Hi-Line Farm & Ranch - August 2016

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Noxious

weed control

on county park

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Park working to secure anti-weed measures Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com Volunteers, who came together in June in Beaver Creek Park to take part in the annual weed Spray Day, covered a large area of the park that day, but organizers say they see a quiet invasion of weeds overwhelming weed-control efforts and they are working to secure further antiweed measures “Years ago burdock was the worst (weed) and then we had some stray knapweed and hemlock, dalmation toadflax,” Chad Edgar, Beaver Creek Park superintendent, said, “but now we’re really getting taken over by houndstongue.”

About 30 volunteers, most of them cattle ranchers who run their cattle on the park in fall, along with six to eight employees of Hill County Weed District, bring sprayers and transportation and spread out around the park to find and spray weeds identified as most problematic, Edgar said.

“In one day, they can spray more than the weed crew can spray in a month,” he said, adding that they “make a dent in it but, you know, we can’t cover it all. Some of the hot spots is what we try to focus on and from there we try to get everything in an area. Most of it’s inaccessible. It’s in the bushes too far or whatever.”

Another limitation on the weeds that get sprayed is that only weeds on the state’s noxious weed list can be sprayed, Weed District Supervisor Terry Turner said. The Weed District, which is funded almost exclusively by county tax dollars, provides the spray, and this focus on noxious weeds is part of the regulations of that funding.

The official state list of noxious weeds in Montana has grown from the original 15 to 33, Turner said, and the number of those weeds growing in Beaver Creek Park has grown to include burdock, spotted and Russian knapweeds, Canadian thistle, dalmation toadflax, orange hawkweed, oxeye daisy and field bindweed, as well as the houndstongue which Turner said appeared 10 to 15 years ago.

“The bad thing about the houndstongue is that it’s poisonous, but it doesn’t drop the animal right away,” he said. “It shuts down the internal organs, so they die a slow death. So six to eight months later — they eat a lethal dose of 4-6 pounds of houndstongue — they have a good possibility of dying.”

Houndstongue has quickly become more prevalent than other noxious weeds in the park because of its prolific production of seeds — tenacious burrs, almost the size of a pencil eraser, that “stick to everything, including blue jeans,” Turner said, adding that “porcupines are just loaded with it.

They’re the walking houndstongue spreader out there. They’re just one big mat of houndstongue.”

“Cattle kind of get the bad rap” for spreading weeds on the park, Edgar said,

but wildlife which gravitate to the park’s open ranges all year round bring in and spread a lot of weeds, and to a certain percent people do as well.

He said they have fought off natural transference of spotted knapweed for several years, but in recent years have worked to eradicate a patch of the weed at Beaver Creek Reservoir. Those seeds were brought in with dirt used for campsite improvements around the lake.

In another instance of weeds being caused by humans, one cabin owner called attention to a plant with an orange flower growing — and rapidly spreading — around the cabin he had purchased, Turner said.

It turned out that the previous owners had transplanted orange hawkweed to a flowerbed because they liked the distinctive orange flower, but the plant is on the Montana noxious weed list.

Edgar said the park also has pockets of poison hemlock and water hemlock, but that brings up another issue in the efforts to control eliminate weeds on the park.

“If you were to go out and pick hemlock and lick your fingers you’d get sick,” he said. “If you remember poison hemlock from ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ that’s how they pulled it off (their suicides). That’s what they were drinking, poison hemlock tea.”

However, because these poisonous plants are native to North America and the Montana County Weed Control Act defines noxious weeds as “plants of foreign origin,” they are not on the noxious weed list.

The park and private landowners, as well, have to fight these weeds at their own expense.

This could become the reality for anyone fighting noxious weeds in the future, if changes aren’t made soon, both Edgar and Turner said. The problem could get as hopeless as eradication of spotted knapweed in the western parts of the state, especially around Missoula — an area of concern that each of them discussed in detail.

Control efforts

Havre Daily News/Teresa Getten Aubrey Williams, assistant to the Beaver Creek Park superintendent, points out a houndstongue plant growing on the park July 22. Houndstongue is a noxious weed and is poisonous to animals and humans. Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said the park and the Hill County Weed District, along with local volunteers, worked during the annual Spray Day June 14 to apply chemical weed killer to as many of the plants as they could find.

“It’s very overwhelming to me to be quite honest,” Edgar said about trying to keep up with the weeds on the park. “ … I have a lot of other things that I’m trying to get done here.”

The Spray Day program helps, he said, but talks are progressing to try to get a full-time weed person or two whose job is j u s t to s p ray we e d s d u r i n g s u m m e r months. To that end, he added, he is looking for grants through the Hill County Conservation District, but might have to rely on a mill levy to increase funding for the Weed District.

“It might come to that as a necessity rather than just talking about it or proposing it,” he said, “because it is a severe problem.”

Fight back a weed infestation takes

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Egg prices reach 10-year lows as production outpaces demand DAVID PITT Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa — In less than a year, eggs have gone from being an expensive staple at the height of the bird flu crisis to reaching the cheapest prices in a decade due to fully restocked poultry barns.

But the demand for eggs has been stifled because bakeries and companies using powdered eggs in things like pancake mixes learned to cook without as many of them, and countries that stopped accepting eggs from the U.S. last year, including Canada and Mexico, have been slow to resume imports.

"People have found ways to reduce their egg usage as an ingredient. They've found replacers, they've found extenders and they've found ways to make certain products with fewer eggs in general," said Brian Moscoguiri, an industry analyst at New Jersey-based commodity market research company Urner Barry.

While wholesale egg prices — a little as 55 cents a dozen in June — are good for grocery shoppers' pocketbooks, the egg industry itself was caught off guard by the imbalance, according to Bill Northey, the agriculture secretary in Iowa, which is the nation's largest egg-producing state.

The lack of exports hurts the most, said Marcus Rust, CEO of Rose Acre Farms, which is the nation's No. 2 egg producer. Prior to the bird flu outbreak last spring, which led to the deaths of 48 million chickens and turkeys, U.S. egg producers exported as much as 6 percent of their stock. Now, it's closer to 3 percent, Rust said.

"Across the pond they found other suppliers and have contracts," he said. "For us to get them back, we'd have to boot somebody else out."

For two months starting in mid-April 2015, the H5N2 virus ravaged chicken farms in Iowa and wiped out 12 percent of the country's egglaying hens. By May 2015, egg production had fallen 28 percent from the previous year and 21 percent in just a month.

Demand, however, remained strong and the scarcity drove prices to record highs: In early August 2015, Midwestern grocery stores paid $2.88 per dozen for large eggs.

The new chickens replacing those that were lost to bird flu are young and producing at their peak. Rust's Iowa farms, where he restocked about 3 million chickens, are producing at about 10 percent more than normal.

But the glut of eggs means grocers are trying to move eggs off shelves with prices not seen in years and farmers have sent some egg-laying hens to slaughter.

Three weeks ago, wholesale egg prices hit a 10-year low of 55 cents a dozen, and the number of shell eggs available as of Monday was the highest ever seen this time of year, Moscoguiri said. Prices have rebounded to "about 98 cents per dozen," he said.

Current trading supports prices in the 60-cent range and Rust said he wouldn't be surprised to see them remain there for the short term. He also said the market it will work itself out.

The bakery industry was widely affected by the egg scarcity last year, including Blue Egg Bakery in Elk River, Minnesota. Owner Robin DeWitt said distributors rationed sup-

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File Cage-free chickens walk in a fenced pasture Oct. 21 at an organic farm near Waukon, Iowa. Eggs have gone from record-high prices at the height of the bird flu crisis in 2015 to the cheapest prices in a decade in recent weeks. This situation came about because chicken barns have been restocked with young hens laying lots of eggs boosted supply but demand hasn't come back as strong. ply, meaning at times she could get only half of what she needed, forcing her to buy at grocery stores for full retail price.

She said she didn't raise prices on her cakes, doughnuts, cookies and bread, so her

profits dropped. And while larger commercial bakeries could get by with egg substitutes, she would not.

"We're a scratch bakery and there just isn't a substitute for eggs. We searched out

and got them wherever we could," she said.

"We stockpiled eggs and we survived."

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Weeds: Edgar: 'It gets ... out of control'

Weeds: Houndstongue has become the most worrisome noxious weed on the park

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Board, comprised of agricultural producers from different regions in Hill County and a commercial chemical spray applicator, have begun talks with Hill County Commissioners about increasing by 4 mills the amount taxpayers pay to the Weed District.

This increase would come to $5.40 per year on a $100,000 house, he said, and the money would be used to fight weeds throughout the county.

Why they fight it

Not only do noxious weeds cut into resources, Edgar said, but landowners, whether governmental or private, are legally obligated to eradicate noxious weeds.

Any noxious weed seeds picked up on the park can be taken home, spread via clothing, animals, vehicles and equipment, by campers, hikers and day-visitors who come to the park all summer long as well as off season, and by ag producers who utilize the hay grounds and pasture.

Then the weed problem becomes that landowner’s problem.

“It gets exponentially out of control,” Edgar said.

This cuts into revenue for everyone,

Turner said.

“Weeds attack both the number one industry and the number two industry in the state of Montana with ag number one a n d to u r i s m n u m b e r t wo , ” h e s a i d.

“Nobody wants to go see a solid stand of weeds. You want to see the beauty and natural landscapes, and weeds come in there and take that over.”

Removing a thick stand of weeds from land can greatly increase its production value, he added, citing an area in Hill County where weed eradication tripled the landowners’ AUM, or animal unit month which calculates forage base on the amount a mature 1,000 pound cow and her suckling calf would use in a month.

“North of Gildford we had 4,000 acres of Russian knapweed when we first started this weed district,” Turner said, “and we got that down to about 200 to 400 acres versus 4,000 acres. So we’ve knocked it way back but … we’ve increased the grass production from 200 AUMs per acre to about 800 to 900 AUMs by taking out all that competition. It’s about like going out and buying three times the land by taking that out.”

Resources for weed identification: http://mtweed.org/weed-identification/ http://www.hillcounty.us/Weed.html

Missouri Department of Conservation, mdc.mo.gov Spotted knapweed blooms in a field overrun by the noxious weed.

time, Edgar said, and without the means to take care of the weed problem the park is looking at future revenue losses from its two main resources: grass and beauty.

“Cows don’t eat knapweed,” he said, and “people don’t want to look at weeds.”

The houndstongue has brought to a head the problem of lack of funding to fight weeds. “(Houndstongue) is one that’s rapidly spreading. It’s spreading faster than we can control it, so we’re looking at trying to, maybe down the road, adding some more mills to help control the noxious weeds,” Turner said.

The Weed District is still operating with the same budget its had since 1975, he added, so over the last 40 years, the portion of the district’s budget for chemical spray has dropped from around $20,000 to about $10,400 as inflation has increased the cost on budget items like fuel and supplies.

That $10,400 is less than the average farm spends on chemical weed control, he said, but it’s supposed to take care of the entire county, including the park which, alone, covers more than 10,200 acres.

Federal and state grants have all but dried up, he added.

Turner said he and the Weed District

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Havre Daily News/Teresa Getten Williams displays the broad leaf of the noxious weed houndstongue July 22.

The plant got its name because the leaf resembles the shape of a dog's tongue.

Havre Daily News/Teresa Getten A houndstongue plant in Beaver Creek Park is shown July 22 full of the burrs which help propogate the plant.

Havre Daily News/Teresa Getten The houndstongue seeds, shown here July 22, have fine burrs that easily attach to even smoother surfaces than most burrs, so the noxious weed spreads quickly.

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Six Things You Should Never Do as a Woman in Ag

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The author applies some elbow grease to basic maintenance around the family farm.

ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD FOR FARM & RANCH “Never” is a very strong word, but the next 6 subjects are important and goals to which every woman in ag should aspire!

Allow yourself to feel “less than” the farm!

When I think of farming, words like “all encompassing” and “overwhelming lifestyle” come to mind. I have often thought that farming is very similar to having a newborn baby. There is always something to be done, some need to be met, and always on the farm’s timetable, not yours! It is easy for marriage to take a back seat to the farm.

It is easy for friendships to take a back seat to the farm. When the cows get out, everything else gets dropped to take care of the cows. The weather clears up early and your down time ends. As a Farm Wife it is so easy to feel like you are “less than” the farm. That the farm comes before your needs. Sometimes it does, but how you respond to and deal with those situations is up to you!

Allow my children to feel anything less than privileged to live this life!

Just like the adults in the “Farmily” (Farm+Family = “Farmily”! Get it?), kids sometimes aren’t able to engage in the same activities that their peers who live in town are able to enjoy. Sometimes it’s the distance to travel, sometimes it’s the amount of chores that need to happen, sometimes it’s just farm “stuff”. But there are so many blessings and benefits for kids raised on farms. The wide open spaces; the opportunities to learn unique qualities and skills; the ability to carry on traditions and family values… The list could go on and on. In the moment though, of a requested activity being denied or a time with friends missed, it’s easy to feel frustrated and wish for a different situation.

As a parent it is my job to help set the tone and encourage an attitude of gratitude for this lifestyle with which we have been blessed!

See Shipstead, Page 5

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Stonebergs Bring Stockmanship Expert to Glasgow A.J. ETHERINGTON FOR FARM & RANCH Whit Hibbard is the editor of the Stockmanship Journal a publication dedicated to cataloging the general knowledge of good stockmanship. The following is question and answer session with Hibbard via email following a presentation he gave at the Glasgow Stockyards last month.

AJE: What is stockmanship exactly and what is its general history?

WH: “Stockmanship” is the knowledgeable and skillful handling of livestock in a safe, efficient, effective, low-stress manner.

Stockmanship in the western United States can be traced to three primary antecedent traditions: (1) the “vaquero” who originated in Mexico, (2) the “cowboy” who originated in Texas, and (3) the “midwesterner” who was heavily influenced by the British. In modified form, all three have survived to this day, but contrary to conventional wisdom, the midwestern tradition—which emphasized the quality of livestock—came to prevail.

AJE: What are the basic fundamentals of stockmanship?

WH: To work livestock properly, we need to begin with our mindset. We have to assume responsibility for everything that our animals do (or don’t do), instead of blaming the animals or looking for excuses, which is what many people do. Next, we need to understand that the basis of working animals well is communication, which we do through proper position. Proper position relative to the animal(s) is all the pressure we ever need to move animals wherever we want. Also, we need to learn how to work with them mentally to make our idea their idea so they willingly do what we want. To do this we need to obey some fundamental principles, and employ some basic techniques that clearly communicate to animals what we want them to do.

AJE: Why is stockmanship important to the modern rancher?

WH:The profit margin in our industry is so slim that we need to do everything we can to our advantage, and I believe that stockmanship is a much overlooked, undervalued, and under-utilized component of running a successful and sustainable livestock operation. In fact, the stockperson is a major factor in the productive level of livestock and can effectively make or break an operation, and good stockmanship will probably return more profit for the time invested than anything.

AJE: What tangible results has stockmanship produced as a practice in ranching, feedlots and dairies?

WH: Good stockmanship has been documented to increase animal performance as measured by such indices as weight gain, conceptions rates, fertility, immune function, milk yields, and carcass quality. For instance, stockmanship has been shown to increase milk yield in dairies by as much as 21.5%, and reduce the average morbidity (sickness) in feedyards from 10% to 1%. It also increases efficiency, safety, and animal welfare - which is an increasingly important issue with the consumer.

AJE: Are there negative consequences of stockmanship as a practice?

WH: There are negative consequences to poor stockmanship, which is characterized by using fear and force to make animals do what they aren’t ready or wanting to do. Poor stockmanship can lead to unhappy, uncooperative animals that are hard to work with, and it can be the cause of health problems and poor performance.

AJE: What is your background in livestock and specifically stockmanship, and how did you come to edit this journal?

WH: I’m a 4th generation rancher—Sieben Live Stock Co. southeast of Cascade— and I learned what I know about handling cattle properly by studying the methods of Bud Williams, who is considered an unequaled livestock handling expert.

AJE: How did the Stockmanship Journal come into existence?

WH: In 2007 I had the idea that there needed to be a professional quality journal treating the subject of stockmanship because it’s so vitally important. I kicked the idea around for several years, and when it became clear that no one else was going to do it, I decided to take the project on as publisher and editor.

AJE: What brought you to Glasgow and do you have a background or connection to Northeastern Montana?

WH: Ron and Rose Stoneberg invited me to Glasgow to teach a clinic on “low-stress livestock handling,” which is a specific form of stockmanship developed by the late livestock handling expert, Bud Williams. They organized and paid for the clinic as a gift to area stockmen.

My great grandfather, Henry Sieben, owned the Diamond Ranch just south of Culbertson and ran about 5,000 head in

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Whit Hibbard spoke to members of the ranching community recently at the Glasgow Stockyards. that area during the end of the open range days.

AJE: From what I found on your website the Journal has contributors from all over, to include Argentina, how did you assemble such a team and how many contributors and editors does your staff have?

WH: The Journal has had about 15 contributors to date. As editor of the Journal I actively seek out qualified contributors, and request that they write articles that deal with their specific area of expertise. I am the publisher and editor, so it’s a staff of one. The Journal is online with two issues per year (January and July) and my office is wherever my laptop is.

AJE: If you had one brief lesson to give to stockmen in Northeast Montana on stockmanship what would it be?

WH: In general, if conventional stockmen would just be quieter, calmer, and more relaxed around their livestock, and not be in a hurry (i.e., leave their watch at home), they’d be surprised how much easier it would be to work with their animals. For

the more serious, they should make a study of the livestock handling methods of Bud Williams.

AJE: Can you talk specifically on the presentation you gave in Glasgow last Thursday?

WH: At the clinic I focused on answering three questions: (1) What is “low-stress livestock handling”?, (2) Why is it important?, and (3) How to do it? My objective was to give everyone some additional tools that I’ve been fortunate to learn and that might help them to work their cattle a little better and be happier while doing it, and have happier, healthier, better performing and more manageable cattle.

AJE: What other presentations are you planning in the near future and are any in the Northeastern Montana area?

WH: I do on average two clinics per month. Most are private because they are sponsored by ranches specifically for their crew. The only clinic that I currently have scheduled that’s open to the public is sponsored by Beef Quality Assurance on August 18th at MSU in Bozeman.

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Visiting the NE Montana State Fair The Courier's Photo Intern Puts Work on Display, Seeks Patrons

Amy's photo, "'48 Chevy," was taken along the bank of the Milk River.

AMY nELSOn / FOR FARM & RAnCH

JAMES WALLING FOR FARM & RANCH The Courier's award-winning photo intern joined area artists like Cathryn Sugg in their efforts to turn a small profit by taking advantage of free commercial booth spaces available at the 2016 Northeast Montana Fair.

Nelson's work has been recognized in these pages, as well as via a gallery show at the Heavey Gallery in Glasgow. You may have seen her work on this year's Nemont calendar (another contest she won!). She was also the winner of a recent speech contest held by the Glasgow branch of the VFW. To see more of Amy's work, visit facebook. com/amylnelsonthephotographer.

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Shipstead CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Sit idle while there is something I can do, or learn to do, to help lighten my farmer’s load!

Now I know, many of the Farm Wife generation before me would say, “Don’t learn something that you don’t intend to be doing for the next 50 years!” or “If you learn to run combine, you will be permanently stuck in that role! Be aware and consider what you agree to learn!” I respect and completely understand that thought process!

Believe me! I see that happening already and it’s only been 6 years! But, I have also heard, “She would not help out on the farm. She stuck strictly to the home responsibilities. When they divorced after 40 years of marriage her complaint was that they never did anything together.” That will not be me! Will that be you? I understand the all encompassing nature of farming. I am fully aware that if I choose to avoid helping and engaging with my husband and the farm, I could very likely end up feeling like we never do anything together! This is a subject I feel very passionate about, but I also realize that not everyone shares my point of view. Whatever you decide, at least find a happy median, a balance that works for you. I’m not on or helping with the farm 100% of the time. Would I like to be? Absolutely! Even if I reach that “100% help on the farm” goal, I will still retain my authenticity and ability to say, “You’ve got this? I need a couple hours to work in my garden.”

Burn Out! This one is hard. I’ve felt more burnt out this year than any other. I’ve got just a few more years to go too! Lol. Burn out in any area of life is counter productive for sure! I think the most important thing though, is recognizing the beginning stages of burnout. Things like,

overwhelming stress, struggling with sleep, not laughing, burn out looks different for everyone.

Recognize it for yourself and for your loved ones.

Recognize and live by the moto, “You cannot give out of an empty cup!” There are so many different techniques and strategies to avoid burn out. Sometimes finding sanity “savers” can be helpful. Finding ways to take a vacation is imperative to avoiding burnout. But, if you just can’t make a vacation work, find the special little things that will help you feel recharged. Maybe it’s listening to a book on audio while you are in the tractor or in the car running kids places.

Maybe it’s painting your nails, even though you know they’ll be chipped within 24 hours. Whatever it is, do that!

Be lonely and disconnected from friends and women who build me up!

This is something I feel very strongly about, especially for rural women in agriculture. It is easy to feel isolated and lonely when you live out of town and have an agricultural lifestyle.

But allowing yourself to feel lonely and disconnected is a choice. So take action and reach out!

Text, call or message a friend. We have so many privileges that the generations before us didn’t.

We have so many options thanks to the internet, social media, and technology. Reach out!

Lose sight of my faith and relationship with my Maker! What grounds you? Do believe in something and Someone bigger than yourself, bigger than the struggles and challenges you face?

For me, this is the foundation to everything that carries me through. When you are overwhelmed with it all and on the verge of burnout, remember you are not alone, God has your best in mind, and He loves you more than you can ever love yourself!

Read more of Elizabeth's work by visiting her online at theruralsisterhood.com.

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Amy Nelson's booth at the 2016 Northeast Montana Fair provided the opportunity for her and other artists to reach a wider audience at little cost.

August 2016

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The Shipstead women (Elizabeth, Ella and Erin) mug for the camera at home.

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Tour CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 management; Shelley Mills, MSU Extension Agent for Valley County spoke about the control and management of narrow-leaf hawksbeard in crop and CRP; Bobbie Roos, MSU Extension Agent for Daniels County addressed the spread and control of Canada thistle; and Byron Lannoye from Pulse USA in Bismarck spoke about the care and handling of pulses during harvest and a buyers perspective on what factors they look for when purchasing pulse crops.

The Weed Districts and MSU Extension offices in Daniels and Valley counties also hosted a weed tour on July 15, 2016. The rain held off for that one day, allowing us to have a full day in the field. The first stop was at the research plots for narrow-leaf hawksbeard management

in CRP on Baylor road. About 40 people from both Valley and Daniels counties gathered at the plot to hear Shelley Mills and Dr. Jane Mangold MSU Extension Range Weed Scientist, talk about their research into management techniques for Hawksbeard in non-crop areas. Growers were able to see the weed in all stages of growth and learn to identify it for early control. The tour moved north to a patch of baby’s breath which is listed as a county noxious weed in Daniels, Sheridan, Roosevelt and Valley Counties. Bobbie Roos, Daniels County Extension Agent, talked about the introduction and management of this highly invasive perennial that prefers dry weather conditions. Participants learned that this weed often breaks off and rolls across the prairie with the wind and disperses its seed as it rolls. The tour then moved further north to a site infested with spotted knapweed where Valley County Weed Supervisor, Stone Tihista spoke about management and control of both spotted

COURTESY OF SHELLEY MILLS / FOR FARM & RANCH MSU Extension offices in Valley and Daniels counties collaborated this summer to heighten awareness of pulse production and highlight emerging and existing weed issues. Dr. Chin (center) spoke to the group in July.

Cecil Tharp discussing proper tank cleaning measures.

Season of Tours

SHELLEY MILLS FOR FARM & RANCH Valley County Extension, Daniels County Extension and the Eastern Ag Research Center (EARC) hosted their eighth annual pulse plot tour on July 6, 2016. The plot is composed of varieties of peas, lentils, and chickpeas from Montana, North Dakota, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Farmer cooperators Dick Fulton, Chad Forest, Marvin and Dale Tarum have been sharing the responsibility of the plot on their property over the last eight years. Initially the plot was put in to determine which varieties were best suited to the area, but the plot has grown to include not only the variety suitability trials, but also the testing of new varieties and research into ascochyta resistance. On Wednesday July 6 we hosted over 70 interested growers and industry representatives from as far away as Pullman, Washington and Bismarck, North Dakota. Producers from the northeast region of Montana, from Havre to Williston and as far south as McCone county came

to view the plots and learn about the research being done to help improve pulse production in Montana.

The tour started at the plot where Dr. Chengci Chen spoke about the inception of the plot and the advantages for having a research plot in northeastern Montana. Yesuf Mohammed, agronomist for EARC spoke about the varieties in the plot and the desirable characteristics for each type of pea, chickpea and lentil. Dr. Sherry Turner, plant pathologist at EARC, spoke about her fungicide research for ascochyta on chickpea and the role of plant resistance and fungicides in managing this difficult disease. Mike Bestwick who is working with Perry Miller, MSU Cropping specialist, discussed the research they are doing into how management practices affect yellow pea protein. MSU Extension Agent Tim Fine, spoke about the discovery of glyphosate resistant horse weed (a.k.a. marestail) and its See TOUR, Page 7

COURTESY OF SHELLEY MILLS / FOR FARM & RAnCH

Dr. Jane Mangold (center) discusses identification of hawksbeard in the rosette stage and best management practices for its control in CRP.

YOU’RE READING HI-LINE FARM & RANCH – THE AG MONTHLY FOR NORTHEAST & NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA

knapweed and diffuse knapweed. Stone also described the work they are doing to introduce biological control agents in difficult to manage areas. Attendees were taught how to identify the weed in the rosette stage and how to differentiate between species of knapweeds.

Lunch was sponsored by the Valley County Weed District, and was held at the Silver Slipper in Scobey. Producers enjoyed some of the best fried chicken in the state, hot potato salad, caesar salad, watermelon wedges, and chocolate cake for dessert. Feeling full and happy the tour continued to the Scobey fairgrounds, where Cecil Tharp, MSU Extension Pesticide Educator, demonstrated proper tank cleaning techniques as well as removal of weed plants and seeds that may be hooked up on the equipment used to manage noxious weeds.

COURTESY OF SHELLEY MILLS / FOR FARM & RAnCH

Sherry Turner from EARC talking about her fungicide trials.

www.glasgowcourier.com www.glasgowcourier.com Daniels County sponsored a bus to transport the group to Flaxville where Ed Davis, MSU Extension Weed Specialist, presented his research on narrow-leaf Hawksbeard management in both wheat and pea crops. The site is heavily infested with Hawksbeard and control methods can be easily evaluated by even the novice. The bus returned to a field adjacent to the Scobey golf course where we learned to identify and manage houndstongue which is an invasive biennial that is highly toxic to livestock and is easily spread due to its burr-like seeds. The tour was a great success with many people having a new respect for the increase in weed populations and the struggle for weed management as well as an improved ability to spot weeds and undertake control measures early before they get out of control.

COURTESY OF SHELLEY MILLS / FOR FARM & RAnCH

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August 2016 August 2016

Tour CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 management; Shelley Mills, MSU Extension Agent for Valley County spoke about the control and management of narrow-leaf hawksbeard in crop and CRP; Bobbie Roos, MSU Extension Agent for Daniels County addressed the spread and control of Canada thistle; and Byron Lannoye from Pulse USA in Bismarck spoke about the care and handling of pulses during harvest and a buyers perspective on what factors they look for when purchasing pulse crops.

The Weed Districts and MSU Extension offices in Daniels and Valley counties also hosted a weed tour on July 15, 2016. The rain held off for that one day, allowing us to have a full day in the field. The first stop was at the research plots for narrow-leaf hawksbeard management

in CRP on Baylor road. About 40 people from both Valley and Daniels counties gathered at the plot to hear Shelley Mills and Dr. Jane Mangold MSU Extension Range Weed Scientist, talk about their research into management techniques for Hawksbeard in non-crop areas. Growers were able to see the weed in all stages of growth and learn to identify it for early control. The tour moved north to a patch of baby’s breath which is listed as a county noxious weed in Daniels, Sheridan, Roosevelt and Valley Counties. Bobbie Roos, Daniels County Extension Agent, talked about the introduction and management of this highly invasive perennial that prefers dry weather conditions. Participants learned that this weed often breaks off and rolls across the prairie with the wind and disperses its seed as it rolls. The tour then moved further north to a site infested with spotted knapweed where Valley County Weed Supervisor, Stone Tihista spoke about management and control of both spotted

COURTESY OF SHELLEY MILLS / FOR FARM & RANCH MSU Extension offices in Valley and Daniels counties collaborated this summer to heighten awareness of pulse production and highlight emerging and existing weed issues. Dr. Chin (center) spoke to the group in July.

Cecil Tharp discussing proper tank cleaning measures.

Season of Tours

SHELLEY MILLS FOR FARM & RANCH Valley County Extension, Daniels County Extension and the Eastern Ag Research Center (EARC) hosted their eighth annual pulse plot tour on July 6, 2016. The plot is composed of varieties of peas, lentils, and chickpeas from Montana, North Dakota, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Farmer cooperators Dick Fulton, Chad Forest, Marvin and Dale Tarum have been sharing the responsibility of the plot on their property over the last eight years. Initially the plot was put in to determine which varieties were best suited to the area, but the plot has grown to include not only the variety suitability trials, but also the testing of new varieties and research into ascochyta resistance. On Wednesday July 6 we hosted over 70 interested growers and industry representatives from as far away as Pullman, Washington and Bismarck, North Dakota. Producers from the northeast region of Montana, from Havre to Williston and as far south as McCone county came

to view the plots and learn about the research being done to help improve pulse production in Montana.

The tour started at the plot where Dr. Chengci Chen spoke about the inception of the plot and the advantages for having a research plot in northeastern Montana. Yesuf Mohammed, agronomist for EARC spoke about the varieties in the plot and the desirable characteristics for each type of pea, chickpea and lentil. Dr. Sherry Turner, plant pathologist at EARC, spoke about her fungicide research for ascochyta on chickpea and the role of plant resistance and fungicides in managing this difficult disease. Mike Bestwick who is working with Perry Miller, MSU Cropping specialist, discussed the research they are doing into how management practices affect yellow pea protein. MSU Extension Agent Tim Fine, spoke about the discovery of glyphosate resistant horse weed (a.k.a. marestail) and its See TOUR, Page 7

COURTESY OF SHELLEY MILLS / FOR FARM & RAnCH

Dr. Jane Mangold (center) discusses identification of hawksbeard in the rosette stage and best management practices for its control in CRP.

YOU’RE READING HI-LINE FARM & RANCH – THE AG MONTHLY FOR NORTHEAST & NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA

knapweed and diffuse knapweed. Stone also described the work they are doing to introduce biological control agents in difficult to manage areas. Attendees were taught how to identify the weed in the rosette stage and how to differentiate between species of knapweeds.

Lunch was sponsored by the Valley County Weed District, and was held at the Silver Slipper in Scobey. Producers enjoyed some of the best fried chicken in the state, hot potato salad, caesar salad, watermelon wedges, and chocolate cake for dessert. Feeling full and happy the tour continued to the Scobey fairgrounds, where Cecil Tharp, MSU Extension Pesticide Educator, demonstrated proper tank cleaning techniques as well as removal of weed plants and seeds that may be hooked up on the equipment used to manage noxious weeds.

COURTESY OF SHELLEY MILLS / FOR FARM & RAnCH

Sherry Turner from EARC talking about her fungicide trials.

www.glasgowcourier.com www.glasgowcourier.com Daniels County sponsored a bus to transport the group to Flaxville where Ed Davis, MSU Extension Weed Specialist, presented his research on narrow-leaf Hawksbeard management in both wheat and pea crops. The site is heavily infested with Hawksbeard and control methods can be easily evaluated by even the novice. The bus returned to a field adjacent to the Scobey golf course where we learned to identify and manage houndstongue which is an invasive biennial that is highly toxic to livestock and is easily spread due to its burr-like seeds. The tour was a great success with many people having a new respect for the increase in weed populations and the struggle for weed management as well as an improved ability to spot weeds and undertake control measures early before they get out of control.

COURTESY OF SHELLEY MILLS / FOR FARM & RAnCH

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Visiting the NE Montana State Fair The Courier's Photo Intern Puts Work on Display, Seeks Patrons

Amy's photo, "'48 Chevy," was taken along the bank of the Milk River.

AMY nELSOn / FOR FARM & RAnCH

JAMES WALLING FOR FARM & RANCH The Courier's award-winning photo intern joined area artists like Cathryn Sugg in their efforts to turn a small profit by taking advantage of free commercial booth spaces available at the 2016 Northeast Montana Fair.

Nelson's work has been recognized in these pages, as well as via a gallery show at the Heavey Gallery in Glasgow. You may have seen her work on this year's Nemont calendar (another contest she won!). She was also the winner of a recent speech contest held by the Glasgow branch of the VFW. To see more of Amy's work, visit facebook. com/amylnelsonthephotographer.

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Shipstead CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Sit idle while there is something I can do, or learn to do, to help lighten my farmer’s load!

Now I know, many of the Farm Wife generation before me would say, “Don’t learn something that you don’t intend to be doing for the next 50 years!” or “If you learn to run combine, you will be permanently stuck in that role! Be aware and consider what you agree to learn!” I respect and completely understand that thought process!

Believe me! I see that happening already and it’s only been 6 years! But, I have also heard, “She would not help out on the farm. She stuck strictly to the home responsibilities. When they divorced after 40 years of marriage her complaint was that they never did anything together.” That will not be me! Will that be you? I understand the all encompassing nature of farming. I am fully aware that if I choose to avoid helping and engaging with my husband and the farm, I could very likely end up feeling like we never do anything together! This is a subject I feel very passionate about, but I also realize that not everyone shares my point of view. Whatever you decide, at least find a happy median, a balance that works for you. I’m not on or helping with the farm 100% of the time. Would I like to be? Absolutely! Even if I reach that “100% help on the farm” goal, I will still retain my authenticity and ability to say, “You’ve got this? I need a couple hours to work in my garden.”

Burn Out! This one is hard. I’ve felt more burnt out this year than any other. I’ve got just a few more years to go too! Lol. Burn out in any area of life is counter productive for sure! I think the most important thing though, is recognizing the beginning stages of burnout. Things like,

overwhelming stress, struggling with sleep, not laughing, burn out looks different for everyone.

Recognize it for yourself and for your loved ones.

Recognize and live by the moto, “You cannot give out of an empty cup!” There are so many different techniques and strategies to avoid burn out. Sometimes finding sanity “savers” can be helpful. Finding ways to take a vacation is imperative to avoiding burnout. But, if you just can’t make a vacation work, find the special little things that will help you feel recharged. Maybe it’s listening to a book on audio while you are in the tractor or in the car running kids places.

Maybe it’s painting your nails, even though you know they’ll be chipped within 24 hours. Whatever it is, do that!

Be lonely and disconnected from friends and women who build me up!

This is something I feel very strongly about, especially for rural women in agriculture. It is easy to feel isolated and lonely when you live out of town and have an agricultural lifestyle.

But allowing yourself to feel lonely and disconnected is a choice. So take action and reach out!

Text, call or message a friend. We have so many privileges that the generations before us didn’t.

We have so many options thanks to the internet, social media, and technology. Reach out!

Lose sight of my faith and relationship with my Maker! What grounds you? Do believe in something and Someone bigger than yourself, bigger than the struggles and challenges you face?

For me, this is the foundation to everything that carries me through. When you are overwhelmed with it all and on the verge of burnout, remember you are not alone, God has your best in mind, and He loves you more than you can ever love yourself!

Read more of Elizabeth's work by visiting her online at theruralsisterhood.com.

www.glasgowcourier.com www.glasgowcourier.com

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Always read and follow label directions.

Glasgow Stockyards, Inc. Linda & Mark Nielsen, Owners Iva Murch, Manager 263-7529 Dean Barnes, Yard Manager 263-1175 Ed Hinton, Auctioneer 783-7285 Thursday

4

Amy Nelson's booth at the 2016 Northeast Montana Fair provided the opportunity for her and other artists to reach a wider audience at little cost.

August 2016

COURTESY PHOTO / FOR FARM & RAnCH

The Shipstead women (Elizabeth, Ella and Erin) mug for the camera at home.

September 2016 Thursday

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AMY nELSOn / FOR FARM & RAnCH

YOU’RE READING HI-LINE FARM & RANCH – THE AG MONTHLY FOR NORTHEAST & NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA

Serving AreA ✯ 2016 LiveStock ProducerS Summer Schedule For 70 YeArS! 1946 - 2016 August – September

Please call in consignments so buyers can be notified – (406) 228-9306

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What do “low cost” ag suppliers

FARM FARM & & RANCH RANCH

REALLY do for you?

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Six Things You Should Never Do as a Woman in Ag

When You Buy From Us, We Give You Added Value!

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After The Initial Sale— WHAT Is Your "Discount" Supplier Offering You?

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COURTESY PHOTO / FOR FARM & RAnCH

The author applies some elbow grease to basic maintenance around the family farm.

ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD FOR FARM & RANCH “Never” is a very strong word, but the next 6 subjects are important and goals to which every woman in ag should aspire!

Allow yourself to feel “less than” the farm!

When I think of farming, words like “all encompassing” and “overwhelming lifestyle” come to mind. I have often thought that farming is very similar to having a newborn baby. There is always something to be done, some need to be met, and always on the farm’s timetable, not yours! It is easy for marriage to take a back seat to the farm.

It is easy for friendships to take a back seat to the farm. When the cows get out, everything else gets dropped to take care of the cows. The weather clears up early and your down time ends. As a Farm Wife it is so easy to feel like you are “less than” the farm. That the farm comes before your needs. Sometimes it does, but how you respond to and deal with those situations is up to you!

Allow my children to feel anything less than privileged to live this life!

Just like the adults in the “Farmily” (Farm+Family = “Farmily”! Get it?), kids sometimes aren’t able to engage in the same activities that their peers who live in town are able to enjoy. Sometimes it’s the distance to travel, sometimes it’s the amount of chores that need to happen, sometimes it’s just farm “stuff”. But there are so many blessings and benefits for kids raised on farms. The wide open spaces; the opportunities to learn unique qualities and skills; the ability to carry on traditions and family values… The list could go on and on. In the moment though, of a requested activity being denied or a time with friends missed, it’s easy to feel frustrated and wish for a different situation.

As a parent it is my job to help set the tone and encourage an attitude of gratitude for this lifestyle with which we have been blessed!

See Shipstead, Page 5

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Stonebergs Bring Stockmanship Expert to Glasgow A.J. ETHERINGTON FOR FARM & RANCH Whit Hibbard is the editor of the Stockmanship Journal a publication dedicated to cataloging the general knowledge of good stockmanship. The following is question and answer session with Hibbard via email following a presentation he gave at the Glasgow Stockyards last month.

AJE: What is stockmanship exactly and what is its general history?

WH: “Stockmanship” is the knowledgeable and skillful handling of livestock in a safe, efficient, effective, low-stress manner.

Stockmanship in the western United States can be traced to three primary antecedent traditions: (1) the “vaquero” who originated in Mexico, (2) the “cowboy” who originated in Texas, and (3) the “midwesterner” who was heavily influenced by the British. In modified form, all three have survived to this day, but contrary to conventional wisdom, the midwestern tradition—which emphasized the quality of livestock—came to prevail.

AJE: What are the basic fundamentals of stockmanship?

WH: To work livestock properly, we need to begin with our mindset. We have to assume responsibility for everything that our animals do (or don’t do), instead of blaming the animals or looking for excuses, which is what many people do. Next, we need to understand that the basis of working animals well is communication, which we do through proper position. Proper position relative to the animal(s) is all the pressure we ever need to move animals wherever we want. Also, we need to learn how to work with them mentally to make our idea their idea so they willingly do what we want. To do this we need to obey some fundamental principles, and employ some basic techniques that clearly communicate to animals what we want them to do.

AJE: Why is stockmanship important to the modern rancher?

WH:The profit margin in our industry is so slim that we need to do everything we can to our advantage, and I believe that stockmanship is a much overlooked, undervalued, and under-utilized component of running a successful and sustainable livestock operation. In fact, the stockperson is a major factor in the productive level of livestock and can effectively make or break an operation, and good stockmanship will probably return more profit for the time invested than anything.

AJE: What tangible results has stockmanship produced as a practice in ranching, feedlots and dairies?

WH: Good stockmanship has been documented to increase animal performance as measured by such indices as weight gain, conceptions rates, fertility, immune function, milk yields, and carcass quality. For instance, stockmanship has been shown to increase milk yield in dairies by as much as 21.5%, and reduce the average morbidity (sickness) in feedyards from 10% to 1%. It also increases efficiency, safety, and animal welfare - which is an increasingly important issue with the consumer.

AJE: Are there negative consequences of stockmanship as a practice?

WH: There are negative consequences to poor stockmanship, which is characterized by using fear and force to make animals do what they aren’t ready or wanting to do. Poor stockmanship can lead to unhappy, uncooperative animals that are hard to work with, and it can be the cause of health problems and poor performance.

AJE: What is your background in livestock and specifically stockmanship, and how did you come to edit this journal?

WH: I’m a 4th generation rancher—Sieben Live Stock Co. southeast of Cascade— and I learned what I know about handling cattle properly by studying the methods of Bud Williams, who is considered an unequaled livestock handling expert.

AJE: How did the Stockmanship Journal come into existence?

WH: In 2007 I had the idea that there needed to be a professional quality journal treating the subject of stockmanship because it’s so vitally important. I kicked the idea around for several years, and when it became clear that no one else was going to do it, I decided to take the project on as publisher and editor.

AJE: What brought you to Glasgow and do you have a background or connection to Northeastern Montana?

WH: Ron and Rose Stoneberg invited me to Glasgow to teach a clinic on “low-stress livestock handling,” which is a specific form of stockmanship developed by the late livestock handling expert, Bud Williams. They organized and paid for the clinic as a gift to area stockmen.

My great grandfather, Henry Sieben, owned the Diamond Ranch just south of Culbertson and ran about 5,000 head in

YOU’RE READING HI-LINE FARM & RANCH – THE AG MONTHLY FOR NORTHEAST & NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA

COURTESY PHOTO / FOR FARM & RAnCH

Whit Hibbard spoke to members of the ranching community recently at the Glasgow Stockyards. that area during the end of the open range days.

AJE: From what I found on your website the Journal has contributors from all over, to include Argentina, how did you assemble such a team and how many contributors and editors does your staff have?

WH: The Journal has had about 15 contributors to date. As editor of the Journal I actively seek out qualified contributors, and request that they write articles that deal with their specific area of expertise. I am the publisher and editor, so it’s a staff of one. The Journal is online with two issues per year (January and July) and my office is wherever my laptop is.

AJE: If you had one brief lesson to give to stockmen in Northeast Montana on stockmanship what would it be?

WH: In general, if conventional stockmen would just be quieter, calmer, and more relaxed around their livestock, and not be in a hurry (i.e., leave their watch at home), they’d be surprised how much easier it would be to work with their animals. For

the more serious, they should make a study of the livestock handling methods of Bud Williams.

AJE: Can you talk specifically on the presentation you gave in Glasgow last Thursday?

WH: At the clinic I focused on answering three questions: (1) What is “low-stress livestock handling”?, (2) Why is it important?, and (3) How to do it? My objective was to give everyone some additional tools that I’ve been fortunate to learn and that might help them to work their cattle a little better and be happier while doing it, and have happier, healthier, better performing and more manageable cattle.

AJE: What other presentations are you planning in the near future and are any in the Northeastern Montana area?

WH: I do on average two clinics per month. Most are private because they are sponsored by ranches specifically for their crew. The only clinic that I currently have scheduled that’s open to the public is sponsored by Beef Quality Assurance on August 18th at MSU in Bozeman.

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Weeds: Edgar: 'It gets ... out of control'

Weeds: Houndstongue has become the most worrisome noxious weed on the park

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Board, comprised of agricultural producers from different regions in Hill County and a commercial chemical spray applicator, have begun talks with Hill County Commissioners about increasing by 4 mills the amount taxpayers pay to the Weed District.

This increase would come to $5.40 per year on a $100,000 house, he said, and the money would be used to fight weeds throughout the county.

Why they fight it

Not only do noxious weeds cut into resources, Edgar said, but landowners, whether governmental or private, are legally obligated to eradicate noxious weeds.

Any noxious weed seeds picked up on the park can be taken home, spread via clothing, animals, vehicles and equipment, by campers, hikers and day-visitors who come to the park all summer long as well as off season, and by ag producers who utilize the hay grounds and pasture.

Then the weed problem becomes that landowner’s problem.

“It gets exponentially out of control,” Edgar said.

This cuts into revenue for everyone,

Turner said.

“Weeds attack both the number one industry and the number two industry in the state of Montana with ag number one a n d to u r i s m n u m b e r t wo , ” h e s a i d.

“Nobody wants to go see a solid stand of weeds. You want to see the beauty and natural landscapes, and weeds come in there and take that over.”

Removing a thick stand of weeds from land can greatly increase its production value, he added, citing an area in Hill County where weed eradication tripled the landowners’ AUM, or animal unit month which calculates forage base on the amount a mature 1,000 pound cow and her suckling calf would use in a month.

“North of Gildford we had 4,000 acres of Russian knapweed when we first started this weed district,” Turner said, “and we got that down to about 200 to 400 acres versus 4,000 acres. So we’ve knocked it way back but … we’ve increased the grass production from 200 AUMs per acre to about 800 to 900 AUMs by taking out all that competition. It’s about like going out and buying three times the land by taking that out.”

Resources for weed identification: http://mtweed.org/weed-identification/ http://www.hillcounty.us/Weed.html

Missouri Department of Conservation, mdc.mo.gov Spotted knapweed blooms in a field overrun by the noxious weed.

time, Edgar said, and without the means to take care of the weed problem the park is looking at future revenue losses from its two main resources: grass and beauty.

“Cows don’t eat knapweed,” he said, and “people don’t want to look at weeds.”

The houndstongue has brought to a head the problem of lack of funding to fight weeds. “(Houndstongue) is one that’s rapidly spreading. It’s spreading faster than we can control it, so we’re looking at trying to, maybe down the road, adding some more mills to help control the noxious weeds,” Turner said.

The Weed District is still operating with the same budget its had since 1975, he added, so over the last 40 years, the portion of the district’s budget for chemical spray has dropped from around $20,000 to about $10,400 as inflation has increased the cost on budget items like fuel and supplies.

That $10,400 is less than the average farm spends on chemical weed control, he said, but it’s supposed to take care of the entire county, including the park which, alone, covers more than 10,200 acres.

Federal and state grants have all but dried up, he added.

Turner said he and the Weed District

n Continued on page 10

Havre Daily News/Teresa Getten Williams displays the broad leaf of the noxious weed houndstongue July 22.

The plant got its name because the leaf resembles the shape of a dog's tongue.

Havre Daily News/Teresa Getten A houndstongue plant in Beaver Creek Park is shown July 22 full of the burrs which help propogate the plant.

Havre Daily News/Teresa Getten The houndstongue seeds, shown here July 22, have fine burrs that easily attach to even smoother surfaces than most burrs, so the noxious weed spreads quickly.

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Park working to secure anti-weed measures Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com Volunteers, who came together in June in Beaver Creek Park to take part in the annual weed Spray Day, covered a large area of the park that day, but organizers say they see a quiet invasion of weeds overwhelming weed-control efforts and they are working to secure further antiweed measures “Years ago burdock was the worst (weed) and then we had some stray knapweed and hemlock, dalmation toadflax,” Chad Edgar, Beaver Creek Park superintendent, said, “but now we’re really getting taken over by houndstongue.”

About 30 volunteers, most of them cattle ranchers who run their cattle on the park in fall, along with six to eight employees of Hill County Weed District, bring sprayers and transportation and spread out around the park to find and spray weeds identified as most problematic, Edgar said.

“In one day, they can spray more than the weed crew can spray in a month,” he said, adding that they “make a dent in it but, you know, we can’t cover it all. Some of the hot spots is what we try to focus on and from there we try to get everything in an area. Most of it’s inaccessible. It’s in the bushes too far or whatever.”

Another limitation on the weeds that get sprayed is that only weeds on the state’s noxious weed list can be sprayed, Weed District Supervisor Terry Turner said. The Weed District, which is funded almost exclusively by county tax dollars, provides the spray, and this focus on noxious weeds is part of the regulations of that funding.

The official state list of noxious weeds in Montana has grown from the original 15 to 33, Turner said, and the number of those weeds growing in Beaver Creek Park has grown to include burdock, spotted and Russian knapweeds, Canadian thistle, dalmation toadflax, orange hawkweed, oxeye daisy and field bindweed, as well as the houndstongue which Turner said appeared 10 to 15 years ago.

“The bad thing about the houndstongue is that it’s poisonous, but it doesn’t drop the animal right away,” he said. “It shuts down the internal organs, so they die a slow death. So six to eight months later — they eat a lethal dose of 4-6 pounds of houndstongue — they have a good possibility of dying.”

Houndstongue has quickly become more prevalent than other noxious weeds in the park because of its prolific production of seeds — tenacious burrs, almost the size of a pencil eraser, that “stick to everything, including blue jeans,” Turner said, adding that “porcupines are just loaded with it.

They’re the walking houndstongue spreader out there. They’re just one big mat of houndstongue.”

“Cattle kind of get the bad rap” for spreading weeds on the park, Edgar said,

but wildlife which gravitate to the park’s open ranges all year round bring in and spread a lot of weeds, and to a certain percent people do as well.

He said they have fought off natural transference of spotted knapweed for several years, but in recent years have worked to eradicate a patch of the weed at Beaver Creek Reservoir. Those seeds were brought in with dirt used for campsite improvements around the lake.

In another instance of weeds being caused by humans, one cabin owner called attention to a plant with an orange flower growing — and rapidly spreading — around the cabin he had purchased, Turner said.

It turned out that the previous owners had transplanted orange hawkweed to a flowerbed because they liked the distinctive orange flower, but the plant is on the Montana noxious weed list.

Edgar said the park also has pockets of poison hemlock and water hemlock, but that brings up another issue in the efforts to control eliminate weeds on the park.

“If you were to go out and pick hemlock and lick your fingers you’d get sick,” he said. “If you remember poison hemlock from ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ that’s how they pulled it off (their suicides). That’s what they were drinking, poison hemlock tea.”

However, because these poisonous plants are native to North America and the Montana County Weed Control Act defines noxious weeds as “plants of foreign origin,” they are not on the noxious weed list.

The park and private landowners, as well, have to fight these weeds at their own expense.

This could become the reality for anyone fighting noxious weeds in the future, if changes aren’t made soon, both Edgar and Turner said. The problem could get as hopeless as eradication of spotted knapweed in the western parts of the state, especially around Missoula — an area of concern that each of them discussed in detail.

Control efforts

Havre Daily News/Teresa Getten Aubrey Williams, assistant to the Beaver Creek Park superintendent, points out a houndstongue plant growing on the park July 22. Houndstongue is a noxious weed and is poisonous to animals and humans. Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said the park and the Hill County Weed District, along with local volunteers, worked during the annual Spray Day June 14 to apply chemical weed killer to as many of the plants as they could find.

“It’s very overwhelming to me to be quite honest,” Edgar said about trying to keep up with the weeds on the park. “ … I have a lot of other things that I’m trying to get done here.”

The Spray Day program helps, he said, but talks are progressing to try to get a full-time weed person or two whose job is j u s t to s p ray we e d s d u r i n g s u m m e r months. To that end, he added, he is looking for grants through the Hill County Conservation District, but might have to rely on a mill levy to increase funding for the Weed District.

“It might come to that as a necessity rather than just talking about it or proposing it,” he said, “because it is a severe problem.”

Fight back a weed infestation takes

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Egg prices reach 10-year lows as production outpaces demand DAVID PITT Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa — In less than a year, eggs have gone from being an expensive staple at the height of the bird flu crisis to reaching the cheapest prices in a decade due to fully restocked poultry barns.

But the demand for eggs has been stifled because bakeries and companies using powdered eggs in things like pancake mixes learned to cook without as many of them, and countries that stopped accepting eggs from the U.S. last year, including Canada and Mexico, have been slow to resume imports.

"People have found ways to reduce their egg usage as an ingredient. They've found replacers, they've found extenders and they've found ways to make certain products with fewer eggs in general," said Brian Moscoguiri, an industry analyst at New Jersey-based commodity market research company Urner Barry.

While wholesale egg prices — a little as 55 cents a dozen in June — are good for grocery shoppers' pocketbooks, the egg industry itself was caught off guard by the imbalance, according to Bill Northey, the agriculture secretary in Iowa, which is the nation's largest egg-producing state.

The lack of exports hurts the most, said Marcus Rust, CEO of Rose Acre Farms, which is the nation's No. 2 egg producer. Prior to the bird flu outbreak last spring, which led to the deaths of 48 million chickens and turkeys, U.S. egg producers exported as much as 6 percent of their stock. Now, it's closer to 3 percent, Rust said.

"Across the pond they found other suppliers and have contracts," he said. "For us to get them back, we'd have to boot somebody else out."

For two months starting in mid-April 2015, the H5N2 virus ravaged chicken farms in Iowa and wiped out 12 percent of the country's egglaying hens. By May 2015, egg production had fallen 28 percent from the previous year and 21 percent in just a month.

Demand, however, remained strong and the scarcity drove prices to record highs: In early August 2015, Midwestern grocery stores paid $2.88 per dozen for large eggs.

The new chickens replacing those that were lost to bird flu are young and producing at their peak. Rust's Iowa farms, where he restocked about 3 million chickens, are producing at about 10 percent more than normal.

But the glut of eggs means grocers are trying to move eggs off shelves with prices not seen in years and farmers have sent some egg-laying hens to slaughter.

Three weeks ago, wholesale egg prices hit a 10-year low of 55 cents a dozen, and the number of shell eggs available as of Monday was the highest ever seen this time of year, Moscoguiri said. Prices have rebounded to "about 98 cents per dozen," he said.

Current trading supports prices in the 60-cent range and Rust said he wouldn't be surprised to see them remain there for the short term. He also said the market it will work itself out.

The bakery industry was widely affected by the egg scarcity last year, including Blue Egg Bakery in Elk River, Minnesota. Owner Robin DeWitt said distributors rationed sup-

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File Cage-free chickens walk in a fenced pasture Oct. 21 at an organic farm near Waukon, Iowa. Eggs have gone from record-high prices at the height of the bird flu crisis in 2015 to the cheapest prices in a decade in recent weeks. This situation came about because chicken barns have been restocked with young hens laying lots of eggs boosted supply but demand hasn't come back as strong. ply, meaning at times she could get only half of what she needed, forcing her to buy at grocery stores for full retail price.

She said she didn't raise prices on her cakes, doughnuts, cookies and bread, so her

profits dropped. And while larger commercial bakeries could get by with egg substitutes, she would not.

"We're a scratch bakery and there just isn't a substitute for eggs. We searched out

and got them wherever we could," she said.

"We stockpiled eggs and we survived."

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Noxious

weed control

on county park