March 17, 2011 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA nominates Keystone Ranches of Ismay for Environmental Stewardship Award

Helena – The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) recently nominated Keystone Ranches, Inc. and the Bill Almy family of Ismay, Mont. for the 2011 regional and national Environmental Stewardship Award sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. This annual award recognizes the outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of cattle ranchers across the nation. Keystone Ranches was the winner of MSGA’s 2011 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award, presented at MSGA’s Annual Convention in December 2010.

“Bill Almy has been a member of MSGA since 1950 and has been the driving force behind the improved environment on Keystone Ranches since 1960,” said Ariel Overstreet, MSGA’s manager of communications. “The long history of Keystone Ranches under the care of the Almy family demonstrates the positive impact that environmental stewardship can play in the profitability and sustainability of a ranching operation, as well as the health and well-being of the landscape, wildlife populations and local communities.”

Over the past 50 years, the Almys have made the best use of available resources. In partnership with various groups and agencies, they have implemented water and grazing management innovations on Keystone Ranches that have raised the carrying capacity of the land by almost 50 percent, cut their debt-to-asset ratio from 55 percent to under 15 percent, improved wildlife habitat, maintained long-term relationships with employees, and supported their eastern Montana community.

“The Almys have been great leaders in our state industry and in their local communities,” Overstreet said. “MSGA was proud to nominate the Almys for the regional and national award.”

Regional winners of the Environmental Stewardship Award will be notified in May with a public announcement to follow in July. The national winner will be announced at the 2012 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Nashville, Tenn. To learn more about the Montana Environmental Stewardship Award and see MSGA’s nomination submission for the national award, click here. For more information on the national Environmental Stewardship Award Program, click here.

MSGA is seeking applications for the 2012 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award. Initial applications are due June 1, 2011 and final submissions are due Sept. 1. To learn more, visit the link above, or call Ariel Overstreet at (406) 442-3420. The Montana Environmental Stewardship Award is sponsored by MSGA’s Research, Education and Endowment Foundation brought to you by Montana Beef Producers and Checkoff Dollars.

December 22, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA’s 126th Annual Convention and Trade Show draws over 600 participants

The 126th Annual Montana Stockgrowers Association Convention and Trade Show, held at the Crowne Plaza hotel and MetraPark in Billings, Dec. 16-18, drew over 600 participants from across the state.

“We had another great convention this year,” said Tom Hougen, MSGA’s out-going president. “With the great cattle market we’ve had, everyone seemed to be in high spirits. We had one of the most robust policy discussions I can remember, developing policy on a wide variety of issues that affect family ranches in Montana. Convention attendees also got to enjoy our top-notch trade show and the Chase Hawks Rough Stock Rodeo.”

Here are some of the highlights:

-Walter “Watty” Taylor, of Kirby was elected President; Tucker Hughes of Stanford was elected 1st Vice President; and Gene Curry of Valier was elected 2nd Vice President.

– Jeff Pattison in the Northeast District, Larry Berg in the South Central District, and Dean Wang in the Southeast District were elected to second terms on the Board of Directors.

-Ray Marxer of Dillon was newly elected to the Board of Directors representing the Western District, filling the seat vacated by term-limited Steve Wilcox of Sheridan. Mark Harrison of Belt was elected from the North Central District to fill the seat vacated by term-limited Fred Finke of Big Sandy.

-Policy to guide MSGA officers and staff through 2011, and the upcoming legislative session, was set in a process that began with committee meetings, progressed to the second reading and finished at the third reading. Notable new policies address freeze branding, the proposed Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration rules, funding for the MT Livestock Loss Reduction Board, Antiquities Act reform, grazing issues, energy access agreements, predator control funding, and irrigated pasture assessments.

-Travis Choat, Director of Tech­nical Consulting for Elanco Animal Health, was the keynote speaker at the Opening General Session. His presentation “Food Economics and Consumer Choice” discussed the use of technology to meet a growing world population’s demand for safe, nutritious and affordable food.

-The Trade Show boasted nearly 90 booths, a lineup of Ford vehicles, free boot shines, complimentary tote bags, beef dinner stations and “watering holes.”

-John Rose ad Tim Feddes’ stock dog clinic headlined a full and diverse group of Pfizer Cattlemen’s Colleges that educated attendees about estate planning, calfhood vaccination programs, the difference between generic and brand name compounds, cow herd efficiency, and fertility.

-Keystone Ranches, Inc. of Ismay, owned and operated by Bill and Joyce Almy, was named winner of the 2011 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award sponsored by MSGA and the Montana Beef Council. Keystone Ranches is the 18th winner in the history of the award. MSGA will submit Keystone Ranches for the regional and national Environmental Stewardship Award in February.

-Tucker Hughes of Stanford was named the association’s “Top Hand” for recruiting the most new members throughout the year. Gene Curry of Valier and Jeff Pattison of Glasgow tied for second.

-Marian Hanson of Ashland was named “Ranching Woman of the Year.”

-Montana State University and University of Montana mascots Champ and Monte provided entertainment during the President’ s Lunch.

-Kyle Shobe, 2010 World Champion Livestock Auctioneer was on hand to auction off many items to raise funds for MSGA’s Advocacy Fund, as well as the Seedstock and Commercial Cattle Directory page auction which raises money to promote Montana cattle and associated services across the country.

-MSGA held many drawings throughout the course of the convention. Shawn Pilster of Alzada won the NutraLix saddle drawing, Melinda Berg of Sand Springs won the Young Stockgrower PBR tickets drawing, and Karla Johnson of East Helena won the Women of the West Fair Coldwater Creek Gift Certificate drawing.

-The biggest drawing, however, was for the 2011 Ford Super Duty truck from the Montana Ford Stores and MSGA. Buck and Dee Ward of Great Falls were the lucky winners. To be eligible for the drawing, people had to be MSGA rancher members and present at the President’s Lunch when the drawing was held.

-MSGA members received discounted tickets to the Chase Hawks Memorial Association Rough Stock Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 18, where they were able to enjoy rodeo action from some of the top cowboys and rough stock in the country. Proceeds from the event benefited the Chase Hawks Memorial Association Community Crisis Fund which provides short-term assistance to families facing an immediate crisis.

-Convention photos and a highlight video can be seen on MSGA’s Facebook Page.

-Plans are already underway for MSGA’s Mid-Year meeting which will be held in June 2011.

December 22, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA and MCW Annual Convention and Trade Show 2010

Video highlights from this year’s convention, trade show, and Chase Hawks Memorial Rodeo.

November 22, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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2010 MSGA/MCW Annual Convention will have something for everyone

This year’s Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) and Montana CattleWomen (MCW) Annual Convention and Trade Show, Dec. 16-18 in Billings, will have something for everyone. The Convention will offer opportunities for attendees to learn tips to improve their ranch or business, find out about new products available for their animal health and ranch supply needs at the Trade Show, and for members to weigh in on policy discussions. Members who attend Annual Convention will be eligible to win a 2011 Ford Super Duty truck from the Montana Ford Stores and receive discounted tickets to the Chase Hawks Memorial Association Rough Stock Rodeo on Saturday, Dec. 18.

The MSGA/MCW Annual Convention will provide excellent educational opportunities on a number of topics important to Montana’s ranching families. Travis Choat, PhD with Elanco Animal Health will kick off the Opening General Session on Friday, Dec. 17 with a presentation about the use of technology to meet a growing population’s demand for safe nutritious and affordable food across the world. Pfizer Cattlemen’s Colleges on Dec. 17 and 18 will address a diverse number of topics. On Dec. 17, John Rose with Rose Cattle Company and Tim Feddes with Feddes Hereford Ranch will conduct two working stock dog clinics. The clinics will focus on utilizing stock dogs on livestock with low stress to owner, dog and livestock. John and Tim will cover teaching techniques from puppies to finished dogs. Another Cattlemen’s College will feature a discussion panel including Mac White with McFarland and White Ranch; Jay Atwell, CPA with Summers, McNea and Company; and Richard Brekke with Brekke & Hoskins Law Firm. The discussion’s focus will be how the McFarland and White Ranch came into its current operation from 1973. The panel will also discuss financial statements, trusts, changing ownerships, minority stockholders, buying a trust ranch, ap­praisals, renouncing ownerships, and buying out a partner. Daniel Scruggs, DVM, with Pfizer Animal Health will present “How Do We Evalu­ate Antimicrobials in Bovine Respiratory Disease-What Really Matters.” The presen­tation will discuss some of the factors that affect treatment of respiratory disease, the impact antimicrobials have on treatment, resolution of respiratory disease, and how we might measure and predict those success rates. To round out the Cattlemen’s Colleges on Dec. 17, Dale Groteleuschen , DVM, with Pfizer Animal Heath will present “Improvements in Calfhood Vaccination Programs-Decrease Sickness and Increase Performance.”

On Dec. 18, as part of the Pfizer Cattlemen’s Colleges, Nick Campbell with Pfizer Animal Heath will present “The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth-What You Need to Understand about Generic Compounds,” a courtroom presentation on the truth between generic and name brands. Andy Roberts, PhD, with Fort Keogh Live­stock and Range Research Laboratory will present “Can Conservative Feeding Im­prove Cow Herd Efficiency and Longevity?” Roberts is a research animal scientist and physiologist at Fort Keogh and focuses his research on feed and reproductive efficiency. Tom Geary, PhD, with Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory will present “Fertility.” Geary’s presentation will cover factors that affect fertility in beef cattle as measured by successful establishment of pregnancy. Much of the information in this presenta­tion will come from research using artificial insemination, but will be tied to natural ser­vice and include both male and female com­ponents.

A major component of the Annual Convention is the setting of new policy and the review of past policies to guide the association through its day-to-day work. The policy process will begin on Thursday, Dec. 16 with committee meetings at the Crowne Plaza hotel. MSGA committees include Beef Production & Marketing, Land Use & Environment, Membership Development & Services, and Tax, Finance & Ag Policy. On Friday, Dec. 17, committee chairmen will give reports from their committees during the Second Reading of Resolutions at the MetraPark. The final reading, and an up or down vote on resolutions, will occur at the MSGA Business Meeting, Saturday morning, Dec. 18, at the MetraPark. Resolutions that make it through the entire process will become association policy.

This Annual Convention, the association will also see changes to its leadership. Tom Hougen will conclude his term as MSGA President. MSGA 1st Vice President, Watty Taylor of Busby, is in line to take over as President, and MSGA 2nd Vice President, Tucker Hughes of Stanford, is up for 1st Vice President, pending the approval of the membership. MSGA will say farewell to out-going Board of Director members Fred Finke of Big Sandy and Steve Wilcox of Sheridan.

The MSGA Trade Show is already sold out and will feature 89 vendors with everything from animal health products and ranch supplies to clothing and crafts. The Trade Show will be open Friday, Dec. 17 from 5-9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is open to the public.

MSGA and the Montana Ford Stores have teamed up to give a 2011 Ford Super Duty truck to one lucky member who attends convention. The drawing will be held on Saturday during the President’s Lunch. To be eligible for the truck drawing you must attend convention, be a current Rancher, Stocker/Feeder or Young Stockgrower member and fill out the truck entry form. Saturday evening, MSGA members will have the opportunity to attend a special VIP Rodeo Reception and receive discounted tickets to the Chase Hawks Memorial Association’s 16th Annual Rough Stock Rodeo.

To learn more about MSGA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show, please call the MSGA office at (406) 442-3420, or visit www.mtbeef.org.

October 18, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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2010 Montana Stockgrowers Association convention to be held in conjunction with Chase Hawks Memorial Rough Stock Rodeo


The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) will hold its 126th Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Crowne Plaza hotel and the MetraPark in Billings, Dec. 16-18. This year, the convention will be held in conjunction with the Chase Hawks Memorial Association’s 16th Annual Rough Stock Rodeo on Dec. 18 with rodeo cowboys and rough stock coming directly from the just-concluded National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Proceeds from the rodeo benefit the Chase Hawks Memorial Association Community Crisis Fund which provides short-term assistance to families facing an immediate crisis. Discounted tickets for the rodeo and other events will be available for MSGA members.

“We are very excited to be partnering with the Chase Hawks Memorial Association this year,” said Tom Hougen, MSGA president. “It seemed like a natural fit for both associations to come together to enjoy camaraderie and a great rough stock rodeo for a good cause.”

MSGA’s convention will be a mix of business meetings, policy discussions, educational seminars, and entertainment. MSGA business and committee meetings will be held on Thursday, Dec. 16 at the Crowne Plaza. The convention will then move to MetraPark on Friday, Dec. 17, for the Opening General Session, Second Reading of Resolutions, Northern Ag Network Lunch, Pfizer Cattlemen’s Colleges, John Rose Stock Dog Clinics, MSGA Top Hand Club Reception, and the popular Trade Show. Saturday, Dec. 18, will feature the Inspirational Breakfast, Women of West Fair, MSGA Business Meeting, Trade Show, more Pfizer Cattlemen’s Colleges and President’s Lunch. During the President’s Lunch, one lucky MSGA member will win a 2011 Ford Super Duty truck thanks to the great partnership between MSGA and the Montana Ford Stores.

Convention event sponsorships and trade show booth spaces are still available. Contact Rose Malisani at (406) 442-3420 or visit http://www.mtbeef.org/ for more information. For more information about the Chase Hawks Memorial Association, visit http://www.chasehawks.com/.

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!

May 7, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA’s Friday Video Update with Errol Rice

In this week’s MSGA Friday Video Update, Errol Rice, MSGA’s Executive Vice President, discusses the wild ride of the stock market this week and its effects on cattle futures, and MSGAs meeting with Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock about MSGAs concern in regards to the EPAs Greenhouse Gas Endangerment ruling and our perspective on the cattle marketing and competition issues being addressed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Justice. Errol also announces an exciting change to our annual convention this December.

May 3, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Empty Ralgro wheels are good as cash to MSGA!

TURN THOSE WHEELS OVER! Empty Ralgro wheels are good as CASH to the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA)! Wheels for Bucks has made fundraising for MSGA easier than ever. All you need to do is save your empty Ralgro wheels and turn them over to Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health at MSGA’s Mid-Year Meeting in June or Annual Convention in December. For every 10 empty wheels received, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health will donate one full Ralgro wheel to MSGA’s fund-raising auction.
April 13, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Proper livestock handling methods program to be presented in Miles City, April 21

Curt Pate will present his popular “Stockmanship and Stewardship” program at Miles City Livestock Commission, April 21, at 1 p.m. Market co-owner and manager Rob Fraser said that the livestock market setting will permit Pate to conduct “hands-on” demonstrations of effective, humane handling methods which reduce the stress on livestock and their handlers. Pate, who has been conducting similar programs for over 10 years, will also meet with the market’s employees. They will discuss the best handling methods to use from the time cattle are unloaded at the market until they’re loaded to leave.

Fraser said that while “the vast majority of livestock producers and market employees use proper handling methods every day, there’s always room for improvement. This program will let anyone who comes in contact with livestock brush up on their handling techniques.”

For more information about the Miles City event, contact Rob Fraser at (406) 234-1790. More information about Pate and his program can be found at www.effectivestockmanship.com. Pate’s program is endorsed by Livestock Marketing Association and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Pate also presented his program at MSGA’s 125th Annual Convention and Trade Show in December 2009.

March 5, 2010 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA nominates Malta-area Ranchers Stewardship Alliance for Environmental Stewardship Award

Helena, Mont. – The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) recently nominated the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) in Malta, Mont. for the 2010 regional and national Environmental Stewardship Award, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. This annual award recognizes the outstanding stewardship practices and conservation achievements of cattle ranchers across the nation. Award winners have been commended for their commitment to protecting the environment and improving fish and wildlife habitats while operating profitable cattle ranches.

“We are very proud and excited to nominate RSA for this prestigious award,” said Tom Hougen, president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. “RSA ranchers exemplify the best of ranching. They are excellent stewards of the land and animals under their care, and contribute greatly to the economy and culture of their local area. Plus, RSA, as a group, has become a strong and trusted leader through its willingness and ability to reach out to diverse interests to find common ground in implementing the conservation goals shared by ranchers and conservationists alike.”

RSA is a non-profit group of about three dozen ranching families who have joined together to find solutions to some of the most vexing land use dilemmas facing our country today. The ranchers of RSA steward nearly one million acres in Phillips County, Mont., an area that has been heralded by international conservation biologists as a model of land care and condition. Numerous wildlife species that are struggling elsewhere thrive on these ranchlands. Sage grouse, black-tailed prairie dogs, black-footed ferrets, burrowing and short-eared owls, mountain plovers, and long-billed curlews are among hundreds of species that call RSA’s ranches home.

RSA first began meeting in 2003 to address endangered species issues, and since then, the group has shown that ranchers are the most cost-effective and time-proven conservationists by implementing on-the-ground conservation swiftly throughout the area. RSA has been able to do this by forging unique partnerships that draw on the strengths and knowledge of both the ranching and environmental communities.

“The on-the-ground stewardship of RSA’s ranching families is impressive and progressive enough on its own merits,” Hougen said. “What stands out most to me, though, is the way RSA has brought neighbors together, both ranchers and conservationists, and the way they work with, not against, others who have an interest in the continued stewardship of the prairie that has been under ranchers’ care for more than a century.”

RSA was named winner of the 2010 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award during MSGA’s 125th Annual Convention and Trade Show at the MetraPark in Billings, Mont. in December. The Montana Environmental Stewardship Award is sponsored by MSGA with support from the Montana Beef Council. RSA is the 17th winner in the history of the award and the first group to be honored.

“No group has ever received the national award,” Hougen said. “But MSGA felt strongly that this group exemplifies a passion for the land, and a commitment to teamwork and collaboration to achieve shared goals, that sets a great example for the rest of us. We feel that it is time to honor groups like RSA, not just for their on-the-ground stewardship, but also for their efforts to bridge the gap between ranchers and conservationists to find solutions to even the most difficult of natural resource issues.”

Regional winners of the Environmental Stewardship Award will be notified in April with a public announcement to follow in July. The national winner will be announced at the 2011 Cattle Industry Convention in Denver.

Click here to learn more about the Montana Environmental Stewardship Award and see RSA’s application for the national award. For more information on the national Environmental Stewardship Award Program, click here. Learn more about RSA here.