Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting offers for more than 2.2 million acres from agricultural producers and private landowners through this year’s Grassland, General, and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signups administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). With these accepted acres, enrollment is very near the 27 million CRP acreage cap. “The popularity of our suite of Conservation Reserve Programs, including the significant success of Grassland Conservation Reserve Program and the fact that we are nearing t...
As chair of the Montana Land Board, Governor Greg Gianforte has led the state's purchase of more than 50,000 acres of habitat conservation leases (HCL) to increase public access, keep agricultural land in production, and conserve prairie habitats, as was stated on Aug. 19. With the support of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), conservation groups, and farmers and ranchers, the governor and members of the land board celebrated the approval to purchase eight private properties to enroll as...
The market report for the Glasgow Stockyards on Aug. 22, show 478 cattle sold with a vry light run of cows. Bulls and yearlings market were softer on all classes. Bulls off pasture thinner, lower yielding. Yearlings in mixed weights coming lower following CME Feeder Board movement. There is no auction, Thursday, Aug. 29....
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold a community meeting on waterfowl hunting regulations and zone management. The meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 5, at 6 p.m. on Zoom. The event is intended to provide information about how federal frameworks influence state regulations. The meeting will also provide an opportunity for hunters to share their concerns, suggestions and ideas regarding current waterfowl hunting zones and season dates directly with agency representatives. This meeting is a key part of FWP’s commitment to ensuring that w...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for fiscal year 2024. The cooperative agreements, using remaining funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, are jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Selected projects will develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans and are part of USDA’s bro...
If walls could talk, the pistachio green surface of Sally Austin's kitchen would instantaneously have you settled in over a cup of steaming Folgers. A gallery of framed photos, some slightly askew, tells the story of the 70 years Austin has lived on the ranch. Tucked among them, funeral programs and a well-worn flyswatter remind you of life's unvarnished realities. Legacies experience loss. Ranches have bugs. Perched atop a cushioned kitchen chair, Austin reflects on the history of the 125 years...
Block Management Area (BMA) program information is now available at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks offices. The Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program (UGBEP) Projects Access Guide will be available later this month. To request a hard copy or to review these guides online go to fwp.mt.gov/BMA and fwp.mt.gov/UGBEP. The BMA guide offers hunters access to the most current information on lands enrolled in BMA. In addition to the access overview guide, each BMA has its own property map and specific rules. The BMA program provides hunter management...
Farmers and ranchers know all too well that natural disasters can be a common, and likely a costly, variable to their operation. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has emergency assistance programs to provide assistance when disasters strike, and for some of those programs, a disaster designation may be the eligibility trigger. When natural disaster occurs, there is a process for requesting a USDA Secretarial disaster designation for a county. You can play a vital role in this process. If you have experienced a production loss as a result of a natur...
USDA in Montana reminds agricultural producers of important Farm Service Agency (FSA) program dates. Contact your local service center to apply and with any questions. Visit online at farmers.gov and fsa.usda.gov/mt. Sept. 2: Office Closure for Labor Day federal holiday. Sept. 3: NAP application closing date for fall and spring seeded Canola and all Value Loss Crops. Sept. 30: Acreage Reporting Date for Value-loss and controlled environment crops (except nursery). Sept. 30: NAP application closing date for all annual & perennial grass & mixed...
Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses. Examples of property commonly affected include essential farm buildings, fixtures to real estate, equipment, livestock, perennial crops, fruit and nut bearing trees, and harvested or stored crops and hay. Impacted Area: Montana Triggering Disaster: Tornado, Hail and High Winds A...
The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee reports that they’ve been out with producers and have returned with harvest numbers. Yields are being reported as anywhere from 40 to 85 bushels per acre, with some anomalies getting up to 120 bushels per acre. That said, while the yields have been high, protein counts have been averaging lower than normal, between half a point to a full point lower than Montana’s typical 11.8 average. These protein deficiencies can mean some losses on sale when bringing crop into town, some facing as much as 45-cent dis...
The market report for the Glasgow Stockyards on Aug. 8, show 240 cattle sold. Cows and bulls steady with last test of July 25. Utility and commercial cows brought in $130 to $143; canner and cutter cows $110 to $130 and bulls $155 to $171.50....
July runoff in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa, was 2.8 million acre-feet, 85 percent of average with below-average runoff in the upper three reaches and above-average runoff in the lower three reaches. The annual runoff forecast above Sioux City, Iowa is 23.9 MAF, 93 percent of average. “July brought warmer and drier weather to the Missouri River Basin,” said John Remus, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division. “While every state experienced storms that produced small pockets...
Montana Farm Bureau members are voicing their support of an American Farm Bureau lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule. AFBF and 11 other groups filed a lawsuit July 12 challenging the lawfulness of the Rule, which threatens the future of ranching in the U.S. by destabilizing a decades-old tradition of grazing on federal lands. BLM issued the final rule in May with a stated goal of increasing the health and resilience of public lands, but Farm Bureau believes a lack of clarity in the rule and changes in policy t...
Federal funding has been secured for the Milk River Project in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies bill. The bill, which will advance to the full Senate as part of the FY25 appropriations package, includes federal funding for repairs to the St. Mary Canal after a major siphon burst earlier this summer. This funding is non-reimbursable, and will come at no cost to local communities. “[Bureau of Reclamation] has used emergency spending to get dirt moving and to get this project going because our system i...
July was a month of above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation. In fact, it was the eighth warmest month for the station with an average of 76.8 degrees. This is 4.8 degrees above normal. There were four daily temperature records set during the month: the warmest day was on the 24th with a high of 109. The other dates with records were the 10th, the 19th and the 25th. The coolest temperature was 52 on the 3rd. Precipitation was only 41 percent of normal with 0.80 inches; most of that fell on the first six days of the month. Only...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the deadline for commodity and specialty crop producers to apply for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022 natural disaster losses is Aug. 14, 2024. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting ERP 2022 applications in October 2023. “If natural disasters impacted your farm or ranch in 2022, there’s still time to submit your application for Emergency Relief Program assistance,” said FSA State Executive Director for Montana Maureen Wicks. “Don’t delay. Gather up your docume...
During meetings in Washington in July, the Montana Farm Bureau continued to stress the need for grasshopper control while visiting with Congressional leaders. In talking with Senator Jon Tester and Representative Matt Rosendale, and with the staff of Senator Steve Daines’ and Representative Ryan Zinke’s offices, Farm Bureau leaders explained the negative impact of the destructive insects and the need for help with control. “It’s clear that our outcry for grasshopper control is being heard, but in this tight budgeting process, securing additiona...
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) has released its 2024 Montana Drought Outlook Report. According to the report, much of Montana is facing abnormally dry to severe drought conditions resulting from low snowpack and below-average precipitation during spring and early summer. Depending upon accumulated precipitation and temperatures over the next four to six weeks, the net deficits in June could result in the onset of widespread drought by late July. According to the report, 40 percent of the state is classified...
Governor Greg Gianforte has announced his request for federal assistance to respond to the St. Mary siphons failure was granted by Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton. “I’m grateful for this much needed federal assistance to repair the St. Mary and Halls Coulee siphons,” Gov. Gianforte said. “The State of Montana stands ready to assist local and federal officials in responding to the widespread effects the failure will have on water users and irrigators.” On June 17, a catastrophic failure of the St. Mary siphons led to concerns...
Governor Greg Gianforte has announced the State of Montana received a nearly $50 million investment in Montana’s working and natural lands from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Montana is one of just 25 recipients across the nation to be awarded funding. “We’re known in Montana for our innovative spirit and our strong history of conservation,” Gov. Gianforte said. “I’m grateful we worked together to secure this historic investment to improve the resilience of our forests, agriculture industry, and waterways through innovative,...
Nominations are now being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees. These committees make important decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2024 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2024. “Serving on a Farm Service Agency county committee is your chance to ensure that other producers who share your interests, your production practices, and your perspective a...
The cities of Chinook, Harlem and Havre are asking residents to voluntarily reduce lawn irrigation to conserve water while the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works are repaired. “Following the recent conditions of the siphons at the St. Mary Diversion, the Havre, Chinook, and Harlem communities have been working with Montana Rural Water to find ways to conserve water along the Milk River,” Havre Public Works Director Trevor Mork said in a release on July 17 . “With our available water supply being reduced and the continued drought in our a...
The Montana 4-H Foundation recently announced that it has awarded nearly $40,000 in scholarships to 45 graduating 4-H members and alumni. The recipients, from 28 Montana counties and tribal areas, can use the scholarships for post-secondary education during the 2024-2025 academic year. Scholarship recipients were recognized July 11 at the 2024 Montana 4-H Congress held on the Montana State University campus in Bozeman. Jane Wolery, executive director of the Montana 4-H Foundation, said the foundation and its donors are looking forward to seeing...
The market report for the Glasgow Stockyards on July 11 show 564 cattle sold. Utility and commercial cows sold for $135 to $147.50; canner and cutter cows $125 to $137; young feeding/turnout cows $170 to $211.25; and bulls $155 to $182. Consignors were: Wolf Point 2240 Bull 170.50 Whitewater 2235 Bull 170.50 Flaxville 2115 Bull 171.00 Whitewater 2095 Bull 171.00 Hinsdale 2090 Bull 172.00 Malta 1985 Bull 171.50 Zortman 1955 Bull 182.00 Loring 1011 Young Cows 208.00 Jordan 997 Young Cows 211.25 Scobey Yearling Angus Breeding Bull $7,250 Loring...
