September 11, 2017 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
Share:

Montana Department of Ag Expands Hay Lottery

Helena, Mont. – The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) has announced the expansion of the Montana Hay Lottery. MDA is partnering with Miles Community College to house the donated hay and help with logistics and the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation to help coordinate cash donations to be used for transportation costs. The lottery will be administered by MDA, with drawings taking place in early October. Producers who have already applied for the lottery, but were not chosen in the first drawing, will still be eligible for subsequent drawings.

“The outpouring of support for Montana’s ag community has been nothing short of amazing. We saw a need to help coordinate donations, so we decided to expand the lottery,” said MDA Director Ben Thomas. “We are grateful to MCC and the Stockgrowers for partnering with us to get these resources to those affected by fires and drought.”

Those interested in making donations of hay/feed or transportation should call MDA’s Fire & Drought Assistance Hotline at 1-844-515-1571. Those interested in making a cash donation should call the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation at (406) 442-3420.

Livestock producers interested in applying for the hay lottery must submit an application at http://agr.mt.gov/Hay-Lottery-2017. Eligible producers must be from a D2, D3 or D4 or fire-affected county and own at least 25 animal unit equivalents of state-specific livestock. The latest drought monitor depicting the drought levels of specific counties may be found at http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?MT.

The application deadline is September 30, 2017.

The hay will be distributed in semi-load lots with the next drawing in early October. If additional donations are taken in after that date, more drawings will occur. Producers that are selected will be responsible for arranging transportation of the hay from the Miles Community College in Miles City.

Questions about filling out the hay lottery application may be directed to MDA’s Fire & Drought Assistance Hotline at 1-844-515-1571.

The Montana Department of Agriculture’s mission is to protect producers and consumers, and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries. For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit agr.mt.gov.

July 31, 2017 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
Share:

Agriculture Fire & Drought Assistance Hotline

As drought conditions worsen and fires burn throughout the state, the Montana Department of Agriculture has launched the Agriculture Fire and Drought Assistance Hotline. The hotline will serve as a tool to help connect those affected to available resources, programs and donations, as well as to provide information on how others can help. Questions related to hay/feed donations, livestock, fencing, and transportation can be directed to the hotline. The hotline number is 1-844-515-1571 and will be staffed 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday.

“Montana’s agriculture industry has been disproportionately impacted by disasters this year, both drought and fire,” said MDA Director Ben Thomas. “There’s currently a major need for resources and there’s been an overwhelming swell of support from folks across the state and throughout the country. We saw a need to get information out about resources available and ways to help connect people to those resources.”

Montana Agriculture Fire & Drought Assistance Hotline
1-844-515-1571
Monday-Friday, 8 am–5 pm

The hotline is not an emergency number, if you are in an emergency please call 911.

Visit www.agr.mt.gov/Fire-Drought-Assistance-2017 for more information.

The Montana Department of Agriculture’s mission is to protect producers and consumers, and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries.  For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit agr.mt.gov.