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Rudi, Roadways and Rural Responsibility Rudi, my 3-year-old wonderful German Shepherd, and I have a quarterly project. We take a garbage bag while walking to collect garbage. We live in rural Yellowstone County, Montana. We’ve done this for the past couple of years and “patrol” a 3-mile stretch (a 1 ½ out-and-back route on both sides). This past weekend we also walked the next half-mile stretch on both sides. Unfortunately, there is never a lack of things to collect, especially aluminum cans, plastic water bottles, cigarette butts, food wrapper...
The Sunshine Snippers 4-H Club would like to say a big thank you to Montana Farmers Union for awarding our club a $100 Sentence Grant. Montana Farmers Union is a nonprofit organization that started as a grassroots movement and works to support family farms, ranches, and rural communities. We are very thankful for their investment in 4-H youth like us. Our club is excited to use this money for team-building and leadership activities. Opportunities like this help us learn new skills, build confidence, and work better together as a team. These...
The Risks of Hauling Pregnant Cows is Greatest in First Trimester The following article was written by Chevy-Lynn Vaske, Kansas State Extension Service. Transporting pregnant cows may seem routine, but timing and management decisions can have significant impacts on the success of the herd, according to experts from the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute. During a recent episode of the BCI Cattle Chat podcast, veterinarians and beef cattle experts emphasized that moving pregnant cattle requires careful consideration to avoid...
Looking Up and Slowing Down As I was scrolling through today’s news, an article intrigued me enough to click and read more. The International Space Station (ISS) has been in orbit for more than 25 years. It orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, and the crew sees 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. I learned that the ISS is often visible to us Earthlings as it speeds overhead at 17,500 miles per hour. I also learned the “Spot the Station” app is available that tells exactly where in the sky the ISS will appear and how high in the sky it will...
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...
Big Sandy Medical Center is moving forward with a renewed focus on stability, continuity and community-centered care, according to Interim CEO Carissa Bergren, who said her priority is to build on the strengths already in place while guiding the organization through a thoughtful period of transition. Bergren brings more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience to the role, including leading teams and managing operations across multiple states. At the same time, she brings something more personal to the position: deep local roots and a...
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...
More Good Days, Together As I sit at my kitchen table and look at the snow flurry-filled gray sky, I can’t help but think about last weekend when temperatures were hovering around eighty degrees and I spent most of the weekend doing yard work. It was too warm for this time of the year, for sure, but the blue sky and the chirping birds and the upcoming gardening season made the time fly by. Pulling weeds didn’t seem like a chore, but more like a small treat in that it allowed or required me to be outside immersed in nature. Now as pumpkin sou...
Wealth should be worn like a light cloak—something that provides comfort while you carry out the work God has called you to do. This paraphrase of a Richard Baxter quote shaped much of American Puritan thinking. Hard work often resulted in worldly wealth, but Baxter warned that wealth itself is a temptation. It is far too easy to let what we accumulate—and the comfort it brings—become an idol. The light cloak, he cautioned, can quickly become an iron cage if it traps us into living for worldly pursuits rather than for the purpose God creat...
Every year on April 22, communities across the United States—and around the world—pause to recognize Earth Day, a moment dedicated to protecting the land, water, and resources that sustain us. In 2026, that message carries a simple but powerful theme: “Our Power, Our Planet.” The phrase may sound global, but its meaning is deeply local—especially in rural communities like ours, where the connection between people and the land is part of everyday life. The History Behind Earth Day Every year on A...
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...
Adult women in the Havre community are being invited to take part in a Montana State University–Northern research project that measures resting metabolism and provides insight into overall wellness. Led by Chad Spangler, professor of Integrated Health Sciences, the study uses indirect calorimetry, a noninvasive test that measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production to determine how much energy the body uses at rest and what fuel sources—fat, carbohydrates, or protein—the body relies on for energy. “This test tells us how much en...
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...
The open house will be held April 9 at the Best Western on the hill HAVRE– Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host an open house and present information on the Fresno fishery in Havre on April 9, starting at 6 p.m., at the Best Western Plus Inn and Suites “on the hill” at 1425 Highway 2 NW in Havre. Havre-area FWP fisheries biologist Cody Nagel and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) staff will provide updates, including: •FWP reviewing the 10-year fisheries management plan and the status of the Fresno fishery, including a review of the 2025 netting r...
Learn how to use local ingredients to make from-scratch products during the upcoming From Scratch From Here workshop hosted by Montana Farmers Union from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 25, at Brooks Market in Lewistown. The event is open to community members. The $15 cost for MFU members or $25 for non-members includes all workshop materials needed to take home a pint jar of beef, lentils to sprout, condiment, beeswax wrap, and lunch. Attendees will also learn more about how to connect with local producers. Registration is required at...
Our 4-H meeting started off with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Antonio and the 4-H Pledge led by Natalie, with the roll call question of, "What is your favorite part of St. Patrick's Day?" After our reports, which can be found on our Facebook page, was the Archery report. This month's Archery Report/County Shoot Report was given by our archery instructor, Jarret Jacobi. An extra thank you to Jarret for dedicating his time into teaching us-you are really appreciated! Next, we talked about the...
10 Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey Results The Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey was started by Judee Wargo in 1993 to assist farmers with determining recropping potential on cereal grain stubble. After 33 years, the Chouteau County Extension Office continues to compile data for determining recropping potential and providing the state drought committee with soil moisture information. Testing for soil moisture took place in Chouteau County on March 23rd and 24th. All winter wheat locations exceeded 3.5 feet of stored soil moisture,...
The Quiet Power of Sunshine Over the weekend, a storm blew across Montana that brought several inches of heavy, wet snow to many areas. It should help with incredibly dry conditions that much of the state is suffering. We endured terrible winds for two days prior to the storm…so for about four days we had dark, heavy, gray skies. I noticed what a foul mood I was in on Day 4 of the clouds. Though I was grateful for the precipitation, I felt down, had low energy, and was generally cranky. The next day I woke up to blue skies and the clouds q...
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...
Each year, communities across the United States pause to recognize the farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers who provide the food, fiber, and fuel that sustain the nation. Agriculture Appreciation Week, often observed in March, is a time to celebrate the people whose daily work keeps grocery shelves stocked and rural communities thriving. For towns across Montana, agriculture is not just an industry—it is a way of life passed down through generations. The Roots of Agriculture Appreciation Agriculture Appreciation Week grew from broader e...
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...
So far, this year’s cheer season has been one to remember. Ali Morsette, myself, along with underclassman Natalie Lavenger, have been coming up with new moves and new cheers to get the student section to participate more. Chase Gasvoda continues to don the Pioneer mascot costume for home games. We try to keep positive attitudes and lift each other up because that is what being a team is all about. Come, watch a game and cheer along with us! Go, Pioneers!...
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...