MATE Show 2020

Photo by Greta Farnedi on Unsplash

Everything You Need to Know

The MATE Show, February 20-22, highlights agriculture products and services just in time for the upcoming spring season. Drawing visitors from a 500 miles radius the MATE is the largest agriculture trade show in the region.

Since 1976 the MATE, short for Montana AgriTrade Exposition, invites agricultural businesses to MetraPark for a three-day trade show. Increased interest, and attendance grew the MATE to become the largest Ag trade show in the region. The businesses that set up booths capture their target audience and build relationships with customers.

Equipment dealers bring in the latest models of tractors. Seed specialists display new varieties. Livestock nutritionists answer questions and provide strategies. Visitors attend because they can test out products, investigate new technologies, and come up with ideas to take back to the farm or ranch to make their operation better.

The spring-like February weather usually encourages cabin-fevered neighbors to get out and catch up on the latest news. The MATE Show provides an atmosphere of swapping stories and making deals for the upcoming year.

Attend the MATE Theater which provides classroom style presentations covering a wide range of topics. Learn about the newest technology to aide in pesticide application, discover the latest alfalfa weevil management, identify invasive grasses and plants that are toxic

to livestock and more. Saturday's classes include Beef Quality Assurance and free painting with Bitterroot Sip & Paint. The full schedule can be found on the website.

The MATE show focuses on agriculture, but it also features the Home & Health show. Businesses that offer products and services for the home set up in the Montana Pavilion. The home is a part of the farm or ranch after all. Clothing, food, nutrition, insurance, crafting supplies, and a menagerie of other things fill the Home & Health show.

Every year Grand Prizes are given away on the last day of the show. This year's grand prizes are a John Deere lawn mower, a set of Livio hearing aides from the Hearing Aide Institute, and one ton of SweetPro from AgriBest Feeds. For a chance to win fill out the back of the MATE ticket and put it in the drawing drums. The winners will be announced Saturday, February 22 starting at 4 p.m..

Tickets are free and can be found at First Interstate Bank locations in Billings, Hardin, Miles City, Laurel, Columbus, Absarokee, and Livingston. Tickets can also be picked up from vendors, and the NILE Office, or printed off the MATE website. Without a ticket, entrance is $7.

Dates and Hours:

• Feb. 20th - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

• Feb. 21st - Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

• Feb. 22nd - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Largest Ag Trade Show in Region

Agriculture is big business in the Billings region, drawing customers from a span of 500 miles away. The MATE show, February 20-22, highlights agriculture products and services for those customers just in time for the upcoming Spring season.

Since 1976 the MATE, short for Montana AgriTrade Exposition, invites agricultural businesses to MetraPark for a three-day trade show. Increased interest, and attendance grew the MATE to become the largest Ag trade show in the region. The businesses that set up booths capture their target audience and build relationships with customers.

Equipment dealers bring in the latest models of tractors. Seed specialist display new varieties.

Livestock nutritionist answer questions and provide strategies. Visitors come because they can test out products, investigate new technologies, and come up with ideas to take back to the farm or ranch to make operation better.

The spring-like February weather usually encourages cabin-fevered neighbors to come out and catch up. MATE provides an atmosphere of swapping stories and one-upping who got more moisture.

Attend the MATE theater--classroom style presentations covering a wide range of topics. Learn about the

latest in precision farming, discover the latest in crop varieties, find out proper fertilizer application, educate yourself on farm and ranch management and more. Saturday's classes include music, dancing, and painting--all new this year. The full schedule can be found on the website.

The MATE show focuses on agriculture, but it also features the Home & Health show. Businesses that offer products and services for the home set up in the Montana Pavilion. The home is a part of the farm or ranch after all. Clothing, food, nutrition, insurance, crafting supplies, and a menagerie of other things fill the Home & Health show.

Every year Grand Prizes are given away on the last day of the show. This year's grand prizes are a John Deere Mower, Hearing Aids, and one ton of SweetPro products. For a chance to win fill out the back of the MATE ticket and put it in the drawing drums. The winners will be announced Saturday, February 22 starting at 4:15 p.m.

Tickets are free and can be found at First Interstate Bank locations in Billings and Hardin. Tickets can also be picked up from vendors, and the NILE office, or printed off the MATE website. Without a ticket, entrance is $7.

For more information go to www.themateshow.com

Three Grand Prizes Offered at the MATE

The 44th annual Montana Agri-Trade Exposition (MATE) provides three opportunities to win a grand prize February 20-22, 2020.

Guests use their free tickets as entrance into the contests. Once the back of the ticket is filled out and signed, attendees can place them in the drawing drums. The final day of the MATE show, Saturday, February 22, the winners are randomly selected from each corresponding drawing drum. Need not be present to win. Must be 18 years of age or older. Winners are taxed on the retail value of the prize.

The MATE Grand Prize is proudly provided by John Deere C & B Operations. This year the winner will take home a Z740 Lawnmower with Tweel Tires. This mower delivers time-tested features-from solid, welded frames to large rear tires, to heavy-duty, high capacity mowing decks with commercial grade reinforcements. C & B Operations has John Deere locations in Billings, Miles City, Glendive, Culbertson, Circle, Plentywood, and Glasgow, Montana, as well as Sheridan and Powell, Wyoming. The John Deere booth at MATE has won the Best Booth Award for the past two years. Check them out in the Expo Center building at MetraPark at booth #47.

The Home & Health Grand Prize 2020 is brought to you by the Hearing Aid Center. They exist to transform lives by connecting people to their world. The latest in advanced technology hearing instruments. The best hearing aid just got better. Livio Hearing Aids- Redefining Hearing Aid. Stop by in the Montana Pavilion at MetraPark at booth #655.

The Ag Grand Prize is one ton of SweetPro mineral tubs from AgriBest Feeds. Agri-Best Feeds is the regional marketing arm of SweetPro Feeds based out of Walhalla, ND and Redmond Natural Trace Minerals in Redmond, UT. Their focus is to maximize animal health, forage utilization, and producer profits. SweetPro Feeds is known for its new nutritional technology (6 patents plus a proprietary digestive aide) of taking Distiller’s Grains (by-product of the ethanol process) stabilizing them in block or granular form and making them available to livestock producers across the nation and Canada. Learn about feed programs and enter to win at their booth #501 in the Expo Center.

Along with these grand prizes many businesses have daily drawings and prizes at their booths. To see the full list of vendors and a map of the booths go to www.themateshow.com Free tickets are available at First Interstate Bank locations, Vendors' businesses, the NILE Office, or online.

MATE Grand Prize

Z740 Mower with Tweel Tires-John Deere

Courtesy of C&B Operations see them in booth #47 in the Expo Center

Drawing: Saturday, February 22nd 4:45 p.m.

Home & Health Grand Prize

Hearing Aids

Courtesy of The Hearing Aid Center

Drawing: Saturday, February 22nd 4:30 p.m.

Ag Grand Prize

One ton of SweetPro mineral tubs.

Courtesy of AgriBest Feeds see them at booth #50 of the Expo Center

Drawing: Saturday, February 22nd 4 p.m.

MATE Theater Schedule 2020

Presentations ranging in topics offered every day in the MATE Theater. This classroom-style program is free to attendees and is a great opportunity to ask the experts specific questions.

The MATE Theater is located in the small bay of the Montana Pavilion at MetraPark. Each presentation is about an hour long. This year’s schedule offers learning opportunities for strategies to improve farming operations, ranch management, as well as information on the new tax law, and medicare.

Each of the three days offers something different, for the full schedule and descriptions of classes see below or go to www. themateshow.com

Thursday, February 20

10:00 a.m.

Friday, February 21

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) - Applications in Agriculture

10:00 a.m.

The Impact of Invasive Mussels: Learning from Nebraska

Prevention Methods and Eradication Efforts in Nebraska

Central and Eastern Montana Invasive Species Team / Musselshell Watershed & Allison Zach, Nebraska Invasive Species Coordinator

11:00 a.m.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) - Applications in Agriculture

Tammy Yost-Wildin, Pulse Equine

1:00 p.m.

Identifying Invasive Grasses

Emily Standley, MSU Extension Agent in Fergus County

2:00 p.m.

Can they Eat That? Toxic Plants of Montana

Nikki Bailey, MSU Extension Agent in Carbon County 3:00 p.m.

Herbicide Resistance in Montana: What’s New, What’s Old and What’s on the Horizon

Mat Walter, Extension Agent, MSU Extension Agent in Lewis & Clark County

4:00 p.m.

Sexed Semen Usage in Beef Cattle & ¼

Straw Packaging

John Jackson, Regional Manager, ST Genetics

Tammy Yost-Wildin, Pulse Equine 11:00 a.m. John Deere 1:00 p.m. Fumigant Safety for Agriculture Rodents in Montana

Mat Walter, Extension Agent, MSU Extension Agent in Lewis & Clark County

2:00 p.m. Alfalfa Weevil Management

Molly Masters, MSU Extension Agent in Big Horn County 3:00 p.m. Incorporating New Technology to Aid Application

Callie Cooley, Extension Agriculture Agent in Yellowstone County 4:00 p.m.

Sexed Semen Usage in Beef Cattle & ¼

Straw Packaging

John Jackson, Regional Manager, ST Genetics

Saturday, February 22

10:00 a.m. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) - Applications in Agriculture

Tammy Yost-Wildin, Pulse Equine 11:00 a.m.

Sexed Semen Usage in Beef Cattle & ¼

Straw Packaging

John Jackson, Regional Manager, ST Genetics 12-3 p.m. FREE Painting

Paint on your own or guided canvas with Bitterroot Sip & Paint 1:00 p.m.

Beef Quality Assurance

Bill Pelton

Schedule subject to change

Vendor list and locations subject to change.

Expo Vendor List

Company Name

-----------------------------------Booth #

A+ ELECTRIC MOTOR, Inc. 112

ABILENE MACHINE 288

ABS GLOBAL 391

AG EFFICIENCY 526

AGRI BEST FEEDS 501

AGRI INDUSTRIES, INC. 209

AGRI-TOOL & SUPPLY 128

AGROLIQUID 313

ALDRICH LUMBER COMPANY 390

ALL STAR ROOFING 399

AMERICAN DRILLING--------------------------------------213

ANDERSON GROUP 154

AQUASOURCE DRILLING 102

ARCHITECTURAL SPECIALISTS 111

ATP NUTRITION 30

AWS AIR BAR 224

B & L SCALES, INC. 302

BESLER INDUSTRIES INC 27

BIG EQUIPMENT COMPANY 12

BIG SKY INSULATIONS, INC 109

BIG SKY IRRIGATION, INC 236

BIG SKY SYNTHETICS 214

BigIron Auctions 119

BILLINGS FARM HAND 227

BILLINGS KUBOTA 145

BLUE MOOSE BBQ K

BOBCAT OF BIGSKY 211

BOZEMAN GREEN BUILD 205

BRIDGER STEEL-BILLINGS 104

C & B Operations 47

CALLICRATE BANDERS 291

CANCRETE CATTLE WATERERS 5

CATTLE SYSTEMS BY LS 531

CIRCLE S SEEDS of MT, Inc. 523

CLASSY & SASSY COFFEE G

CLEARY BUILDING CORP. 398

CON-AG-TECH, LLC 43

CONKLIN AGROVANTAGE SYSTEM 399

COPPER MOUNTAIN IRRIGATION, LLC 567 CORDER & ASSOCIATES 13

CORDEX OF NORTH AMERICA 519

CRAZY MOUNTAIN FABRICATION 315 CREIGHTON POST & PIPE 318 CROP PACKAGING SPECIALISTS 42 CROSSWIRE INC 126 DAKOTA SALES 411 DEAN’S IRRIGATION 32 DYNAMIC COATINGS 31 EASTERN MONTANA AG 59 EMBROIDERY WHOLESALE 507 FARMER’S BUSINESS NETWORK, INC. 44 FUSE IT PIPE AND SUPPLY CO, LLC ----------------------- 120

GALLES FILTER & EXHAUST 309 GENERAL IMPLEMENT 24

GIANT RUBBER WATER TANKS 393 GRAB TEC 548

GRAIN CLEANING SYSTEMS, INC 89 HIGH COUNTRY AGRICULTURAL MARKETING INC. 226 HIGH PLAINS INDUSTRIES (Snirtstopper) 223

HOTSY WY-MONT 107 HUBBARD FEEDS 136 INDUSTRIAL SALES & SERVICE 17 INFORMATION BOOTH H INLAND TRUCK PARTS & SERVICE 206 INTELLIGENT AGRICULTURAL SOLUTIONS 142

JOHN DEERE COMPANY 47 KG POST FRAME 132 KGHL RADIO 305 KR RAUCH CO. 1 KUGLER COMPANY 127

LANGE BIN ERECTION & REPAIR LLC 141

LEE UNLIMITED POWER BENCH 307

LEGACY STEEL BUILDINGS 400 LIQUITUBE MARKETING INT’L (Best Designs) 10

MEADOW GREEN SALES 503

MH EQUIPMENT & BALE KING 511

MH EQUIPMENT & HARSH 510

MIDLAND IMPLEMENT CO., INC. 264 MILLER FABRICATION & CONSTRUCTION, INC. 508 MILLER FARM J MILLER LOADERS 548

Parking Lot

MINERAL TUB LIFTER 397

MINERAL TUB LIFTER outside

MINNESOTA PNEUMATIC PRODUCTS 560

MISSOURI RIVER REALTY 7

MONTANA AG PLASTICS 129

MONTANA BEEF COUNCIL 106

MONTANA DEPT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY 113 MONTANA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION 117

MONTANA FARMERS UNION 137

MONTANA FFA FOUNDATION 509

MONTANA LIVESTOCK AG CREDIT 304

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION OFFICE 524

MORTON BUILDINGS 9

MUSSER BROS, INC. 116 NACHURS (ALPINE) 45

NAMI BILLINGS ------------------------------------------ 606

NAPA AUTO PARTS 520

NILE RAFFLE FILLY E

NORTH 40 AG, INC 220

NORTHERN AG NETWORK 305

NORTHERN SEED 135 NORWOOD SALES 228 NUTRA-LIX, INC. 310

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 156

ONE-STEP AUTOMATION 134

PATTEN BOOKKEEPING & CONSULTING 103

PIERCE HOMES & MONTANA MODULAR 514

POST FRAME SPECIALISTS 207

PRAIRIE STAR (THE) C

PURVIS INDUSTRIES 125

RANGEWARD, INC. 525

RDO EQUIPMENT CO 34

REA HYBRIDS ---------------------------------------------312

REAL-TUFF / R-K AUCTION 402

RED E LLC 409

REDS FIXIT SHOP LLC, GPS MONTANA 129

REINKE IRRIGATION 123

REISIG AGENCY INC. 92

RICK YOUNG & SONS AUCTIONEERS 86

ROCKWELL SCALES 566

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COMPOST N

S & P Brake & Driveline Services, Inc. 87

S BAR S SUPPLY CO. 405

S.I. FEEDERS 153

STAMPEDE STEEL 269

STAN’S WEED CONTROL, INC 408

SUNNYBROOK WELDING 36

SUPERIOR WATER SOLUTIONS

395

TASTE OF ASIA L

TIRE RAMA 115

TITAN MACHINERY 540

TNT SPRINGS INC 16

TORGERSON’S 148

TOWN & COUNTRY SUPPLY ASSOC 272

TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT 54

TRACTOR HOUSE / AuctionTime.com 121

TRADEWIND/US CATTLEWOMEN B

TRI STATE LIVESTOCK N

TWEnterprises Inc. 6

V & M COMPANY 532

VALLEY FARMERS SUPPLY 294

VERMEER CORPORATION 260

WEATHERSTAR 515

WEED IT Spot Spraying 11

WESTERN AG REPORTER

WESTERN RANCH SUPPLY CO. 170

WILD HORSE SEEDS 133

YELLOWSTONE CO. WEED CONTROL 517

YELLOWSTONE POLARIS & RECREATION 84

Montana Pavilion Vendor List

Company Name

7K METALS

-----------------------------------Booth #

----------------------------------------------- 684

AMARE GLOBALIZATION 665

AMERICAN SEATING & MOBILITY ------------------------ 651

ARTSY MAGNETIC THERAPY JEWELRY 668

BAD DOG TOOLS 706

BATH PLANET OF MONTANA 666

BEARTOOTH HARLEY -DAVIDSON 700

BEARTOOTH IRONWORKS INC. 712

BELTONE HEARING 618

BEMER 657

BIG SKY BUILDING SOLUTIONS 674A

BIG SKY EXTERIOR DESIGN 603

BIG SKY SPAS 632

BILLINGS CLINIC 610

BULL MOUNTAIN FENCING 714

C’S EXTERIOR DESIGNS 677

CABIN CREEK 626

CENTRAL-EASTERN MT INVASIVE SPECIES TEAM 721

CHARTER COLLEGE 683

CITY COLLEGE MSU-BILLINGS 638

COLLECTIVE GOODS 624

COSTCO WHOLESALE 660

COWGIRL COVERS 636

CULLIGAN WATER 627

CUTCO CUTLERY 645

DOGGIE STYLE GOURMET TREATS 675A

EDWARD JONES 637

EUGENE SARA DETACHMENT,USMC 662

EUROCAST COOKWARE/HOMERUN PRODUCTS 664

EXCLUSIVE HOME PRODUCTS 628

FARSTAD OIL 722

FAY RANCHES 704

FIREPROOF FENCING 711

G & J DIESEL 720

GOLDEN TIGER PAIN RELIEF 623

HAWAIIAN MOON 640

HAYBUSTER/DURATECH INDUSTRIES 708

HEALTH AND BEAUTY 658

HEARING AID INSTITUTE 655

ITC SERVICES 713

JEFF WIGEN STATE FARM 659

KC’S WESTERN DÉCOR 630

KLEER VU 620 KO LEATHER 621 LILLA ROSE 622 LINDA KAY’S CARAMEL KITCHEN 625 Living Independently for today and tomorrow (LIFTT)- 674 LOVE YOUR NAILS - COLORSTREET 675

LYNNRICH SEAMLESS SIDING & WINDOWS, INC. 679 ME BULBS PREMIUM QUALITY LIGHTING 661 MIDWEST OUTDOOR RESORTS 663 MK WESTERN VIEW PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 605 MONTANA MELT 691 MONTANA SHED CENTER 669 MQS, INC. 705 MT FORD Dealers Association 725 NTD SERVICES & REPAIR 715 PIUSI USA ------------------------------------------------ 719 PRECISION FARM PARTS 703 PULSE EQUINE 670 PURE INFUSION SUITES, LLC 649 RANCH HOUSE MEAT & SAUSAGE CO 676 Renewal by Andersen of Montana 678

RERIDE WESTERN WEAR 650 ROCK CREEK REMEDIES 673 ROGER L DANIEL INSURANCE 609 RUNNING R EQUIPMENT REPAIR 710 Rx CBD FOR YOU 656 SAM’S CLUB 682 SHERWIN-WILLIAMS 629 ST. VINCENT HEALTHCARE 616 STITCHES & STEEL 626

SUPERIOR SLEEP EXPERIENCE 671 THAT GUYS FAB SHOP 717 THE ROLLIN’ DONUT 689

TORRI BELLE COSMETICS 619 TOUCH OF COUNTRY CATERING 690 TRADER’S DISPATCH 716

TUNING ELEMENTS BY GAY ------------------------------ 623 WILD RAGS BY LOIS 652 YELLOWSTONE COUNTY NEWS 639

YOUNG LIFE 607 YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS 646 Zilis 684

Looking for Scholarship Opportunities?

We are getting closer to high school graduations and summer breaks. In the midst of daily agricultural tasks this time of year, is also the daunting task of lining up scholarship opportunities for high school seniors and current college students. Now is the time to take of advantage of the decreased daylight hours and complete those scholarship applications!

This year the NILE Foundation plans to award $34,000 in college scholarships to deserving FFA and 4-H students. The criteria being that applicants have been actively involved in their communities, leaders in their respective programs, excelled in the classroom, and participated in NILE events.

2020 Scholarships:

• High School One Time Scholarship - Awarded to high school seniors that meet the qualifications listed in the guidelines.

• Secondary One Time Scholarship - Offered will also be a one-time grant, for students already enrolled in College or a Vo-Tech school meeting the qualifications.

• Shining Star: All qualified applicants are eligible. This scholarship is for an applicant that stands out in the crowd.

• Needle In The Haystack – This scholarship will be awarded to any NILE scholarship applicant if they attend Stetsons & Stilettos in June 2020. The winner will be randomly drawn that night.

• NILE Legacy Award - Offered to students that have been very active in various NILE events from the time they were young!

• Rolling Scholarship - The rolling scholarships will be offered to a select group of High School Seniors who will have the opportunity to renew the scholarship yearly, up to four years of their secondary education. Recipients of rolling scholarships will be chosen from the pool of applicants that are current seniors in High School.

Applications must be submitted to the NILE Office by March 4, 2020 by 4 p.m. (postmarked March 4th will not be accepted). Applications incomplete or late will not be considered. Scholarships will be awarded and announced in April 2020.

Montana Farm Bureau lauds final step in ratifying USMCA

Montana Farm Bureau President Hans McPherson has praised President Donald Trump’s signing of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement.

“Montana Farm Bureau has worked very hard, along with American Farm Bureau, to get the USMCA ratified and we’re thrilled with President Trump for standing with farmers and ranchers and signing this extremely important agreement. We’d like to thank our Congressional delegation for their support and realization that this agreement is vital to Montana agriculture,” McPherson said. “Agriculture is Montana’s number-one industry, and these excellent trade deals increase the demand for our agricultural products. Everything good for agriculture is good for Montana. The signing of this important agreement is truly a highlight for the ag community as well as for consumers, and it points to a bright future for farmers and ranchers.”

McPherson noted that Canada still needs to ratify the pact which is expected to occur in the next couple of months. Once that’s done, the agreement will take effect 90 day after all countries have approved it, so hopefully our farmers realize the benefits from this trade agreement as spring heads into summer. “Right now, Montana has $731 million in exports to Mexico and Canada combined. It will be good to see an increase in this numbers as USMCA goes into effect,” McPherson said.

The USMCA is expected to increase agricultural exports from the U.S. by $2 billion and result in an overall increase of $65 billion in gross domestic product. Canada will increase quotas on U.S. dairy products, benefitting American dairy farmers by $242 million. Canada will treat wheat imports the same as domestic wheat for grading purposes, which is especially important to Montana. Montana has had a dispute for years on wheat grading with their neighbor to the north. Mexico has agreed that all grading standards for ag products will be non-discriminatory. The agreement also enhances science-based trading standards among the three nations.

USMCA comes on the heels of a string of trade successes. The China Phase 1 Agreement signed last month goes into effect in mid-February. The U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement signed last fall went into effect this month, which was especially important to Montana’s cattle ranchers.

Support Ag Literacy on your tax form

The State of Montana has a voluntary tax check-off designation for Agricultural Literacy. These funds have the potential to provide materials and agricultural curriculum to teachers and schools across the state providing adequate knowledge of agriculture for students.

On your 2019 Montana tax return, choose the voluntary check-off program to support ag literacy in Montana schools. These funds have the potential to provide materials and agricultural curriculum to teachers and schools across the state.

Whether you are using a tax preparer or completing the tax form yourself, check line 69c on the long tax form or 18c on the EZ form. Donating $5, $10 or another amount will benefit the agricultural knowledge of our youth.

Montana Farm Bureau Federation is a founding member of the Montana Ag in the Classroom Foundation. This tax season, help keep agricultural curriculum in the classroom for Montana students.

For more information on ag literacy efforts contact Rikki Swant at rikkis@mfbf.org.