NATIONAL APPRECIATION WEEK MARCH 17-23, 2024
Your Field, Your Feed, Your Family or your Fun.
DRY HILLS DISTILLERY IS A TRUE FARM-TO-BOTTLE OPERATION
By Abby WeingartenWhen potato farmers Jeff and Erica Droge launched a distillery as a direct diversification of their family land, they knew they were on to something. Dry Hills Distillery was born, as was the motto “We Grow Good Times.”
“We are sixth-generation farmers with roots dating back to 1905, where our great-great-grandfather, Jacob Droge, had a homestead in the area known as the Dry Hills,” Jeff Droge said. “Over 100 years later, this same farm is now known as Droge Farms, Inc., and is operated by our brothers, Terrence (wife, Calette), Tim (wife, Amber), and our father, Glenn Droge.”
The farm raises several hundreds of acres of certified seed potatoes and several thousands of acres of mixed cereal grains.
“By providing a new opportunity to utilize our farm’s commodities, we knew we were not only able to create craft spirits but also elevate the farm’s production and marketability,” Jeff Droge said. “Today, we are proud to say that we are one of the few distilleries in the nation that is a true farm-to-bottle
operation. When we founded the distillery, we set out to create something genuinely unique and special. We wanted to make real craft spirits the right way, even if it meant doing it the hard way.”
All the products at Dry Hills – from the potatoes to the select high-country grains – are touched by the family’s hands (from the field to the bottle) to make truly handcrafted, Montanamade spirits.
“Having the ability to work with our family, diversify our farming operations, and provide jobs to more than 15 employees in a community where we were born and raised has given us so much pride and happiness,” Jeff Droge said. “And there is something truly special in the process of planting a seed, nurturing its growth, and harvesting its fruit. At the distillery, we have found a way to feel that process twice. We are able to take that harvest and mash, ferment, and distill it into a spirit, and then watch its maturation before harvesting it into one of our authentic products. We have also found a great amount of pride in doing our part to give back to the many organizations that make this community and state so great.”
PUBLISHING WEEKLY ON THURSDAYS. FIND THIS WEEKS PAPER AROUND TOWN AT THESE FINE BUSINESSES!
BELGRADE
• Airport - Bozeman Yellowstone International
• Albertsons
• Belgrade Chamber of Commerce
• Belgrade City Hall
• Belgrade Schools - All
• Belgrade Library
• Belgrade Senior Center
• Belgrade Ace
• Bozeman Health Belgrade
• Cafe M
• Community Health Clinic
• Cove Athletic Club
• Cellular Plus-Verizon
• Chalet Market
• Collision Center
• Dairy Queen
• Duke’s Bakery
• Fiesta Mexicana
• First Interstate Bank
• Friendly Tavern
• Holiday Inn Express
• Holiday Store
• Hong Kong City
• JR’s Lounge
• Kenyon Noble
• Lone Peak Physical Therapy
• Lube Alley
• McDonalds
• New Day Bakery
• O’Reilly Auto Parts
• Pizza Hut
• Pop’s Country Store
• Quality Inn
• Ressler of Belgrade
• Rise and Shine Bakery
• Rocky Mtn Credit Union
• Rocky Mtn Supply
• Sky Federal Credit Union
• Cafe Havana
• Super 8 Motel
• Taco Time
• Timberline Apts
• Town & Country
• UPS Store
• Waterside Building
• Pomp’s Tire
MANHATTAN
• Broadway Street Rack
• Harvest Moon Coffee Shoppe
• L&F Market
• Manhattan Ace Hardware
• Manhattan Athletic Club
• Manhattan Bank
• Manhattan Elementary School
• Manhattan Library/ HS
• The Porch At Nogans
• Parkhaven Retirement
• Thriftway Conoco
AMSTERDAM RD/ CHURCHILL
• Amsterdam School
• Churchill Equipment
• Danhof Motors
• Feddes Meats
• Manhattan Bank in Churchill
• Manhattan Christian School
• Churchill Retirement
JACKRABBIT/ 4 CORNERS
• BaseCamp Gallatin
• Kountry Korner Café
• Mama Mac’s
• Thriftway
BOZEMAN
• Bozeman Health
• County Courthouse
• Law & Justice Center
• Pump-N-Pak
• Rosauers
THREE FORKS
• City Hall
• Conoco
• Iron Horse Cafe
• Legacy Trading
• Remuda Coffee Shop
• Three Forks Market
• Three Forks Cafe
• Three Forks H.S.
• Opportunity Bank
• Manhattan Bank in Three Forks
Beer production is Jake TeSelle’s passion, and the founder of Crooked Yard Hops loves sharing his homegrown crops with his beloved Gallatin community.
TeSelle launched his venture about nine years ago, right after graduating from Montana State University.
“I had grown up farming and wanted to find a specialty crop that I could produce profitably on small acreage, so we began looking into hops,” TeSelle said. “Before you know it, we had planted a one-acre test yard to gauge brewery interest around the state and, as interest increased, so did our acreage.”
CROOKED YARD HOPS KEEPS A FIFTHGENERATION FARM THRIVING
Crooked Yard Hops currently grows three varieties of hops on seven acres of land just south of Bozeman. The majority of the crops are sold to breweries for “fresh hop” beers for the Montana Fresh Hops Festival – a charity brewfest that is held every year for the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, connecting people in the community with the agriculture involved in beer production.
Everything on the Crooked Yard Hops farm is 100% custom-built and designed for the land’s specific needs. The Wolf WHE 220 hop harvester is from Poland and picks hops into the farm’s German kiln, which has an 800,000-BTU
indirect wood furnace to dry the hops (“the biggest stove you can imagine,” as TeSelle put it).
“After the hops are dried, instead of going into a bale and being sold to a broker, we pelletize onsite and sell direct to breweries all over the state,” TeSelle said.
And TeSelle savors every aspect of the process.
“Farming is being crowded out of the Valley, and being able to continue to do it on our fifth-generation farm alongside my friends and family is a true blessing,” TeSelle said. “I absolutely love getting folks out for tours during the growing season, or out for a day at harvest, and providing an opportunity for folks to get more connected to agriculture. I love hops as a plant, too; there’s nothing in the world that can grow as tall as fast, and the aroma is incredible.”
THE GALLATIN COUNTY 4-H
TEACHES YOUNG PEOPLE
IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE
By Abby WeingartenDedicated to strengthening the “mental, physical, moral, and social development of youth,” the 4-H organization has helped promote agricultural knowledge since the early 1900s. Today in Gallatin County, the concept is alive and well, as young people continue to learn how to work the land and become capable leaders.
“Gallatin 4-H is lucky to have such active, creative, and dedicated volunteers who value hands-on education and community connections,” said Molly Yurdana, the 4-H and youth development
agent for the Montana State University (MSU) Extension Gallatin County. “And 4-H gives youth the ability to discover who they are and what their place in the world is.”
Gallatin County 4-H was established in 1917 and is now one of the largest county programs in Montana, serving about 600 youth members (ages five to 18) and 120 volunteers annually. There are more than 200 skill-based project areas in the program – from livestock-centered experiences to artistic endeavors to STEM and
Churchill Equipment
Churchill Equipment Company is happy to announce that we have taken over Valley Trailer Sales on Jackrabbit Lane. We will be offering the same great trailer s and tr uck beds that you have come to rely on and adding Hotsy pressure washer s, Grasshopper lawn mower s, and Massey Ferguson compact tractor s. Churchill Equipment is privileged to continue in the tradition of Valley Trailer Sales suppling sales, ser vice, and par ts.
March 8th • GranTree Inn, Bozeman
6:00 pm Re gistration & Social 7:00 pm Dinner
PAST RECIPIENTS:
1) OuTSTANdINg FARmER/RANChER
AwARd:
2023 - Feddes Red Angus/Feddes Family Meats
2022 - Bill Haugland
2020 - Leland Heidema
2019 - Scott Kreuz
2018 - Ed & Punky Brainard
2017 - Joe & Barb Axtell
2016 - Lyle Woosley
2015 - John & Barb Vanhuizen
2014 - Sid Kamps
2013 - Peter & Connie Anderson
2012 - Bob and Barb Marx
2011 - Roy & Carol Metcalf
2010 - Leonard Reed
2009 - Willis Griswald
2008 - Gene Todd
2007 - Milo J. and Carol Todd
2006 - Alvin & Gerald Goldenstein
2005 - Fred & Gladys Tubb
2004 - Robert* & Arlene Haugland
2003 - Verna Lou Landis
2002 - Allen Woosley*
2001 - Peter* & Catherine Dyk
1999 - Rob Brownell
1998 - Bill Wright
1997 - Jim Storey
1996 - Chop Dringle*
1995 - Richard Morgan
1994 - Harry Brainard*
1993 - Bert Dusenberry, Jr.*
1992 - Paul Boylan*
1991 - Robert Lane
1990 - Stephen F McDonnell
1989 - Clarence Van Dyke
1988 - Stanley Milesnick
1987 - Robert S. Miller
1986 - Jess Kilgore*
1985 - Dale Davis*
1984 - Horace Fulker*
1983 - John Schutter, Sr.*
1982 - Lyle Davis*
1981 - Harvey Moss*
1980 - Sherman Smith*
1979 - Jack Cooper
1978 - John Buttelman, Sr.*
1977 - John C. Paugh, Sr.*
2) OuTSTANdINg JuNIOR (under 55 years old)
FARmER/RANChER OF ThE YEAR:
2018 - Nelson Kamerman
2017 - Ty Kraft
2016 - Paula Brainard Bentle
2015 - Ethan & Codie Severson
2014 - Craig Bos
2013 - Lance Chaney
2012 - Jake and Jane Callantine
2011 - Gary & Toni DeHaan
2010 - Trevor & Cassie Smieja
2009 - Bruce Samson
2008 - Darin Veltkamp
2007 - Marc Seifert
2006 - Jerry Olson
2005 - Jason & Jody Camp
2004 - Ed & Alice (Punky) Brainard
2003 - Schutter Bros. (Sid, John Jr., Carl, Nick, Cliff)
2002 - Bruce Wright
2001 - Joe Axtell, Jr
1999 - Phil Veltkamp
1998 - Bill Brownell
1997 - Ken Flikkema
3) SERVICE TO AgRICuLTuRE:
2023 - Patti Soares
2022 - Ron Carlstrom
2020 - Dr Jacy Cook, DVM
2019 - LaVonne Stucky
2018 - Brent Poppe
2017 - Bill Jimmerson
2016 - Mike Gaffke
2015 - Rocky Mountain Supply
2014 - Garth Isbell
2013 - Les Graham
2012 - Ed & Alice (Punky) Brainard
2011 - David Pruitt
2010 - Rod Cline
2008 - Al Lien
2006 - Jason Kimm
2005 - William J. (Bill) & Scott Kimm
2004 - Kail & Renee’ Daniels Mantle
2003 - Bob Monforton
2002 - Skip Hougland
2001 - Tom & Mary Kay Milesnick
1999 - Roger Nerlin
1998 - Jeanne Reyher
1997 - Jim Heisel
4) SPECIAL AgRICuLTuRE OPERATIONS:
2018 - Matt & Jacy Rothschiller
2016 - Visser Greenhouses
2015 - Synergy Resources
2014 - Klein & Karen Gilbousen
2013 - Betty Biggs
2012 - Brian Goldhahn
2011 - Montana Gluten-Free Processors
2010 - Bob Ross
2009 - Dr Bruce Sorenson, DVM
2008 - Melvyn Brown
2007 - John Paugh Jr
2006 - David E. Catlin, DVM*
2005 - A. Hayden Ferguson
2004 - Jim & Julie Bowles
2003 - Jim Drummond
2002 - Bob Jordan
2001 - Brooks Emeny & John Randall
1999 - John Youngberg
1998 - Gene Surber
1997 - Duane Burkenpas
1996 - Wayne Gibson
1995 - Norma Bruhn*
1994 - Alice Miller
*(deceased)
consumer science activities.
“We’re unique in that we offer numerous monthly workshops for every project area to enhance the ‘learn by doing’ component for the youth,” Yurdana said.
For example, the Gallatin 4-H swine project offers 15-plus workshops each year on topics such as animal health and nutrition, genetics, meat processing, marketing, and the global pork industry. Volunteers often recruit local business professionals to join the workshops and share their real-world experiences with attendees.
Gallatin is one of the fastest-growing counties in Montana, with the population skyrocketing to approximately 127,000 residents. But even with rapid urbanization, Gallatin 4-H is rooted in agriculture. The Big Sky Country State Fair hosts the annual 4-H/ FFA livestock shows and exhibition, where upwards of 300 youth members participate each year. The 4-H/FFA Market Livestock Sale provides an opportunity for our youth to sell about 350 locally raised animals to buyers in the community, some of which are donated to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and Montana Veterans Meat Locker to support families in need.
“We take pride in our 4-H program. It teaches kids how to work hard, be good future employees, be proactive and open-minded to others’ opinions, and get curious,” Yurdana said. “The kids that go through this program are invested in their communities, learning how to give back and serve others. The camaraderie, teamwork, and passion of the 4-H community is something remarkable.”
WEIDENAAR RANCHES
WITH ITS RICH FAMILY HISTORY, HAS A FRUITFUL FUTURE AHEAD
By Abby WeingartenWhen John Weidenaar of Weidenaar Ranches talks about the history of his family farm, his stories are filled with proud genealogy and passion.
The potato seed farm dates back to 1894, when John (Jan) Weidenaar (John Sr.) and his first wife Bertha (Bontje) immigrated to Montana from Holland. Seventy years later, in 1964, the farm was officially named Weidenaar Ranches, Inc.
“From 1894 to today, 130 years later, in 2024, the Weidenaar family still continues to farm in the Amsterdam/Churchill area,” the current John Weidenaar said. “In that span of 130 years, the art of agriculture has not changed, but the practice most definitely has. When John and Bertha homesteaded here, the art was the same as it was today; it was to sow and reap a quality product, whether it was livestock or row crops. And each year has its differences. Some years are similar but rarely ever the same, thus creating the art of agriculture. No matter the circumstances, you still need to get the crop in to get a
The Gallatin Valley Ag Committee would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to our 2024 Ag Banquet Sponsors for making this event possible.
AgWest Farm Credit
Andy’s Glass
Aquatech, Inc.
Belgrade Auto Supply
Belgrade News
Chalet Market
Churchill Equipment
Chuteside Vet
Diamond W Shoe Works, LLC
Door Tech
Farm Bureau Insurance-Carla Schmidt
First West Insurance
Floyd’s Kubota
Floyd’s Truck Center
Frontline Ag Solutions
Gallatin Beef Producers
Jump Start Expresso
Legacy Pipe Builders
Marsh McLennan Agency
Montana Drone Company
The Montana Land Reliance
Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply
Rocky Mountain Supply
Scenic City Trucking
Security Title
Steve Roderick - The Ridge Stockman Bank
Universal Athletics
crop out.”
Different John Weidenaars have taken care of the land, and times and processes have changed over the many decades, but the family farming tradition remains strong.
“We love that, as a family, we get to do this together. Supporting one another as family is a great gift, and getting to tackle doing a hard job together is makes it easier,” John Weidenaar said. “We are a bunch of typical farm kids that love everything that comes with farming – whether it’s late-night planting or tilling a field in a tractor, or driving a semi on icy roads to deliver grain to the elevator.”
But some aspects of farming are more difficult than others, John Weidenaar said. Cleaning the plenum of the potato cellar is not an exciting job, nor is cleaning a grain bin with rotten grain in the 90-plus-degree temperatures of July.
“But it’s those types of jobs that help you really enjoy the ones that you do like, and it also teaches us that not every job is easy
but the task still needs to be completed,” John Weidenaar said. “Being a good steward of what God has given us is something we want to do well.”
MANAGING THE STRESSORS OF FARMING,
RANCHING TAKES TIME, DISCIPLINE AND STRATEGY
By Brendan Heidner Ranger-Review Staff WriterJust as in any job, running a farm or ranch can prove stressful at times, but there are numerous ways for producers to both manage stressors and destress in the hustle and bustle of their 24/7 working lifestyle.
As part of the Dawson County Extension Office’s annual winter ag series seminars, Jackie Beardsley, M.S., MSU extension agent specializing in family and consumer sciences based in Miles City, gave a presentation about the science behind stress and how to properly manage it.
The goal of Beardsley’s presentation is fourfold: teach the biological processes that occur when people respond to stress; in the moment and long-term techniques for responding to stress; identifiable signs indicating self-care is not enough to deal with stress; and some Montana-based resources for anyone pursuing help with stress.
There are four primary responses – known as trauma responses – to stress that peoples’ bodies initiate automatically.
They are easily remembered as fight, flight, freeze and fawn.
“Regardless of what your stress is, you have these trauma responses,” Beardsley said. “These are all things that happen that help keep us alive, but over time, those can be pretty harmful to our bodies.”
While the fight, flight, freeze and fawn trauma responses can have negative effects on the body, Beardsley explained the effects can also transcend into the mind, relationships and actions, all in different ways.
That coupled with the fact some stressors are uncontrollable makes it even more important to combat them with different activities that can optimize brain and physical health.
“Even though you can’t control all of your stressors, learning how to come back down from your natural stress response ... will help minimize those adverse health outcomes,” Beardsley said, noting seven primary ways to do such.
SLEEP
An activity everyone participates in at least some every day is sleep, however, not always do people intentionally take time to
rest.
“It (sleep) helps us process our day, it helps us consolidate our to-do lists ... and it also helps us process our emotions,” Beardsley said.
Although some may consider even a few hours of sleep enough for one day, she added a lack of good sleep can itself cause stress.
“If you don’t get enough sleep, it’s considered short sleep and that can be a symptom of stress itself,” Beardsley said.
PLAY TIME
It is not something only children do.
Beardsley noted setting time aside to engage in an interesting or enjoyable activity is incredibly beneficial to the brain.
“When we allow ourselves to be spontaneous and creative and try new experiences, it helps us to make new neural connections in our brain,” she said. “Playfulness enhances the capacity to innovate, adapt and master challenging
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CELEBRATING 100+ YEARS!
Additionally, doing something enjoyable can help with problem solving, possibly limiting stress in the future if ever in a bind.
“When we practice play time, our brain builds those neural connections for problem solving so when we are faced with a stressful situation, we can respond instead of going into that stressful reaction,” Beardsley said.
DOWNTIME
Letting the mind recharge through deliberate time spent relaxing and allowing it to wander with no specific goal is crucial to mental health, according to Beardsley.
“Downtime permits sorting through many disparate elements of our mental lives,” she said.
When producers are traveling around their land at all hours of the day, it can be difficult to find that time to relax. However, Beardsley noted there are moments that may present themselves as possible downtimes, including while waiting for a ride, as an example.
“We have a lot of hurry up and wait and that waiting time can be stressful (and as) we’re waiting, we’re thinking about all the other things that we need to do,” she said. “Maybe we just accept we have to wait and hang out for a minute and then we’re practicing this downtime and we’re contributing to our mental health.”
TIME IN
Yet another difficult practice is that of sitting down, even if for a few minutes, and reflecting on life positively.
“This is paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally,” Beardsley said.
Some examples of spending time in includes journaling. Beardsley noted some have expressed a disability to sit down and do such, but she contends people only need up to three minutes per day to practice the activity.
She added it can be as simple as a grateful journal; writing a few things appreciated in life each day.
“That’s just a minute of your day,” Beardsley said. “It’s not a big, deep thought (and) it’s not processing everything that happened (in the day).”
CONNECTION
The majority of the seven activities involve changes in personal, athome routines, however it is also reportedly important to get out of the house and engage with other people.
According to Beardsley, social support has positive effects on “various diseases” and decrease peoples’ morbidity.
“When we connect with people or animals or spaces, we take time to appreciate the natural world around us,” Beardsley said.
Physical Activity
Although a great deal of producers’ work is, in fact, physical activity, finding other ways to move about can benefit both their mental and physical health.
“Research shows that the simple act of moving activates a large percentage of our brain and sensory and perceptual processes, those things that we do automatically,” Beardsley said.
Not only that, but physical exercise improves neuroplasticity, making the brain smarter and improving cognitive function.
“We do a lot of things in farming and ranching that help reduce that physical toll and sometimes it’s important to introduce that physical activity back in,” Beardsley said.
FOCUS TIME
Encompassing all of the aforementioned activities into one, they all take focus; an intentional, disciplined effort to accomplish.
Whether it be physical activity, nutrition or whatever else is deemed important for a producer’s mental health, it is important to remain focused.
“When we closely focus on a task in a goal-oriented way, we take on challenges that make deep connections in our brain,” Beardsley said. “Too much stress leads to impairment of that focus and then not enough brain stimulation can lead to deterioration in that focus as well.”
For more information about MSU Extension’s resources regarding stress management and resources for producers who need help, visit www.montana.edu/extension/wellness/ stress-management.
THE ASSOCIATION OF GALLATIN AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATORS
HELPS SUSTAIN THE LOCAL WATERS
By Abby WeingartenBeing stewards of the Gallatin River System is a main mission of the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators (AGAI), and it’s one that President Kurt Dykema takes very seriously.
The AGAI launched in 2004 to help protect the area’s historically decreed water rights, and the nonprofit organization has worked to sustain irrigated agriculture by lobbying and educating the public.
“Development has put many pressures on irrigation systems because, as properties change ownership, new owners don’t
always know or understand how irrigation systems work,” Dykema said. “Folks don’t understand that maybe they don’t have a right to water in a canal flowing through their new property, or that too-small culverts and fences that hang in the water impede the flow of water. Ditches take maintenance, and a giant excavator going through what used to be a field that is now a groomed lawn is upsetting and misunderstood by folks who haven’t been privy to the past ways of cleaning ditches.”
For five generations, Gallatin irrigators have managed the canals that distribute water throughout the Valley. The flow of water nourishes crops, and raising the level of the aquifer helps to keep the Valley green.
Beginning in the 1860s, irrigated agriculture in the Gallatin Valley developed on a piecemeal basis, with groups of farmers diverting water from rivers and streams, and building ditches with local labor and farm equipment. Agriculture manages a significant amount of the water rights in the Valley and holds most of the oldest water rights, but there was no one voice to present the agricultural perspective on water rights before the AGAI was formed. Increased demand for water in the Gallatin Valley forced the
need to present a coordinated voice for agriculture at the state and local level.
“Water conveyance is both a science and an art, and our irrigators have the skill and knowledge of how to direct the water and put it to beneficial use,” Dykema said. “We do so for our own livelihood but also to create food and maintain open space. We understand the rivers and streams, and we have generational knowledge of channel migration, ice jams, floods, and droughts.”
Many of the Gallatin irrigators’ great-great grandfathers built the 2,000 miles of ditches that have allowed local agriculture to flourish in the
but the responsibility of maintaining them remains with the holders of the decreed water rights.
Because agriculture is the foundation of the community in the Gallatin Valley, irrigators work closely with the West Gallatin Water Commissioner to maintain in-stream flows for wildlife. Irrigators educate the municipal and county planners about the benefits of the network of ditches, and actively engage with nonprofits and community members to preserve open space and ensure that the water flows.
THE BRAINARD FAMILY BRINGS AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE TO GALLATIN’S NEXT GENERATION
By Abby WeingartenEd and Punky Brainard of Brainard Ranch are keeping their family farming tradition alive, all while sharing their knowledge with the Gallatin County community.
Their farm and ranch started in the 1890s with the homestead that Ed Brainard’s grandfather and great-grandmother owned. In 1918, Ed Brainard’s father, Harry, began leasing some farm ground in the Maudlow area for cattle before eventually buying the land where the Brainards live today. Harry Brainard operated the ranch until 1979, when Ed and Punky Brainard took the helm and added more acres over the years. The land continues to be lovingly tended by many generations of Brainards.
“We ran cows and did the farming with the help of our son, J.R., and daughter, Paula, until 2001, when we lost our son to cancer. In 2004, we made the decision to sell our cows and rent the farmland out and take cattle in on pasture,” Ed Brainard
said. “Paula and her two sons, Dawson and Blake, run 150 cows on the ranch. Dawn and Blake are the fifth generation to live on the ranch, and we have three great-grandchildren that are the sixth generation. Dawson graduates from high school this spring and plans on helping on the ranch. Paula’s husband, Rod, works for a construction company and helps with repairs and maintenance on the ranch when he has time.”
Beyond taking care of the day-to-day farm operations, the Brainards enjoy giving back to the Gallatin community.
“One unique thing about us is, 25 years ago, Duane Burkenpas, Punky, and I started what we call the Farm Fair,” Ed Brainard said. “We did this to educate the fourth-grade students in the Gallatin Valley about agriculture and where the food comes from.”
That first year, about 300 students attended the one-day event. But for the past five years, there have been between 1,100 and 1,200 students in attendance (fourth-graders over
a three-day event), participating in 17 different stations that rotate every 15 minutes each day. Through this effort, the Brainards share their agricultural passion with the next generation of farmers and ranchers. And they hope that, within their family, the farming tradition will continue for many more decades.
“We think we have a plan in place so the ranch and farm can continue for another 125 years and many more generations if Uncle Sam doesn’t screw too many things up,” Ed Brainard said.
The Gallatin Valley Agr iculture Committee is excited to announce Far m Fair 2024 for Gallatin Count y 4th Grade Students will be held on May 7, 8, and 9th.
Students spend an entire day on a wor king ranch and rotate through 16 stations to lear n about where their food comes from and the impor tance of agr iculture in their daily lives. They also lear n about the environment around them and how far mers and ranchers care for their land, crops, and animals.
VOLUNTEERS are NEEDED. There are near ly 1,200 4th grade students registered to attend. Signup to volunteer at gvfarmfair.org.
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS AND VOLUNTEERS THAT MAKE FARM FAIR A GREAT EVENT!
Ranch Hosts
Brainard Ranch
Grants & Sponsorships
AgWest Far m Credit Ser vices
First Secur it y Bank
Gallatin Conser vation Distr ict
Montana Beef Council
Montana Wheat & Bar ley Committee
Stockman Bank
Cash & In-Kind Donations
4H & FFA Livestock Sales Committee
Assoc of Gallatin Ag Irr igators
Belgrade News
Belgrade Sales & Ser vice
C-T Red Angus
Central Valley Fire Distr ict
Chuteside Vet
Costco
Dar igold
DeBoer, Craig & Tar yn
DFMan Enter pr ises
Door Tech
Feddes Amsterdam Meats
Feddes Red Angus
Fellerhoff-White, Gretchen
Gallatin Beef Producers
Gallatin Cattlewomen
Gallatin Count y Extension Ser vice
Cash & In-Kind Donations, cont.
Gallatin Far m Bureau
Gallatin Watershed Council
Galltin Count y Weed Distr ict
Ghost Town Roasters
Green Mountain Red Angus
Har t, Lee
Hoell, Geoff
Holland, Dan
Huttinga, Dick
Inst y Pr ints of Belgrade
KBOZ 1090 AM
Klompien Red Angus
L & L Site Ser vices
Lien, Connie
Montana Far m Bureau
Montana Seed Growers Association
Mor ton, Tom
MSU, Dept of Agr iculture
MT Seed Growers Association
Pede and Associates
Pure Water Technologies
Randall Fence Ser vices
Rock y Mountain Supply
Rosauers Grocer y
Smieja Family
Smith’s Food and Dr ug
Stuckey, LaVonne
Sunr ise Pack Station
Thomas, Larr y
TLC Septic
U.S. Forest Ser vice
Wheat Montana
Yellowstone Natural
CHANCE FARM PURSUES ‘CLOSED
By Isabel Hicks Chronicle Staff WriterBozeman businesses Chance Farm and Happy Trash Can Compost are continuing a partnership this year to reduce local food waste and improve soil health — and hope to inspire other farms to use similar practices.
For years, farm owner Josh Chance has bought compost from Happy Trash Can to use as a soil amendment on the 4-acre, diversified vegetable farm.
The partnership highlights what Chance called a “closedloop system” that is becoming more important as agriculture grapples with the loss of topsoil and soaring input costs.
Chance Farm moved to their location off Rocky Road in 2022. They grow onions, garlic, carrots, microgreens, tomatoes, squash and everything in between, selling to restaurants, grocery stores and farmers markets.
The farm also has a Community Supported Agriculture program that will double in size this year.
Chance said he uses the local compost to improve the farm’s soil health and fertility. He is Happy Trash Can’s biggest farm customer. This year, he plans to apply around 100 cubic yards of compost to the areas that need its nutrients most, which he determines through soil testing.
“I think it’s really important to try to cycle nutrients through as much as possible,” Chance said. “The compost improves the life of the soil, which helps the plants grow.”
Ryan Green, who runs Happy Trash Can with his wife, Adrienne Huckabone, has been partnering with local farms and businesses to reduce food waste for the past eight years.
The business model is two-fold: collecting food scraps from local residents and businesses — including the Bozeman CoOp, Whole Foods, Montana Ale Works, I-Ho’s Korean Grill, Wild Joes and the MSU dining halls — and then selling the finished compost for use as a soil amendment.
Green said that traditional agriculture works in a verticallyintegrated system: farmers buy synthetic fertilizer to grow food, which is bought by consumers, who often throw leftover food in the garbage, ending the cycle at the landfill. There, it takes food scraps hundreds of years to break down as they emit methane.
“But instead of a vertical kind of system, which is more just
a straight line that has a beginning and an end, a closed-loop system is constantly moving those nutrients in organic matter
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T ru e to ou r ro ot s
Since 1889-
and keeping them within the system of production,” Green said.
Farms using locally-made compost reduce the need to truck compost in from another state or apply synthetic fertilizer, Green said. Keeping inputs local reduces transportation emissions and also helps the local economy, he added.
Chance Farm has been a key partner in demonstrating the effectiveness of a closed-loop system and an inspiration to other farms, Green said. Four Daughters Farm, Black Petal Farm and Calliope Flowers are some of their other customers.
Chance added that most of the farms here are doing some kind of nutrient cycling, like Amaltheia Organic Dairy using manure from their goats for fertilizer.
“It’s almost necessary to do it to keep up the health of the soil,” he said.
This year the farm is also expanding its CSA program, where customers pre-pay to receive weekly boxes of produce throughout the season.
Last year was the first time the farm did a CSA program, where they sold 100 summer shares and 40 winter shares.
This summer, they plan to double the CSA to 200 shares, given demand and how quickly they sold out last year, said Valerie Niederer, the farm’s sales manager.
The summer CSA will run for 18 weeks, June 9 through Oct. 9. It went on sale on Monday and people can sign up online.
CSA subscribers have the option to add on products from other farms — including eggs from Black Dog Farm, Furrow and Fly english muffins, SporeAttic mushrooms and, new this year, pork sausage and ground beef from Black Dog and Belcrest Farms.
Niederer said the farm is already growing enough produce for 200 shares. What will change is the allocation of the farm’s food — more produce will go to CSA boxes versus wholesale to stores and restaurants.
That change in allocation should also help farm income. Because the Happy Trash Can Compost contains degraded compostable containers, the farm can’t be certified organic. That means they can’t sell vegetables to stores at the premium organic rate, despite their use of organic practices, Niederer said.
But selling the produce in a CSA instead means the farmers can pick their price point. And, more people can feel connected to their local foodshed.
“A lot of our customers are also Happy Trash Can customers. So they’re buying our CSA, anything that is leftover is going to Happy Trash Can, and then we’re buying that compost back,” Niederer said. “I just think that whole idea is really cool.”
RULING GIVES MONTANANS ‘ROADMAP’ TO FIGHT DEVELOPMENTS OVER WATER RESOURCES
By Lorea Zabaleta Chronicle Staff WriterA judge has issued a ruling on a lawsuit regarding a Broadwater County subdivision that activists say gives Montanans a “roadmap” to fight developments that threaten water resources.
Judge Michael McMahon issued the ruling less than a week after hearing arguments in a lawsuit over the county’s approval of the Horse Creek Hills subdivision plans in the Broadwater County District Courthouse.
The subdivision was first proposed in 2020 by 71 Ranch, a Martinsdale-based company associated with the Galt family. The lawsuit was filed in August of 2022, leveling four claims against Broadwater County and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The case was not heard until Feb. 9 of this year.
Three of the claims were granted by Judge McMahon — concluding the approval by the county was “arbitrary, capricious, and/or unlawful.”
The only non-granted claim was the argument that the approval directly conflicted with Montanan’s constitutional rights under the Montana Water Use Act.
“The three core issues that we raised we won on all of them, and he didn’t want to address the constitutional issue, which, frankly, is irrelevant when we think of the big picture,” said Guy Alsentzer, founder and executive director of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, which represented the plaintiffs in the case.
The court found that Broadwater County had violated the Subdivision and Planning Act by approving the subdivision without ensuring the physical and legal availability of water for it, indicating counties have an obligation to make sure there’s enough water to support a development during the subdivision approval process.
In addition, the court found that obligation extends to assessing off-site impacts of developments on water quantity and wildlife habitat, among other things.
Cory Swanson, Broadwater County attorney, wrote in an email to the Chronicle that they are reviewing the ruling and “considering
our appropriate next steps.”
The third claim dealt with the DNRC’s granting of multiple exempt wells for the subdivision, in which McMahon reaffirmed the 2017 Clark Fork Coalition vs Tubbs decision that closed a loophole used by developers to gain exempt wells, so long as they were not physically plumbed together.
Since that decision, developers must limit a subdivision’s water needs to wells that use less than 10-acre feet per year, or acquire a groundwater permit.
The court found DRNC’s approval of multiple exempt wells for the Horse Creek Hills development unlawful.
“This should have stopped once Clark Fork was handed down, but it appears that DNRC has simply ignored that opinion through faulty agency guidance that has no force of law,” wrote McMahon in the order.
Moving forward, Wednesday’s decision says developers can’t use different project phases or lot sizes to get around water rights requirements, Alsentzer explained.
DNRC spokesperson Cassie Wandersee said the agency is reviewing the order and that the department will issue a statement when finished the review.
On a practical level, the ruling means 71 Ranch must re-submit its development project to Broadwater County and show they can supply the subdivision with less than 10 acre-feet per year or find available groundwater rights.
The ruling acknowledged motivation for continuous and growing development in the state but emphasized the DNRC’s legal duty to protect Montanan’s rights under the Water Use Act, stating the DNRC has a duty to enforce it, not undermine or avoid it as it has been doing “for over a decade.”
“The court order is ... a victory for citizens across the state confronted by rampant sprawl development proposals exploiting our water resources. Montana citizens now have a clear roadmap for holding their local decision-makers and state agencies accountable,” Vicki Sullivan, a Broadwater County resident whose comments opposing Horse Creek Hills were cited in the order, stated in a UMW press release following the ruling.
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MONTANA RANCHERS GEAR UP FOR CALVING SEASON
Kris Descheemaeker Special to the News-ArgusCalving season is rolling around for another year in Central Montana. Calving time is the next stage in the continuing cycle of bringing beef from the pasture to the plate.
It’s the time of year when the cow/calf producer sees long hours in the outdoors and little sleep if the weather doesn’t cooperate, but it is also an exciting time of year. Ranchers will see the outcome of decisions made months ago during the breeding season when certain cows were mated with a selected bull to try and improve the genetic makeup of the cow herd.
Throughout the lifetime of calves born this spring, they could move through six different segments of the industry that collectively brings beef from the rancher’s pasture to market, whether in the U.S. or abroad.
The first production stage starts with the seed-stock producer who invests in their cattle herd with the goal of providing a sound functional bovine that will enhance the genetics of their customer’s beef herd. The commercial cow/calf producer along with the seed-stock producer are the base of the beef industry. They provide the inventory that will supply the beef that moves
through the pipeline to fill the next segment which could include the stocker, backgrounding or finishing segments.
Depending on what the spring born calf weighs at weaning will determine what segment they go into next. Light-weight calves, usually under 450 pounds, will be weaned and managed to gain a small amount of weight per day over the winter months. They run on pasture during the summer for placement into a feedlot in late summer, when they are about 800 to 900 pounds.
The 450-to-around 600-pound calf will usually go into a growyard or backgrounding facility where they will be fed a ration to bring them to around the 900-pound mark. This can be anywhere between 70 and 120 days depending on the weight and age going into the lot. Calves weaning off in the 650 or above weight range usually go directly to a finishing lot where they will spend the next 220 to 250 days on feed and go to the processing plant, with a slaughter weight anywhere from 1,250 to 1,375 or more for heifers (female under 24 months) or 1,300 to 1,400 or more pounds for steers.
Central Montana ranchers have a reputation for providing strong northern cattle that work well in the feeding industry.
The Montana climate, along with good genetics developed over the last couple of decades from the seedstock segment of the industry, many of which are located in the Central Montana area, has allowed Montana cattle to become highly soughtafter by the feeding segment in the Midwest.
With the supply chain issues that popped up after covid, there has been a concentrated effort to expand regional slaughter capacity in the Northwest. Colorado, Utah, Washington and Idaho have a combined capacity of just over 16,000 head per day processing. This has expanded feedlot capacity in these areas where there is an abundance of high-quality feeds which in turn has opened up a small opportunity for Montana cattle to be shipped into these regional markets.
them at JBC. The 900-pound calves are then shipped to Canada where they are put into a finishing lot and harvested in a Canadian processing plant.
According to Andy Kellom, JBC manager, who recently spoke at a private industry meeting, JBC is purchasing more and more local calves to fill their backgrounding lots.
“Our business model is a little different than the previous owners of the facility; we are going for quality feeder cattle that abound in Central Montana,” said Kellom.
On the local level, Judith Basin County (JBC) Farms outside of Hobson has put together a business model where the Canadian owned company purchases weaned calves and backgrounds
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No matter where the 2024 Central Montana calf crop ends up, as seed stock, raised to go into someone’s herd to improve the genetics, as yearlings, stocker/backgrounding cattle, or going directly into the finishing feedlots then to the processing plants, eventually they will fill the pipeline of beef inventory that is marketed through the retail business, either to the restaurant trade, export trade
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