August 21, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Dietetic interns participate in a beef from pasture to plate tour

2015 MDI Tour press release picBILLINGS – Earlier this week the Montana Beef Council hosted another successful pasture to plate tour for nearly twenty Montana Dietetic Internship (MDI) students pursuing a career as a Registered Dietitian. The tour was conducted in Two Dot, Montana with local ranchers Jed and Annie Evjene where the attendees were able to experience first-hand where and how beef is raised on the American Fork Ranch.

This year’s tour began at the historic ranch headquarters where the Evjene’s explained the family ranching operation and the history of the area to the interns to help them understand the importance of agriculture and specifically beef production.

“It is important for me to help you understand where food comes from,” Jed Evjene told the interns. “There is a lot of misinformation out there about ranching practices and we are here with our gate open for you to see real ranching practices first-hand.”

Throughout the tour the interns not only had the opportunity to see cattle and horses, but also calving facilities, rangeland and more. Jed shared his passion for maintaining the land and water as they are vital to sustainability. While touring around the ranch the interns learned about the entire beef cycle and that cattle spend the majority of their lives on pasture. Evjene’s also shared their experience of being chosen as Regional Environmental Stewardship Award recipients and the responsibility they feel to continue teaching others about ranching and their commitment to care for the cattle and natural resources.

Next, over a healthy beef lunch, the interns learned about beef nutrition from Registered Dietitian Lisa Murray, including lean cuts of beef, optimal protein levels in the diet, beef’s fatty acid profile, and new research showing beef’s positive role in heart healthy diet.

“Beef has 10 essential nutrients and just 150 calories per three-ounce serving and there are more lean beef choices today than ever before so you can feel confident in helping your patients keep beef in their diet,” said Murray.

Leaving the pasture, the tour headed to The Grand Hotel in Big Timber where Chef Amy Smith demonstrated multiple ways to cut beef as well as providing samples of recipes from The Healthy Beef Cookbook.

“Steak is cool,” exclaimed one intern after the presentation.

To complete the day, the interns then toured Pioneer Meats of Big Timber to get a back-of-the-house look at a custom butcher shop with owner Brian Engle. Brian’s passion for quality was evident as he detailed every aspect of their award-winning family-run processing facility.

The theme of the internship is a systems approach to sustainability and sustainable foods and Montana Beef Council has worked with Montana State University, Bozeman to provide this tour as a tangible learning experience during their internship. Following this tour, the interns will disperse across the state to continue their dietetic internship with rotations in clinical dietetics, community nutrition, and foodservice management.  Interns successfully completing MDI will obtain a certificate that qualifies graduates to take the dietetic registration exam.

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The Montana Beef Council is organized to protect and increase demand for beef and beef products through state, national and international consumer marketing programs including promotion, education and research, thereby enhancing profit opportunities for Montana beef producers. For more information, contact Lisa Murray, RD at (406) 656-3336 or [email protected].

August 13, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Affiliate Highlight: Crazy Mountain Stockgrowers – Big Timber

AMPThe Crazy Mountain Stockgrowers Association is made up of a group of local ranchers, farmers and producers from the Sweet Grass County area. We have a board of 9 directors, with the county extension agent serving as ex oficio. Our membership consists of over 100 members in 70 families. As individuals and as an association, we continue to watch issues that affect our county, our surrounding counties, our state, as well as at the national level.

In the winter and spring of each year, we, in conjunction with the extension office, host Rancher Roundtable Discussions. These are open to all CMSGA members as well as to the public. We bring in experts to share information on different topics and give those attending the opportunity to increase their knowledge and learn from neighboring producers.

In 2015, we hosted discussions on Vaccinations and Vaccine Protocols, Mineral Nutrition, What Cattle Buyers Look For, and Cattle Markets with Gary Brester. We also worked with the extension office to host an adult education class called ‘The Beef Puzzle’. The focus of this class was to demonstrate how a beef goes from the field to the freezer, concluding with carcass grading at a local locker plant. We plan to continue this class with a follow up on how to cook different cuts of meat. We also held a beef appreciation and promotional BBQ at our local homecoming football game.

We support local businesses and associations with their educational endeavors. In January, we were a sponsor for the Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Program that hosted family business speaker, Jolene Brown, in Big Timber. She presented her Ag family workshop on Family Communication and Estate Planning with Multiple Generations.

Our 2014 Appreciation Award was given to county extension agent, Marc King. He has proven himself a very dedicated asset to this county during his 21 years as the extension agent, and was very deserving of this award. He is a strong advocate to our local Ag industry. Congratulations to Marc.
We are also extremely proud of our South Central District Director that has been making state association news lately. Jed and Annie Evjene are members of the CMSGA and were recently awarded with the Montana and Regional Environmental Stewardship Award.
They are an integral part of the agricultural community in Sweet Grass County and we are honored to call them our friends and neighbors. Congratulations to the American Fork Ranch, Jed, and Annie Evjene.
Our primary fundraiser in 2014 was a raffle for a guided youth elk hunt. Anchor Outfitting donated this, and the hunt was held in November 2014. The winner of this hunt was a local man who chose to donate it to a 13-year-old boy in the community. We are proud to say that this young man went home with his very first elk.
Our 2015 fundraiser is a rifle raffle made by Shiloh Rifle Manufacturing Co. It is a 45-70 with brass escutcheons, semi fancy wood, pewtertip, steel shotgun buttplate, 30” heavy octagon barrel, full buckhorn and a blade front sight. We set up a booth at the local Sweet Grass Fest, informing the public of the issues that we follow and selling some of our raffle tickets. The winner of the rifle will be drawn at our Annual Banquet in November 2015.
For the 2015-2016 academic year, we awarded scholarships to three different, deserving individuals. These future agriculturists will be going into Agriculture Education, Construction Engineering and Diesel & Ag Mechanics. We expect great things in their futures and are confident that they will contribute and give back to the agricultural community.

We send out periodic newsletters to our members, helping to keep them informed on the local and state issues that are affecting our livelihoods. We strive to keep ourselves informed on current issues that may have a potentially negative affect on our operations. We continue to keep current on these issues, such as the IBMP Bison Management Plan, the Yellowstone Basin Advisory, the CKST Water Compact, and DNRC landowner rights topic.

The CMSGA is dedicated to providing our members with the services and resources necessary for their success. We intend to maintain our presence as a positive influencer in the community, and will continue to monitor all livestock, land, and health issues as they pertain to our future as producers. With the hard work and dedication of both our members and board, we are ever optimistic about the future of agriculture in Sweet Grass County.

August 3, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame announces 2015 inductions

Montana Cowboy Hall of FameThe Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center (MCHF & WHC) recently announced the eighth class of inductions into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. The inductees were chosen from a field of candidates nominated by the general public. Inductees are honored for their notable contributions to the history and culture of Montana.

“The board of trustees, our volunteer network from around the state, has reviewed this year’s nominations and completed the voting process,” said Bill Galt, White Sulphur Springs rancher and MCHF & WHC president. “This process gives local communities a strong voice in who will represent them in the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame exists to honor those—famous cowboy or not—who have made an impact in their community and serve as a symbol of Montana’s authentic heritage for future generations.”

The MCHF & WHC board of directors has designated 12 trustee districts across the state from which up to 20 trustees may be appointed. Nomination criteria established by the board for the Class of 2015 inductions allowed the election of up to one Living Inductee and two Legacy Inductees from each of the 12 districts. In the case of a tie, winning nominees are jointly inducted.

The 2015 inductees into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame are:

  • District 1: Living Award – Miles “Bud” Geer, Nashua. Legacy Award – Circle C Ranch, Zortman and Montie Montana, Wolf Point.
  • District 2: Living Award – Marvin K. Ley, Glendive. Legacy Award – C.A. “Bud” Kramer, Jordan and Chappel Brothers Corporation (CBC’s), Prairie Elk.
  • District 3: Living Award – Jack L. “Slug” Mills, Boyes (tie) and Doug Wall, Miles City (tie). Legacy Award – Charles G. Patten, Broadus and Manly Anderson Moore, Sr., Broadus.
  • District 4: Living Award – Robert “Bud” Boyce, Big Sandy. Legacy Award – Larry Kane, Big Sandy and Harry Stuart Green, Big Sandy (tie) and Miller Brothers Land and Livestock, Chinook (tie).
  • District 5: Living Award – Jay Joseph Contway, Great Falls. Legacy Award – Alfred Bertram “Bud” Guthrie, Jr., Choteau and Mary “Stagecoach Mary” Fields, Cascade (tie) and Doctor Ernest Bigalow Maynard, Choteau (tie).
  • District 6: Living Award – Eldon H. Snyder, Lewistown. Legacy Award – Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Western Music Rendezvous, Lewistown and Merle J. Boyce, Winifred.
  • District 7: Living Award – Henry Albert “Hank” Scobee, Hardin. Legacy Award – Malcolm S. Mackay, Roscoe and Charlotte “Rusty” Linderman Spaulding, Belfry.
  • District 8: Living Award – Joseph W. “Joe” Enger, Helena. Legacy Award – Auchard Creek School, Augusta.
  • District 9: Legacy Award – Robert “Bob” Shiplet, Clyde Park and Thomas R. “Tom” Hunter, Clyde Park (tie) and Robert Anderson “Bob” Haugland, Belgrade (tie).
  • District 10: Living Award – Richard B. “Dick” & Patricia B. “Tricia” Vinson, Thompson Falls. Legacy Award – C.R. Williams, Kalispell.
  • District 11: Living Award – Frank R. Mason, Jr., Corvallis. Legacy Award – Vernon Woolsey, Stevensville and Clarence Barron “C.B.” Rich, Seeley Lake.
  • District 12: Living Award (three-way tie) Edward Francis “Butch” O’Connell, Butte, “Gunner” Gun Again, Dillon, and John W. “Jack” Briggs, Dell. Legacy Award – Melvin R. Icenoggle, Ennis and Scottish Chieftain, Hamilton.

Since the initial round of inductions to the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2008, including this year’s inductions, 240 inductees have been honored. Full biographies for past inductees are available on the MCHF & WHC’s website, montanacowboyfame.org.

In July, the MCHF & WHC commenced its first phase of construction in the central location of Big Timber, Mont., with modifications to the Hall of Fame headquarters and the creation of a world-class outdoor arena. The arena’s programming will allow the MCHF & WHC to highlight and celebrate the many traditions of our western heritage and cowboy way of life through quality western sporting events.

For more information about the MCHF & WHC, or for more details on the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees, please contact Christy Stensland by calling (406) 653-3800, emailing [email protected], or visiting montanacowboyfame.org.

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The mission of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center is to “honor our cowboy way of life, American Indian cultures and collective Montana Western heritage.” We exist to serve as a resource to all who wish to see this way of life passed forward to the next generation. Our vision is “to be the state’s premier destination attraction that celebrates and passes forward Montana’s unique western culture and heritage.”