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Montana’s Next Generation Conference to feature Dave Pratt and production workshops Registration is now open for Montana’s Next Generation Conference. The conference, which will take place Friday and Saturday, January 27-28, 2017, in Shelby, MT will focus on business planning for the farm or ranch and production workshops. The conference begins Friday at 11 a.m. at the Shelby Civic Center. Dave Pratt from ‘Ranching for Profit,’ will lead participants through two sessions, ‘The Three Secrets for Increasing Profit,’ and ‘Hard Work and Harmony....
Upcoming Extension Cropping Seminars for January Golden Triangle Cropping Seminar Montana State University Extension will host the annual Cropping Seminar series January 9 – 12, 2017, in Fort Benton, Chester, Shelby, Cut Bank, Choteau, Conrad, Stanford, and Great Falls. Topics will include pest identification, the top ten habits of profitable farmers, cereal variety trial updates from the local research centers, and control of ground squirrels, gophers and voles in crop settings. No pre-registration is required, and all producers are e...
Winter Feeding Tips (Don’t Waste Your Hay) This article was written by Dennis Cash, retired MSU Extension Service forage specialist. The complete article with tables is located on the MSU Extension website under forage and hay. Since your winter feeding program is likely your single largest ranch expense, reducing hay waste can save you money. Hay losses at feeding on most ranches averages about one fourth, but can easily approach half. During good haying conditions and with proper storage, most losses to alfalfa or alfalfa-grass hays can be m...
Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Fort Benton (Pre-Registration Begins Today) MSU Extension level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Fort Benton in February pending pre-registration numbers. Now is your chance to participate in an excellent educational opportunity. If fifteen people pre-register, we will have the class, which traditionally begins the third week in February. 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...
10 Golden Triangle Cropping Seminar Montana State University Extension will host the annual Cropping Seminar series January 9 – 12, 2017, in Fort Benton, Chester, Shelby, Cut Bank, Fairfield, Conrad, Stanford, and Great Falls. Topics will include pest identification, habits of profitable farmers, cereal variety trial updates from the local research centers, and control of ground squirrels, gophers and moles in crop settings. Dr. Mary Burrows, MSU Extension Plant Pathologist, will present, “Pest Identification: The cornerstone of int...
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 beetles known to attack stored grain. The Lesser grain borer belongs to the Bostrichidae family of beetles, which are mostly wood boring insects. R. dominica causes major physical and off-odor damage to grain in storage. Identifying Characteristics: Adults are dark reddish-brown to black in color,...
November Horticultural Tips Managing horticultural landscapes and house plants in November is important to healthy production during the growing season. Below are a few recommendations for Chouteau county gardeners. • Apply protective mulches to perennial beds. • Use a humidifier to maintain humidity for houseplants. • Prune out dead limbs of woody ornamentals. • Do not fertilize or transplant anything after Columbus Day. • Continue to water landscape plantings (trees, shrubs, and perennials) until the soil freezes. • Apply winter mulch to st...
Vaccination Tips on Beef Cattle Information for this article was taken from the October issue of the Cow Sense Chronicle written by Rachel Endecott, MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist. Successful vaccination depends on three critical factors: an effective vaccine, a functioning immune system, and administration of the vaccine before exposure to the disease. Some tips for effective vaccination include: • Read and follow label directions. If you are unsure, consult your veterinarian or call the vaccine company directly before using the p...
Fall Cropping Update from MSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist Information for this article came from a MSU Extension Press Release. “Both nitrogen and sulfur needs for next year’s crops should be considered said Clain Jones (MSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist) especially in areas that received well-above or well-below normal rainfall. There are several things that influence the next crop’s nitrogen requirements,” Jones said. “These include yield potential, residual nitrogen in the soil, and this year’s crop residue.” Jones encoura...
Fall is a Great Time to Order Shelterbelt Trees The Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery (MCSN) is already receiving new orders for shelter belt plantings. Rocky Mountain Juniper is the most popular windbreak species, and is sold out quite quickly. If you are interested in ordering Rocky Mountain Juniper for your shelterbelt, please place your order as soon as possible. Shelterbelt plans should be approved by the MSU Extension Chouteau County agent, Chouteau County Conservation District personnel, or MCSN staff. The minimum order for new...
Insects Affecting Livestock Production The Chouteau County Livestock Protective Association meeting will take place on Friday, November 10th at 3:00 p.m.at the Vets Hall in Geraldine. The social will begin at 5:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30. An educational presentation on insects affecting livestock production will follow dinner. Dr. Greg Johnson, MSU Extension Veterinary Entomologist will discuss fly and lice management in beef cattle. Horn flies are the most common summer pest on mature cattle in Montana. These flies spend 95% of their...
Fundamentals of Farming and Ranching for Families Conference Due to the great success of last year’s workshop, MSU Extension Chouteau County will be hosting another workshop for farm and ranch families from 8:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, 2016 at the Community Bible Center in Fort Benton. The center is located at 911 16th street in Fort Benton. Daycare will be provided for attendees upon request. Lunch is sponsored by Farm Bureau Federation and Jared Vielleux from Farm Bureau Financial Services. The workshop will include s...
Range Renovation Conference in Fort Benton and Stanford MSU Extension is sponsoring a range renovation conference in Fort Benton and Stanford on Thursday, October 20th. The morning seminar will take place in Fort Benton from 8:00-11:00 at Community Bible Recreation Center located at 911 16th Street. The afternoon seminar will take place in Stanford at City Hall, from 2:00-5:00. Many producers are considering renovating their rangeland to increase grass production. In addition, seeded pastures supply nutritious forage at times during the year...
September Horticulture Questions from Chouteau County Clientele • I didn’t get my pumpkins covered when we had our first frost. Should I throw them away? According to NDSU Extension, the first light freeze usually will take out the canopy foliage and leave the fruit pretty much unharmed. Ideally, the crop should be harvested as soon as possible. If a prompt harvest isn’t possible, then hope for a week to 10 days of balmy weather with no further freezes. Harvest the pumpkins and squash at your earliest convenience. Frost blankets are highl...
Ranching Management Questions and Answers in September What herbicide do you recommend for cheatgrass management in alfalfa or an alfalfa/grass mix? Dr. Jane Mangold MSU Rangeland Weed Specialist, has talked to producers who use a low rate of Roundup (4 ounces per acre) in the early spring, prior to alfalfa and other grasses breaking dormancy. Depending on the severity of the infestation, producers may need to spray a couple years to deplete the seed bank. In addition, producers need to be careful to not stress the alfalfa/grass as a result of...
Cropping Questions from Producers in August • What is causing the dark and light colored stubble in my field after harvest? According to Clain Jones, MSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist, one explanation may be differences in fertility and soil texture. If you have sandier soil and lower nitrogen available, you are going to have lighter colored straw, greater yield, and less protein. If you have finer soil and high nitrogen available, you are going to have darker colored straw, less yield and higher protein. • Is grazing a field with wheat s...
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 (Carter), September 18 (Kenilworth and Highwood), September 20 (Big Sandy), September 25 (Fort Benton) and September 28 in Geraldine. All fruit and vegetables should be harvested before temperatures drop below 40° to 50°F. • Ripen tomatoes in a paper bag along with an apple, or hang the entire plant...
“Rolling Cows” A Cattle Semi Rollover Exercise for Emergency Responders A cattle semi-roll over exercise will take place on September 21, 2016 at the Community Bible Church Recreation Center located at 911 16th Street in Fort Benton. Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. The goal is to train first responders and others in case of an actual incident involving livestock. The event will begin with introductions and logistics followed by a functional scenario & break-out discussion groups. A working lunch will take place at 12:00 p.m. followed by...
MSU Extension releases new MontGuide factsheets on forage analysis Montana State University Extension specialists have released two new MontGuide fact sheets on forage analysis. A new four-page MontGuide, Forage Analysis Interpretation, describes why forage analyses are an important tool in livestock nutrient management. “Understanding forage analysis and how it can impact a ration feeding program is vital to maintaining herd health, improving productivity and decreasing forage waste,” said Megan Van Emon, MSU Extension beef cattle spe...
Pre-seeding fertilizer tips for farmers Clain Jones, MSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist Presented at the Montana Agricultural Business Association last winter in Great Falls. The majority of the presentation contained a variety of fertilizer tips to help producers prepare for the upcoming seeding season. In addition, information for this article was taken from the Fertilizer Guidelines for Montana Crops (EB161), which is available at the Chouteau County Extension office. • MSU Extension has an on-line tool designed to assist producers i...
Mulching is a must for lawn and garden landscapes during the hot summer. The single most serious problem with ornamental plants in Northern Plains region is not a disease, insect or mite problem; it is environmental stress. Stress affects plant material in direct and indirect ways. It can cause damage directly and weaken the plants to the point where they are vulnerable to insect and disease attack. Stress is a problem in the Plains region because we, in our landscaping efforts, are attempting to grow “alien” species (non-native for the most pa...
Blue Green Algae Poisoning in Cattle Information for this article was taken from the Cow Sense Chronicle and is located at http://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/beef/documents/7-16CowSenseChronicle.pdf. The Chronicle is authored by Rachel Endecott, MSU Extension Beef Specialist. When livestock or other animals ingest high concentrations of blue-green algae, death can occur within minutes or hours. Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, are photosynthetic bacteria that live and grow in aquatic environments. Some species are harmless, while...
Hailed out and emerged volunteer wheat should be sprayed immediately after harvest Information for this article was taken from a Kansas State University Press Release. The entire article is located at www.ag.ksu.edu. Producers often wait several weeks after harvest before making their first herbicide application to control volunteer wheat,” said Dallas Peterson, K-State Research and Extension weed management specialist. “This allows as much volunteer as possible to emerge before spraying it or tilling it the first time. Often, a second app...
Safety tips for Ranchers Using Rodenticides Information for this article was prepared by Stephen Vantassel (Vertebrate Pest Specialist for the Montana Department of Agriculture). Rodenticides must be used properly to prevent needless death or injury to people and non-target animals. Fortunately, following a few simple precautions will prevent most potential accidents. • Do not stockpile rodenticides. Restrict purchases to those needed to fulfill seasonal needs. While rodenticides do not usually weaken during storage, grain baits, for example, m...
Tree watering rules of thumb • Water trees three times a month in addition to watering your lawn. • Deep watering to a depth of 12” inches below the soil surface is recommended. Saturate the soil around the tree within the “dripline” (the outer edges of the tree’s branches) to disperse water down toward the roots. • For evergreens, water 3’-5’ beyond the dripline on all sides of the tree. • The objective is to water slowly, dispersing the flow of water to get the water deep down to the trees roots. Watering for short periods of time onl...