Montana Padlock Ranch Environmental Stewardship
October 9, 2013 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Padlock Ranch among regional Environmental Stewardship award winners

Montana Padlock Ranch Environmental StewardshipNCBA Press Release

DENVER – Seven cattle operations from across the country were recognized as 2013 regional Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) winners during the 2013 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver, Colo., today. The seven regional winners will compete for the national ESAP award, which will be announced during the 2014 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn.

ESAP, now in its 23rd year, was created to recognize beef producers who make environmental stewardship a priority on their farms and ranches while they also improve production and profitability. The ESAP award is sponsored by Dow AgroSciences; USDA-NRCS; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA); and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation.

The regional winners are Mountain Meadows Farm, Sudbury, Vt.; Kissimmee Park Properties, St. Cloud, Fla.; BitterSweet Acres, Greenville, Iowa; Frank and Sims Price Ranch, Sterling City, Texas; Padlock Ranch Company, Ranchester, Wyo.; Kualoa Ranch, Kane‘ohe, Hawaii; and Gracie Creek Landowners Association, Burwell, Neb.

Regional and national award winners have been commended for their commitment to protecting the environment and improving fish and wildlife habitats while operating profitable cattle operations. The common trait among all winners is the desire to leave the land in better shape for future generations while also inspiring the next generation of land stewards.

“America’s farmers and ranchers are passionate about their land, and it shows through conservation and environmental stewardship efforts,” said NCBA President Scott George. “The cattle industry is continually improving upon our environmental sustainability, and these seven finalists set an example that we should all strive to achieve. We look forward to naming one of these seven great cattle operations as our 2014 national ESAP award winner in Nashville next year.”

Montana Stockgrowers 2013 Film Festival Logo
October 8, 2013 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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2nd Annual Montana Stockgrowers Film Festival

Montana Stockgrowers 2013 Film Festival LogoOn any ranch, there are countless stories to be told. Get out your video cameras and help tell the story of Montana family ranching to the world. Create a documentary, photo slide shows, or how-to videos. As long as it involves ranching, we’ll take it. The videos will then be published on the MSGA YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Your online vote, along with votes at annual convention, will determine the winner. Don’t worry – you’ll get a prize for your hard work!

Please send your entries to Lauren either on a DVD or by email by NOVEMBER 1. If you need help editing your video or have any questions, please contact Lauren.

Fred Wacker Montana Cross Four Ranch
September 10, 2013 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Fred Wacker – Miles City Ag Producer of the Year

The Fred Wacker family and Cross Four Ranch recently were recognized with the Ag Producer of the Year award for the Miles City area. The annual award, given by the Miles City Chamber of Commerce, recognizes a family or agriculture operation in Southeastern Montana who exemplify good agricultural production practices and a long-term commitment to the community.

Wacker is a third-generation Montana rancher. Cross Four Ranch operates in Custer and Rosebud Counties as a cow/calf, yearling, and a finished cattle operation. The entire Wacker family is involved in the operation and specializes in All Natural Cattle. Fred and his wife, Gwen, have four adult children: Sara Rehm, Julie Nowicki, Karen Martin, and Mike Wacker.

Fred Wacker was elected to the MSGA Board of Directors representing the Southeastern District in 2011.

Wacker has served as chairman of MSGA’s Marketing Committee is a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Live Cattle Marketing Committee, and served as Montana Cattle Feeders vice president, 2004-2005. Outside of the beef industry, Wacker has served on the Custer County Water & Sewer District Board (including four years as chairman), the Custer County Planning Board, and as president of the Miles City Kiwanis.

Montana Stockgrowers congratulates Mr. Fred Wacker and family for the recognition.

June 21, 2013 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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LaSalle Ranch of Havre named winner of 2013 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award

MSGA announced today that the LaSalle Ranch of Havre has been selected winner of the 2013-2014 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award, sponsored by MSGA’s Research, Education and Endowment Foundation, funded by Montana Beef Producers with Checkoff Dollars. LaSalle Ranch is a cow/calf and yearling operation mostly located within the boundaries of the Rocky Boys Indian Reservation. The LaSalles are members of the Chippewa Cree Tribe and the first Native American winners of this award. (more…)

April 13, 2012 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Own a piece of Montana history!

MSGA still has copies of “The Weak Ones Turned Back, The Cowards Never Started: A Century of Ranching in Montana” available. The book features 142 Montana ranches that were 100 years or older in 2009. Copies are $50 each, including shipping and handling. Click below to download the order form which you can call, fax, or mail in.
Book Order Form

March 2, 2011 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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A Visit to Cayuse Livestock Co.

cayuse livestock montana bill donald

Yesterday, Lauren Chase had the opportunity to spend the day at Bill Donald’s Montana ranch, Cayuse Livestock Co. Bill is the current president of theNational Cattlemen’s Beef Association, past-president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association and founder of the Crazy Mountain Stockgrowers Association. He runs a ranch near Melville with his wife Betsy, sons, and grandchildren. On this visit, the crew was freeze branding in the calving shed. His grandson William helped him feed cows later in the day. To see more photos click here and to see an audio slide show click here. 

February 28, 2011 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Sitz Angus Ranch Calving

Sitz Angus Ranch has a great reputation of having some of the best Angus genetics. February is calving season and MSGA’s Multimedia Outreach Specialist, Lauren Chase, was able to spend a few days with the crew. To find out more information about Sitz Angus Ranch, check out their website: Sitz Angus Ranch. 

sitz angus ranch calving

To see all the photos from her trip, head on over to Facebook for a view! Click here. 

February 23, 2011 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Ehlke Herefords – Townsend

Ehlke Herefords in Townsend, Montana is a family-owned ranch that focuses on the female. Mark, Della, Jane’a and Lacey work the ranch with Ryan Hamilton. The Ehlke Family is a great group of people and have worked hard to develop the Hereford breed.  Check out photos from Lauren’s visit to the ranch during calving season. Click here. 

January 17, 2011 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Applications to attend Young Cattlemen’s Conference due Feb. 15

Montana Young Cattlemens ConferenceMSGA’s Research, Education, and Endowment Foundation (REEF) is accepting applications to send one participant to the Young Cattlemen’s Conference tour, held June 2-9. The tour exposes young cattlemen to all areas of the cattle industry ranging from industry structure to issues management, from production research to marketing, and is designed to develop leadership qualities. Many past attendees from Montana have described this tour as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” (Including last year’s participant, Tater Erickson who is pictured at right with Melville, MT rancher and NCBA President-elect, Bill Donald, left, and John Goggins with the Western Ag Reporter out of Billings, MT, center.) REEF will pay the full cost of the tuition (approximately $2,700) and will provide $500 for travel costs.

The tour will host 45 participants from across the country and will begin in Denver with a comprehensive overview of the industry. The group will take an in-depth look at many of the issues affecting the cattle industry and what NCBA is doing to address these issues on behalf of its members, plus receive a comprehensive view of market information from Cattle-Fax. The group will then travel to JBS Five Rivers’ Kuner Feedyard, one of the nation’s largest cattle feeding operations, a one-time capacity of over 100,000 head located in Northern Colorado. The group will then tour the JBS Greeley facility, one of the nation’s largest beef packing and processing plants. JBS will host the group and will share their views of the beef industry from a processor standpoint. Chicago is the next destination where the group will visit the Chicago Board of Trade & OSI, Inc. one of the nation’s premiere beef patty manufacturers. The participants will then travel to the nation’s Capitol where they will get a chance to meet with their respective congressmen and senators. In addition, the group will visit with a number of regulatory agencies that make decisions affecting agriculture.

2011 will be the 32nd year the Young Cattlemen’s Conference tour has been conducted. Over 1,000 cattlemen and women have graduated from the YCC program since its inception in 1980. For an individual to participate in the YCC, he or she must be nominated by one of NCBA’s affiliate members, be between the ages of 25 to 50 and be an NCBA member. Participants will need to arrive in Denver on June 1 and may depart from Washington, D.C. on June 10. To apply, visit MSGA’s website and download the application form. If you have any questions, please contact Ariel at [email protected] or at the MSGA office, (406) 442-3420.

August 10, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA’s Research, Education, and Endowment Foundation

Dusty Hahn, chairman of the Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Research, Education, and Endowment Foundation (REEF), explains what the foundation is and why it’s an important entity to help educate young people about the beef industry. For more information about REEF and to find out ways to support the foundation, please contact MSGA at (406) 442-3420 or visit us online: www.mtbeef.org. This video is brought to you by MSGA’s REEF.