May 2, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Judith Basin Range School | May 22 in Stanford

A Range School Unlike Any Other… Creating Choice and the Ability to Choose

May 22nd , 2014 | Harley & Gordon Hughes, Hughes Livestock Co. | South of Stanford

A time to learn, think about opportunities, and understand the options.

Montana Conservation DistrictsJoin us for a daylong, hands-on, and interactive seminar with Greg Simonds and Jeff Goebel. For 30 years Mr. Simonds has managed, owned and consulted ranches whose mission was earn a profit while improving the natural resources.

Many of us have heard speakers give presentations on rotational grazing, intensive grazing, range monitoring, and improving the land. These principles are not new, and many of our ranches have been practicing these for generations. Have you ever attended a talk and thought “I’d like to try that” or “that just might improve my place”, but then go home only to attend to daily tasks and never implement the change?

Most of us definitely don’t lack the knowledge to change, so why don’t we make the changes? What is holding us back? We are all tied to the land we work, mentally, emotionally and financially.

There is so much risk involved when implementing a change, especially in today’s market of production and price risk. Mr. Simonds has experienced and overcome many of these challenges during his 30 years of managing ranches. Join us as we hash out how to create choices and the ability to choose at the 2014 Range School.

Event Details

  • 9:00 a.m. -Registration
  • 9:15-12:30 Rotating Pastures, Changing Minds
  • 12-30-1:30 –Lunch Sponsored by: Basin State Bank
  • 1:30-3:00 –Stepping Out of the Box, But not into ****!
  • 3:00 – 5:00- Pasture Walk
  • 5:30- Steak Dinner Sponsored by: Judith Basin Conservation District

Topics of Discussion will include:

  • How do you make changes? trouble?
  • How do you direct future operations of the ranch based on things you values?
  • How do you get out of day to day tasks to see the bigger picture?
  • How do you create a grazing plan when resources are limited and country is tough?
  • How do you match cattle to the environment?

Meet Jeff Goebel

With over thirty years of national and international successes in consensus building, conflict resolution, and visioning for sustainable solutions, Jeff is a leading expert in helping individuals and communities attain their goals and remove the obstacles that lie in their way. Jeff’s career has focused on catalyzing positive change with nonprofits, tribal governments, government agencies, multi‐national corporations, communities, and small family ranchers.

Registration Form

Please Register by May 10th including $10.00 fee. Registration includes: Lunch, Snacks, Drinks and Steak Dinner. Please Name, Address and Telephone to: Judith Basin Conservation District, 121 Central Avenue, Stanford MT 59479 For more information contact the Extension Office at 406-566-2277

USDA & MSU are an equal opportunity provider and employer. NRCS provides reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities to participate in NRCS programs and activities. If you require special accommodations, please contact Teresa at 406-566-2311 ext. 107 by May 20, 2014.

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April 30, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Rancher Feature: Twin Wranglers

Screen Shot 2014-04-17 at 9.09.35 AMThose who are not following the adventures of life on the ranch with the Twin Wranglers, are missing out! These twin sisters, living near Libby, Montana, are amazing photographers and share images of ranch activity every day…in the thickest of snow and warmest of summer days. Surrounded by all kinds of critters, Kim and Kari’s days are filled with excitement, hard work, and moments to stop and take in the beauty of their Montana ranch.

How long has your family been involved in ranching?

We were horse ranchers long before we started raising cattle. From the time we were no bigger than ankle high to a June Bug we knew we wanted to be ranchers and got our start with Appaloosa horses back in 1973. After breeding our mares to outside stallions for a number of years we purchased Deep Thought, a nice yearling colt by Deep South and stood him until we lost him to colic at the age of 16. We couldn’t imagine finding another stallion prospect better than Deep Thought so turned our attention to raising cattle.

Screen Shot 2014-04-17 at 9.10.52 AMWhat was your favorite part about growing up on the ranch?

We weren’t lucky enough to grow up on the ranch. All our folks had was about a 5 acre piece outside of Bozeman. We got our first horses when we were eight years old. At the age of 14 our family moved to Florida and we took our two grade horses with us. We had more acreage there so in ’73 we started raising Appaloosas and opened a boarding stable as well. Florida was a nice place to visit but after twenty years there we needed to get back to the mountains and traded it all for a ranch about 23 miles from a wide spot in the road called Libby in the northwest corner of our home state of Montana. On our return to Montana we brought 17 horses with us.

Tell us about your ranch today.

Screen Shot 2014-04-17 at 9.12.23 AMWe raise cross bred beef cattle of mostly Black Angus and Hereford. What have been some of the trials you’ve had to overcome? What is one thing you wish more people knew about life on the ranch? No matter if the weather is brutally cold or the sun is sucking the life out of you, you have to take care of the livestock. There are not any days off or even sick days available to you. We’ve had days we could barely crawl out of bed, but you do just that, and if you are injured you still have to find the strength to work through the pain so that you can care for your animals. They count on you to be there. What does it mean to you to be able to work with your family every day? We’re twins and are so close that you couldn’t get a crowbar between us to pry us apart. That’s not to say we don’t have disagreements but working together and playing together is the only thing we have ever known and we wouldn’t change that for the world.

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April 28, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Equine Owners Encouraged to Consult with Vets on West Nile Virus Vaccination

Montana Department of Livestock DOLMontana’s animal health officials are encouraging equine owners to consult with their veterinarians about vaccination for West Nile virus after a spike in the number of cases last year. “We had 32 cases last year, the most since 2007, and the third highest total in the nation,” said assistant state veterinarian Dr. Tahnee Szymanski. “That’s concerning because the disease is highly preventable.” Based on MDOL data, no equines that were current on vaccinations have ever contracted the disease in Montana. In contrast, one-third of the non-vaccinated equines that contracted the disease either died or had to be euthanized (161 of 492 since 2002).

The best time to vaccinate is before mosquito activity begins, as the vaccine takes a few weeks to offer full protection. Horse owners should consult with their veterinarians to develop a vaccination plan specific to their animal and situation.

Dr. Greg Johnson, professor of veterinary entomology at Montana State University’s Department of Animal & Range Sciences, says vaccination – which is recommended as a core vaccine by the American Association of Equine Practitioners – is prudent given WNV’s unpredictability. “It’s kind of like the flu season,” Johnson said. “We can look at the existing data and forecasts and make some guesses, but we can’t really predict what West Nile is going to do or how bad it’s going to be.” However, with snowpack running at 150 percent of normal throughout much of the state, environmental conditions could be right for WNV activity later this year. “With all of that snowpack, it looks like we’ll have lots of water, and that can mean more mosquitos,” he said. A mosquito-borne disease, WNV was first found on the east coast of the U.S. in 1999. Since then, the disease has spread westward, arriving in Montana in 2002. The disease knows no climactic or geographic boundaries in Montana, and has been found statewide. Stressing the importance of vaccination, Szymanski said, is that there is no treatment for horses that contract the disease.

WNV is a reportable disease in Montana. Any confirmed or suspected case should be immediately reported to the Montana state veterinarian’s office at 406/444-2043.

For additional information, see:

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April 25, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA Board Member Recognized as Montana Neighbor

 

Image via Glasgow Courier

Image via Glasgow Courier

Gov. Steve Bullock, center, presents one of the 2014 Montana Neighbor Awards to Lee and Madylon Cornwell of Glasgow during an April 16 ceremony at the state capitol in Helena. The awards go annually to Montana landowners who exemplify the tradition of good-neighborliness through community leadership, cooperation, top-quality land stewardship and allowing public recreational access. Winners are decided by a team from Artemis Common Ground, Montana FWP, the Montana Association of Land Trusts, The Nature Conservancy, the Montana Chapter of Trout Unlimited, a rancher and the governor’s office. — via The Glasgow Courier

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United States Department of Agriculture
April 15, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Tester to Montana ranchers: Today is first day to sign up for disaster assistance

Senator spreads the word about recently reauthorized livestock disaster initiatives in Farm Bill

(The following is a press release from Sen. Tester’s office) – Senator Jon Tester wants Montana ranchers to know that today is the first day to sign up for support under the recently reauthorized livestock disaster assistance initiatives in the 2014 Farm Bill.

The five-year Farm Bill passed earlier this year with Tester’s support.  It reauthorizes three livestock disaster assistance programs, including the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), that expired in 2011.  These programs support ranchers who suffered losses in recent years, including 2012’s nationwide drought.

The newly reauthorized programs are retroactive to October 1, 2011.  Montanans should contact their local FSA offices for more information about applying.

Tester, a dry-land farmer from Big Sandy, successfully got USDA to quickly implement the initiatives so ranchers in Montana and across the country could get the assistance they need.

“Today is the first day for Montana ranchers affected by recent disasters to apply for needed assistance,” Tester said.  “I encourage all ranchers to utilize all available resources so we can keep our state’s number one industry strong.”

Tester pushed the President for quick implementation of these provisions because it took more than a year for LIP and LFP to begin after the last Farm Bill became law in 2008.

The Farm Bill includes numerous other Tester priorities, including extending Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) through 2014, support for beginning farmers and ranchers and savings of $23 billion.

More information about the Livestock Indemnity Program is available HERE, about the Livestock Forage Disaster Program HERE and about the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised First Program HERE.

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Montana Range Days Scholarship Applications Havre Montana
April 15, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Range Days Offers Three Scholarships – Due April 30

Montana Range Days Scholarship Applications Havre MontanaMontana Range Days, Inc. is an annual event that celebrates the importance of range and provides opportunities for learning about range and range management. To encourage young people to continue with education and careers in Range Science and related fields, three scholarships are offered through Montana Range Days.

Montana Range Days Scholarship ($1,000.00)

To assist young Montanan’s education of rangeland, Montana Range Days, Inc. has established the Montana Range Days Scholarship. To be eligible, the applicant must be majoring in Range Science or a related field. The scholarship winner will be awarded $1,000.00 upon successful completion of the semester of college.

Harold and Lillian Jensen Scholarship ($1,000.00)

Harold and Lillian Jensen, long time ranchers from Baker, established a scholarship of $1,000.00 annually, to assist a young person who has an interest in Range Science. Harold was a past Chairman of the Montana Range Days, Inc. Steering Committee, and was the local Chairman for the 1985 and 1986 Range Days events hosted in Baker by the Fallon county Range Committee. The recipient must be present for the presentation of this scholarship at Range Days in June! The Scholarship has to be used at a Montana University or college.

Bob Sitz Memorial Scholarship ($1,000.00)

Bob Sitz was a rancher committed to improving range management. He believed in the youth of Montana and sought to ensure a bright future for Montana’s rangeland through education. Bob was a strong supporter of Montana Range Days. In memory of Bob, the Sitz Family has established a scholarship of $1,000.00 annually and to be announced at Montana Range Days. The winner will receive this scholarship upon successful completion of one semester at a Montana university or college.

Montana Range Days, Inc. is committed to providing learning opportunities, which enable participants to develop a better understanding of the importance of Montana’s rangelands. To further this commitment, Montana Range Days, Inc. encourages high school seniors or college students to apply for the Montana Range Days Scholarships. Members of the Montana Range, Inc. Steering Committee will select the scholarship winners based on the following criteria:

  1. Involvement in range activities and youth events.
  2. Leadership in school and community activities.
  3. Academic achievement.
  4. Financial need.

Applications must be received by the Montana Range Days, Inc. Steering Committee by April 30, 2014. Submitting one application qualifies the applicant for all three (3) scholarships. For more details and a copy of the application form, visit the Montana Range Days website.

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April 14, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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130th Mid-Year Meeting in Miles City Brings Concert, Parade and Ranch Rodeo

Montana Stockgrowers 2014 Mid-Year Meeting Miles CityHold on to your hats and kick up your heels because the 130th Montana Stockgrowers Association Mid-Year Meeting in Miles City promises to be a weekend to remember, June 13-14. This year’s event will be highlighted by an amazing concert on Friday night featuring The Bellamy Brothers and opening act Copper Mountain Band!

“Miles City is very excited about the opportunity to host MSGA’s 130th Mid-Year and we look forward to a great meeting and events,” says Fred Wacker, MSGA Board of Directors member and rancher from the Miles City area. “In addition to Friday night’s concert, Mid-Year attendees will be treated to a horse parade in downtown, followed by the ranch rodeo on Saturday afternoon.”

RSVP in the Facebook event and keep up with the conversation by using #MSGA14 online!

Mid-Year is one of two major meetings MSGA holds annually where members will gather to discuss the issues facing Montana ranching families and set interim policy to guide the association through the rest of the year. Policy and Committee meetings this year will be hosted at the Miles City Community College.

Opening General Session on Friday morning will include an address by current president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Texas cattleman, Bob McCann. A ranch tour on Friday afternoon will include stops at Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, Range Riders Museum, WaterWorks Art Museum, and OptiBlend Industries.

Everyone is welcomed to join us on Friday, June 13th for an amazing concert featuring The Bellamy Brothers at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds! The Bellamy Brothers have received nearly every music award there is to have, and they even hold the record in both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association for the most duo nominations.  They have written countless worldwide hits, crossed the globe just as their music has crossed genres, brought reggae to the Grand Ole Opry, and recorded 45 albums.

The concert will also bring in Copper Mountain Band as the opening act, a high-energy country music group from the great state of Montana. With a fiery passion for their craft and an appeal to all audiences, they incorporate music from many genres and styles into their performances.

Saturday, June 14th will bring more fun and excitement as attendees finish policy meetings, enjoy an Old Times All-Horse/Livestock Parade, grab a bite to eat at the Young Stockgrowers Tailgate Luncheon, and then head off to cheer on their favorite teams at the Miles City Ranch Rodeo!

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, and Sleep Inn. Discounted rates start at $90 and must be reserved by May 5th. For more information about MSGA’s 2014 Mid-Year Meeting, contact MSGA’s office at (406) 442-3420 or join the Facebook event. Registration packets are available online at www.mtbeef.org.Registrations received before June 2 will receive discount pricing.

April 10, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Ranching FAQ | Feeding Cows For Cold Weather

PBS Ag Live Answering Montana Ranching QuestionsWhat questions do you have about ranching in Montana? We’re teaming up with Montana PBS’ Ag Live program to bring you the answers. The Ag Live program from Montana PBS teams up with experts from Montana State University Extension to discuss everything from pesticide use and agricultural techniques involved in ranching and the cattle business. We ask that you submit questions to [email protected]. These questions will be answered by PBS and MSU Extension, then published in our monthly Digital Newsletter.

Q: During the recent cold spell, my cows were eating me out of house and home! Is there a rule of thumb about how much extra feed cows should get during cold weather?

A: The range of temperatures where cattle (or other mammals) don’t have to expend any energy to maintain body temperature is called the thermoneutral zone. When it gets warmer than the upper critical temperature, cattle have to use energy to cool down. When it gets colder than the lower critical temperature, cattle have to use energy to warm up. You might be wondering, “what is the lower critical temperature?” Like any good animal science question, the answer is, “it depends!” In this case, it depends on hair coat and weather conditions (see table).

Estimated lower critical temperatures for beef cattle. From Beef Production and Management Decisions (Field, 2007)

Coat Description Critical Temperature
Summer coat or wet 59° F
Fall coat 45° F
Winter coat 32° F
Heavy winter coat 18° F

With a summer hair coat, or a wet (to the skin) hair coat at any temperature, the lower critical temperature is quite warm at 59° F. On the other hand, the lower critical temperature for a cow with a heavy winter coat is 18° F. When a cow is experiencing cold stress, the major effect on nutrient requirements is an increased need for energy, which generally indicates the total amount of feed needs to be increased. A simple rule of thumb (more detailed information is available) is to increase the amount of feed 1% for every degree of coldness below the appropriate lower critical temperature.

For example, let’s say you have a 1200-pound cow with a winter hair coat. It’s currently 20° F with a 15 mph wind and you normally feed 24 pounds of hay per day. The effective temperature with the windchill is 6° F, and the appropriate lower critical temperature is 32° F. Subtracting 6 from 32 yields 26, so the amount of hay needs to be increased by 26%. This would be just over 6 pounds of additional hay for a total of about 30 pounds.

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April 9, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA brings back the Top Hand Club with Frontline Ag Sponsorship

Affiliate Mentorship ProgramHelena, Mont. – The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) is excited to announce its first year partnership with  Frontline Ag. Frontline Ag is an “Official Affiliate Top Hand Club Sponsor” of the Montana Stockgrowers Association and they have been instrumental in helping MSGA to implement the Affiliate Top Hand Club for 2014. This year’s top prize will be a John Deere Gator sponsored by Frontline Ag.

The Top Hand Club is a part of Stockgrowers’ Affiliate Mentorship Program, announced earlier this year, as a renewed effort to strengthen local affiliate members across the state.

“We have been hard at work this year making plans to bring back our Top Hand Club to our membership. We could not have accomplished this without the very generous support of Frontline Ag” said Tucker Hughes, Montana Stockgrowers Association President. “John Deere makes a great, dependable product that holds up on our Montana ranches. We appreciate the commitment Frontline Ag has made to our membership and the Montana Stockgrowers Association!”

The Affiliate Top Hand Club is the Montana Stockgrowers Association’s “member-recruit-a-member” program, which has been developed to recognize those Local Affiliate Associations and members who continually give their time and effort to help increase the strength of their state organization, the Montana Stockgrowers Association.Frontline Logo

The Top Prize for the Affiliate Top Hand, a John Deere Gator from Frontline Ag, will be awarded to the Local Affiliate Association that recruits the highest number of new memberships for MSGA within the current recruitment year. The winner will be announced at MSGA’s Annual Convention to be held Dec. 11-13, 2014 in Billings at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana.

To learn more about MSGA’s 2014 Affiliate Top Hand Club and to find information on the individual membership top hand prizes please visit www.mtbeef.org.

Listen to this post as a podcast on SoundCloud! Click HERE – bit.ly/MSGATopHandFrontline

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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.

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Montana Range Days Havre Montana
April 7, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Range Days Coming to Hill County

Montana Range Days Havre Montana2014 marks the 38th year of Montana Range Days and the final time this premier range education event is coming to Havre. It’s not very often when your four year old can become a buckaroo for the day; your 13 year old can become a wrangler; and parents get a taste of the rancher division and learn about one of Montana’s most important resources: Range.

Montana Stockgrowers Association Research and Education Endowment Foundation, Montana Cattlewomen, and Montana Association of Grazing Districts are proud to sponsor Montana Range Days.

This year’s event begins Monday June 23rd in Beaver Creek Park, the Nation’s Largest County Park. Having Range Days in this part of the state introduces new grasses, forbs, trees and possibly weeds, both noxious and introduced, that perhaps participants haven’t seen before. The first day will be an opportunity for those serious about the competition to get onto the practice site and begin studying plants that may or may not be in the contest. Those interested in weed control can tour Dalmatian Toadflax biological control plots in the area.

Tuesday, June 24th is full of activity, with workshops for all ages going on at Camp Kiwanis, Beaver Creek Park. The 4 to 6 year old (Buckaroos) will learn about rangeland environments with lots of hands-on activities. The 7 to 8 year olds (Ecosystem Explorers) will learn about range and our ecosystem through fun games and activities. For the 9 to 11 year olds (Superstarters) they get a little more serious and begin to learn about plant anatomy and identification to prepare them for the contest on Wednesday. The Wrangler division is for those junior high age students who want to learn about proper grazing, stocking rates, plant anatomy and identification. There are also the Open and FFA Divisions for 14 to 19 year olds to learn about the many aspects of range. While the kids are learning, the adults can be participating as well in the Rancher / Open Adult workshops or attend the tour slated for Tuesday. Tuesday’s tour includes: The Blaine County Wildlife Museum, the Blaine County Historical Museum and the Bear Paw Battlefield.

Montana Range Days Havre Montana WorkshopsWednesday, June 25th is the final day of Montana Range Days and also marks competition day in which teams of 3 or 4 members will compete on what they learned the day before in such areas of plant ID, soils, anatomy, monitoring and range management. There are several awards like Top Superstarter, Top Wrangler, and the Top Range Hand award of the event. Those participants who are too young to participate in the competition can take part in an educational program put on by the Montana Cattlewomen’s Association at Camp Kiwanis, while adults can tour Havre Beneath the Streets and the Wahkpa Chu’gn Archeological Site.

Montana Range Days is open to all families, all ages, and all skill levels. Come be a part of an event that has been going on for more than 30 years and has encompassed more than 15 communities in our great State and learn about this wealth of nature that covers nearly 70 percent of Montana better known as Rangelands.

Find the online electronic registration form at https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=lYj8Z7FSQjJx4OYCe8-ASA.

For more information you can call Jennifer at the Hill County Conservation District at 406-265-6792 ext.101 or email [email protected] or go the website at www.montanarangedays.org.

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