provided. If you have someone working with you on the farm or ranch who needs a license and is 18 years old or older, December 4th would be the time to get it done. Once they have passed the class they will be grandfathered in and will not have to earn three extra credits for non-soil fumigants. Private pesticide applicators who have not earned t...