United States Department of Agriculture
March 10, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana FSA: Livestock Producers Affected by Severe Weather Urged to Keep Good Records

WASHINGTON DC — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia, repeated his appeal to livestock producers affected by natural disasters such as the drought in the West and the unexpected winter storm in the upper Midwest to keep thorough records. This includes livestock and feed losses, and any additional expenses that are a result of losses to purchased forage or feed stuff.

“The 2014 Farm Bill provides a strong farm safety net to help ranchers during these difficult times,” said Garcia. “We’ll provide producers with information on new program requirements, updates and signups as the information becomes available. In the meantime, I urge producers to keep thorough records. We know these disasters have caused serious economic hardships for our livestock producers. We’ll do all we can to assist in their recovery.”

In addition to western drought and the early-winter snowstorms, there are a variety of disasters from floods to storms to unexpected freezes. Each event causes economic consequences for farmers and ranchers throughout the United States. FSA recommends that owners and producers record all pertinent information of natural disaster consequences, including:

  • Documentation of the number and kind of livestock that have died, supplemented if possible by photographs or video records of ownership and losses;
  • Dates of death supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts;
  • Costs of transporting livestock to safer grounds or to move animals to new pastures;
  • Feed purchases if supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed;
  • Crop records, including seed and fertilizer purchases, planting and production records;
  • Pictures of on-farm storage facilities that were destroyed by wind or flood waters; and
  • Evidence of damaged farm land.

 

Visit www.fsa.usda.gov or an FSA county office to learn more about FSA programs and loans. For information about USDA’s Farm Bill implementation plan, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.

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For more information on the 2014 Farm Bill, visit agriculture.house.gov.

 

ranchers relief fund heifers for south dakota
November 26, 2013 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana ranchers donate cattle to South Dakota following deadly blizzard

(Associated Press) GREAT FALLS, Montana — Montana ranchers have donated 45 head of cattle for breeding stock to their South Dakota counterparts who lost thousands of cattle in a freak blizzard in October.

The Great Falls Tribune reports (http://gftrib.com/1aYWoQr ) that the cattle shipped Friday.

Montana ranchers Rene Brown and Alisha Burcham decided they wanted to do something and began gathering cattle donations from Montana’s Hi-Line area in the northern part of the state.

“Twelve hours this way with that storm and that could have been us,” said Brown, a Chinook-area rancher.

ranchers relief fund heifers for south dakota

Rene Brown locks up a cattle delivery at the J S Livestock yard in Havre, Montana Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013. Brown collected cattle donations from area ranchers to send to the South Dakota Ranchers whose cattle was ravaged by the October blizzard. (AP Photo/Havre Daily News, Lindsay Brown)

South Dakota officials say the Oct. 4 blizzard dumped up to 4 feet of snow in the western part of the state, killing about 14,000 cattle, 1,257 sheep, 287 horses and 40 bison.

Brown and Burcham used social media and word-of-mouth to gather cattle donations. Brown’s brother-in-law, Earl Brown, started moving the cattle Friday.

“I told him I wanted to get a pot load of cattle together to send to South Dakota,” Rene Brown said. “He told me I couldn’t do it and that if I did, he would drive them there. We’ll, we did and even have donations for the fuel, so he’s donating his time for the drive.”

The organization Heifers for South Dakota accepted nominations for the donated cattle. The group chose family ranches that had herds of about 160 head, but lost 50 to 60 percent of them in the storm, Brown said.

She said many small producers don’t have insurance because of the cost.

“Congress may approve some disaster aid, but that’s not a sure thing and they can’t even pass a Farm Bill,” she said. “This donation will make a big difference to ranchers in South Dakota. I knew the Hi-Line would come through, but it is humbling to see this come together.”

Learn more about disaster relief efforts and the Ranchers Relief Fund following the devastating Atlas Blizzard, by clicking here. Also, consider purchasing a copy of Big Sky Boots from MSGA’s Foundation – a portion of the proceeds from every sale through December 14th, goes toward the Ranchers Relief Fund.

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Montana Stockgrowers Foundation Logo
October 28, 2013 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Stockgrowers Foundation to Donate Book Proceeds to Rancher Relief Fund

Montana Stockgrowers Foundation Logo(Helena, MT) Montana Stockgrowers Association Research, Education and Endowment Foundation (REEF) announced today that a portion of the proceeds from each copy of “Big Sky Boots: Working Seasons of a Montana Cowboy” sold through Saturday, December 14, will be donated to support the Rancher Relief Fund. Earlier this month an early season winter storm moved through the area killing tens of thousands of livestock, leaving many ranchers devastated and heartbroken.

“We at Montana Stockgrowers are deeply saddened by the news of our fellow ranchers’ losses,” said Dusty Hahn, MSGA Foundation Chairman. “As ranchers ourselves we can relate when times get hard. MSGA is eager to help our fellow ranchers in South Dakota and surrounding states.”

The South Dakota Rancher Relief Fund was established on October 8, 2013 by the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and South Dakota Sheep Growers Association to provide support and relief assistance to those in the agriculture industry impacted by the blizzard of Oct. 4-7, 2013.

In response to the devastation, Hahn said “as Stockgrowers, we’re always at the mercy of Mother Nature, but extraordinary events such as this bring out a sense of community and compassion for fellow producers. The ranching families featured in Big Sky Boots remind us of our neighbors impacted by this storm. REEF hopes that with the sales of Big Sky Boots, we can provide some relief to those in need.”

“Big Sky Boots” is the first in a five-part Montana Family Ranching Series from the MSGA Research, Education and Endowment Foundation Program. In “Big Sky Boots” readers can journey through the ranching year and learn about the great people that take care of the land, livestock and their families. This first book focuses on the cowboys themselves; the men and the seasons.

Copies of Big Sky Boots can be purchased through the Montana Stockgrowers Association website or by contacting the MSGA office at (406) 442-3420.

Big Sky Boots Montana Family Ranching Project Coffee Table Book

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The Montana Stockgrowers Association, a non-profit organization representing nearly 2,500 members, strives to serve, protect and advance the economic, political, environmental and cultural interests of cattle producers, the largest sector of Montana’s number one industry – agriculture.

The Research, Education and Endowment Foundation of the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to ensure the future of Montana’s cattle industry through producer and public education, and promotion of MSGA programs.