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Swine: Fuller: Pigs bred for showing, pigs bred by commercial producers closer in look ■ From Page 3 posed to reaching that ideal weight in six to seven months, Fuller said. Some breeds like Durocs and Berkshires grow a little faster, so one a few weeks younger but of good build can be ready by fair time. Other breeds and some bloodlines grow slower, too, so it helps to know the breed and to talk with the breeder about their bloodlines. If she has enough time, Fuller said, she will cover trends in the industry, adding that in recent years the commercial market pigs and the show-bred pigs are starting to look more alike. Traditionally, she said, commercial producers were looking at light-muscled hogs because the babies farrow easier and mature quicker, but after porcine epidemic diarrhea virus hit the industry in 2014, producers looked to show-bred animals to improve their stock, with size, soundness and adaptability to stress. The show industry, she added, also has recognized the need to breed functionality back into their pigs because the show ribbons were pointless if their littermates weren’t being used by producers.
conducted by Shane Ophus, will start at 1 p.m. All 4-H’ers attending will be entered into a drawing for one of three prizes that will be usable with the swine project, Horinek said. Show-bred pigs are expensive to buy and have to be shipped in from a great distance, Horinek said. The show-bred pigs her daughters first bought were several hundred dollars and with shipping they had as much as $700 into each of them before the sale. After they lost their sow in a barn fire, she said, they decided not just to get another show-bred sow for their own use, but to build a farrowing barn and purchase a handful of purebred sows and a bore, she said. The plan is to sell weaners and butcher hogs most of the year, but to breed for sale in the spring pigs that are specifically for showing in 4-H.
The point of sales
Weaner pig sales Molitor said that 4-H pigs are for sale in Montana, and many of the 4-H members have been traveling to Fairfield and Lewistown to purchase their animals. Some sellers, he added, sell through auctions and others through private treaty with individuals. Jalissa and Makaila Horinek started Hi-Line Show Pigs in Hinham, breeding show-bred pigs for sale as 4-H pigs. Jalissa is a former 4-H member and Makaila is still a member. Their mother, Teri Horinek is helping them with their Hi-Line Show Pig Sale 4-H weaner pig sale in Havre this year. Teri Horinek said they had been breeding and raising 4-H show pigs from a single sow for five years. Makaila won grand champion market swine in 2016 with one of their homebred pigs. The girls have expanded their production to seven sows of show bloodlines to start selling to a broader customer base. Horinek said their sows, all purebreds of Duroc, Berkshire, Hampshire or Yorkshire breeding imported from show stock in Iowa and Ohio, started farrowing crossbred litters in December and will continue into February.
Havre Daily News/File photo Makaila Horinek poses for a photograph with her home-bred Grand Champion Market Swine and ribbon during the 2016 Great Northern Fair. “We have all different (age) ranges because I’m trying to provide pigs for all different fairs because there’s fairs beginning at the very beginning of July and there’s fairs at the very end of August,” she said. “So I’ve got some early litters and I’ve got some late litters and hoping ... that we have pigs for hopefully most fairs if people want to come and look.” 4-H members need to have their market hogs purchased in time for their county’s 4-H April weigh-in, Amanda Powell with the Hill County Extension office said. The pigs will also be tagged and tattooed at that time. If the pigs are cared for correctly, they will gain about a half-pound of weight each day when they are little, Horinek said, but by the age they are finishing out for the fair, they will be gaining about 2 pounds per day.
The pigs farrowed in January should be about 35 to 40 pounds at auction time, she added. The Hi-Line Show Pig Sale will be the Horinek’s first auction, she said, and with two sows left to farrow, they are expecting at least 70 weaners at the sale. The plan is to have each litter penned separately. The litter’s ear tags and the pens will be color matched and each pig numbered, she said. Buyers will be able to match the color of the pen and ear tag with the date the litter was born and its breeding, and the number on the pig with the gender and weight of that pig. The auction will be March 18 at the Bigger Better Barn at the Great Northern Fairgrounds in Havre. Preview is set for 11 a.m. and free lunch at noon. The auction,
“Our goal is to try to offer the kids a fair chance at getting a good quality show animal and not just because mom and dad have more money and they can travel to wherever to get the better pigs,” Horinek said. While they do want their pigs to show well in front of the judge, she added, “even better would be how they process. They have a swine of excellence — that’s a whole different judging.” The swine of excellence placings are awarded on the quality of the carcass because, ultimately, the project is to produce a quality market animal and learn how to be good business people, Horinek said. Part of the market hog project is for the 4-H’ers to track their animal’s growth, medical care and expenses to figure how much they actually profit at the end of the sale. “This is how my kids (Jalissa and Makaila) are raising money for college,” she said. “This is really their business. I’m just kind of ramrodding it for them and getting it established. They do all the chores, my oldest daughter she neuters them all, we give them all their shots and we dock their tails and clip their teeth. “I think it’s a good way to teach them responsibility and character and give them a good solid foundation for when they do get out on their own and not be the typical millennial kid,” she added, “… helps them get a little more business savvy.”
4-H Market Swine Workshop
Hi-Line Show Pig Sale
How to select and raise a young project pig
Show-bred weaner pigs for 4-H projects
February 8th ~ 6:00 p.m. Hill County Electric Hospitality Room
March 18th ~ Bigger Better Barn Preview: 11:00 a.m. Free Lunch: Noon Auction: 1:00 p.m.
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Swine Savvy Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com Youth interested in the 4-H Market Swine program have opportunities in the next few weeks not only to learn about how to chose a weaner pig, but also to buy showbred weaners in Havre. Hill County 4-H is hosting a workshop Feb. 8 on what to look for when choosing a weaner for showing and market sale, and a local breeder of show-bred pigs will be holding an auction March 18 with 50-90 weaners entered in the sale. Swine projects are open to 4-H members at least 9 years old. This workshop will be geared toward younger members and those starting out with a swine project, said Jon Molitor, swine superintendent for Hill County 4-H, but would help members looking to improve their knowledge about hogs. Kids interested in 4-H, but who are not signed up, are welcome to attend, too, he added.
Swine workshop The workshop, which will start at 6 p.m. at the Hill County Electric Hospitality Room, will cover what to look for when buying a weaner pig to help select the best show animal for the market hog project, feeding and best care practices, as well as how to finish the animals to their best condition by fair time when the pigs are shown and sold at auction, Molitor said. The workshop is intended to give the kids a base of understanding before they start looking for their fair pig.
n See Swine Page 3 Havre Daily News/Floyd Brandt A piglet bred from show stock looks into the camera Jan. 14. It and its littermates were produced by Jalissa and Makaila Horinek in Hingham for sale at the Hi-Line Show Pig Sale March 18 in the Bigger Better Barn as 4-H market swine show pigs.
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USDA: Perdue started politics as a Democrat, but was elected Georgia governor as a Republican â– From Page 10 been favorable to those crops, and congressional battles over massive farm bills every five years often divide along regional lines. Southerners have pushed for subsidy programs that are more favorable to rice and cotton, which can be more expensive to grow. The last three agriculture secretaries we re f ro m I owa , N o r t h D a ko ta a n d Nebraska. Many farm-state lawmakers and agriculture groups grew concerned as Trump approached his inauguration without having named an agriculture secretary candidate. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley tweeted that he was frustrated with the process. "NEED Ag leader w dirt under finger nails 4farmers," he wrote. Perdue began his political career as a Democrat in the Georgia Legislature in the 1990s. After switching his allegiance to the Republican Party, he was elected governor in 2002. The victory over an incumbent Democrat completed Georgia's shift to a solidly Republican state, ending generations of Democratic control of state government. Despite that political change, Perdue showed little interest in pushing big pro-
grams or signature legislation during his two terms. Instead he focused on finding ways to save money while improving customer service by state agencies. He often referred to himself as Georgia's CEO. Critics accused Perdue of failing to tackle some of Georgia's biggest problems, such as struggling public schools. Perdue, who was re-elected in 2006, didn't rely only on his business acumen as governor. A devout Southern Baptist, he also found a place for faith in his administration. In 2007, when a withering drought gripped Georgia and neighboring states, he held a prayer rally in front of the Capitol in Atlanta to pray for rain. Perdue brought an end to Georgia's conflicts over a state flag that featured the Confederate battle emblem. The flag was replaced by lawmakers under Perdue's Democratic predecessor, but the new design proved unpopular. Perdue insisted Georgia voters should pick the flag. A referendum was held in 2004, though Southern heritage groups were outraged that the options did not include the old flag with the Confederate symbol. Under Perdue's watch, Georgia adopted
tough food-safety regulations after a deadly U.S. salmonella outbreak was traced to Georgia-made peanut butter. He moved the state office that issues water permits for irrigation and other agricultural uses from Atlanta to rural south Georgia, where it would be closer to farmers. Perdue poured millions of state dollars into Go Fish, a program that aimed to lure bass fishing tournaments to the state. The ex-governor, whose full name is George Ervin Perdue III, was born in rural Perry, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia, where he played football as a
walk-on and earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine. Following a stint in the Air Force, he returned to Georgia and settled in Bonaire, a city of about 14,000 people. Perdue already has family serving in Washington. A cousin, former Dollar General CEO David Perdue of Sea Island, Georgia, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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Trump expects 'big results' from his choice to lead USDA By JONATHAN LEMIRE and RUSS BYNUM Associated Press WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said Jan. 19 that he expects that former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, his choice to lead the Agriculture Department, will "deliver big results for all Americans who earn their living off the land." Agriculture secretary was the final Cabinet post to be announced by Trump. Perdue, 70, is a farmer's son who built businesses in grain trading and trucking before becoming the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. Perdue, from the small city of Bonaire in rural central Georgia, would be the first Southerner in the post in more than two decades. He is not related to or affiliated with the food company Perdue or the poultry producer Perdue Farms. "From growing up on a farm to being governor of a big agriculture state, he has spent his whole life understanding and solving the challenges our farmers face, and he is going to deliver big results for all Americans who earn their
living off the land," Trump said in a statement. Perdue, in a statement released by Trump's transition team, said he began as "a simple Georgia farm boy," and he pledged to "champion the concerns of American agriculture and work tirelessly to solve the issues facing our farm families." Trump said at a pre-inauguration dinner in Washington that Perdue's farming background had elevated him above more "politically correct" candidates. Trump's Cabinet picks do not include a single Latino — the first time that's happened in nearly 30 years, Trump said he had met with "10 people that everybody liked. Politically correct. And I kept thinking back to Sonny Perdue, a great, great farmer. He loves the farms. Knows everything about farming. Knows everything about agriculture." Agriculture secretaries are often from the Midwest, where corn and soybeans dominate the markets. U.S. farm policy has long
n See USDA Page 11
AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Filet Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue smiles Nov. 30 as he waits for an elevator in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. President Donald Trump nominated Perdue the day before Trump took office to serve as agriculture secretary.
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Swine: Workshop to cover selection, care and feeding of young pigs for 4-H ■ From Page 2 The presenter, Rena Fuller, grew up showing swine, cattle and sheep around the western states, raised show pigs, competed in livestock judging in college, and worked in the feed industry. Fuller said she’ll cover primarily selection of weaner pigs for showing, but will talk about feed and care of the animals as well, such as how to maintain a healthy environment and even body temperature of the young pigs and parasite control. Time will also be set aside to cover the Veterinary Feed Directive, a new FDA regulation governing the use of medicated feed, Fuller said. Because the young pigs are susceptible to illness in general, and this is compounded with stress of travel and introduction of new parasites and microbes in their new environment, pigs are, she said, fed medicated feed. The new regulation, though, requires a veterinary prescription and this will make it harder to access feeds that would normally help prevent illnesses. One illness, pneumonia, is a common threat to young pigs, especially in areas like north-central Montana with its hotcold fluctuations in weather, she said. The project starts with the weaner pig, though. It is possible to look at the structure of the young pigs and determine what that animal will look like as an adult, she said. “We’ll look at structure, muscle, design, composition, how to evaluate these little pigs as weaner pigs and know what they’re going to look like, or a pretty good idea of what
they’re going to look like, at 260 to 280 pounds,” she said. The ideal weaner will have, among other traits, a level top line with its neck and tail set high and will move with a straight stride and its head up, she said. It is a little more difficult to determine while looking at a young pig what the mature muscling will be, she said. However, some characteristics, like bone, foot size, base width — how far apart the pairs of front and hind feet are — and the roundness of the rib cage give some indication of future muscling. The pigs have to weigh at least 210 pounds by weigh-in at fair time, Molitor said — the Hill County 4-H show runs during the Great Northern Fair in mid-July. This year’s dates are July 19-23. The upper weight is 300 pounds, he added, though the pigs can weigh more than that, but the customer buying the animal in the auction sale doesn’t pay for any more than 300 pounds. The ideal weight is about 260 to 300 pounds, Molitor said, because at this weight they have adequate development of muscle and good fat marbling. Too much weight makes the meat excessively fatty.
Havre Daily News/Floyd Brandt Piglets bred from show stock feed Jan. 14. They were produced in Hingham for sale at the Hi-Line Show Pig Sale March 18 in the Bigger Better Barn as 4-H market swine show pigs.
Show pigs vs. commercially produced pigs
Show-bred pigs are genetically predis-
n See Swine Page 12
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The Month in Weather
GINEVRA KIRKLAND FOR FARM & RANCH January is a month of variable weather. The highest temperature observed by the National Weather Service in Glasgow was 40, on Jan. 18, and the lowest was -29 on Jan. 11. Total snowfall was 12.7 inches for the month, which is equivalent to 0.47 inches in liquid precipitation. The most snow falling in 24 hours totaled 6.4 inches. Overall, the month temperature average was 6.6 degrees, about 6.7 degrees lower than the average for this time of year. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor was released Jan. 19 which reported patchy abnormally dry conditions over parts of eastern Montana as well as western por-
tions of the states. Locally, within these regions some severe drought conditions were reported. The “Meteorological Winterâ€? is a term sometimes used by the NWS, and considers the season as one that takes place from December 1-February 28. It has been a cold one so far - the coldest winter since 1979. With spring around the corner, though, ice jams are a concern to consider. Cold winter temperatures lead to thick river ice, and a good snowpack means lots of spring runoff. If ice jams are a concern where you live, please check out www.oodsmart.gov/ oodsmart/ and remember it takes 30 days for ood insurance to go into effect.
The Importance of Montana-Grown Seed Potatoes SHELLEY MILLS FOR FARM & RANCH Montana has a thriving business producing certiďŹ ed seed potatoes for other potato growing regions such as the Columbia Basin and Idaho. The disease late blight (Phytophtora infestans) which caused the 1840s great potato famine of Ireland, has been found in Montana sporadically since 1996, with the most recent outbreak occurring in Gallatin County in August of 2016. The disease is effectively controlled through the planting of diseasefree seed potatoes, timely applied fungicides, reducing duration that leaves are wet, and destruction of all volunteers and culls. If you suspect late blight infected plants, it is best to dispose of them in plastic bags in a landďŹ ll rather than composting. Small infestations of this disease can have broad reaching impacts on commercial seed potato production and home gardeners alike. The disease can infect potatoes and tomatoes, both of which belong to the nightshade family. Late blight can affect all parts of the potato and tomato plant and often appears following periods of wet weather. The ďŹ rst sign of the disease appears as small, irregular, watersoaked lesions on young leaves. If untreated the lesions will enlarge into circular necrotic (dead) spots. Eventually the pathogen will cause the death of the above-ground portion of the plant. Infection of the developing tubers can occur at any time that rain or irrigation washes the spores into the soil and lesions can form on tomato fruit. Tomatoes will rot and infected tubers will spoil in storage. The pathogen Phytopthora infestans has two mating types A1 and A2 which are both needed for sexual reproduction and production of an overwintering structure. The spores can reproduce asexually but remain an obligate parasite (requiring a living host), so survival between seasons is dependent on infected tubers and plant materials. Spores are dispersed via wind from infected materials in storage or cull piles and will germinate within hours when moisture is present. Optimal temperatures for the pathogen are between 60°
and 80° F and it prefers at least ten hours per day of leaf wetness. Secondary sporulation can occur in as few as four days when conditions are favorable for the diseases. No varieties have resistance to all late blight strains, but some may have good resistance to some strains. Avoiding planting potatoes or tomatoes infected with late blight is the key to avoiding introduction and spread of this devastating disease. Additionally, potato and tomato plants should be spaced far enough apart to provide good air movement around the plants. Good drainage and irrigation monitoring is important to ensure that the leaves dry during the day and humidity is lower at night. Proper sanitation is critical for avoiding re-infection, destroy all cull piles, volunteers and any infected materials. Cull piles should be buried at least 2 to 3 feet deep. Excessive use of fertilizers should be avoided to reduce canopy overgrowth. Deep hilling of the potatoes may be used to reduce infection of the tubers from spores washed from the leaves. Contact fungicides may be used to prevent the development of the pathogen, but once the disease becomes established, management of the disease is done through the use of speciďŹ c systemic fungicides applied weekly. Warmer and dryer temperatures help to reduce the spread of the pathogen. Growing only Montana grown certiďŹ ed seed potatoes and tomato transplants is the best way to avoid introducing the disease into your area. Never grow potatoes from tubers intended for consumption because they have likely been grown outside of Montana and may be infected with the pathogen. If you feel you may have late blight in either your potatoes or tomatoes, please contact your local MSU Extension agent or Nina Zidack at the Potato Lab at Montana State University to help in identiďŹ cation and treatment. Shelley Mills is the MSU extension agent in charge of 4-H and AG in Valley County. She can be reached at 406-228-6241.
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SOIL HEALTH FROM PAGE 6
bance, unlike a cultivator, which digs deep and breaks up the soil. The family purchased a used no-till drill at the start of the demonstration project and has been using it ever since. “Healthy soil has voids within it,â€? he says. “If you till it, you’ve crushed the soil and made those air spaces smaller. There’s less room for microbes and roots and reduced capacity to retain water.â€? The most dramatic illustration of no-till beneďŹ ts came in a 36-acre leased ďŹ eld. Every year Dusenberry would cultivate and plant the ďŹ eld, and then watch as spring rains created a 5-acre “lakeâ€? in a low spot, which would drown out the crop. After the ďŹ rst year of no-till seeding, the lake was a bit smaller. The next year it was smaller yet. Without disturbance the soil was rebuilding those open spaces, increasing its capacity to absorb and hold moisture. “That spot has shrunk to basically nothing,â€? Tim says. “Notill really saved us in this particular ďŹ eld.â€? After two years of using cover crops, the results were “astounding,â€? Dusenberry says. As soil health improved, cash crop yields jumped up. Their calves, turned loose each year to graze the cover crops, put on more weight and sported deep glossy coats. Weeds were reduced. In 2014 and 2015, the Dusenberrys added two more components to their soilhealth practices: a CO-2 injector and a new method for livestock grazing. The injector is a custom-built piece of equipment that collects the exhaust of the tractor engine, cools and condenses it, and blows it into the soil at the time of planting. The CO-2, says Dusenberry, beneďŹ ts mycorrhizal fungi, a group of living organisms which coexist with plants and help supply them with nutrients. Mob grazing, a kind of high-intensity, short-duration grazing practice, is the Dusenberry’s latest soil health innovation, implemented late in 2015. Using portable electric fencing, a group of 30 cows are concentrated in small pasture “cellsâ€? of one to ďŹ ve acres, where they graze and stomp down the grass or cover crops and deposit manure and urine. The animals stay only a short time – between 24 and 36 hours – before being moved again. Each cell is then rested for an extended period. Over time, mob grazing builds the amount of organic material in the soil, boosting nutrients and moisture retention. After four years, the gains at the Dusenberry farm are impressive. “We haven’t used
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FARM & FARM & RANCH RANCH fertilizer at all in three years and our crop yields are bigger and better quality. Weeds are reduced, and we’re hoping to eliminate part of the chemical cost associated with spraying,â€? Tim says. “More and more, we’re using nature as the driving force instead of chemical inputs.â€? The Dusenberry’s new approaches have stirred up a fair bit of interest among Helenaarea producers, says Chris Evans, supervisor of the Lewis and Clark Conservation District. “Especially for the Helena area it was really phenomenal to see the success they had. People are seeing the need to cover the soil for moisture retention and protection from erosion in our arid, windy climate.â€? Ann McCauley develops and promotes the soil health workshops sponsored by the Montana Association of Conservation Districts (MACD). Last year, MACD held ďŹ ve workshops across the state; more than 600 people attended, a mix of traditional producers as well as younger folks just getting started. “It’s exciting to see people realize, ‘wow, there’s a different way of doing this,’â€? she says. “We talk about the beneďŹ ts from the soil health level on up to the marketplace. That’s a big part of the sustainability equation, making it pencil out on the bottom line. There’s time, there’s money and there’s the unknown. That’s part of what the workshops address.â€? “If another producer was to ask me about doing a cover crop on their ground, I would explain that it is not a one-year quick ďŹ x,â€? says Tim. “They have to be willing to change the way they view their farming operation. They need to stay with it, commit to the long term and look at the whole system – cover crops, CO-2, no-till, and getting animals on the ground to do their thing. For us, I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.â€? John Grassy is a Public Information OfďŹ cer for the The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, which works closely with Montana’s 58 conservation districts (CDs), which encompass nearly 94 million acres. CDs are local governmental entities operated by non-paid elected and appointed ofďŹ cials, charged with planning and implementing soil, water, and other natural resource conservation activities. CDs also maintain permitting for activities that alter or modify perennial streams. DNRC’s Conservation Districts Bureau provides general, technical, legal, ďŹ nancial and administrative support to Montana’s CDs and 27 grazing districts; between 2010 and 2016, DNRC has provided $231,360.00 in grant funding to conservation districts for the Soil Health Initiative.
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Weed Control Strategies for Common Tansy, Dyers Woad
COURTESY PHOTO / FOR FARM & RANCH
Pictured: The Common Tansy is a noxious weed with bright yellow flowers. JOHN GRASSY FOR FARM & RANCH Valley County Weed & Mosquito Coordinator Stone Tihista would like to call attention to two problematic plants this month. If you have a suggestion, questions, or comments for Stone as she attmepts to educate the public about weeds and other pests, please write courier@nemont.net. THE ENEMY: Dyers woad (Isatis tinctoria L.) Characteristics: This biennial plant was introduced into the U.S. in colonial times. It was brought here as a blue dye. This mustard plant is one that shows its beautiful bright yellow bloom in mid-May to early June. The plant has thick light-green leaves with a noticeably white mid-vein in its ďŹ rst year of growth, and then sends up 3 to 7 stalks that produce the owers at the very top in an umbrella fashion. The seeds can last up to 10 years in the soil. Attack: Dyers woad germinates late in the fall to early spring and gets established before many other plants. Its rosettes can spread out close to 12 inches and the plant will grow to a height of 4 feet. It produces dark purple to black looking seeds that ‘hang’ from the top of the plant which allows the seeds to spread farther as well as keeps the seed viable in the soil for many years. The plant produces a tough taproot. Defense: This plant has not spread out very far across Montana yet, but one must keep a cost eye out for this invader. Several types of herbicides are available. Consult with your local county weed districts, extension ofďŹ ces or ag chemical dealers for the correct product for your needs. The most effective time to apply is during the active growth of the weed. There are currently no biocontrols available for this weed and most animals will not eat it. If you ďŹ nd this canola looking plant please
contact your local weed district or extension ofďŹ ce. THE ENEMY: Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) Charateristics: Common Tansy is a rhizomatous perennial plant in the aster family that we ďŹ nd most common along roadsides, fence rows, pastures, stream banks and waste areas throughout North America. This plant has a fern looking basal leaf and grows 4-6 foot, woody-like stems of which produces clusters of yellow owers. This plant has a strong scent and is easily recognizable. Common Tansy is often confused with “tansy ragwort,â€? a poisonous pasture weed and statewide noxious weed. However, both types of plants are toxic. Attack: This plant needs large amounts of water to grow, hence, why we ďŹ nd it along ditch banks and ood irrigated ďŹ elds. It consumes massive amounts of water and once established the clumps of weeds grow larger and larger, which allows the plant to choke out desirable species. The seeds are rather large, can oat down the ditches and canals and infest neighboring lands very quickly. It is toxic to livestock, even if incidentally ingested. Defense: Mechanical control for this weed is easy if you have a backhoe. Digging the plant up with a shovel is very difďŹ cult due the extent of the hardy root system. Consecutive mowing may work if you can cut the plant very close to the ground. Burning of the plant is difďŹ cult as they do not produce much burnable material. Consult with your local county weed districts, extension ofďŹ ces or ag chemical dealers for the correct product for your needs. Grasshoppers love this plant. This weed is quite invasive so do your part in controlling it by asking for help from your local weed district or extension ofďŹ ce.
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Elk, Deer Special Application Drawing Deadline: March 15, Fishing Expires Feb. 28 MARC KLOKER, FWP FOR FARM & RANCH It’s time to start thinking about hunting season again, and getting your new ďŹ shing license for the year. As of Jan. 23, hunters and anglers can start purchasing licenses for the 2017 year. Anglers are reminded that their 2016 ďŹ shing licenses will expire on Feb. 28. Hunters are reminded that the deadline for applying for bull and antlerless elk and mule deer buck permits is March 15. The deer and elk permit application packet is available at FWP license providers and online at fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/. The deer and elk permit application packet explains the rules for each hunting district and gives directions for applying. Hunters can apply online, or they may stop in to any FWP ofďŹ ce and apply in person. Prerequisites for applying for these permits include a conservation license,
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base hunting license and the required elk and/or deer license. And starting this year, the purchase of a Montana bow and arrow license will be required prior to applying for any archery-only permit. To purchase a bow and arrow license, an individual must meet one of the following requirements: show completion of a bowhunter education course, show proof of purchase of a previous year’s bow and arrow license from Montana or another state, sign an afďŹ davit that they have previously purchased a bow and arrow license in Montana or another state. First time archers need to plan ahead so they have the prerequisite bowhunter education certiďŹ cate in order to apply for 2017 archery-only drawings. Some archery classes may be available before the March 15 deadline in your area. Please refer to fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/ to ďŹ nd a class offered near you.
When You Buy From Us, We Give You Added Value! Let's Work Together
We Can Only Continue To Provide Service In Our Communities If YOU Support Those Services! After The Initial Saleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; WHAT Is Your 'LVFRXQW 6XSSOLHU 2ÍżHULQJ <RX"
The author's eldest daughter poses with the Shipstead family dog, Callie.
CHELCIE CARGILL, MFBF FOR FARM & RANCH The Montana Farm Bureau Federationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motto is, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Care for the Country.â&#x20AC;?We take that seriously, but we know weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not the only ones who do. The big highlight of mid-Januarary was the Montana Ag Coalition reception in Helena. The Ag Coalition is a collective voice for agriculture, combining the expertise and experiences of seven of our stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading agriculture organizations: Montana Grain Growers, Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Montana Farmers Union, Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana Woolgrowers, Montana Agricultural Business Association, and Montana Water Resources Association. The reception welcomed legislators across party lines and backgrounds to learn more about Montana agriculture, get to know our organizations and hear a little bit about where our membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; priorities fall in matters of policy. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Farm Bureau member, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a part of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest agriculture organization, giving you a collective, powerful voice for policy that is set at the county level. Being a part of the Ag Coalition adds yet another layer of power to your voice.
Between these seven organizations, we may not always agree. When we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ok â&#x20AC;&#x201C; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re free to pursue the interests and directive of our members. But when we do, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to collaborate to come up with thorough, comprehensive policy that serves a united agricultural voice. The pieces of legislation that came before the House Natural Resource Committee served as a good example of how the Ag Coalition works together. We were able to stand together in uniďŹ ed testimony on each of these issues. You can tune in to our Montana Farm Bureau Facebook page for live video updates each Friday morning to stay informed. Chelcie Cargill is Montana Farm Bureau Federationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Director of State Affairs and a ďŹ fth-generation rancher from Sweet Grass County, Montana. In addition to lobbying full-time on behalf of farmers and ranchers, Chelcie and her husband are growing their own herd of commercial cattle and a professional fencing business. Chelcie can be contacted at (406) 587-3153 or chelciec@mfbf. org. The Montana Farm Bureau Federation is a non-partisan, non-proďŹ t, grassroots organization that represents 22,000 member families in Montana.
What do â&#x20AC;&#x153;low costâ&#x20AC;? ag suppliers
Teaching Kids about Life and Death
COURTESY PHOTO / FOR FARM & RANCH
United in Agriculture, Focused on Water
www.glasgowcourier.com www.glasgowcourier.com
ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD FOR FARM & RANCH Just after the beginning of the year, I lost my long time friend and dog Callie. Callie was a catahoula, Australian Shepherd mix and as you can imagine she was as busy, loving, anxious, focused and crazy as those dog breeds tend to be. When we started farming she had an even more intense desire to be a part of everything. She loved riding in the tractor, semi and the combine. She never knew how to work animals but had respect for them and stayed out of their way. She loved to go along for horseback rides and was always up for an adventure. Towards the end she became deaf and a lot more anxious. She spent the last couple weeks as my shadow. I share this with you because I know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve probably experienced losing a pet too, and it is hard! I also share this because on the farm or ranch, death is something that happens frequently. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difďŹ cult to balance respecting the life of an animal raised for meat and mourning the death of a pet. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to become calloused to it, because to mourn every death on the ranch or farm would be emotionally draining. The other reason I share this is because so many of us have children, grandchildren or at least young extended family. Talking about life and death with kids is fraught with lots of uncomfortable and hard to answer questions. As a mom myself, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want my girls to become calloused towards death and remain â&#x20AC;&#x153;softâ&#x20AC;? in the appreciation of life, no matter how many deaths they experience on the farm. Losing Callie, experiencing death on the
farm, and having young children led to our discussion of the following three things: 1. Death is a part of life. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to teach our kids as much about death as life. My oldest daughter has been interested in hunting deer, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to discourage that, but I knew that she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t truly understand what taking a life meant. After Callie passed away she told me, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mom I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to shoot a deer anymoreâ&#x20AC;?. I think she got a better glimpse of what death meant. 2. Different animals, different roles. The loss of Callie opened up an opportunity to talk about pets, animals raised for meat, wild animals and their roles in our life. God put animals on the earth for our beneďŹ t. Some benefit us as friends, others benefit us as income, and others beneďŹ t us as food. Just because they are living their life as a means to the end of ďŹ lling the freezer, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t respect the life that they have and make sure that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good one. 3. Heaven. Not everyone believes in heaven, but we sure do. The presence of heaven is hard to grasp, but as I discussed with my daughter where Callie is now, heaven came up. Even among those who believe in heaven, there are different beliefs of what happens with pets. In my opinion, I trust that God is preparing a speciďŹ c place for us in heaven and that the living things that we cherish here on earth will be there to greet us as well. So heaven took on new meaning for my daughter with Callieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passing. Death is never easy, but my hope is the more we learn, and teach our children to respect and appreciate life, the easier it will be to strike that balance between mourning a pet/friend, and respecting the life of a market and/or wild animal.
When you buy your chemical & fertilizer from us we can help you with . . . â&#x20AC;˘ Crop Scouting â&#x20AC;˘ Weed IdentiďŹ cation Services â&#x20AC;˘ Soil Analysis â&#x20AC;˘ Crop Spraying â&#x20AC;˘ Application Recommendations â&#x20AC;˘ Fertilizer Application â&#x20AC;˘ And Much More
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www.glasgowcourier.com FARM & RANCH www.glasgowcourier.com FARM & RANCH FPST Auditions Set for Feb. 19 in Glasgow
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FARM FARM & &RANCH RANCH Helena Family Uncovers Importance of Soil Health
77
February 2017 February 2017
www.glasgowcourier.com www.glasgowcourier.com Mob rules: The Dusenberrys (at left) utilize mob grazing to build organic material in the soil.
OIL FILTERS GREASE
February 1st â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 28th
Truckload Oil Sale
SAVE TIME and MONEY with FARM EQUIPMENT SALES and BOURGAULT TILLAGE TOOLS The principles of farming may not change, but the methods do. At , we carry the full line of Bourgault Tillage Tools that are designed to save you time and money. Our expert Parts Specialists say no time is a good time for down time in your field and, they are always available to ensure you have the right tools when you need them.
Now is the time to stock up on oil and filters for your John Deere equipment. Stop in today.
FILTERS SAVE NOW!
15% OFF Select John Deere Filters
29th Ann u Productio al n Sale
Thursday February 9, 2017
Regardless of which make or model you pull into the field, we manufacture tools to meet your seeding, fertilizer and tillage applications.
COURTESY PHOTO / FOR FARM & RANCH
10% OFF
GREASE
All Purchases of 30 tubes or more
Hannah Bentley stars as Aldonza and James Rio as Don Quixote in FPST's 2016 production of Man of La Mancha. The first round of auditions for the 2017 season is coming up. Mark your calendar for Feb. 19.
Visit
Spring 2017 Bourgault Tillage Tools
SALE
February 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 28 st
In Glasgow see Derrick, Scott, Mike or Fred 54275 HWY 2 East Glasgow, MT. 59230 1-406-228-2496
In Plentywood see Bob, Darvin or Danielle 804 East 1st Ave. Plentywood, MT. 59254 1-406-765-1531
In Culbertson see Todd or Kyle 21 West 2nd St. Culbertson, MT. 59218 1-406-787-6201
In Circle see Justin, Kylie or Craig Hwy 200 East Circle, MT. 59215 1-406-485-2145
In Glasgow see Derrick, Scott, Mike or Fred 54275 HWY 2 East Glasgow, MT. 59230 1-406-228-2496
In Plentywood see Bob, Darvin or Danielle 804 East 1st Ave. Plentywood, MT. 59254 1-406-765-1531
th
In Culbertson see Todd or Kyle 21 West 2nd St. Culbertson, MT. 59218 1-406-787-6201
In Circle see Justin, Kylie or Craig Hwy 200 East Circle, MT. 59215 1-406-485-2145
A.J. ETHERINGTON FOR FARM & RANCH The Fort Peck Summer Theater has set the date for casting calls for their summer lineup. Auditions are set to begin at the Glasgow High School Auditorium on Sunday, Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The theater is seeking adult leads, child leads, teen leads and many more extras to perform on stage in three large productions this summer. Those performances needing cast members include Arsenic and Old Lace beginning on June 2 through June 18. The company needs to ďŹ ll adult and high school
age roles. Auditions will also include Lionel Bartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oliver with the theater stating, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many leading roles available including Oliver, The Artful Dodger and Charlotte Sowerberry.â&#x20AC;? Oliver will be on stage from June 23 through July 9. Last but not least, the theater needs high school age characters to perform in their production of Grease from Aug. 4 through Aug. 20. The theater has asked that all interested in auditioning prepare a one-minute monologue and a one-minute song to highlight their talents. For more information, contact the Fort Peck Fine Arts Council at 406228-9216.
MONA DOEBLER / FOR FARM & RANCH
Hinsdale-based photographer Mona Doebler says she's seeing a lot of pheasants along the roadside lately. This shot, titled Winter Colors, was taken west of Glasgow in 2008.
PHOTOS BY ELIZA WILEY, DNRC / FOR FARM & RANCH
L-R: Marilyn, Jim and Tim Dusenberry on their Helena Valley farm. The no-till drill behind the tractor is a key component of the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soil health initiative. JOHN GRASSY FOR FARM & RANCH It was 2012, and the Dusenberry family was frustrated. Across their 600-acre farm and livestock operation in the Helena Valley, years of sound stewardship and management practices didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be making any real difference.â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were disappointed in the output of our land,â&#x20AC;? says Tim Dusenberry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were using more and more fertilizer, the cost was up to 75 to 80 dollars an acre, and the returns were still low. It was time to look at a new way of doing things.â&#x20AC;? Linda Brander, a resource specialist with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, happened to be at the Dusenberry Farm in 2012 for her annual purchase of hay. As they stood visiting, she told Dusenberry about a DNRC grant program she managed that had provided funding for several soil health projects. In order to be eligible, she told Dusenberry, a producer need only work with the local Lewis and Clark Conservation District. Change isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always easy, and in the world of agriculture it can be especially difďŹ cult. Margins are thin under the best of circumstances and developing new management practices takes time and money â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and what if the new approach doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work? For these and other reasons, many producers tend to stay with the methods used by their parents or grandparents. But Dusenberryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents, Jim and Marilyn, say their son has always been an innovator. After hearing about the program, he jumped on the internet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew nothing of cover crops and had actually thought of them as a nurse crop,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The phrase â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;soil healthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was for-
eign to me. After researching cover crops I was more excited about them and decided it was would be a good experiment to see if it would work on our operation.â&#x20AC;? DNRC, the Lewis and Clark Conservation District and staff from the USDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Natural Resource Conservation Service sat down with the Dusenberrys to help them develop their grant proposal. The project launched in April of 2013. Three different plots were set up on a total of 64 acres, each with its own soil type and management issues. Through soil sampling and discussion with the Dusenberrys of their management goals, a unique seed mix of cover crops was developed and planted on each plot. At its most basic, a cover crop is a mixture of plants seeded in late summer or fall on a harvested ďŹ eld. The speciďŹ c combination of plants â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from legumes such as peas to oats, grasses, clover, even radishes and turnips â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is tailored to the management goals for the ďŹ eld. Radishes and turnips, for example, are effective in breaking up compacted soil. Legumes enhance nitrogen levels. When grazed by cows, plants with tall stalks such as oats are ďŹ&#x201A;attened and mashed into the soil by the animalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hooves, where they break down to add carbon and organic material. Cover crops can also be effective in mitigating the new yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crop of weeds. Through his research, Dusenberry also learned that a no-till drill was a key component for seeding cover crops. Pulled behind the farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tractor, a no-till drill lays the seeds in the ground with minimal disturSee SOIL HEALTH Page 9
85
Yearling Registered Angus Bulls
Bulls wintered free until May 1st
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Reference Sires Include â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
20
Purebred Yearling Heifers
Connealy Final Product Sitz Thunder Bolt 0189
Curt and Sue Wittkopp
Sitz Upward 307R Connealy Comrade 1385 Connealy Consensus 7229 Hilltop True Grit 9202
Circle, Montana 406-974-3552 (Cell) 406-485-3552 (Home)
66
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www.glasgowcourier.com FARM & RANCH www.glasgowcourier.com FARM & RANCH FPST Auditions Set for Feb. 19 in Glasgow
February 2017 February 2017
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FARM FARM & &RANCH RANCH Helena Family Uncovers Importance of Soil Health
77
February 2017 February 2017
www.glasgowcourier.com www.glasgowcourier.com Mob rules: The Dusenberrys (at left) utilize mob grazing to build organic material in the soil.
OIL FILTERS GREASE
February 1st â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 28th
Truckload Oil Sale
SAVE TIME and MONEY with FARM EQUIPMENT SALES and BOURGAULT TILLAGE TOOLS The principles of farming may not change, but the methods do. At , we carry the full line of Bourgault Tillage Tools that are designed to save you time and money. Our expert Parts Specialists say no time is a good time for down time in your field and, they are always available to ensure you have the right tools when you need them.
Now is the time to stock up on oil and filters for your John Deere equipment. Stop in today.
FILTERS SAVE NOW!
15% OFF Select John Deere Filters
29th Ann u Productio al n Sale
Thursday February 9, 2017
Regardless of which make or model you pull into the field, we manufacture tools to meet your seeding, fertilizer and tillage applications.
COURTESY PHOTO / FOR FARM & RANCH
10% OFF
GREASE
All Purchases of 30 tubes or more
Hannah Bentley stars as Aldonza and James Rio as Don Quixote in FPST's 2016 production of Man of La Mancha. The first round of auditions for the 2017 season is coming up. Mark your calendar for Feb. 19.
Visit
Spring 2017 Bourgault Tillage Tools
SALE
February 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 28 st
In Glasgow see Derrick, Scott, Mike or Fred 54275 HWY 2 East Glasgow, MT. 59230 1-406-228-2496
In Plentywood see Bob, Darvin or Danielle 804 East 1st Ave. Plentywood, MT. 59254 1-406-765-1531
In Culbertson see Todd or Kyle 21 West 2nd St. Culbertson, MT. 59218 1-406-787-6201
In Circle see Justin, Kylie or Craig Hwy 200 East Circle, MT. 59215 1-406-485-2145
In Glasgow see Derrick, Scott, Mike or Fred 54275 HWY 2 East Glasgow, MT. 59230 1-406-228-2496
In Plentywood see Bob, Darvin or Danielle 804 East 1st Ave. Plentywood, MT. 59254 1-406-765-1531
th
In Culbertson see Todd or Kyle 21 West 2nd St. Culbertson, MT. 59218 1-406-787-6201
In Circle see Justin, Kylie or Craig Hwy 200 East Circle, MT. 59215 1-406-485-2145
A.J. ETHERINGTON FOR FARM & RANCH The Fort Peck Summer Theater has set the date for casting calls for their summer lineup. Auditions are set to begin at the Glasgow High School Auditorium on Sunday, Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The theater is seeking adult leads, child leads, teen leads and many more extras to perform on stage in three large productions this summer. Those performances needing cast members include Arsenic and Old Lace beginning on June 2 through June 18. The company needs to ďŹ ll adult and high school
age roles. Auditions will also include Lionel Bartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oliver with the theater stating, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many leading roles available including Oliver, The Artful Dodger and Charlotte Sowerberry.â&#x20AC;? Oliver will be on stage from June 23 through July 9. Last but not least, the theater needs high school age characters to perform in their production of Grease from Aug. 4 through Aug. 20. The theater has asked that all interested in auditioning prepare a one-minute monologue and a one-minute song to highlight their talents. For more information, contact the Fort Peck Fine Arts Council at 406228-9216.
MONA DOEBLER / FOR FARM & RANCH
Hinsdale-based photographer Mona Doebler says she's seeing a lot of pheasants along the roadside lately. This shot, titled Winter Colors, was taken west of Glasgow in 2008.
PHOTOS BY ELIZA WILEY, DNRC / FOR FARM & RANCH
L-R: Marilyn, Jim and Tim Dusenberry on their Helena Valley farm. The no-till drill behind the tractor is a key component of the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soil health initiative. JOHN GRASSY FOR FARM & RANCH It was 2012, and the Dusenberry family was frustrated. Across their 600-acre farm and livestock operation in the Helena Valley, years of sound stewardship and management practices didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be making any real difference.â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were disappointed in the output of our land,â&#x20AC;? says Tim Dusenberry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were using more and more fertilizer, the cost was up to 75 to 80 dollars an acre, and the returns were still low. It was time to look at a new way of doing things.â&#x20AC;? Linda Brander, a resource specialist with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, happened to be at the Dusenberry Farm in 2012 for her annual purchase of hay. As they stood visiting, she told Dusenberry about a DNRC grant program she managed that had provided funding for several soil health projects. In order to be eligible, she told Dusenberry, a producer need only work with the local Lewis and Clark Conservation District. Change isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always easy, and in the world of agriculture it can be especially difďŹ cult. Margins are thin under the best of circumstances and developing new management practices takes time and money â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and what if the new approach doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work? For these and other reasons, many producers tend to stay with the methods used by their parents or grandparents. But Dusenberryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents, Jim and Marilyn, say their son has always been an innovator. After hearing about the program, he jumped on the internet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew nothing of cover crops and had actually thought of them as a nurse crop,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The phrase â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;soil healthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was for-
eign to me. After researching cover crops I was more excited about them and decided it was would be a good experiment to see if it would work on our operation.â&#x20AC;? DNRC, the Lewis and Clark Conservation District and staff from the USDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Natural Resource Conservation Service sat down with the Dusenberrys to help them develop their grant proposal. The project launched in April of 2013. Three different plots were set up on a total of 64 acres, each with its own soil type and management issues. Through soil sampling and discussion with the Dusenberrys of their management goals, a unique seed mix of cover crops was developed and planted on each plot. At its most basic, a cover crop is a mixture of plants seeded in late summer or fall on a harvested ďŹ eld. The speciďŹ c combination of plants â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from legumes such as peas to oats, grasses, clover, even radishes and turnips â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is tailored to the management goals for the ďŹ eld. Radishes and turnips, for example, are effective in breaking up compacted soil. Legumes enhance nitrogen levels. When grazed by cows, plants with tall stalks such as oats are ďŹ&#x201A;attened and mashed into the soil by the animalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hooves, where they break down to add carbon and organic material. Cover crops can also be effective in mitigating the new yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crop of weeds. Through his research, Dusenberry also learned that a no-till drill was a key component for seeding cover crops. Pulled behind the farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tractor, a no-till drill lays the seeds in the ground with minimal disturSee SOIL HEALTH Page 9
85
Yearling Registered Angus Bulls
Bulls wintered free until May 1st
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Reference Sires Include â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
20
Purebred Yearling Heifers
Connealy Final Product Sitz Thunder Bolt 0189
Curt and Sue Wittkopp
Sitz Upward 307R Connealy Comrade 1385 Connealy Consensus 7229 Hilltop True Grit 9202
Circle, Montana 406-974-3552 (Cell) 406-485-3552 (Home)
8 8
February 2017 February 2017
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www.glasgowcourier.com www.glasgowcourier.com
Elk, Deer Special Application Drawing Deadline: March 15, Fishing Expires Feb. 28 MARC KLOKER, FWP FOR FARM & RANCH Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to start thinking about hunting season again, and getting your new ďŹ shing license for the year. As of Jan. 23, hunters and anglers can start purchasing licenses for the 2017 year. Anglers are reminded that their 2016 ďŹ shing licenses will expire on Feb. 28. Hunters are reminded that the deadline for applying for bull and antlerless elk and mule deer buck permits is March 15. The deer and elk permit application packet is available at FWP license providers and online at fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/. The deer and elk permit application packet explains the rules for each hunting district and gives directions for applying. Hunters can apply online, or they may stop in to any FWP ofďŹ ce and apply in person. Prerequisites for applying for these permits include a conservation license,
55
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February 2017 February 2017
REALLY do for you?
base hunting license and the required elk and/or deer license. And starting this year, the purchase of a Montana bow and arrow license will be required prior to applying for any archery-only permit. To purchase a bow and arrow license, an individual must meet one of the following requirements: show completion of a bowhunter education course, show proof of purchase of a previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bow and arrow license from Montana or another state, sign an afďŹ davit that they have previously purchased a bow and arrow license in Montana or another state. First time archers need to plan ahead so they have the prerequisite bowhunter education certiďŹ cate in order to apply for 2017 archery-only drawings. Some archery classes may be available before the March 15 deadline in your area. Please refer to fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/ to ďŹ nd a class offered near you.
When You Buy From Us, We Give You Added Value! Let's Work Together
We Can Only Continue To Provide Service In Our Communities If YOU Support Those Services! After The Initial Saleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; WHAT Is Your 'LVFRXQW 6XSSOLHU 2ÍżHULQJ <RX"
The author's eldest daughter poses with the Shipstead family dog, Callie.
CHELCIE CARGILL, MFBF FOR FARM & RANCH The Montana Farm Bureau Federationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motto is, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Care for the Country.â&#x20AC;?We take that seriously, but we know weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not the only ones who do. The big highlight of mid-Januarary was the Montana Ag Coalition reception in Helena. The Ag Coalition is a collective voice for agriculture, combining the expertise and experiences of seven of our stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading agriculture organizations: Montana Grain Growers, Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Montana Farmers Union, Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana Woolgrowers, Montana Agricultural Business Association, and Montana Water Resources Association. The reception welcomed legislators across party lines and backgrounds to learn more about Montana agriculture, get to know our organizations and hear a little bit about where our membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; priorities fall in matters of policy. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Farm Bureau member, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a part of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest agriculture organization, giving you a collective, powerful voice for policy that is set at the county level. Being a part of the Ag Coalition adds yet another layer of power to your voice.
Between these seven organizations, we may not always agree. When we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ok â&#x20AC;&#x201C; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re free to pursue the interests and directive of our members. But when we do, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to collaborate to come up with thorough, comprehensive policy that serves a united agricultural voice. The pieces of legislation that came before the House Natural Resource Committee served as a good example of how the Ag Coalition works together. We were able to stand together in uniďŹ ed testimony on each of these issues. You can tune in to our Montana Farm Bureau Facebook page for live video updates each Friday morning to stay informed. Chelcie Cargill is Montana Farm Bureau Federationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Director of State Affairs and a ďŹ fth-generation rancher from Sweet Grass County, Montana. In addition to lobbying full-time on behalf of farmers and ranchers, Chelcie and her husband are growing their own herd of commercial cattle and a professional fencing business. Chelcie can be contacted at (406) 587-3153 or chelciec@mfbf. org. The Montana Farm Bureau Federation is a non-partisan, non-proďŹ t, grassroots organization that represents 22,000 member families in Montana.
What do â&#x20AC;&#x153;low costâ&#x20AC;? ag suppliers
Teaching Kids about Life and Death
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United in Agriculture, Focused on Water
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ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD FOR FARM & RANCH Just after the beginning of the year, I lost my long time friend and dog Callie. Callie was a catahoula, Australian Shepherd mix and as you can imagine she was as busy, loving, anxious, focused and crazy as those dog breeds tend to be. When we started farming she had an even more intense desire to be a part of everything. She loved riding in the tractor, semi and the combine. She never knew how to work animals but had respect for them and stayed out of their way. She loved to go along for horseback rides and was always up for an adventure. Towards the end she became deaf and a lot more anxious. She spent the last couple weeks as my shadow. I share this with you because I know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve probably experienced losing a pet too, and it is hard! I also share this because on the farm or ranch, death is something that happens frequently. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difďŹ cult to balance respecting the life of an animal raised for meat and mourning the death of a pet. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to become calloused to it, because to mourn every death on the ranch or farm would be emotionally draining. The other reason I share this is because so many of us have children, grandchildren or at least young extended family. Talking about life and death with kids is fraught with lots of uncomfortable and hard to answer questions. As a mom myself, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want my girls to become calloused towards death and remain â&#x20AC;&#x153;softâ&#x20AC;? in the appreciation of life, no matter how many deaths they experience on the farm. Losing Callie, experiencing death on the
farm, and having young children led to our discussion of the following three things: 1. Death is a part of life. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to teach our kids as much about death as life. My oldest daughter has been interested in hunting deer, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to discourage that, but I knew that she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t truly understand what taking a life meant. After Callie passed away she told me, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mom I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to shoot a deer anymoreâ&#x20AC;?. I think she got a better glimpse of what death meant. 2. Different animals, different roles. The loss of Callie opened up an opportunity to talk about pets, animals raised for meat, wild animals and their roles in our life. God put animals on the earth for our beneďŹ t. Some benefit us as friends, others benefit us as income, and others beneďŹ t us as food. Just because they are living their life as a means to the end of ďŹ lling the freezer, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t respect the life that they have and make sure that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good one. 3. Heaven. Not everyone believes in heaven, but we sure do. The presence of heaven is hard to grasp, but as I discussed with my daughter where Callie is now, heaven came up. Even among those who believe in heaven, there are different beliefs of what happens with pets. In my opinion, I trust that God is preparing a speciďŹ c place for us in heaven and that the living things that we cherish here on earth will be there to greet us as well. So heaven took on new meaning for my daughter with Callieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passing. Death is never easy, but my hope is the more we learn, and teach our children to respect and appreciate life, the easier it will be to strike that balance between mourning a pet/friend, and respecting the life of a market and/or wild animal.
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February2017 2017 February
Glasgow Stockyards, Inc. Linda & Mark Nielsen, Owners Iva Murch, Manager 263-7529 Dean Barnes, Yard Manager 263-1175 Ed Hinton, Auctioneer 783-7285
February, March & April 2017 Schedule
February 2017 Thursday
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March 2017 (cont.) Thursday
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Big Feeder Special & All Class Cattle Auction
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Feeder Special & All Class Cattle Auction
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Wittkopp Angus Auction, Monthly Stock Cow & Bred Heifer Auction & All Class Cattle Auction
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8PPEMBOE 'BSNT .POUBOB "OHVT Sale, Fahlgren Angus Production Auc tion & All Class Cattle Auction
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Feeder Special & All Class Cattle Auction
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April 2017 Thursday
All Class Cattle Auction
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March 2017 Thursday
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*OĂśOJUZ "OHVT #VMM 'FNBMF Production Auction, Stock Cow & Bred Heifer Auction & All Class Cattle Auction
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March Feeder Special & All Class Cattle Auction
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The Month in Weather
GINEVRA KIRKLAND FOR FARM & RANCH January is a month of variable weather. The highest temperature observed by the National Weather Service in Glasgow was 40, on Jan. 18, and the lowest was -29 on Jan. 11. Total snowfall was 12.7 inches for the month, which is equivalent to 0.47 inches in liquid precipitation. The most snow falling in 24 hours totaled 6.4 inches. Overall, the month temperature average was 6.6 degrees, about 6.7 degrees lower than the average for this time of year. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor was released Jan. 19 which reported patchy abnormally dry conditions over parts of eastern Montana as well as western por-
tions of the states. Locally, within these regions some severe drought conditions were reported. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Meteorological Winterâ&#x20AC;? is a term sometimes used by the NWS, and considers the season as one that takes place from December 1-February 28. It has been a cold one so far - the coldest winter since 1979. With spring around the corner, though, ice jams are a concern to consider. Cold winter temperatures lead to thick river ice, and a good snowpack means lots of spring runoff. If ice jams are a concern where you live, please check out www.ďŹ&#x201A;oodsmart.gov/ ďŹ&#x201A;oodsmart/ and remember it takes 30 days for ďŹ&#x201A;ood insurance to go into effect.
The Importance of Montana-Grown Seed Potatoes SHELLEY MILLS FOR FARM & RANCH Montana has a thriving business producing certiďŹ ed seed potatoes for other potato growing regions such as the Columbia Basin and Idaho. The disease late blight (Phytophtora infestans) which caused the 1840s great potato famine of Ireland, has been found in Montana sporadically since 1996, with the most recent outbreak occurring in Gallatin County in August of 2016. The disease is effectively controlled through the planting of diseasefree seed potatoes, timely applied fungicides, reducing duration that leaves are wet, and destruction of all volunteers and culls. If you suspect late blight infected plants, it is best to dispose of them in plastic bags in a landďŹ ll rather than composting. Small infestations of this disease can have broad reaching impacts on commercial seed potato production and home gardeners alike. The disease can infect potatoes and tomatoes, both of which belong to the nightshade family. Late blight can affect all parts of the potato and tomato plant and often appears following periods of wet weather. The ďŹ rst sign of the disease appears as small, irregular, watersoaked lesions on young leaves. If untreated the lesions will enlarge into circular necrotic (dead) spots. Eventually the pathogen will cause the death of the above-ground portion of the plant. Infection of the developing tubers can occur at any time that rain or irrigation washes the spores into the soil and lesions can form on tomato fruit. Tomatoes will rot and infected tubers will spoil in storage. The pathogen Phytopthora infestans has two mating types A1 and A2 which are both needed for sexual reproduction and production of an overwintering structure. The spores can reproduce asexually but remain an obligate parasite (requiring a living host), so survival between seasons is dependent on infected tubers and plant materials. Spores are dispersed via wind from infected materials in storage or cull piles and will germinate within hours when moisture is present. Optimal temperatures for the pathogen are between 60°
and 80° F and it prefers at least ten hours per day of leaf wetness. Secondary sporulation can occur in as few as four days when conditions are favorable for the diseases. No varieties have resistance to all late blight strains, but some may have good resistance to some strains. Avoiding planting potatoes or tomatoes infected with late blight is the key to avoiding introduction and spread of this devastating disease. Additionally, potato and tomato plants should be spaced far enough apart to provide good air movement around the plants. Good drainage and irrigation monitoring is important to ensure that the leaves dry during the day and humidity is lower at night. Proper sanitation is critical for avoiding re-infection, destroy all cull piles, volunteers and any infected materials. Cull piles should be buried at least 2 to 3 feet deep. Excessive use of fertilizers should be avoided to reduce canopy overgrowth. Deep hilling of the potatoes may be used to reduce infection of the tubers from spores washed from the leaves. Contact fungicides may be used to prevent the development of the pathogen, but once the disease becomes established, management of the disease is done through the use of speciďŹ c systemic fungicides applied weekly. Warmer and dryer temperatures help to reduce the spread of the pathogen. Growing only Montana grown certiďŹ ed seed potatoes and tomato transplants is the best way to avoid introducing the disease into your area. Never grow potatoes from tubers intended for consumption because they have likely been grown outside of Montana and may be infected with the pathogen. If you feel you may have late blight in either your potatoes or tomatoes, please contact your local MSU Extension agent or Nina Zidack at the Potato Lab at Montana State University to help in identiďŹ cation and treatment. Shelley Mills is the MSU extension agent in charge of 4-H and AG in Valley County. She can be reached at 406-228-6241.
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SOIL HEALTH FROM PAGE 6
bance, unlike a cultivator, which digs deep and breaks up the soil. The family purchased a used no-till drill at the start of the demonstration project and has been using it ever since. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Healthy soil has voids within it,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you till it, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve crushed the soil and made those air spaces smaller. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less room for microbes and roots and reduced capacity to retain water.â&#x20AC;? The most dramatic illustration of no-till beneďŹ ts came in a 36-acre leased ďŹ eld. Every year Dusenberry would cultivate and plant the ďŹ eld, and then watch as spring rains created a 5-acre â&#x20AC;&#x153;lakeâ&#x20AC;? in a low spot, which would drown out the crop. After the ďŹ rst year of no-till seeding, the lake was a bit smaller. The next year it was smaller yet. Without disturbance the soil was rebuilding those open spaces, increasing its capacity to absorb and hold moisture. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That spot has shrunk to basically nothing,â&#x20AC;? Tim says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Notill really saved us in this particular ďŹ eld.â&#x20AC;? After two years of using cover crops, the results were â&#x20AC;&#x153;astounding,â&#x20AC;? Dusenberry says. As soil health improved, cash crop yields jumped up. Their calves, turned loose each year to graze the cover crops, put on more weight and sported deep glossy coats. Weeds were reduced. In 2014 and 2015, the Dusenberrys added two more components to their soilhealth practices: a CO-2 injector and a new method for livestock grazing. The injector is a custom-built piece of equipment that collects the exhaust of the tractor engine, cools and condenses it, and blows it into the soil at the time of planting. The CO-2, says Dusenberry, beneďŹ ts mycorrhizal fungi, a group of living organisms which coexist with plants and help supply them with nutrients. Mob grazing, a kind of high-intensity, short-duration grazing practice, is the Dusenberryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest soil health innovation, implemented late in 2015. Using portable electric fencing, a group of 30 cows are concentrated in small pasture â&#x20AC;&#x153;cellsâ&#x20AC;? of one to ďŹ ve acres, where they graze and stomp down the grass or cover crops and deposit manure and urine. The animals stay only a short time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; between 24 and 36 hours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; before being moved again. Each cell is then rested for an extended period. Over time, mob grazing builds the amount of organic material in the soil, boosting nutrients and moisture retention. After four years, the gains at the Dusenberry farm are impressive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t used
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FARM & FARM & RANCH RANCH fertilizer at all in three years and our crop yields are bigger and better quality. Weeds are reduced, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hoping to eliminate part of the chemical cost associated with spraying,â&#x20AC;? Tim says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;More and more, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using nature as the driving force instead of chemical inputs.â&#x20AC;? The Dusenberryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new approaches have stirred up a fair bit of interest among Helenaarea producers, says Chris Evans, supervisor of the Lewis and Clark Conservation District. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Especially for the Helena area it was really phenomenal to see the success they had. People are seeing the need to cover the soil for moisture retention and protection from erosion in our arid, windy climate.â&#x20AC;? Ann McCauley develops and promotes the soil health workshops sponsored by the Montana Association of Conservation Districts (MACD). Last year, MACD held ďŹ ve workshops across the state; more than 600 people attended, a mix of traditional producers as well as younger folks just getting started. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting to see people realize, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wow, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a different way of doing this,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We talk about the beneďŹ ts from the soil health level on up to the marketplace. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big part of the sustainability equation, making it pencil out on the bottom line. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the unknown. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of what the workshops address.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;If another producer was to ask me about doing a cover crop on their ground, I would explain that it is not a one-year quick ďŹ x,â&#x20AC;? says Tim. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have to be willing to change the way they view their farming operation. They need to stay with it, commit to the long term and look at the whole system â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cover crops, CO-2, no-till, and getting animals on the ground to do their thing. For us, I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.â&#x20AC;? John Grassy is a Public Information OfďŹ cer for the The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, which works closely with Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 58 conservation districts (CDs), which encompass nearly 94 million acres. CDs are local governmental entities operated by non-paid elected and appointed ofďŹ cials, charged with planning and implementing soil, water, and other natural resource conservation activities. CDs also maintain permitting for activities that alter or modify perennial streams. DNRCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conservation Districts Bureau provides general, technical, legal, ďŹ nancial and administrative support to Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CDs and 27 grazing districts; between 2010 and 2016, DNRC has provided $231,360.00 in grant funding to conservation districts for the Soil Health Initiative.
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Weed Control Strategies for Common Tansy, Dyers Woad
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Pictured: The Common Tansy is a noxious weed with bright yellow flowers. JOHN GRASSY FOR FARM & RANCH Valley County Weed & Mosquito Coordinator Stone Tihista would like to call attention to two problematic plants this month. If you have a suggestion, questions, or comments for Stone as she attmepts to educate the public about weeds and other pests, please write courier@nemont.net. THE ENEMY: Dyers woad (Isatis tinctoria L.) Characteristics: This biennial plant was introduced into the U.S. in colonial times. It was brought here as a blue dye. This mustard plant is one that shows its beautiful bright yellow bloom in mid-May to early June. The plant has thick light-green leaves with a noticeably white mid-vein in its ďŹ rst year of growth, and then sends up 3 to 7 stalks that produce the ďŹ&#x201A;owers at the very top in an umbrella fashion. The seeds can last up to 10 years in the soil. Attack: Dyers woad germinates late in the fall to early spring and gets established before many other plants. Its rosettes can spread out close to 12 inches and the plant will grow to a height of 4 feet. It produces dark purple to black looking seeds that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from the top of the plant which allows the seeds to spread farther as well as keeps the seed viable in the soil for many years. The plant produces a tough taproot. Defense: This plant has not spread out very far across Montana yet, but one must keep a cost eye out for this invader. Several types of herbicides are available. Consult with your local county weed districts, extension ofďŹ ces or ag chemical dealers for the correct product for your needs. The most effective time to apply is during the active growth of the weed. There are currently no biocontrols available for this weed and most animals will not eat it. If you ďŹ nd this canola looking plant please
contact your local weed district or extension ofďŹ ce. THE ENEMY: Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) Charateristics: Common Tansy is a rhizomatous perennial plant in the aster family that we ďŹ nd most common along roadsides, fence rows, pastures, stream banks and waste areas throughout North America. This plant has a fern looking basal leaf and grows 4-6 foot, woody-like stems of which produces clusters of yellow ďŹ&#x201A;owers. This plant has a strong scent and is easily recognizable. Common Tansy is often confused with â&#x20AC;&#x153;tansy ragwort,â&#x20AC;? a poisonous pasture weed and statewide noxious weed. However, both types of plants are toxic. Attack: This plant needs large amounts of water to grow, hence, why we ďŹ nd it along ditch banks and ďŹ&#x201A;ood irrigated ďŹ elds. It consumes massive amounts of water and once established the clumps of weeds grow larger and larger, which allows the plant to choke out desirable species. The seeds are rather large, can ďŹ&#x201A;oat down the ditches and canals and infest neighboring lands very quickly. It is toxic to livestock, even if incidentally ingested. Defense: Mechanical control for this weed is easy if you have a backhoe. Digging the plant up with a shovel is very difďŹ cult due the extent of the hardy root system. Consecutive mowing may work if you can cut the plant very close to the ground. Burning of the plant is difďŹ cult as they do not produce much burnable material. Consult with your local county weed districts, extension ofďŹ ces or ag chemical dealers for the correct product for your needs. Grasshoppers love this plant. This weed is quite invasive so do your part in controlling it by asking for help from your local weed district or extension ofďŹ ce.
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Trump expects 'big results' from his choice to lead USDA By JONATHAN LEMIRE and RUSS BYNUM Associated Press WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said Jan. 19 that he expects that former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, his choice to lead the Agriculture Department, will "deliver big results for all Americans who earn their living off the land." Agriculture secretary was the final Cabinet post to be announced by Trump. Perdue, 70, is a farmer's son who built businesses in grain trading and trucking before becoming the first Republican governor of Georgia since Reconstruction. Perdue, from the small city of Bonaire in rural central Georgia, would be the first Southerner in the post in more than two decades. He is not related to or affiliated with the food company Perdue or the poultry producer Perdue Farms. "From growing up on a farm to being governor of a big agriculture state, he has spent his whole life understanding and solving the challenges our farmers face, and he is going to deliver big results for all Americans who earn their
living off the land," Trump said in a statement. Perdue, in a statement released by Trump's transition team, said he began as "a simple Georgia farm boy," and he pledged to "champion the concerns of American agriculture and work tirelessly to solve the issues facing our farm families." Trump said at a pre-inauguration dinner in Washington that Perdue's farming background had elevated him above more "politically correct" candidates. Trump's Cabinet picks do not include a single Latino — the first time that's happened in nearly 30 years, Trump said he had met with "10 people that everybody liked. Politically correct. And I kept thinking back to Sonny Perdue, a great, great farmer. He loves the farms. Knows everything about farming. Knows everything about agriculture." Agriculture secretaries are often from the Midwest, where corn and soybeans dominate the markets. U.S. farm policy has long
n See USDA Page 11
AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Filet Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue smiles Nov. 30 as he waits for an elevator in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. President Donald Trump nominated Perdue the day before Trump took office to serve as agriculture secretary.
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Swine: Workshop to cover selection, care and feeding of young pigs for 4-H ■ From Page 2 The presenter, Rena Fuller, grew up showing swine, cattle and sheep around the western states, raised show pigs, competed in livestock judging in college, and worked in the feed industry. Fuller said she’ll cover primarily selection of weaner pigs for showing, but will talk about feed and care of the animals as well, such as how to maintain a healthy environment and even body temperature of the young pigs and parasite control. Time will also be set aside to cover the Veterinary Feed Directive, a new FDA regulation governing the use of medicated feed, Fuller said. Because the young pigs are susceptible to illness in general, and this is compounded with stress of travel and introduction of new parasites and microbes in their new environment, pigs are, she said, fed medicated feed. The new regulation, though, requires a veterinary prescription and this will make it harder to access feeds that would normally help prevent illnesses. One illness, pneumonia, is a common threat to young pigs, especially in areas like north-central Montana with its hotcold fluctuations in weather, she said. The project starts with the weaner pig, though. It is possible to look at the structure of the young pigs and determine what that animal will look like as an adult, she said. “We’ll look at structure, muscle, design, composition, how to evaluate these little pigs as weaner pigs and know what they’re going to look like, or a pretty good idea of what
they’re going to look like, at 260 to 280 pounds,” she said. The ideal weaner will have, among other traits, a level top line with its neck and tail set high and will move with a straight stride and its head up, she said. It is a little more difficult to determine while looking at a young pig what the mature muscling will be, she said. However, some characteristics, like bone, foot size, base width — how far apart the pairs of front and hind feet are — and the roundness of the rib cage give some indication of future muscling. The pigs have to weigh at least 210 pounds by weigh-in at fair time, Molitor said — the Hill County 4-H show runs during the Great Northern Fair in mid-July. This year’s dates are July 19-23. The upper weight is 300 pounds, he added, though the pigs can weigh more than that, but the customer buying the animal in the auction sale doesn’t pay for any more than 300 pounds. The ideal weight is about 260 to 300 pounds, Molitor said, because at this weight they have adequate development of muscle and good fat marbling. Too much weight makes the meat excessively fatty.
Havre Daily News/Floyd Brandt Piglets bred from show stock feed Jan. 14. They were produced in Hingham for sale at the Hi-Line Show Pig Sale March 18 in the Bigger Better Barn as 4-H market swine show pigs.
Show pigs vs. commercially produced pigs
Show-bred pigs are genetically predis-
n See Swine Page 12
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Swine Savvy Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com Youth interested in the 4-H Market Swine program have opportunities in the next few weeks not only to learn about how to chose a weaner pig, but also to buy showbred weaners in Havre. Hill County 4-H is hosting a workshop Feb. 8 on what to look for when choosing a weaner for showing and market sale, and a local breeder of show-bred pigs will be holding an auction March 18 with 50-90 weaners entered in the sale. Swine projects are open to 4-H members at least 9 years old. This workshop will be geared toward younger members and those starting out with a swine project, said Jon Molitor, swine superintendent for Hill County 4-H, but would help members looking to improve their knowledge about hogs. Kids interested in 4-H, but who are not signed up, are welcome to attend, too, he added.
Swine workshop The workshop, which will start at 6 p.m. at the Hill County Electric Hospitality Room, will cover what to look for when buying a weaner pig to help select the best show animal for the market hog project, feeding and best care practices, as well as how to finish the animals to their best condition by fair time when the pigs are shown and sold at auction, Molitor said. The workshop is intended to give the kids a base of understanding before they start looking for their fair pig.
n See Swine Page 3 Havre Daily News/Floyd Brandt A piglet bred from show stock looks into the camera Jan. 14. It and its littermates were produced by Jalissa and Makaila Horinek in Hingham for sale at the Hi-Line Show Pig Sale March 18 in the Bigger Better Barn as 4-H market swine show pigs.
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USDA: Perdue started politics as a Democrat, but was elected Georgia governor as a Republican â&#x2013; From Page 10 been favorable to those crops, and congressional battles over massive farm bills every five years often divide along regional lines. Southerners have pushed for subsidy programs that are more favorable to rice and cotton, which can be more expensive to grow. The last three agriculture secretaries we re f ro m I owa , N o r t h D a ko ta a n d Nebraska. Many farm-state lawmakers and agriculture groups grew concerned as Trump approached his inauguration without having named an agriculture secretary candidate. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley tweeted that he was frustrated with the process. "NEED Ag leader w dirt under finger nails 4farmers," he wrote. Perdue began his political career as a Democrat in the Georgia Legislature in the 1990s. After switching his allegiance to the Republican Party, he was elected governor in 2002. The victory over an incumbent Democrat completed Georgia's shift to a solidly Republican state, ending generations of Democratic control of state government. Despite that political change, Perdue showed little interest in pushing big pro-
grams or signature legislation during his two terms. Instead he focused on finding ways to save money while improving customer service by state agencies. He often referred to himself as Georgia's CEO. Critics accused Perdue of failing to tackle some of Georgia's biggest problems, such as struggling public schools. Perdue, who was re-elected in 2006, didn't rely only on his business acumen as governor. A devout Southern Baptist, he also found a place for faith in his administration. In 2007, when a withering drought gripped Georgia and neighboring states, he held a prayer rally in front of the Capitol in Atlanta to pray for rain. Perdue brought an end to Georgia's conflicts over a state flag that featured the Confederate battle emblem. The flag was replaced by lawmakers under Perdue's Democratic predecessor, but the new design proved unpopular. Perdue insisted Georgia voters should pick the flag. A referendum was held in 2004, though Southern heritage groups were outraged that the options did not include the old flag with the Confederate symbol. Under Perdue's watch, Georgia adopted
tough food-safety regulations after a deadly U.S. salmonella outbreak was traced to Georgia-made peanut butter. He moved the state office that issues water permits for irrigation and other agricultural uses from Atlanta to rural south Georgia, where it would be closer to farmers. Perdue poured millions of state dollars into Go Fish, a program that aimed to lure bass fishing tournaments to the state. The ex-governor, whose full name is George Ervin Perdue III, was born in rural Perry, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia, where he played football as a
walk-on and earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine. Following a stint in the Air Force, he returned to Georgia and settled in Bonaire, a city of about 14,000 people. Perdue already has family serving in Washington. A cousin, former Dollar General CEO David Perdue of Sea Island, Georgia, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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Swine: Fuller: Pigs bred for showing, pigs bred by commercial producers closer in look ■ From Page 3 posed to reaching that ideal weight in six to seven months, Fuller said. Some breeds like Durocs and Berkshires grow a little faster, so one a few weeks younger but of good build can be ready by fair time. Other breeds and some bloodlines grow slower, too, so it helps to know the breed and to talk with the breeder about their bloodlines. If she has enough time, Fuller said, she will cover trends in the industry, adding that in recent years the commercial market pigs and the show-bred pigs are starting to look more alike. Traditionally, she said, commercial producers were looking at light-muscled hogs because the babies farrow easier and mature quicker, but after porcine epidemic diarrhea virus hit the industry in 2014, producers looked to show-bred animals to improve their stock, with size, soundness and adaptability to stress. The show industry, she added, also has recognized the need to breed functionality back into their pigs because the show ribbons were pointless if their littermates weren’t being used by producers.
conducted by Shane Ophus, will start at 1 p.m. All 4-H’ers attending will be entered into a drawing for one of three prizes that will be usable with the swine project, Horinek said. Show-bred pigs are expensive to buy and have to be shipped in from a great distance, Horinek said. The show-bred pigs her daughters first bought were several hundred dollars and with shipping they had as much as $700 into each of them before the sale. After they lost their sow in a barn fire, she said, they decided not just to get another show-bred sow for their own use, but to build a farrowing barn and purchase a handful of purebred sows and a bore, she said. The plan is to sell weaners and butcher hogs most of the year, but to breed for sale in the spring pigs that are specifically for showing in 4-H.
The point of sales
Weaner pig sales Molitor said that 4-H pigs are for sale in Montana, and many of the 4-H members have been traveling to Fairfield and Lewistown to purchase their animals. Some sellers, he added, sell through auctions and others through private treaty with individuals. Jalissa and Makaila Horinek started Hi-Line Show Pigs in Hinham, breeding show-bred pigs for sale as 4-H pigs. Jalissa is a former 4-H member and Makaila is still a member. Their mother, Teri Horinek is helping them with their Hi-Line Show Pig Sale 4-H weaner pig sale in Havre this year. Teri Horinek said they had been breeding and raising 4-H show pigs from a single sow for five years. Makaila won grand champion market swine in 2016 with one of their homebred pigs. The girls have expanded their production to seven sows of show bloodlines to start selling to a broader customer base. Horinek said their sows, all purebreds of Duroc, Berkshire, Hampshire or Yorkshire breeding imported from show stock in Iowa and Ohio, started farrowing crossbred litters in December and will continue into February.
Havre Daily News/File photo Makaila Horinek poses for a photograph with her home-bred Grand Champion Market Swine and ribbon during the 2016 Great Northern Fair. “We have all different (age) ranges because I’m trying to provide pigs for all different fairs because there’s fairs beginning at the very beginning of July and there’s fairs at the very end of August,” she said. “So I’ve got some early litters and I’ve got some late litters and hoping ... that we have pigs for hopefully most fairs if people want to come and look.” 4-H members need to have their market hogs purchased in time for their county’s 4-H April weigh-in, Amanda Powell with the Hill County Extension office said. The pigs will also be tagged and tattooed at that time. If the pigs are cared for correctly, they will gain about a half-pound of weight each day when they are little, Horinek said, but by the age they are finishing out for the fair, they will be gaining about 2 pounds per day.
The pigs farrowed in January should be about 35 to 40 pounds at auction time, she added. The Hi-Line Show Pig Sale will be the Horinek’s first auction, she said, and with two sows left to farrow, they are expecting at least 70 weaners at the sale. The plan is to have each litter penned separately. The litter’s ear tags and the pens will be color matched and each pig numbered, she said. Buyers will be able to match the color of the pen and ear tag with the date the litter was born and its breeding, and the number on the pig with the gender and weight of that pig. The auction will be March 18 at the Bigger Better Barn at the Great Northern Fairgrounds in Havre. Preview is set for 11 a.m. and free lunch at noon. The auction,
“Our goal is to try to offer the kids a fair chance at getting a good quality show animal and not just because mom and dad have more money and they can travel to wherever to get the better pigs,” Horinek said. While they do want their pigs to show well in front of the judge, she added, “even better would be how they process. They have a swine of excellence — that’s a whole different judging.” The swine of excellence placings are awarded on the quality of the carcass because, ultimately, the project is to produce a quality market animal and learn how to be good business people, Horinek said. Part of the market hog project is for the 4-H’ers to track their animal’s growth, medical care and expenses to figure how much they actually profit at the end of the sale. “This is how my kids (Jalissa and Makaila) are raising money for college,” she said. “This is really their business. I’m just kind of ramrodding it for them and getting it established. They do all the chores, my oldest daughter she neuters them all, we give them all their shots and we dock their tails and clip their teeth. “I think it’s a good way to teach them responsibility and character and give them a good solid foundation for when they do get out on their own and not be the typical millennial kid,” she added, “… helps them get a little more business savvy.”
4-H Market Swine Workshop
Hi-Line Show Pig Sale
How to select and raise a young project pig
Show-bred weaner pigs for 4-H projects
February 8th ~ 6:00 p.m. Hill County Electric Hospitality Room
March 18th ~ Bigger Better Barn Preview: 11:00 a.m. Free Lunch: Noon Auction: 1:00 p.m.
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