MSGA to hold Mid-Year meeting in Dillon, June 10-12

MSGA to hold Mid-Year meeting in Dillon, June 10-12

The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) will hold its Mid-Year meeting, June 10-12 in Dillon. Mid-Year is one of the two major meetings MSGA holds each year. MSGA will be looking “Beyond the Barbwire” as it meets to discuss the issues facing Montana ranching families and set interim policy to guide the association through the rest of the year. MSGA will also celebrate ranching in Montana with a parade, ranch tour and its popular Cow Pasture Golf Scramble.

This year, Mid-Year will kick off on Thursday, June 10 with meetings of the MSGA Board of Directors, the Montana Grass Conservation Commission, the Montana Public Lands Council and Montana Association of State Grazing Districts Joint Directors, and MSGA’s Research, Education and Endowment Foundation. Thursday night will feature a Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Twilight Training Session at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds with a stockmanship clinic presented by Ed and David Fryer from the Castle Mountain Ranch, chute-side demonstrations, BQA certification, and dinner sponsored by Northwest Farm Credit Services. This event is free and open to the public. The Young Stockgrowers will hold their meeting with a free dinner and drinks Thursday night at the Barrett’s Park Pavilion south of Dillon.

Friday will begin with the Opening General Session where the MSGA staff will provide an issues update and a discussion of MSGA’s use of social media to tell the story of Montana’s family ranchers. Meetings of MSGA’s Beef Production & Marketing, Land Use & Environment, Membership Development & Services, and Tax, Finance & Ag Policy committees will get underway at 10 a.m., break for brown bag lunches, and conclude at 3 p.m. After the committee meetings, members will convene for a business session to finalize interim policy to guide MSGA through the rest of the year. Friday afternoon will also feature a Workers Comp Safety seminar. Friday night, Mid-Year attendees will gather at the Beaverhead County Fairgrounds to enjoy the “Beyond the Corral” steak dinner catered by the Blacktail Station with live music provided by the Dillon Junior Fiddlers. The night will feature an auction of Saturday’s golf teams to benefit MSGA’s Advocacy Fund and a “bull race” fundraiser for MSGA’s Research, Education and Endowment Foundation. Western Ranch Supply, Rocky Mountain Supply and Quality Supply will also demonstrate their different cattle chutes.

Saturday, Mid-Year participants will have the opportunity to partake in three great events during the day, a parade, ranch tour, and the Cow Pasture Golf Scramble. The parade will run through downtown Dillon beginning at 9 a.m. The theme is “Ride ‘em and Drive ‘em” and entries are restricted to horseback and horse drawn teams. The ranch tour will begin at noon, featuring Hagenbarth Livestock of Dillon, Smith 6-S Livestock of Glen, Sitz Angus of Dillon and La Cense Montana of Dillon. The Cow Pasture Golf Scramble will take place at the Sleepy Hollow Golf Course. For more information regarding the Mid-Year meeting, visit www.mtbeef.org or contact the MSGA office at (406) 442-3420.