Podcast Update || MidYear Meeting 2017
Kori and Errol discuss highlights of this year’s MidYear Meeting and why this is one event you don’t want to miss out on!
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Podcast with Janice Person on Controversial Conversations and GMO crops
During the 2015 Young Ag Leadership Conference in Billings, guest speaker, Janice Person from Monsanto, helped attendees learn more about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and how to find resources about the crops and technology online. While at the conference, Janice also conducted a workshop with Daren Williams of NCBA, where the two shared their experience handling controversial topics. Their workshop gave attendees great insight on how to handle these topics in conversations with others who may not know much or may be skeptical of modern agriculture practices.
In this week’s podcast, Ryan Goodman and Janice Person discuss these topics along with Janice’s favorite crop – cotton, which isn’t normally seen in Montana. Also discussed is a major crop in Eastern Montana, sugar beets, and how those farmers have utilized and invested in GM technology.
Connect with Janice online at janiceperson.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram as @JPLovesCotton.
To learn more about GMO technology and crops, visit GMOanswers.com and discover.monsanto.com.
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National Public Lands Council Meeting – Podcast with Vicki Olson
Last week, Montana Public Lands Council Directors attended the National Public Lands Council annual meeting, held in Cody, Wyoming. MPLC Chair, Vicki Olson of Malta, visited with us to review important topics that were discussed affecting Montana ranchers. These topics included Sage Grouse, PLC dues increase, emerging Animal Welfare law education, Bighorn and domestic sheep conflicts, and a change of leadership for national PLC.
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Livestock Groups Consider MOU for Brucellosis Management | Podcast
The National Public Lands Council is hosting their annual meeting this week in Cody, Wyoming. Several Montana ranchers are taking advantage of the close proximity to attend the conference and meeting with public land users from across the country. Montana Stockgrowers and Montana Public Lands Council has several representatives at the meeting and we’ll be catching up later with Jay Bodner to learn more about the big topics of discussion coming out of the event.
Ranchers representing the Montana Public Lands Council in Cody this week include Vicki Olson of Malta and MPLC President, John and Joe Helle from Dillon, George Trischman from Sheridan and Johnny Schultz
Earlier, Montana Stockgrowers took part in a Tri-State Meeting prior to the PLC conference in Cody, to meet with representatives from our neighboring states of Idaho and Wyoming. MSGA Executive Vice President, Errol Rice, shares more about the topics discussed on the Stockgrowers podcast. As part of the meeting, the three states agreed to encourage state and federal agencies to create a working committee that will work toward better solutions for managing brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area.
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Preview of Culinary Extravaganza at Young Ag Leadership Conference
The 2015 Young Ag Leadership Conference is less than a month away! If you have not registered, be sure to do so (Click Here!) and reserve your rooms for a great rate at the Crowne Plaza in Billings before September 18. More details are on our event page.
We have a great line up of speakers, workshops and discussion groups this year that covers a wide range of topics for Montana’s farming and ranching communities. Everyone ages 18-40 is welcome and encouraged to attend.
YALC will kick off Friday afternoon, October 2, with an industry tour including stops at a local field-to-tap distillery, a visit at a local bull stud and semen collection facility, and wrapping up with an opportunity to experience sugar beet harvest at a local farm. Seats for the tour are limited, so be sure to submit your registration early!
Friday night will feature a Culinary Extravaganza! To learn more about this interactive beef dinner, we caught up with Chaley Harney of the Montana Beef Council with a few questions about the event and what the Beef Checkoff is doing in Montana.
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Grazing Districts Hold Annual Meeting, Podcast with Public Lands Council
The Montana Association of State Grazing Districts (MASGD) held their annual meeting on June 17th at Fort Keogh in Miles City. The meeting started with a joint Board of Directors meeting with the MASGD and the PLC, followed by a Grazing District Secretary appreciation lunch.
During the lunch, the Board recognized the secretaries for their valuable service to the districts. The Board also had a special recognition to Jennifer Cole, who is now retired, but was instrumental in the formation of the Missouri River Basin Grazing District in Alzada.
For the general business meeting, there were over thirty-five members in attendance. Informational updates were provided by Dustin Van Liew, Executive Director for the National Public Lands Council; Mark Petersen, Research Leader for Fort Keogh; Lila Taylor, Board of Livestock; Fred Wacker for MSGA, Richard Stuker, MT Fish and Wildlife Commission and Floyd Thompson, and Todd Yeager from the Bureau of Land Management.
The Grazing District members also received congressional updates from Jesse Anderson with Senator Tester’s office and Alex Sterhan with Congressman Zinke. Larry Ahlgren of Winnett and Dan Kluck of Malta were elected for a second term on the Board of Directors.
The 2016 annual meeting is tentatively scheduled for June in Malta, MT.
After the Grazing Districts meeting, we had the opportunity to sit down with Dustin Van Liew to learn more about the work Public Lands Council does in Washington D.C. as well as here in Montana.
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Looking Ahead For Montana Sage Grouse Stewardship | Podcast
On this week’s podcast, we’ll continue our conversation with Stockgrowers Executive Vice President, Errol Rice, to find out what happens in policy work after the legislative session ends in Helena. Plus, we’ll have a recap on sage grouse stewardship and what conservation of this bird’s habitat means for ranchers in the western states.
Learn more about Senate Bill 261, which establishes Montana’s sage grouse stewardship plans, that was signed by Governor Bullock last week.
- USDA Report: Ranchers’ Conservation Efforts Positively Impact Sage Grouse
- MSGA Comments Following Establishment of Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Program
Have questions or suggestions for future podcast topics? Connect with us via our Contact form.
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Veterinary Feed Directives and Natural Resources Legislation| Podcast
One of the bigger topics last week’s Montana Nutrition Conference was a discussion with Dr. Bruce Hoffman of Elanco Animal Health and Dr. Marty Zaluski, Montana State Veterinarian. These two had a great question and answer session regarding changes with Veterinary Feed Directives and our ability to continue using feed grade antibiotics in the livestock industry.
Montana Stockgrowers has been working with Dr. Hoffman and we’ll be providing you plenty of information about these changes and the relationships ranchers will need to build between their veterinarians and feed dealers with the implementation of these new regulations.
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Hoffman for a lengthy discussion regarding these VFDs. He explained the changes in requirements in more detail and what we need to know before the new rules are in place by the end of 2016. Key points in the changes coming with Veterinary Feed Directives include the importance of involving veterinarians and nutritionists in our management decisions, abiding by label uses for antibiotics, and ensuring customers that we’re being good stewards of our resources in these conversations about antibiotics use in livestock.
On today’s podcast we’ll have a portion of that conversation, as well as some information about what Elanco is doing to bring greater awareness to the importance of protein in providing healthy food for the hungry amongst a rapidly growing global population through their Feed The Nine Campaign. Follow #FeedThe9 on Twitter or go to SensibleTable.com for more information.
But first, Ryan Goodman will catch up with MSGA Director of Natural Resources, Jay Bodner, for a quick review of a few bills during the Montana Legislative Session that affect wildlife management and landowner property rights here in Montana.
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Legislative Review, Agriculture Research Funding, CSKT Water Compact | Podcast
On this week’s Stockgrowers Podcast, Ryan Goodman and Jay Bodner begin reviewing the 64th Montana Legislative Session, which adjourned on Tuesday, April 28. This week Ryan and Jay discuss major funding for agriculture research in the state (HB 403 with $2.4 million for infrastructure; $15 million from budgets go to research initiatives) and we give an outlook for the CSKT Water Compact as it heads to Congress.
Also, we provide a look at this year’s MidYear Meeting, which takes place in Bozeman, June 4-6. Find MidYear information and registration on our events page.
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2015 Montana Legislative Session Podcast – Week 1
The 64th Montana Legislative Session convened this week, on Monday, January 5th, in Helena. MSGA expects this to be yet another busy session, representing the interests of our members on a number of bills that will affect Montana ranchers and land owners. Each week during the session, MSGA Director of Natural Resources, Jay Bodner, and MSGA Manager of Communications will discuss what has taken place during the session and what legislative activity we can expect in the days ahead.
Stay tuned to our website as we will provide regular updates and member-exclusive information on activity during the legislative session. Just go to the Policies & Issues page under the About tab and log-in with your membership information.
Be sure to follow Montana Stockgrowers Association on social media for more information or contact our office in Helena with any questions at 442-3420.
For this week’s podcast, Jay Bodner and Ryan Goodman discuss MSGA’s role working with leadership during the legislative session and how you can track legislative activity through the state’s website.