August 11, 2015 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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2015 Montana Range Tour to showcase projects in Madison Valley region

ENNIS MT Range Tour 2015–Montana lands have great stories to tell, and the 2015 Montana Range Tour will offer unforgettable tales for attendees of this statewide event.

“This tour will have something for everyone, showcasing projects that are really making a positive impact for these landscapes,” said Sunni Heikes-Knapton, Watershed Coordinator for the Madison Conservation District. “Anyone with an eye for good stewardship will benefit by attending”.

The two-day event is Wednesday, Sept. 16 and Thursday, Sept. 17. The first stop on day one of the tour will visit a multi-year, multi-landowner noxious weed control project at the foothills of the Tobacco Root Mountains on the Sitz Angus Ranch. Lunch will follow this stop before attendees head out to the Endecott Ranch, where successful grazing strategies are helping the ranch and the health of the stream.The third stop will view the national award-winning wetland restoration project along O’Dell Spring Creek on the Granger Ranches.The first day of the tour will conclude with a hearty banquet dinner in the scenic town of Ennis.

On Sept. 17, the group will witness the history and management of the Wall Creek Game Management Area, where solutions have been created for wildlife and livestock use. Lunch along the Madison River will follow before the tour visits the Cameron Bench area, where progressive land-management approaches are increasing forage.

Les Gilman of the Rangeland Resources Executive Committee speaks highly of the planned event. “We are very excited to come to the Madison Valley for the 2015 tour.The Madison Conservation District and the conservation-minded landowners there are doing a fabulous job of caring for Montana’s resources. Grazing land for domestic livestock, habitat for wildlife, open space, and clean air and water are the benefits we all enjoy. We are looking forward to seeing some of the work being done on the ground to protect or enhance those values.”

The Montana Range Tour is an annual event sponsored by the Rangeland Resource Executive Committee and the local conservation district.  The event rotates around the state, highlighting excellence and innovation in production agriculture and natural resource stewardship, and has great support from a range of sponsors.

The tour begins at 8 a.m. Sept.16 at the Ennis Rodeo Grounds, located on Highway 287 West. Full registration costs $50 through Sept. 8, and includes the tour and all meals. Registration after Sept 8 is $60. Online and print registration information can be found at www.madisoncd.org. Hotels in this popular valley fill early- visit www.ennischamber.com to find a room and book your reservation today.

For more information on this year’s Montana Range Tour, contact:

Sunni Heikes-Knapton, Madison Conservation District- [email protected] or 406-682-3181

Karl Christians, DNRC- [email protected] or (406) 444-3022

August 18, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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2014 Governor’s Range Tour will highlight sustainable grazing practices in Mission Valley

Montana Annual Governor's Range TourRONAN, Mont. – This year’s Governor’s Range Tour will provide a great opportunity for producers, range professionals and the general public to see and discuss sustainable grazing practices on a number of Mission Valley livestock operations.

The two-day event begins on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014, and concludes on Friday, Sept. 5.

“This year’s tour will focus on improving pasture conditions and financial returns,” said Chris Malgren, administrator of the Lake County Conservation District. “We’re highlighting a number of area ranches using innovative grazing strategies.”

The first day of the tour will open with a presentation on grazing techniques and holistic pasture management by Ben Montgomery and Justin Morris, both with the Montana Natural Resource Conservation Service. Following the presentation, tour participants will visit three ranches to hear their success stories using intensive and high stock density pasture grazing. The first is David Sturman’s operation, which uses mob grazing with sheep, while the second and third properties, owned by brothers Vern and Dennis Schlabach, respectively, will highlight their improved pasture conditions and forage production on their properties from the use of mob grazing with cattle.

Day one of the tour will conclude with a discussion at Jake Yoder’s ranch regarding the value of cattle grazing weeds, and improving animal condition and calf weights by making improvements in grazing management on a degraded hay field. There will also be a body condition scoring workshop with Rachel Endecott, MSU Beef Cattle Extension Specialist.

“This scoring demonstration will offer a great way for producers to quickly and accurately gauge livestock health and nutritional status in the field,” said Malgren.

Day one of the tour will conclude with a banquet at the Ninepipes Lodge. Ray Beck, DNRC Deputy Director, will serve as Master of Ceremonies and Governor Steve Bullock (invited) is the scheduled keynote speaker.

Day two of the tour will feature an electric fencing demonstration and workshop. Montgomery and Morris will review the different materials, layout options, and discuss tips and techniques for making temporary fencing easy and effective.

The Governor’s Range Tour is an annual DNRC-sponsored event that rotates around the state, highlighting excellence and innovation in production agriculture and natural resource stewardship.

“The tour is an excellent opportunity for landowners, the general public and resource management folks to discuss issues and share experiences,” said Jim Simpson, Lake County Conservation District Supervisor. “We’re excited to be hosting it this year and hope to see plenty of people come out.”

Registration for the tour begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 4 at the Amish Community Center, located on the corner of Allison and Foothills roads just outside of St. Ignatius, Mont.

Full registration costs $40.00 and includes the tour, lunch and banquet; the tour and lunch only costs $15.00, while a ticket for the banquet only is $30.00. Registration is available on the day of the event, but pre-registration is encouraged.

For more information on this year’s Governor’s Range Tour, contact Chris Malgren, Ben Montgomery or Heidi Crum (contact information at top of this release).

To download a poster and registration form, visit the Montana DNRC Web site at http://www.dnrc.mt.gov/cardd/consdist/rangelandmanagement.asp or the DNRC Rangeland Resources Program Facebook page at https://www.facebook,com/MontanaRangeProgram.

July 24, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Governor’s Range Tour, September 4-5 in Ronan, Montana

Montana Annual Governor's Range Tour

Save the date!! 2014 Annual Range Tour will be hosted by Lake County Conservation District (LCCD) in Ronan, MT on September 4-5.

The Lake County Conservation District, Rangeland Resources Executive Committee (RREC), and DNRC would like to invite you to attend the 2014 Annual Range Tour. The tour will be held Thursday September 4th and Friday September 5th, in the beautiful Mission Valley.

The tour will be based at the Amish Community Building located between Ronan and St. Ignatius, MT. This year the focus of the tour will be intensive “mob” grazing on tame pastures in the Mission Valley. The first day will feature four ranchers and their mob grazing stories along with a body condition scoring workshop from MSU Beef Cattle Extension Specialist Rachel Endecott. The day will conclude with a banquet at the Ninepipes Lodge near Charlo, MT with Governor Bullock invited for the keynote address. The second day of the tour will feature an electric fencing demonstration with various techniques and infrastructure.

For additional information please contact Chris Malgren [email protected] (406) 676-2842×102, Ben Montgomery [email protected] (406) 676-2842×111, or Heidi Crum [email protected] (406) 444-6619.

August 20, 2009 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSGA members Two Dot Land and Livestock Co., American Fork Ranch & Robert E. Lee Ranch Co. to be featured on 2009 Governor’s Range Tour

DNRC – Excellence and innovation in rangeland management will be on display at the 2009 Governor’s Range Tour, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, and Friday, Sept. 18, in Harlowton, Mont.

Tour participants on the first day will visit the Two Dot Land and Livestock Co., where Zach Jones will discuss holistic grazing and management practices. The second stop will be at the American Fork Ranch where lunch will be served at the beautiful ranch headquarters. Following the meal, American Fork Ranch manager Jed Evjene will discuss his experiences with the EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service for rangeland improvements and grazing management.

The next stop will be at the C Bar J Ranch, where owners Tom and Pam Stevens will demonstrate weed management with goat grazing. The last stop of the day will be at the town of Two Dot. Here Gary Olsen with the Wheatland County Weed District will show the integrated pest management plan on leafy spurge in the area.

A banquet at the Moose Lodge in Harlowton will finish off the day. Mike Smith will be the Master of Ceremonies, the crowd will enjoy a theatrical performance from the local group; The Jawbone Players. Governor Brian Schweitzer is the invited keynote speaker.

The second day of the tour will begin at the Judith Gap Wind Farm, with a presentation from John Bacon of Invenergy. The next stop will be at S & G Livestock to view the new Animal Feeding Operation. Following that, the tour will go to the Galloway Creek Ranch, where Julie Thorson will share her experience with the EQIP Program and range management over the years. The tour will conclude with the Robert E. Lee Ranch Co. Bob and Kathy Lee will discuss grass experiment plots and rangeland management.

The annual Governor’s Range Tour rotates around the state, recognizing landowners who excel in natural resource management practices. This event serves as a great place to view agricultural practices, meet new people and share experiences.

This year’s tour is hosted by the Upper Musselshell Conservation District, in cooperation with the Rangeland Resources Executive Committee (RREC) and the Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC).

For more information about the 2009 Governor’s Range Tour or to register, visit the DNRC website at: www.dnrc.mt.gov or contact Heidi Olbert, State Coordinator, DNRC Rangeland Resource Program at (406) 444-6619; or Cheryl Miller with the Upper Musselshell Conservation District at (406) 632-5534 ext. 101.