June 15, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Leaders, Legends and Legacies Football Camp to be held July 9-11

MSGA’s Executive Vice President and Montana State University Football alumnus, Errol Rice, will participate in this camp as a coach.

The Leaders, Legends and Legacies Football Camp is gearing up for its 3rd annual camp July 9-11 in Ekalaka, Mont. The camp is an all-inclusive nonprofit event which is free to all Montana high school football athletes who register to attend. This exceptional program focuses on strength and conditioning, nutrition, football fundamentals, personal character development, overcoming challenges and developing a healthy self esteem in both life and in football.

“This camp was designed with our future in mind and we are giving young men the tools, direction, discipline and motivation they need to become Montana’s future leaders in many different forms—coaches, teachers, businessmen, fathers and neighbors,” said Ty O’Connor, the camp’s organizer and former All American defensive lineman for Montana State University. “Our goals are to provide these kids with an enjoyable, safe and healthy environment in far Eastern Montana that is free of outside distractions during a weekend where they will learn both physical development techniques and mental preparedness for their careers in athletics, academics and life.”

Over twenty accomplished college football alumni including current NFL Tennessee Titans player and former Montana State University linebacker Ken Amato will be on hand to teach the camp.

“All of these coaches have been asked to help with this camp because they are individuals who in my mind are proven leaders and role models. They each embody steadfast character and they are driven and compassionate about passing on a legacy of integrity to the game of football,” says O’Connor. “They have spent many hours helping to prepare for this great event. Most have traveled great distances, taken time off work, and leave young families at home in order to help with this camp. These coaches have given so much of themselves without any compensation, not to mention the many other items donated from them like money, football gear, awards, T-shirts and food to make the camp a success.”

This year’s camp begins at noon on Friday, July 9, and ends in the afternoon on Sunday, July 11. A ceremony will take place on the last day to hand out many different awards including a $1,000 college scholarship. All meals are provided and each athlete will receive a camp T-shirt. For more details or to register please call Ty or Rachael O’Connor at (406) 775-6000 or email [email protected].

June 7, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Photo slideshow from South Phillips County, Montana

Click the play button to see a selection of photos from Lauren Chase’s time with ranchers in South Phillips County, Montana. You can view the same photos and read their captions by clicking this link to Facebook. You can also see this slideshow full screen by clicking any place in the box and selecting “view full screen.”

June 6, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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What Lauren learned while spending time with ranchers in South Phillips Co. Montana

Lauren Chase South Phillips Ranch Montana

Written by media intern Lauren Chase
MALTA—After spending one week in South Phillips County Montana, I’ve come away with a lot of things, but there’s one that is the most important: the importance of agriculture producers to this country.
I grew up in Iowa, a state known for corn and pigs, but could I tell you the basics of farming? No. And when I started talking with ranchers in Montana, I realized just how embarrassing it is that I knew nothing about where my food comes from and especially how much work it is to make that food.
Back in Iowa, we have roughly seven high schools in the metro area and one that is in the outskirts of town. That one is known as “cow pie high” because farmer’s kids go there. I’m sure they know about the work farmers and their families dedicate to the production, but the rest of us, just fifteen minutes away aren’t taught even the basics and therefore, make fun of it. I think that is ridiculous now.
Starting at a young age, every child in this country needs to know why we have farms, why we raise livestock, and why individuals do back-breaking labor from sunrise to sunset. It is to keep their families, communities and the world from going hungry and I think they need more appreciation for what they do.

June 4, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Last day to pre-register for Mid-Year; Great lineup of speakers scheduled for Friday, June 11

With MSGA’s Mid-Year meeting fast approaching, today is the last day to pre-register. (Click here to see the event schedule and registration form.) We have an outstanding line up of speakers and discussions set for Friday’s Opening General Session and Committee meetings.

Jim Peterson, a Buffalo, Mont. rancher and chairman of the U.S. Meat Export Federation will keynote the Opening General Session which begins at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 11. Peterson will discuss the outlook for beef exports this year. (Click here to for a preview of Peterson’s comments with an audio file of Peterson discussing the recent USMEF Board of Directors Meeting.) Errol Rice, MSGA’s executive vice president, and Ariel Overstreet, MSGA’s manager of communications, will also discuss “MSGA’s Issues and Media Response for the 21st Century: Embracing Social Media.”

Committee meetings will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday. The Tax, Finance and Ag Policy Committee will feature a discussion of rural families and the new health care legislation. Senate Finance Committee staffer, David Schwartz, will present an overview of the process and complexities of the legislation. An insurance representative has also been invited to discuss the health care insurance implications for ranch operations and rural families. Representatives from Montana’s congressional delegation will be on hand to give a legislative and 2010 Farm Bill update to the committee. Mike Faupel, program manager for the University of Arkansas’ Applied Sustainability Center at the Sam M. Walton College of Business , will discuss sustainability issues and their affect on the beef marketplace for both the Tax, Finance and Ag Policy Committee (afternoon) and the Beef Production and Marketing Committee (morning). The Beef Production and Marketing Committee will also feature a brucellosis panel discussion with veterinary officials from Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and USDA APHIS. They will address brucellosis-related issues including surveillance, vaccination and wildlife. There will be an opportunity for those in attendance to ask questions to the panelists. The Land Use and Environment Committee will discuss wolf depredation and a new research project that is seeking to discover the additional impacts wolves have on cattle beyond depredations. The Committee will also hear from Steve Becker, State Conservation Engineer for the Natural Resource Conservation Service, who will present a new Feedlot Runoff Model. Also on the agenda for this committee is NorthWestern Energy’s MSTI project proposal.

The Business Session will take place immediately following the conclusion of the committee meetings. Committee chairs will give their reports from the meetings and Bill Donald, Melville rancher and President-Elect of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, will present NCBA’s proposed restructuring plan.

After the meetings on Friday, MSGA will have a prime rib dinner with music provided by the Dillon Junior Fiddlers at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds. Then there will be three fun events to choose from on Saturday, June 12. We will kick the day off with a parade through Dillon featuring horse and horse drawn entries only. Then attendees will have the choice of participating the Cow Pasture Golf Scramble or a tour of four of the area’s ranches. Today is the last day to pre-register so click here to see the schedule of events, lodging information, and registration form. You can print it out and fax it in today to receive the pre-registration discount!

June 4, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA Friday Video Update with Errol Rice – President’s “Great Outdoors Initiative”

In this week’s MSGA Friday Video Update, Errol Rice, MSGA’s Executive Vice President, discusses recent meetings about President Obama’s “Great Outdoors Initiative.” MSGA is encouraging the federal government to include ranchers in discussions about conservation initiatives. MSGA has emphasized the Undaunted Stewardship program as an example an innovative partnership that helps conserve working ranchlands. To learn more visit www.undauntedstewardship.montana.edu/. Rice also details some of the speakers and discussions that will take place at MSGA’s Mid-Year meeting next week in Dillon, Mont.

May 27, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Court rejects Montana ranchers’ plea for bison management


This afternoon, District Judge John Brown in Bozeman rejected the plea of Montana ranchers to order proper enforcement of the IBMP by the state of Montana. In this video, Errol Rice, Executive Vice President of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, responds to the ruling and discusses MSGA’s next steps in addressing the complicated bison and brucellosis issue.

May 27, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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***RSVP by 10 p.m. TONIGHT*** Public Listening Sessions to be held on the President’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, June 2

There will be three listening sessions on the President’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative in Bozeman, Helena, and Missoula, next Wednesday, June 2 from 9-11 a.m. MSGA will attend the Helena listening session, if you are unable to attend, please let us know if you would like us to ubmit any comments for you, or see below for directions to submit comments directly.

Here is the info we received on the listening sessions:

On April 16, at the White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors, President Obama signed a memorandum establishing the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to develop a conservation agenda worthy of the 21st century and to reconnect Americans with our great outdoors. The President understands that protecting and restoring the lands and waters that we love and reconnecting people to the outdoors must happen at the local level.

Therefore, President Obama directed the principal leaders of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to travel across the country to listen and learn from people directly involved in finding grassroots solutions to conserving our lands and waters and reconnecting Americans to the outdoors. The President indicated that the sessions should engage the full range of interested groups, including tribal leaders, farmers and ranchers, sportsmen, community park groups, foresters, youth groups, businesspeople, educators, State and local governments, and recreation and conservation groups. This will be an opportunity for you to tell us about what you are doing to address the challenges and opportunities surrounding modern-day land and water conservation and ways that you are reconnecting Americans to the outdoors.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 2nd, 9-11 a.m.

WHERE:
Montana State University
Strand Union Building
Bozeman, Montana

Red Lion Colonial Hotel
2301 Colonial Drive
Helena, Montana

The University of Montana
University Center
32 Campus Drive
Missoula, Montana

WHO WILL BE LISTENING: Washington, D.C. representatives will be there to hear your thoughts and to participate in a conversation with you about America’s Great Outdoors. These representatives will include:

-Secretary Vilsack’s staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA);
-Secretary Salazar’s staff at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI); and/or
-Staff from the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Local leaders from USDA and DOI will also be there to listen to your ideas.

This event is open to the public. Please let us know if you will attend so that we can plan accordingly. You can do that by sending an email with your name, address, and telephone number to [email protected] by 10:00 p.m. MT on Thursday, May 27, 2010. We will contact you if we reach capacity.

In the event you are unable to participate in person, please submit your comments and stories via the America’s Great Outdoors website at http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/. If you have questions, please call Bart Huber at (406) 587-6957. We hope you will participate and look forward to hearing from you.

May 26, 2010 2 Comments Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Meet Lauren

montana stockgrowers lauren chase

Hi all! My name is Lauren Chase and I am from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I’m finishing up my final year at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Go Hawks! I have a double major in journalism and anthropology and a minor in Spanish. This summer, I am the media intern for the Montana Stockgrowers Association.

You’re probably thinking: What’s a girl from Iowa going to do to help Montanan ranchers? I am here to help tell your stories and have others become aware ofthe important work you do every day. My aim is to get your message to a broader, more multimedia-based audience. Social media has taken over all forms of communication and therefore, we must utilize these tools to reach the world!
My specialty is visual story-telling so if you see me with a camera, feel free to say hello. We are always looking for story ideas and if you think you have a story to tell, let us know. You can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaurenMSea or e-mail me: [email protected]. Be sure to watch for updates of news, video and photographs. You can also follow the MSGA: http://twitter.com/msgacom.
May 21, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA Friday Video Update with Errol Rice

In this week’s MSGA Friday Video Update, Errol Rice, MSGA’s Executive Vice President, discusses the complex issue of brucellosis, the Designated Surveillance Area, and MSGA’s efforts to move forward to develop a collaborative strategy to address brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Errol also invites all Montana’s cattle ranchers to attend MSGA’s Mid-Year meeting , June 10-12 in Dillon, at the University of Montana-Western campus, especially the June 11 meeting of the Cattle Health Committee, which will dedicate an entire afternoon session to the discussion of brucellosis.

May 21, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA, Montana Ford Stores team up to give one lucky MSGA member a 2011 Ford F-250 truck

The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) is excited to announce that the Montana Ford Stores is continuing its partnership with MSGA, designating Ford “The Official Truck of the Montana Stockgrowers Association.”

“We make a great team because ranchers rely on quality, dependable trucks that can hold up to the demands of a working ranch,” said Tom Hougen, MSGA president. “This year we are very excited to announce that one lucky member will drive home from our annual convention with full ownership of a 2011 Ford F-250.”

The truck is a silver 2011 model F-250 4×4 XLT Premium featuring 85 more horsepower and better fuel efficiency than the 2010 model, a sync-voice activated system, LCD productivity screen, block heater, 5th wheel hitch prep, and power scoping trailer mirrors.

To be eligible to win the 2011 Ford F-250, you must be current MSGA member, fill out an entry form, and be present at annual convention in December when the truck winner will be drawn from the entries. For more information about the MSGA/Ford partnership, please visit www.mtbeef.org or call (406) 442-3420. To join MSGA click here!