Hi-Line Farm & Ranch March 2017

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State from Around Around the the State State State FFA FFA Conventions Conventions Draws Draws Students Students from

Aerial Drones in Ag - Page 10 Photos by Sean R. Heavey FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH

kas Johnson, ukas Johnson,Brett BrettJohnson, Johnson,Dallas DallasCapdeville, Capdeville,Kyle KyleAlbus, Albus,Wyatt WyattPattison Pattisonand andAdvisor Advisor Patti Patti Armbrister Armbrister at at state convenstion in Billings. e state convenstion in Billings. WYATT WYATTPATTISON PATTISON HINSDALE HINSDALECHAPTER CHAPTERREPORTER REPORTER

The TheState State(Future (FutureFarmers FarmersofofAmerican) American)FFA FFAConvention Conventionwas washeld held in in Billings Billings on on March March 25 25 -- 28. 28. ver 1,500 Over 1,500FFA FFAmembers membersfrom fromaround aroundthe thestate stategathered gathered to to compete compete in in State State CDEs, CDEs, ranging ranging from from echanics totopublic mechanics publicspeaking. speaking. Ten members Ten membersofofthe theHinsdale Hinsdalechapter, chapter,including includingSophomore SophomoreCache CacheYounkin, Younkin,competed competed in in mechanmechan,s,agronomy, farm business management, star greenhand and state creed speaking. When they agronomy, farm business management, star greenhand and state creed speaking. When they weren’t weren’t

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Creed third place place winner winner and and greenhand greenhandsecond secondplace placewinner winnerMickayla MickaylaJohnson Johnsonaccepting acceptingan anaward awardatatthe the Creed third state convention in Billings. state convention in Billings. competing they went went to to various various workshops workshopspresented presentedby bypast paststate stateofďŹ cers ofďŹ cersand andeven evennational nationalofďŹ cers. ofďŹ cers. competing they Three of our younger members, Elise Strommen, Chaykota Christensen and Halle Beil Three of our younger members, Elise Strommen, Chaykota Christensen and Halle Beil served on the courtesy corp and helped out with contests whenever needed. Our five seserved on the courtesy corp and helped out with contests whenever needed. Our five seniors, Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus and Wyatt Pattiniors, Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus and Wyatt Pattison were awarded awarded their their State State Farmer Farmer Degrees Degrees at at the the State State Degree Degree dinner dinner on on Friday Fridaynight. night. son were There were over 500 members, advisors and their families attending that dinner. Mickayla Johnson There were over 500 members, advisors and their families attending that dinner. Mickayla Johnson competed for star star greenhand greenhand and and received receivedsecond secondplace. place.She Shealso alsocompeted competedwith withother othercreed creedspeakers speakers competed for from around the state and received third. from around the state and received third.

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The Month in Weather

BRANDON BIGELBACH FOR FARM & RANCH February continues the trend from January of having a wide variety of weather. Per the National Weather Service in Glasgow, the highest observed temperature for February was 56 degrees on Feb. 11 and the lowest was -16 degrees on Feb. 8. The total snowfall for the month was 7.6 inches, which is equivalent to 0.49 inches of liquid precipitation. The most snow to fall in Glasgow in a 24-hour-period was 3.3 inches, which occurred on Feb. 6. Overall, the average temperature for the month was 23.1 degrees, which was about 5 degrees above normal. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor was

released Feb. 16 and reported patchy abnormally dry conditions over parts of eastern Montana, as well as in central and western portions of the state. Locally, a couple of areas of moderate drought were reported within these abnormally dry areas. With the warm spell across eastern Montana this month, many of the rivers and streams experienced ice breakup and the waterways started owing again. A couple of ice jams were reported during the month, one along the Milk River in Glasgow, and one along the Yellowstone River between Miles City and Glendive. For the latest on ooding conditions, please check the NWS website www.wrh.noaa.gov/ggw/ or call the ofďŹ ce 24/7 at 228-2850.

MSU Extension Workshops in Valley County

SHELLEY MILLS FOR FARM & RANCH MSU Extension in Valley County is offering a number of workshops in the month of March. A three-part winter series for livestock production begins on March 1 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. with Dr. Emily Glunk, MSU Extension forage specialist, presenting information regarding forage quality - dealing with molds and toxins. The importance of forage testing and how to interpret the results will also be discussed. The winter series continues with a workshop on March 17 from 10 a.m. to noon. Dr. George Haynes and Dr. Kate Fuller will be presenting information on Farm and Ranch Financial Management and Cash Leases or Shares. Finally, on March 27, from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Dr. Jane Mangold will be presenting information about rangeland weed management. All of these workshops will be at the Cottonwood Inn and are free of charge. Please call the Valley County MSU Extension ofďŹ ce for more information: 406-

228-6241, or smills@montana.edu. MSU Extension is also offering an Introduction to Beekeeping workshop on March 11 from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Fort Peck Interpretive Center. The biology of bees, beekeeping equipment, an event calendar, as well as the apiary program, honey bee health, and plants and planting for foraging bees are the topics of the program. Registration for the class is requested, please contact the MSU Extension ofďŹ ce in Valley County for more information: 406-228-6241, or smills@montana.edu. Master Gardener level one classes are being offered in Valley County beginning on April 3 at the Fort Peck Interpretive Center. The program is a series of 8, two-hour classes every Monday night through May 22. The classes are designed to offer tips and guidance for successful gardening in Valley County’s climate and soils. Please call the Valley County MSU Extension ofďŹ ce for further information and to pre-register: 406228-6241, or smills@montana.edu.

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A New Holland combine harvests wheat in Sept. of 2016 on Grant and Clayton Zerbe's Farm north of Frazer, Mont.

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of detail you need, and allow you to track a host of pertinent crop data. They provide an opportunity to make management decisions immediately and with precision that is well below the width of a seeder or sprayer. This approach, often called precision agriculture or “data-drivenâ€? agriculture, offers signiďŹ cant cost-saving beneďŹ ts. However, many questions must be answered as you determine whether a UAV system is right for you. How many acres do you need to photograph in a day? How often? What types of imagery would be best for your operation? What kind of resolution will your management decisions require? Your answers will determine what type of equipment will be needed and whether purchasing or outsourcing is more costeffective. Producers often have enough going on that many might want to outsource this task. There are commercial options for UAV services. However, when considering outsourcing, keep in mind that some amount of

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agronomic expertise is still likely needed for interpreting the information collected. For Markus Braaten, Certified Crop Adviser based in Kalispell, the crux of the matter is this: What questions do you want to answer with aerial imagery, and is UAV technology the best way to answer those questions? Consider how you would expect to use this technology, what value it would bring to you as a producer. You will need to determine whether its beneďŹ ts would justify the cost. UAVs are an emerging technology in the agricultural industry. Their use is not yet commonplace, and issues of privacy have been raised regarding detailed aerial imagery. Discussion continues on what is acceptable use and how UAVs ďŹ t into a producer’s toolbox. Like any new technology, UAVs will continue to get easier and cheaper to use and more prevalent in the industry. Their impact in the agricultural sector will very likely grow.

Weed Control Strategies for Burdock SEAN R. HEAVEY / FOR FARM & RANCH

A Case combine driven by Tom Volk harvests wheat on Don Fast Farmland in front of E.G.T.'s grain elevator complex near Frazer, Mont.

Pictured: Burdock (Arctium minus). STONE TIHISTA FOR FARM & RANCH As your Valley County Weed & Mosquito Coordinator, I would like to call your attention to one problematic plant in particular this month, Burdock. If you have a suggestion, questions, or comments as we attmept to educate the public about weeds and other pests, please write stihista@valleycountymt.gov. The Enemy: Burdock (Arctium minus) Characteristics: This biannual weed is starting to show up in many of our riparian areas such as the river bottoms, ditch banks, and ďŹ elds. In its ďŹ rst year of growth it has large leaves similar to rhubarb. It produces a purple ower but is best known for its hooked spines on the oval shaped seed head (size of a large marble) that ‘hook’ onto everything. The plant can grow as high as 6 feet and the leaves early in the spring can be spread out as far as 4 feet

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in diameter. Many people falsely call this plant Cocklebur. Attack: This plant hooks onto the hide of any furry animal. Once attached the seed-head can travel numerous miles until it is plucked out by the animal or rubbed off on trees, which is why it is found in many of our riparian areas. The plant does a great job of competing with the native species, but causes most damage by shading out other species, and usually found in riparian areas. Defense: Since this is a biannual plant, digging the plant up is very effective. Make sure that you get at least two inches below the soil surface to ensure that the plant does not regrow. 2,4-D is effective when the plant is young. If you have any questions about species or chemical recommendations contact your local county extension, chemical dealer or weed district ofďŹ ces. Next time you use your Velcro fasteners, remember this terrible weed started it all.

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Drone shot of New Holland combines harvesting wheat at Chicwheat Farms, owned by Grant and Clayton Zerbe, north of Frazer in September 2016.

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Sustainablility Starts with You

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A John Deere combine takes down wheat at the Pattison's Farm near Jensen Trail in August of 2016.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: The Sky is the Limit MERYL RYGG MCKENNA FOR FARM & RANCH Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: The Sky is the Limit! Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often called drones, are a hot topic in the agricultural industry. Drones, ďŹ tted with a wide range of camera and lens types, have the potential to revolutionize business as usual by bringing detailed, timely, and unique crop data to the producer. Some producers already use UAVs ďŹ tted with cameras to check distant watering sites, track their livestock, and check for pests, crop deďŹ ciencies, ďŹ eld moisture levels or

document crop failures. The sky is truly the limit for aerial technology! What is a drone? In Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) terminology, an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) – generally equivalent to a drone or UAV – is an aircraft without a human pilot onboard; either an operator on the ground controls it, or it is auto-piloted by an onboard computer system. The FAA sets speciďŹ c regulations regarding the weight of aircraft and camera, plus rules governing the on-ground pilot’s maneuvers and locations. Note that the FAA requires operators ying for workrelated purposes to obtain a certiďŹ cate to

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The photographer takes a selfie with his DJI Inspire drone near a homestead along the Milk River in April, 2015. y a UAV. Two basic types of UAVs are commercially available to the producer, either ďŹ xedwing (e.g. small airplane) or multi-rotor (e.g. quadcopter). Fixed-wing UAVs have longer ight times and bigger payload capacities but are usually more expensive. Multi-rotor types generally have shorter ight times, lighter payloads, are more maneuverable and are generally less expensive. Aerial imagery: For many agricultural uses, the utility is not the drone itself but the aerial photographs it can provide. Aerial imagery is a powerful tool allowing producers to see patterns that aren’t visible from the ground, at the time and place of their choosing. Cameras mounted on a drone can be ďŹ tted with special lenses that see things the human eye can’t. Using multispectral and hyper-spectral lenses, cameras can capture data in infrared, ultraviolet, and very narrow visible light bands. Videos, single photos, multi-spectral images such as near-infrared or thermal, or combinations of these, are all possible. Many plants show signs of stress and growth in bands that are invisible to the naked eye, while others show signs of growth in very narrow visible light bands, so the special lenses provide information that is otherwise difďŹ cult to get. A producer can obtain evidence of water stress, chlorophyll production (photosynthesis), weed distribution, nutrient deďŹ ciencies and disease hot spots.

A camera connected to a GPS system can take “geo-taggedâ€? images referenced to speciďŹ c ďŹ eld locations. This allows for comparing images taken at different times as the growing season progresses. As with any technology, cost and complexity vary greatly. Special lenses that capture non-visible light add to the price. And because of the large amounts of data collected, the more complex systems require special software designed to analyze and process the raw data before they can provide usable images. Most set-ups will come with the necessary software, for additional cost. Some might ask, “Why not just use satellite imagery?â€? UAVs have several clear advantages over satellites. First, a typical satellite image resolution of 50 feet is quite coarse compared to UAV images. That means everything within a 50-foot by 50-foot area is represented by one pixel (one color). Conversely, the area represented by one pixel in a UAV image can be on the order of a few inches. UAV images can monitor individual plants if needed. Additional advantages of UAVs include being able to y them according to the producer’s timetable, not the satellite’s passing, and avoiding atmospheric interference such as cloud cover, which often affects satellite imagery. Will one work for you? To summarize, the advantages of UAVs are clear – they can y according to your own timing and weather, record the precise level

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It’s the same with caring for ourselves. If we don’t grow our own faith, ďŹ nd ways to ďŹ nd reprieve or a mental break...sustainability for ourselves, for families and for agriculture will not occur. Taking care of oneself is going to look different for each person, but here are three things to consider...Let’s get back to the basics of... Considering God- I know that not everyone believes in God. But it’s hard to deny His hand when you work in agriculture. Considering God gives us an opportunity to consider Someone greater than ourselves. So at least consider God. Search Him out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Face to face - Social Media is great especially for those times of the year that it’s your best option to connect with friends outside the tractor or combine. Ranching still has something that farming doesn’t. “Brandingsâ€? still take a few hands, especially if your branding with a ďŹ re and horses and it is usually a family affair! I don’t hear of any “seedings.â€? Some may have a harvest crew, but they don’t usually bring their families, even for the evening meal. Unfortunately this may be a downside to farming: being able to do so much farming with fewer hands. But, let’s consider the “in betweenâ€? moments and the seasons of less work. Connect with your neighbors face to face. Be mindful of the spur of the moment opportunities to celebrate birthdays or catch a meal together. Generations before us did this well. We need to get back to this. Family and community is a priority! Speaking of past generations...if you talk to your parents or grandparents, many of them were very involved in community and church organizations. Their family was a priority. Church and fellowship was a priority. The way they did this was by getting involved and putting as much emphasis on family and community organizations as they did their ag operations. Our family has the best of intentions, but consistency is our struggle. Its hard to be involved in a community project or a church organization, when you “drop off the face of the earthâ€? from seeding to harvest. But we are working and will continue to work on those “in between moments.â€? How can you work to make personal sustainability a priority?

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ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD FOR FARM & RANCH Sustainability starts with you! Sustainability is such a buzz word right now, but what does it really mean and how does it affect us? I heard Rick Haines from the Independent Ag Network deďŹ ne it as the continuing on of an ag operation from generation to generation of the ag family. He said, if you don’t have that, you don’t have sustainability. That is my favorite deďŹ nition, but I’d take it a step further. Sustainability to me, is the ability to continue farming or ranching to your fullest potential while taking care of yourself and your family. We are a resource just like our livestock, our farm/ranch entity, our land, our equipment, etc. If we aren’t personally “sustainableâ€? in the ag lifestyle, then we won’t be able to pass the Farm or Ranch on, and sustainability (as the non-rural and non-farming/ranching community deďŹ nes it) will not be achieved either. There are 2% of us who call agriculture our profession. But it goes beyond a career. We know that agriculture is a lifestyle and a lifelong, heartfelt mission. Due to the overwhelming nature of ag, we have seen our communities rocked by suicide. We see farm/ranch kids choose not to come back to the farm because they have seen the amount of stress and strain their parents go through and don’t want that for themselves. We can’t control the weather. We can’t control the markets. There is struggle even with the most forward thinking, innovative plans. We can thank Adam and Eve for that struggle. But in the midst of our ag lifestyle, we can control how we care for ourselves, our spouses, and our children. We need to see ourselves as an important commodity that must be sustainable. You’ll notice that I listed “ourselvesâ€? ďŹ rst. Remember the safety spiel when you get on an airplane? They always say to put your own oxygen mask on ďŹ rst before helping someone else. If you are passed out from lack of oxygen, how helpful are you going to be? Not much! In fact you could be more of a liability to those around you.

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The Shipstead family takes in the view from Lookout Hill near the Fort Peck Dam.

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Havre cowboy posthumously inducted in the Cowboy Hall of Fame

Legacy: Roberts: 'I told the kids, don’t ever be without the beef'

Paul Dragu pdragu@havredailynews.com

n Continued from page 8

A one-time Havre cowboy, Gordon “Buck” Boyce, who had rodeod all over the country and won the 1950 World Series Rodeo in Madison Square Garden, has been posthumously inducted in the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. Boyce was inducted in 2016 after being nominated by younger brother Robert “Bud” Boyce. “I’m really happy to see him get it,” Bud Boyce said. The nominating process is open to and depends on the public. “In order to identify those in Montana’s communities who are most deserving of inclusion in the Hall of Fame, we need people across the state to get involved in o u r n o m i n a t i o n p ro c e s s, ” E xe c u t i ve Director of the MCHF Christy Stensland said. “We encourage all to reflect on those that have made notable contributions to our western heritage here in the great state of Montana.” Buck Boyce, born in 1925, lived 89 years before dying July 20, 2014. Bud Boyce remembers helping his big brother out as they were growing up. “Oh yeah, when I was just a kid, I helped him build a bucking chute,” he said. Riding, Bud Boyce said, is inherited when it comes to his brother. It was just in his blood, Bud Boyce said. The Boyces, he added — “My dad and cousins, they’ve always been good cowboys.” Buck Boyce was born in Glasgow in 1925 to Stephen Charles and Sadie Boyce. He was the fourth of nine children. The Boyces moved to a ranch south of Havre in the Bear Paw Mountains in 1936. “At the young age of 11, you could always find Buck out riding the range and even breaking horses for his father,” Buck Boyce’s biography says. Boyce is said to have had an “unwavering” passion for the rodeo life. “His determination to succeed in the sport led him to build an arena and bucking chutes on the family ranch for him to practice his events,” his bio says.

It’s his passion and determination that led Boyce to become “incredibly successful” at rodeo. Boyce left home in 1947 for the rodeo circuit, where he worked the saddle bronc, bull riding, bareback and bull dogging events, competing in major events in Houston, Forth Worth, Cheyenne and Pendleton. Boyce’s career highlight was in 1950, when he won the World Series Rodeo in Madison Square Garden in New York and ranked in the top 10 all-around cowboy standings. He also won at the Calgary Stampede in 1955, and he was named Outstanding Cowboy at Range Rider Rodeo in Miles City in 1956. For more than 10 years, Boyce placed in the top 15 in the world standings. Boyce married and had two sons, Ben and Jim, during his rodeo career. By 1956, he had divorced and remarried Valerie Webb at a Camdenton, Missouri, rodeo, “in the presence of fellow performers.” The couple established the Spanish Seven Ranch in Arkansas, where they raised Brahmas and a commercial herd, in addition to operating a veterinary and chemical supply company. Buck Boyce served as the bull riding director in 1952 in what later became the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, a time during which he initiated an accident insurance program for members of the association. The program was initiated after one of Boyce’s friends died in a hospital after being refused treatment because there was no proof the bill could be paid. Boyce also advocated for having the horns o f ro d e o b u l l s “ t i p p e d ” o r t h e b u l l s dehorned, to avoid injury. “Each generation owes a debt to the earlier one, one when the World War II troops struggled home to a better rodeo e n v i ro n m e n t . T h a n k s to t h e Tu r t l e s (Cowboy Turtle Association) who risked all to improve rodeo. I hope that our generation has helped the working cowboy of today,” Boyce wrote. After retiring, Buck and Valerie Boyce moved to Sumner, Texas. After his death, Boyce’s ashes were brought back to Havre, “the place his story began.”

years before he retired in 2014. He presided over the arraignments of most any crime, large and small, ranging from bad checks to murder. His day didn’t end if he had to preside over a late night arraignment. “Oh yes! I was still running the farm that next morning,” he said. Roberts was a longtime member of the Tyler County Fair Association, Farm Bureau officer for several decades, Farmer of the Year for the Sistersville Jaycees and he was active in many other organizations. “I tried to dabble in everything,” he said. “A lot of people called and kept him on the phone all evening,” his wife added. The family’s warm, white, wooden old farmhouse stands firm, tried and true against a sloping hillside overlooking a valley where cattle graze. “I was born in this house,” said Roberts, 80, the family’s patriarch. “I’ve never lived

anywhere else.” Photos are posted on the walls and above the mantel in the family’s century-old home. Roberts’ grandmother, Susan Haught, designed the house more than 103 years ago. Roberts and his wife, JoEllen, have six children, five grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. “It was built to her specifications,” Roberts said as he picked up a framed, black and white photo of his grandmother. “These other photos — this is Jenna when she was little and had blonde hair. This photo here is a great-grandson and this one is a grandson; this one a granddaughter; my son Bill and his wife. Family is important to us. Always has been.” As Roberts’ daughter, Julia, was about to go home to make dinner, she spoke to her dad about her plans for the next day on the farm. She still does a lot of work on that farm. And that led John Roberts to talk

ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) — Agriculture in rural Indiana has been negatively impacted by residential and commercial sprawl. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that between 1982 and 2012, residential and commercial developments claimed more than 740,000 acres of land that had previously been cropland, forest land and prairie. Development can destroy wildlife habitat, increase environmental contamination and decrease the capacity to grow food. The farmland decrease can also lead to non-environmental problems, such as food prices increasing. The rate of rural land conversion slowed after the housing market crash of 2008, but data from the department show the pace is picking back up as the economy recovers. “You can see in Indiana, when things (economically) were starting to recover, it still shows pretty steady growth in acreage of developed land and more farmland and forest being lost,” said Tim Maloney, senior policy director for the Hoosier Environmental Council. “Conversion has slowed down, but it certainly still is a problem.” Craig Dobbins, professor of agricultural

economics at Purdue University, said the answer isn’t to stop building homes and businesses outside of large cities, but to better plan development to avoid uneven and unnecessary sprawl. “Certainly, this is a trend that has been going on probably since the country was founded,” he said. “So what we can do to prevent excess comes in the form of planning on the boundaries of how a city or town grows.” He said many Indiana counties and communities have set zoning ordinances that encourage development near the community’s center while discouraging development on the rural outskirts. Maloney said the most recent development trends include younger home buyers who wish to live in small communities instead of purchasing large plots of former farmland to build homes. “We had policy that encouraged sprawl, and now it seems that trend is reversing and you see a lot of new urban development and redevelopment focused on bringing people back to the cities,” he said. “From our standpoint, and the environment’s standpoint, those are all positive things.”

Sprawl threatens farmland in Indiana

Courtesy photo Gordon “Buck” Boyce, a champion rodeo cowboyl, poses for a photograph. Boyce was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. Nominees, the MCHF websites says, can be men, women, ranches, stage coach lines, animals, hotels — anyone or anything that has made a notable contribution to Montana western heritage. Anyone who

would like to make a nomination can contact the MCHF at Christy@montanacowboyfame.org or call 406-932-5444. All nomination documents must be in electronic format.

about when a farmer’s day begins. Farm work is not an eight-hour shift. “Back then, I usually got up around 4:30 in the morning and finish the day around 9 or 10 at night,” he said. “When we were able, we would usually milk around 4 that evening, then eat supper, then work in the hay or work in the garden until dark. Then the next day, we’d get up and do the same thing all over again.” Roberts talked about family dinners. They didn’t have taco Tuesday, but the real deal with beef and vegetables grown on the farm. “We ha d ou r own b eef,” he sa id. “Whenever we need beef, we’ve got it ready to butcher. That’s one thing I told the kids, ‘don’t ever be without the beef.’” Before Julia Archer left that evening, she said to her mother, “See you in the morning, Mom. I love you.” JoEllen Roberts smiled warmly before she said, “I love you too.”

Speaking of love, particularly around Valentine’s Day, John and JoEllen Roberts got hitched in 1965 and have been married 51 years. “It just seems like we always knew each other,” JoEllen Roberst said. “We met in front of Tyler County High School,” John Roberts added. “She was with her aunt and I was delivering milk. I fell in love with her.” The old married couple laughed when Roberts said, “She says I just married her for the kids, the labor (for the farm).” “I’ve enjoyed being a farmer all these years. Oh my yes!” JoEllen Roberts added. “I loved all of it. Whatever he was doing, we were —” “Doing it together,” John Roberts said as he finished his wife’s sentence.

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Roberts family’s legacy casts long shadow on Tyler County Planning, planting begin months By MILES LAYTON The Parkersburg News and Sentinel ELK FORK, W.Va. (AP) — A chicken was walking around taking advantage of the warm weather recently at Sarah Midcap’s farm along W.Va. 18. At a knock, the longtime Tyler County woman opened her front door to give solid directions for the short drive to the Roberts family farm located in a valley in the shadow of a ridge that overlooks both farms. “I know who they are. They’re good people,” Midcap said. Country roads led to a white, three-story, wooden-framed farmhouse that has been in Tyler County since the early 1900s. A large dog greeted visitors as they approached the home’s side door. John Roberts opens the door. He knows Sarah Midcap. “We were all raised together. She was a Fletcher and married a Midcap. He passed away a few years ago,” he said. “She kept her cows until a couple of years ago. She still has chickens.” Roberts’ granddaughter, Jenna Archer, added, “She has all kinds of chickens. She tried to give them up once, but she got more.” “Oh yeah. People like to farm in this area,” Roberts said. An antique clock on the mantel tells pretty good time. As to time, not many farms, particularly ones that have been in the same family, have been in continuous operation for

a century or longer. The West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts began the Century Farm Program to recognize farms in the Mountain State that have been maintained by the same family for at least 100 years. “The best part about being a farmer? You’ve got to love it. I loved working with the cows. But I have to say, the best part about farming is I had the kids with me all the time when they were little. Maybe that’s why I can’t get rid of them today. I’m so glad,” Roberts said with a warm smile. There is a tall hill by a tree-covered ridge in the distance where the sun rises early and sets long before the work is done on the Roberts’ farm that traces its roots to 1904. Back then, the farm catered to a few company homes that served folks who worked in an oil refinery nearby. Roberts has old black and white photos and newspaper clippings of what the farm and the surrounding area looked like in the early 1900s. “Then, we raised beef cattle and a few dairy cows,” Roberts said. “They sold milk to all these houses around here. The family raised everything they needed to eat vegetables, potatoes, beef, pigs, chickens. They sold eggs and a few cattle. It was a lot of hard work.” Long time when, the family bought 100 acres and then during the Depression, another 80 acres. Then, the family acquired a few more acres that were sold by someone who

was in “hock” for a few hundred dollars. After purchasing another 23 acres later, the farm stretched from one side of the ridge to the other to face a familiar looking place along W.Va. 18. Overall, there is more than 200 acres of land in the Roberts’ family. “Our farm goes clear over to Sarah Midcap’s place,” Roberts said as he showed a handful of deeds. Farming is in the family’s blood. Back in the 1940s and early ’50s, when Roberts came into his own as a farmer, he had one ambition. “I always wanted to milk cows from the time when I was a kid,” said Roberts, the third generation of his family to farm the land and tend to the herds. “My father gave me a cow. He gave it to me when she was a calf in 1943. Later, I sent her to market at an old age.” The days were long, but hard work was ingrained deep in Roberts’ bones. He remembers carrying milk in 2-gallon buckets on the school bus to Tyler County High School for his vocational agriculture teacher’s family in 1950. Roberts worked closely with Jimmy Fonner providing milk on a route through Middlebourne. Working with Fonner, Roberts’ personal herd began to grow quickly. Roberts was a busy man in high school. Cows take 5-8 minutes to milk, so Roberts woke up very early to milk around a dozen cows before school started. “How long does it take to milk a cow? Depends on the cow. Some were easy to

milk, while some were hard to milk,” he said. “After that, I’d clean up, go to school. When I had study hall in sixth period, I’d milk more cows (for Fonner) and he would bring me home after school. Then I would get our family’s cows in and milk them.” Roberts’ cows produced a lot of milk. “When I was in high school, if you had a cow that gave five- or six-thousand pounds of milk year, it was really something,” he said. “My own breeding and feeding if you had a cow that milked over 100 pounds a day way back then that was something.” Roberts said while he was in high school, he began buying more cattle to add to his herd. “I said to Fonner, ‘Man, I don’t have a nickel,’” he said. “Ended up, we bought eight c ows o f f h i m . I d e l i ve re d m i l k i n Middlebourne. I missed five days in that 12 years of delivering milk. Anyway, we kept at it by adding to the herd for 12 years. We eventually ended up with 42 cows. That was just what we could do as a family so that we didn’t have to hire somebody.” Milking a cow is not difficult, he said. “For me, it was easy,” he said. His wife, JoEllen, added, “But sometimes it was a battleground to get under that cow. You had to be brave.” Roberts laughed as he said, “Sometimes you get kicked.” Roberts served as a magistrate for 26

n See Legacy Continued on page 9

in advance for American farmers By DILLON CARR Pittsburgh Tribune-Review PITTSBURGH (AP) — Spring may b e we e k s away, b u t We s t m o re l a n d County farmers already are sowing the seeds for summer success. Paul Sarver, 55, owner of Sarver Hill Farms in Hempfield Township, is seeing sprouts of his customers’ favorite crop: kale. “Yeah, that’s a big thing right now. Greens as a whole are big right now,” he said. Many of his greens — lettuce, kale, cabbage and even peppers — have been growing in flats in his greenhouse since the beginning of the month. “People like to have stuff available year round. I’m already thinking about what I’m going to do next year,” Sarver said, adding that the first farmers market in Greensburg will open April 29 at Lynch Field Park. Schramm Farms & Orchards started ordering and sorting seeds in early February, expecting to plant in its greenhouse next Tuesday. If all goes well, the farm will begin to move seedlings to the fields as early as late March. “The first thing we see is usually asparagus,” said Hil Schramm, 61. “And then we see lettuce, broccoli and kohlrabi.” Schramm, the farm’s market manager, has worked 400 acres along Blank Road in Penn Township since 1981. The farm, which grows about 30 crops of fruits and vegetables, has been in the family since 1864. Over the years, the farm has seen market demands change, b u t fo r t h e p a s t c o u p l e o f ye a r s Schramm said Brussels sprouts and cauliflower have been hot. “Market trends change year to year,” he said. Randy Morris, 63, of Morris Organic Farm said one thing is certain, though. “Interest in locally produced food has certainly grown,” he said. “We’re at the max of what I can handle. Farm markets are getting more and more popular. I’ve been going to those (to sell) the surplus stuff.” The USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service last year reported a 2.3 percent increase in the number of farmers markets nationwide. From 1994 to 2016, the number of markets increased by nearly 400 percent to more than 8,600, the report said. Morris, a USDA-certified organic grower, said he begins growing produce in his home’s basement in mid-February, using artificial lighting and heat pads. By early April, the seedlings are ready to transplant in the greenhouse, where they grow for six to eight weeks

before moving out to the fields. “And then I just do pick-your-own,” he said, adding that customers have the option to drive to his farm in Sewickley Township to pick produce. “It’s pretty profitable, but I just do it as a side job,” said Morris, who primarily works as an industrial sales engineer for Elliott Group in Jeannette. There are plenty who farm full time in the county, though. B e t t y R e e f e r, d i r e c t o r o f t h e Westmoreland County Agricultural Land Preservation Program, said 101 farms are protected under the program. “But there are 1,400 farms in the county,” Reefer said. One in Unity Township is run by Neil Palmer, 38. I n 2000, he took over a farm on Bailey Farm Road that has been in operation since the late 1970s. “I grew up on the farm helping out as a kid,” he said. “So I guess it was in my blood from the beginning.” Palmer’s Farm grows sweet corn, tomatoes and other vegetables on about 20 acres. He started preparing for the growing season this week. And although the farm does not participate in a Community Supported Agriculture program, Palmer runs a roadside stand on the property. “We’re very supported,” Palmer said with a laugh. “We’ve had a strong customer base for many years.” Produce farmers are not the only growers getting prepped for the season. Joe Costello of Friendship Farms in Mt. Pleasant Township has been gearing up for the farm’s nursery business since January and early February. The busiest time of the year for the nursery, which grows native wildflowers, trees and shrubs, is March through May, he said. “This year, the popular things are l a r g e r, l a n d s c a p e - t y p e t r e e s . Homeowners want wildflowers, too. Those are more popular,” said Costello, a horticulturist with a degree from Cornell University. The bulk of the business, he said, is d o n e fo r t h e o i l a n d g a s i n d u s t r y through conservation contracting. “We plant on the gas (pipeline) line (area). Engineers contact us and give us a set of specs for crossings. So then we come in and plant generally to those specifications anywhere that Marcellus is going on,” Costello said.

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Big Sandy master engraver inducted into Cowboy Hall of Fame Paul Dragu pdragu@havredailynews.com Big Sandy gunsmith, knife maker, rancher and engraver Aaron “Duke” Pursley has been inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. Pursley was inducted last year and attended the honorary ceremony Feb. 4 in Great Falls. “It was pretty nice,” he said. “I thought it was pretty good honor to be recognized.” The nominating process is open to and depends on the public. “In order to identify those in Montana’s communities who are most deserving of inclusion in the Hall of Fame, we need people across the state to get involved in our nomination process,” MCHF Executive Director Christy Stensland said. “We encourage all to reflect on those that have made notable contributions to our western heritage here in the great state of Montana.” Pursley said he rodeod and travelled the country when he was young, a time he refered to as a “perpetual vacation,” adding that it was all for 10 seconds of riding. Now in his 80s, he said he has stopped riding, but he still engraves. He and a partner have a rifle business, and Pursley’s part is the meticulous engraving that goes into each rifle. “It’s something that keeps us occupied,” he said. Pursley was born in 1935 and his father established a ranch in 1940 off Big Sandy’s Coal Mine Road. “Duke and his older brother, Allan, grew up with a respect for the land, the people, and the Code of the West,” his biography says. Pursley had a passion for breaking horses and entered his first rodeo in 1954 after graduating from Big Sandy High school. Rodeo became his way of life for the next 14 years, the bio says. “A flamboyant, stylish rider, he scored high on the rough stock of the day,” it adds. After gaining a Professional Rodeo Circuit Association card, Pursley rode every night at West Yellowstone in the summer of 1955. He also won the Alberta, Canada, circuit in 1961 and was on his way to qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo when a saddle bronc in Sidney, Iowa, fell on him and crushed his femur. “He never exactly regained his carefree riding style but went down the road with the best of them for another seven years,” his bio says. Pursley married Dolly McNeill, who also

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Scale association discusses upgrades, new manager Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com

Courtesy photo Big Sandy gunsmith, knife maker, rancher and engraver Aaron “Duke” Pursley holds a rifle he engraved. Pursley was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. graduated from Big Sandy High School, during his years in the rodeo circuit. Together they traveled to shows in a pickup truck and camper. They started their family and now have three sons, Mike, Kip and Ted, and daughter, Julie. The Pursleys built a log cabin in 1970 which they still live in today. Retired from the rodeo life, Pursley needed to add to the family income so he started beaver trapping, building fur caps and raising mink. Pursley also had been engraving knives and pistols since he was 20 and by the 1970s he had developed his own style and had

become a good artist. He appeared in events like the New York Knife Show, Anaheim Knife Show and the Las Vegas Gun and Knife Show. Peter Fonda and Priscilla Presley were among some of his most famous customers. Pursley was mentioned in a 1991 issue of “Gentleman’s Quarterly.” Pursley and partner, Ron Otto, founded Little Sharps Rifle Company in 1996. The rifles created are 20 percent smaller than the original Sharps rifle. Little Sharps created the Lil’ Reliable, which is manufactured in 11 calibers. Pursley earned master engraver status in

the Firearms Engravers Guild of America in the early 1990s, and he is still engraving to this day. The guild recognizes Pursley as one of only 45 master engravers in the country. Nominees, the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame websites says, can be men, women, ranches, stage coach lines, animals, hotels — anyone or anything that has made a notable contribution to Montana western heritage. Anyone who would like to make a nomination can contact the the hall of fame at Christy@montanacowboyfame.org or call 406-932-5444. All nomination documents must be in electronic format and emailed.

FARM & RANCH

At its 2017 annual meeting Feb. 1 the Hill County Scale Association board members discussed maintenance at the facility and the need to start a search for a scale manager. The holding pens at the scale association three miles east of Havre received a full face lift this year after board members made a deal with one of a handful of businesses in town last summer offering to replace weathered boards in corrals and windbreaks for free. The weathered boards are sold as recycled to create the rustic look in home décor, siding and more. Board member Jack Nystrom had suggested during the group’s June 9 work day at the scale to look into this service. Monica Goldhahn, the secretary/treasurer, said it cost the group more money than they expected because some of the older boards were unsalvageable for resale and the scale association was responsible for paying the replacement cost on unusable boards. Lavonne Herman, scale manager, said that the company had pulled all the boards off the pens and rebuilt them with new lumber over the course of the summer. She said she had been worried for a while that the pens would not be done in time for shipping season. However, she added, after a few adjustments, especially to gates, the pens have worked well. Nystrom asked about adding gravel to the edge of the approach off U.S. Highway 2 because longer semi-trailer combinations have trouble making the tight turn and the rear wheels drop off the road, causing a rough ride. Herman said that, after seeing how slow she was recovering from an injury in late fall, she was thinking about retirement and asked the board to start looking into finding another

scale manager. She added that when one is found she would be able to work with that person to show him or her the details of the job. After the meeting, Herman said she has been the manager and a brand inspector since 2003, and from 1981 to 1997 she helped her husband, Fred Herman, who was then the manager and a brand inspector. She said that the scale manager needs to be available on-call to meet sellers and shippers to weigh the cattle before shipping and occasionally during nonshipping times for weighing “People don’t like their cattle standing and waiting to be weighed because they’re losing weight all the time they’re standing there,” she said. “They want them gates or doors open when they unload so they can get them sorted and get them weighed.” She said the manager also keeps track of maintenance issues with the facility that need to be repaired at the annual work day, or sooner. It’s helpful, she said, for the manager to be a licensed brand inspector, but that’s not required. If the manager is not a brand inspector, then the seller has to arrange for one to come, so the manager-inspector combination is a benefit to the customer. Members discussed during the meeting a few possible people to approach about the position. During the annual election of officers, member voted to retain the people whose terms had ended. The full roster of board members is Dennis Kleinjan, president; Dale Williams, vice president; Monica Goldhahn, secretary/treasurer; Jack Nystrom and Kevin Velk, members; and Lavonne Herman, scale manager. For more information about the Hill County Scale Association, including becoming a member or using the scale, contact Herman at 2658182.

Mediation program helps farmers in Minnesota who struggle with loans ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Low commodity prices are causing financial pain on Minnesota farms, but bankruptcies are rare thanks in part to a state mediation program. The farmer-lender program requires lenders to offer struggling farmers the chance to renegotiate debt terms with the help of a mediator before repossessing any property. The program has helped farmers like Jessica and Chad Hofschulte. Their southeast Minnesota farm had a poor crop in 2011, after a fertilizer company they paid didn’t deliver

its services. “We lost about $60,000,” Jessica Hofschulte said. “Couldn’t meet our obligations.” The Hofschultes accepted mediation when the bank threatened to foreclose. It gave them time to find a new bank, get a federal loan guarantee and make a plan to keep farming. The program began during the 1980s, when low crop prices, high interest rates and plunging land values sent thousands of farmers into financial collapse.

A phone call from Carl Pohlad, one of the Minnesota’s best known bankers, put the idea of a mediation program in motion, said Jim Nichols, state agriculture commissioner under then-Gov. Rudy Perpich. Nichols said Pohlad told the governor that bankers weren’t able to loan the struggling farmers any more money because they hadn’t even paid their debts. Minnesota and other states enacted mediation laws to ease the pressure on farmers and bankers, and to give them time.

First Minnesota Bank executive Scott Wakefield, who has been involved in several mediations, said he supports the program. He said it bothers some bankers who contend it delays settlements unnecessarily. Wakefield said he believes making loans is about more than making a profit. He said it’s also about keeping his local economy strong. “It’s all up to the attitude,” Wakefield said. “Are you there for the almighty dollar? Are you thinking more about community, and keeping somebody in business?”

Havre Daily News/Pam Burke Hill County Scale Association facility east of Havre sports Feb. 19 new boards which were put up to replace the weathered during summer 2016.

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Big Sandy master engraver inducted into Cowboy Hall of Fame Paul Dragu pdragu@havredailynews.com Big Sandy gunsmith, knife maker, rancher and engraver Aaron “Duke” Pursley has been inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. Pursley was inducted last year and attended the honorary ceremony Feb. 4 in Great Falls. “It was pretty nice,” he said. “I thought it was pretty good honor to be recognized.” The nominating process is open to and depends on the public. “In order to identify those in Montana’s communities who are most deserving of inclusion in the Hall of Fame, we need people across the state to get involved in our nomination process,” MCHF Executive Director Christy Stensland said. “We encourage all to reflect on those that have made notable contributions to our western heritage here in the great state of Montana.” Pursley said he rodeod and travelled the country when he was young, a time he refered to as a “perpetual vacation,” adding that it was all for 10 seconds of riding. Now in his 80s, he said he has stopped riding, but he still engraves. He and a partner have a rifle business, and Pursley’s part is the meticulous engraving that goes into each rifle. “It’s something that keeps us occupied,” he said. Pursley was born in 1935 and his father established a ranch in 1940 off Big Sandy’s Coal Mine Road. “Duke and his older brother, Allan, grew up with a respect for the land, the people, and the Code of the West,” his biography says. Pursley had a passion for breaking horses and entered his first rodeo in 1954 after graduating from Big Sandy High school. Rodeo became his way of life for the next 14 years, the bio says. “A flamboyant, stylish rider, he scored high on the rough stock of the day,” it adds. After gaining a Professional Rodeo Circuit Association card, Pursley rode every night at West Yellowstone in the summer of 1955. He also won the Alberta, Canada, circuit in 1961 and was on his way to qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo when a saddle bronc in Sidney, Iowa, fell on him and crushed his femur. “He never exactly regained his carefree riding style but went down the road with the best of them for another seven years,” his bio says. Pursley married Dolly McNeill, who also

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Scale association discusses upgrades, new manager Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com

Courtesy photo Big Sandy gunsmith, knife maker, rancher and engraver Aaron “Duke” Pursley holds a rifle he engraved. Pursley was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. graduated from Big Sandy High School, during his years in the rodeo circuit. Together they traveled to shows in a pickup truck and camper. They started their family and now have three sons, Mike, Kip and Ted, and daughter, Julie. The Pursleys built a log cabin in 1970 which they still live in today. Retired from the rodeo life, Pursley needed to add to the family income so he started beaver trapping, building fur caps and raising mink. Pursley also had been engraving knives and pistols since he was 20 and by the 1970s he had developed his own style and had

become a good artist. He appeared in events like the New York Knife Show, Anaheim Knife Show and the Las Vegas Gun and Knife Show. Peter Fonda and Priscilla Presley were among some of his most famous customers. Pursley was mentioned in a 1991 issue of “Gentleman’s Quarterly.” Pursley and partner, Ron Otto, founded Little Sharps Rifle Company in 1996. The rifles created are 20 percent smaller than the original Sharps rifle. Little Sharps created the Lil’ Reliable, which is manufactured in 11 calibers. Pursley earned master engraver status in

the Firearms Engravers Guild of America in the early 1990s, and he is still engraving to this day. The guild recognizes Pursley as one of only 45 master engravers in the country. Nominees, the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame websites says, can be men, women, ranches, stage coach lines, animals, hotels — anyone or anything that has made a notable contribution to Montana western heritage. Anyone who would like to make a nomination can contact the the hall of fame at Christy@montanacowboyfame.org or call 406-932-5444. All nomination documents must be in electronic format and emailed.

FARM & RANCH

At its 2017 annual meeting Feb. 1 the Hill County Scale Association board members discussed maintenance at the facility and the need to start a search for a scale manager. The holding pens at the scale association three miles east of Havre received a full face lift this year after board members made a deal with one of a handful of businesses in town last summer offering to replace weathered boards in corrals and windbreaks for free. The weathered boards are sold as recycled to create the rustic look in home décor, siding and more. Board member Jack Nystrom had suggested during the group’s June 9 work day at the scale to look into this service. Monica Goldhahn, the secretary/treasurer, said it cost the group more money than they expected because some of the older boards were unsalvageable for resale and the scale association was responsible for paying the replacement cost on unusable boards. Lavonne Herman, scale manager, said that the company had pulled all the boards off the pens and rebuilt them with new lumber over the course of the summer. She said she had been worried for a while that the pens would not be done in time for shipping season. However, she added, after a few adjustments, especially to gates, the pens have worked well. Nystrom asked about adding gravel to the edge of the approach off U.S. Highway 2 because longer semi-trailer combinations have trouble making the tight turn and the rear wheels drop off the road, causing a rough ride. Herman said that, after seeing how slow she was recovering from an injury in late fall, she was thinking about retirement and asked the board to start looking into finding another

scale manager. She added that when one is found she would be able to work with that person to show him or her the details of the job. After the meeting, Herman said she has been the manager and a brand inspector since 2003, and from 1981 to 1997 she helped her husband, Fred Herman, who was then the manager and a brand inspector. She said that the scale manager needs to be available on-call to meet sellers and shippers to weigh the cattle before shipping and occasionally during nonshipping times for weighing “People don’t like their cattle standing and waiting to be weighed because they’re losing weight all the time they’re standing there,” she said. “They want them gates or doors open when they unload so they can get them sorted and get them weighed.” She said the manager also keeps track of maintenance issues with the facility that need to be repaired at the annual work day, or sooner. It’s helpful, she said, for the manager to be a licensed brand inspector, but that’s not required. If the manager is not a brand inspector, then the seller has to arrange for one to come, so the manager-inspector combination is a benefit to the customer. Members discussed during the meeting a few possible people to approach about the position. During the annual election of officers, member voted to retain the people whose terms had ended. The full roster of board members is Dennis Kleinjan, president; Dale Williams, vice president; Monica Goldhahn, secretary/treasurer; Jack Nystrom and Kevin Velk, members; and Lavonne Herman, scale manager. For more information about the Hill County Scale Association, including becoming a member or using the scale, contact Herman at 2658182.

Mediation program helps farmers in Minnesota who struggle with loans ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Low commodity prices are causing financial pain on Minnesota farms, but bankruptcies are rare thanks in part to a state mediation program. The farmer-lender program requires lenders to offer struggling farmers the chance to renegotiate debt terms with the help of a mediator before repossessing any property. The program has helped farmers like Jessica and Chad Hofschulte. Their southeast Minnesota farm had a poor crop in 2011, after a fertilizer company they paid didn’t deliver

its services. “We lost about $60,000,” Jessica Hofschulte said. “Couldn’t meet our obligations.” The Hofschultes accepted mediation when the bank threatened to foreclose. It gave them time to find a new bank, get a federal loan guarantee and make a plan to keep farming. The program began during the 1980s, when low crop prices, high interest rates and plunging land values sent thousands of farmers into financial collapse.

A phone call from Carl Pohlad, one of the Minnesota’s best known bankers, put the idea of a mediation program in motion, said Jim Nichols, state agriculture commissioner under then-Gov. Rudy Perpich. Nichols said Pohlad told the governor that bankers weren’t able to loan the struggling farmers any more money because they hadn’t even paid their debts. Minnesota and other states enacted mediation laws to ease the pressure on farmers and bankers, and to give them time.

First Minnesota Bank executive Scott Wakefield, who has been involved in several mediations, said he supports the program. He said it bothers some bankers who contend it delays settlements unnecessarily. Wakefield said he believes making loans is about more than making a profit. He said it’s also about keeping his local economy strong. “It’s all up to the attitude,” Wakefield said. “Are you there for the almighty dollar? Are you thinking more about community, and keeping somebody in business?”

Havre Daily News/Pam Burke Hill County Scale Association facility east of Havre sports Feb. 19 new boards which were put up to replace the weathered during summer 2016.

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Roberts family’s legacy casts long shadow on Tyler County Planning, planting begin months By MILES LAYTON The Parkersburg News and Sentinel ELK FORK, W.Va. (AP) — A chicken was walking around taking advantage of the warm weather recently at Sarah Midcap’s farm along W.Va. 18. At a knock, the longtime Tyler County woman opened her front door to give solid directions for the short drive to the Roberts family farm located in a valley in the shadow of a ridge that overlooks both farms. “I know who they are. They’re good people,” Midcap said. Country roads led to a white, three-story, wooden-framed farmhouse that has been in Tyler County since the early 1900s. A large dog greeted visitors as they approached the home’s side door. John Roberts opens the door. He knows Sarah Midcap. “We were all raised together. She was a Fletcher and married a Midcap. He passed away a few years ago,” he said. “She kept her cows until a couple of years ago. She still has chickens.” Roberts’ granddaughter, Jenna Archer, added, “She has all kinds of chickens. She tried to give them up once, but she got more.” “Oh yeah. People like to farm in this area,” Roberts said. An antique clock on the mantel tells pretty good time. As to time, not many farms, particularly ones that have been in the same family, have been in continuous operation for

a century or longer. The West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts began the Century Farm Program to recognize farms in the Mountain State that have been maintained by the same family for at least 100 years. “The best part about being a farmer? You’ve got to love it. I loved working with the cows. But I have to say, the best part about farming is I had the kids with me all the time when they were little. Maybe that’s why I can’t get rid of them today. I’m so glad,” Roberts said with a warm smile. There is a tall hill by a tree-covered ridge in the distance where the sun rises early and sets long before the work is done on the Roberts’ farm that traces its roots to 1904. Back then, the farm catered to a few company homes that served folks who worked in an oil refinery nearby. Roberts has old black and white photos and newspaper clippings of what the farm and the surrounding area looked like in the early 1900s. “Then, we raised beef cattle and a few dairy cows,” Roberts said. “They sold milk to all these houses around here. The family raised everything they needed to eat vegetables, potatoes, beef, pigs, chickens. They sold eggs and a few cattle. It was a lot of hard work.” Long time when, the family bought 100 acres and then during the Depression, another 80 acres. Then, the family acquired a few more acres that were sold by someone who

was in “hock” for a few hundred dollars. After purchasing another 23 acres later, the farm stretched from one side of the ridge to the other to face a familiar looking place along W.Va. 18. Overall, there is more than 200 acres of land in the Roberts’ family. “Our farm goes clear over to Sarah Midcap’s place,” Roberts said as he showed a handful of deeds. Farming is in the family’s blood. Back in the 1940s and early ’50s, when Roberts came into his own as a farmer, he had one ambition. “I always wanted to milk cows from the time when I was a kid,” said Roberts, the third generation of his family to farm the land and tend to the herds. “My father gave me a cow. He gave it to me when she was a calf in 1943. Later, I sent her to market at an old age.” The days were long, but hard work was ingrained deep in Roberts’ bones. He remembers carrying milk in 2-gallon buckets on the school bus to Tyler County High School for his vocational agriculture teacher’s family in 1950. Roberts worked closely with Jimmy Fonner providing milk on a route through Middlebourne. Working with Fonner, Roberts’ personal herd began to grow quickly. Roberts was a busy man in high school. Cows take 5-8 minutes to milk, so Roberts woke up very early to milk around a dozen cows before school started. “How long does it take to milk a cow? Depends on the cow. Some were easy to

milk, while some were hard to milk,” he said. “After that, I’d clean up, go to school. When I had study hall in sixth period, I’d milk more cows (for Fonner) and he would bring me home after school. Then I would get our family’s cows in and milk them.” Roberts’ cows produced a lot of milk. “When I was in high school, if you had a cow that gave five- or six-thousand pounds of milk year, it was really something,” he said. “My own breeding and feeding if you had a cow that milked over 100 pounds a day way back then that was something.” Roberts said while he was in high school, he began buying more cattle to add to his herd. “I said to Fonner, ‘Man, I don’t have a nickel,’” he said. “Ended up, we bought eight c ows o f f h i m . I d e l i ve re d m i l k i n Middlebourne. I missed five days in that 12 years of delivering milk. Anyway, we kept at it by adding to the herd for 12 years. We eventually ended up with 42 cows. That was just what we could do as a family so that we didn’t have to hire somebody.” Milking a cow is not difficult, he said. “For me, it was easy,” he said. His wife, JoEllen, added, “But sometimes it was a battleground to get under that cow. You had to be brave.” Roberts laughed as he said, “Sometimes you get kicked.” Roberts served as a magistrate for 26

n See Legacy Continued on page 9

in advance for American farmers By DILLON CARR Pittsburgh Tribune-Review PITTSBURGH (AP) — Spring may b e we e k s away, b u t We s t m o re l a n d County farmers already are sowing the seeds for summer success. Paul Sarver, 55, owner of Sarver Hill Farms in Hempfield Township, is seeing sprouts of his customers’ favorite crop: kale. “Yeah, that’s a big thing right now. Greens as a whole are big right now,” he said. Many of his greens — lettuce, kale, cabbage and even peppers — have been growing in flats in his greenhouse since the beginning of the month. “People like to have stuff available year round. I’m already thinking about what I’m going to do next year,” Sarver said, adding that the first farmers market in Greensburg will open April 29 at Lynch Field Park. Schramm Farms & Orchards started ordering and sorting seeds in early February, expecting to plant in its greenhouse next Tuesday. If all goes well, the farm will begin to move seedlings to the fields as early as late March. “The first thing we see is usually asparagus,” said Hil Schramm, 61. “And then we see lettuce, broccoli and kohlrabi.” Schramm, the farm’s market manager, has worked 400 acres along Blank Road in Penn Township since 1981. The farm, which grows about 30 crops of fruits and vegetables, has been in the family since 1864. Over the years, the farm has seen market demands change, b u t fo r t h e p a s t c o u p l e o f ye a r s Schramm said Brussels sprouts and cauliflower have been hot. “Market trends change year to year,” he said. Randy Morris, 63, of Morris Organic Farm said one thing is certain, though. “Interest in locally produced food has certainly grown,” he said. “We’re at the max of what I can handle. Farm markets are getting more and more popular. I’ve been going to those (to sell) the surplus stuff.” The USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service last year reported a 2.3 percent increase in the number of farmers markets nationwide. From 1994 to 2016, the number of markets increased by nearly 400 percent to more than 8,600, the report said. Morris, a USDA-certified organic grower, said he begins growing produce in his home’s basement in mid-February, using artificial lighting and heat pads. By early April, the seedlings are ready to transplant in the greenhouse, where they grow for six to eight weeks

before moving out to the fields. “And then I just do pick-your-own,” he said, adding that customers have the option to drive to his farm in Sewickley Township to pick produce. “It’s pretty profitable, but I just do it as a side job,” said Morris, who primarily works as an industrial sales engineer for Elliott Group in Jeannette. There are plenty who farm full time in the county, though. B e t t y R e e f e r, d i r e c t o r o f t h e Westmoreland County Agricultural Land Preservation Program, said 101 farms are protected under the program. “But there are 1,400 farms in the county,” Reefer said. One in Unity Township is run by Neil Palmer, 38. I n 2000, he took over a farm on Bailey Farm Road that has been in operation since the late 1970s. “I grew up on the farm helping out as a kid,” he said. “So I guess it was in my blood from the beginning.” Palmer’s Farm grows sweet corn, tomatoes and other vegetables on about 20 acres. He started preparing for the growing season this week. And although the farm does not participate in a Community Supported Agriculture program, Palmer runs a roadside stand on the property. “We’re very supported,” Palmer said with a laugh. “We’ve had a strong customer base for many years.” Produce farmers are not the only growers getting prepped for the season. Joe Costello of Friendship Farms in Mt. Pleasant Township has been gearing up for the farm’s nursery business since January and early February. The busiest time of the year for the nursery, which grows native wildflowers, trees and shrubs, is March through May, he said. “This year, the popular things are l a r g e r, l a n d s c a p e - t y p e t r e e s . Homeowners want wildflowers, too. Those are more popular,” said Costello, a horticulturist with a degree from Cornell University. The bulk of the business, he said, is d o n e fo r t h e o i l a n d g a s i n d u s t r y through conservation contracting. “We plant on the gas (pipeline) line (area). Engineers contact us and give us a set of specs for crossings. So then we come in and plant generally to those specifications anywhere that Marcellus is going on,” Costello said.

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Havre cowboy posthumously inducted in the Cowboy Hall of Fame

Legacy: Roberts: 'I told the kids, don’t ever be without the beef'

Paul Dragu pdragu@havredailynews.com

n Continued from page 8

A one-time Havre cowboy, Gordon “Buck” Boyce, who had rodeod all over the country and won the 1950 World Series Rodeo in Madison Square Garden, has been posthumously inducted in the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. Boyce was inducted in 2016 after being nominated by younger brother Robert “Bud” Boyce. “I’m really happy to see him get it,” Bud Boyce said. The nominating process is open to and depends on the public. “In order to identify those in Montana’s communities who are most deserving of inclusion in the Hall of Fame, we need people across the state to get involved in o u r n o m i n a t i o n p ro c e s s, ” E xe c u t i ve Director of the MCHF Christy Stensland said. “We encourage all to reflect on those that have made notable contributions to our western heritage here in the great state of Montana.” Buck Boyce, born in 1925, lived 89 years before dying July 20, 2014. Bud Boyce remembers helping his big brother out as they were growing up. “Oh yeah, when I was just a kid, I helped him build a bucking chute,” he said. Riding, Bud Boyce said, is inherited when it comes to his brother. It was just in his blood, Bud Boyce said. The Boyces, he added — “My dad and cousins, they’ve always been good cowboys.” Buck Boyce was born in Glasgow in 1925 to Stephen Charles and Sadie Boyce. He was the fourth of nine children. The Boyces moved to a ranch south of Havre in the Bear Paw Mountains in 1936. “At the young age of 11, you could always find Buck out riding the range and even breaking horses for his father,” Buck Boyce’s biography says. Boyce is said to have had an “unwavering” passion for the rodeo life. “His determination to succeed in the sport led him to build an arena and bucking chutes on the family ranch for him to practice his events,” his bio says.

It’s his passion and determination that led Boyce to become “incredibly successful” at rodeo. Boyce left home in 1947 for the rodeo circuit, where he worked the saddle bronc, bull riding, bareback and bull dogging events, competing in major events in Houston, Forth Worth, Cheyenne and Pendleton. Boyce’s career highlight was in 1950, when he won the World Series Rodeo in Madison Square Garden in New York and ranked in the top 10 all-around cowboy standings. He also won at the Calgary Stampede in 1955, and he was named Outstanding Cowboy at Range Rider Rodeo in Miles City in 1956. For more than 10 years, Boyce placed in the top 15 in the world standings. Boyce married and had two sons, Ben and Jim, during his rodeo career. By 1956, he had divorced and remarried Valerie Webb at a Camdenton, Missouri, rodeo, “in the presence of fellow performers.” The couple established the Spanish Seven Ranch in Arkansas, where they raised Brahmas and a commercial herd, in addition to operating a veterinary and chemical supply company. Buck Boyce served as the bull riding director in 1952 in what later became the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, a time during which he initiated an accident insurance program for members of the association. The program was initiated after one of Boyce’s friends died in a hospital after being refused treatment because there was no proof the bill could be paid. Boyce also advocated for having the horns o f ro d e o b u l l s “ t i p p e d ” o r t h e b u l l s dehorned, to avoid injury. “Each generation owes a debt to the earlier one, one when the World War II troops struggled home to a better rodeo e n v i ro n m e n t . T h a n k s to t h e Tu r t l e s (Cowboy Turtle Association) who risked all to improve rodeo. I hope that our generation has helped the working cowboy of today,” Boyce wrote. After retiring, Buck and Valerie Boyce moved to Sumner, Texas. After his death, Boyce’s ashes were brought back to Havre, “the place his story began.”

years before he retired in 2014. He presided over the arraignments of most any crime, large and small, ranging from bad checks to murder. His day didn’t end if he had to preside over a late night arraignment. “Oh yes! I was still running the farm that next morning,” he said. Roberts was a longtime member of the Tyler County Fair Association, Farm Bureau officer for several decades, Farmer of the Year for the Sistersville Jaycees and he was active in many other organizations. “I tried to dabble in everything,” he said. “A lot of people called and kept him on the phone all evening,” his wife added. The family’s warm, white, wooden old farmhouse stands firm, tried and true against a sloping hillside overlooking a valley where cattle graze. “I was born in this house,” said Roberts, 80, the family’s patriarch. “I’ve never lived

anywhere else.” Photos are posted on the walls and above the mantel in the family’s century-old home. Roberts’ grandmother, Susan Haught, designed the house more than 103 years ago. Roberts and his wife, JoEllen, have six children, five grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. “It was built to her specifications,” Roberts said as he picked up a framed, black and white photo of his grandmother. “These other photos — this is Jenna when she was little and had blonde hair. This photo here is a great-grandson and this one is a grandson; this one a granddaughter; my son Bill and his wife. Family is important to us. Always has been.” As Roberts’ daughter, Julia, was about to go home to make dinner, she spoke to her dad about her plans for the next day on the farm. She still does a lot of work on that farm. And that led John Roberts to talk

ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) — Agriculture in rural Indiana has been negatively impacted by residential and commercial sprawl. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that between 1982 and 2012, residential and commercial developments claimed more than 740,000 acres of land that had previously been cropland, forest land and prairie. Development can destroy wildlife habitat, increase environmental contamination and decrease the capacity to grow food. The farmland decrease can also lead to non-environmental problems, such as food prices increasing. The rate of rural land conversion slowed after the housing market crash of 2008, but data from the department show the pace is picking back up as the economy recovers. “You can see in Indiana, when things (economically) were starting to recover, it still shows pretty steady growth in acreage of developed land and more farmland and forest being lost,” said Tim Maloney, senior policy director for the Hoosier Environmental Council. “Conversion has slowed down, but it certainly still is a problem.” Craig Dobbins, professor of agricultural

economics at Purdue University, said the answer isn’t to stop building homes and businesses outside of large cities, but to better plan development to avoid uneven and unnecessary sprawl. “Certainly, this is a trend that has been going on probably since the country was founded,” he said. “So what we can do to prevent excess comes in the form of planning on the boundaries of how a city or town grows.” He said many Indiana counties and communities have set zoning ordinances that encourage development near the community’s center while discouraging development on the rural outskirts. Maloney said the most recent development trends include younger home buyers who wish to live in small communities instead of purchasing large plots of former farmland to build homes. “We had policy that encouraged sprawl, and now it seems that trend is reversing and you see a lot of new urban development and redevelopment focused on bringing people back to the cities,” he said. “From our standpoint, and the environment’s standpoint, those are all positive things.”

Sprawl threatens farmland in Indiana

Courtesy photo Gordon “Buck” Boyce, a champion rodeo cowboyl, poses for a photograph. Boyce was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. Nominees, the MCHF websites says, can be men, women, ranches, stage coach lines, animals, hotels — anyone or anything that has made a notable contribution to Montana western heritage. Anyone who

would like to make a nomination can contact the MCHF at Christy@montanacowboyfame.org or call 406-932-5444. All nomination documents must be in electronic format.

about when a farmer’s day begins. Farm work is not an eight-hour shift. “Back then, I usually got up around 4:30 in the morning and finish the day around 9 or 10 at night,” he said. “When we were able, we would usually milk around 4 that evening, then eat supper, then work in the hay or work in the garden until dark. Then the next day, we’d get up and do the same thing all over again.” Roberts talked about family dinners. They didn’t have taco Tuesday, but the real deal with beef and vegetables grown on the farm. “We ha d ou r own b eef,” he sa id. “Whenever we need beef, we’ve got it ready to butcher. That’s one thing I told the kids, ‘don’t ever be without the beef.’” Before Julia Archer left that evening, she said to her mother, “See you in the morning, Mom. I love you.” JoEllen Roberts smiled warmly before she said, “I love you too.”

Speaking of love, particularly around Valentine’s Day, John and JoEllen Roberts got hitched in 1965 and have been married 51 years. “It just seems like we always knew each other,” JoEllen Roberst said. “We met in front of Tyler County High School,” John Roberts added. “She was with her aunt and I was delivering milk. I fell in love with her.” The old married couple laughed when Roberts said, “She says I just married her for the kids, the labor (for the farm).” “I’ve enjoyed being a farmer all these years. Oh my yes!” JoEllen Roberts added. “I loved all of it. Whatever he was doing, we were —” “Doing it together,” John Roberts said as he finished his wife’s sentence.

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March 2017

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A John Deere combine takes down wheat at the Pattison's Farm near Jensen Trail in August of 2016.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: The Sky is the Limit MERYL RYGG MCKENNA FOR FARM & RANCH Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: The Sky is the Limit! Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often called drones, are a hot topic in the agricultural industry. Drones, ďŹ tted with a wide range of camera and lens types, have the potential to revolutionize business as usual by bringing detailed, timely, and unique crop data to the producer. Some producers already use UAVs ďŹ tted with cameras to check distant watering sites, track their livestock, and check for pests, crop deďŹ ciencies, ďŹ eld moisture levels or

document crop failures. The sky is truly the limit for aerial technology! What is a drone? In Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) terminology, an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) – generally equivalent to a drone or UAV – is an aircraft without a human pilot onboard; either an operator on the ground controls it, or it is auto-piloted by an onboard computer system. The FAA sets speciďŹ c regulations regarding the weight of aircraft and camera, plus rules governing the on-ground pilot’s maneuvers and locations. Note that the FAA requires operators ying for workrelated purposes to obtain a certiďŹ cate to

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The photographer takes a selfie with his DJI Inspire drone near a homestead along the Milk River in April, 2015. y a UAV. Two basic types of UAVs are commercially available to the producer, either ďŹ xedwing (e.g. small airplane) or multi-rotor (e.g. quadcopter). Fixed-wing UAVs have longer ight times and bigger payload capacities but are usually more expensive. Multi-rotor types generally have shorter ight times, lighter payloads, are more maneuverable and are generally less expensive. Aerial imagery: For many agricultural uses, the utility is not the drone itself but the aerial photographs it can provide. Aerial imagery is a powerful tool allowing producers to see patterns that aren’t visible from the ground, at the time and place of their choosing. Cameras mounted on a drone can be ďŹ tted with special lenses that see things the human eye can’t. Using multispectral and hyper-spectral lenses, cameras can capture data in infrared, ultraviolet, and very narrow visible light bands. Videos, single photos, multi-spectral images such as near-infrared or thermal, or combinations of these, are all possible. Many plants show signs of stress and growth in bands that are invisible to the naked eye, while others show signs of growth in very narrow visible light bands, so the special lenses provide information that is otherwise difďŹ cult to get. A producer can obtain evidence of water stress, chlorophyll production (photosynthesis), weed distribution, nutrient deďŹ ciencies and disease hot spots.

A camera connected to a GPS system can take “geo-taggedâ€? images referenced to speciďŹ c ďŹ eld locations. This allows for comparing images taken at different times as the growing season progresses. As with any technology, cost and complexity vary greatly. Special lenses that capture non-visible light add to the price. And because of the large amounts of data collected, the more complex systems require special software designed to analyze and process the raw data before they can provide usable images. Most set-ups will come with the necessary software, for additional cost. Some might ask, “Why not just use satellite imagery?â€? UAVs have several clear advantages over satellites. First, a typical satellite image resolution of 50 feet is quite coarse compared to UAV images. That means everything within a 50-foot by 50-foot area is represented by one pixel (one color). Conversely, the area represented by one pixel in a UAV image can be on the order of a few inches. UAV images can monitor individual plants if needed. Additional advantages of UAVs include being able to y them according to the producer’s timetable, not the satellite’s passing, and avoiding atmospheric interference such as cloud cover, which often affects satellite imagery. Will one work for you? To summarize, the advantages of UAVs are clear – they can y according to your own timing and weather, record the precise level

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It’s the same with caring for ourselves. If we don’t grow our own faith, ďŹ nd ways to ďŹ nd reprieve or a mental break...sustainability for ourselves, for families and for agriculture will not occur. Taking care of oneself is going to look different for each person, but here are three things to consider...Let’s get back to the basics of... Considering God- I know that not everyone believes in God. But it’s hard to deny His hand when you work in agriculture. Considering God gives us an opportunity to consider Someone greater than ourselves. So at least consider God. Search Him out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Face to face - Social Media is great especially for those times of the year that it’s your best option to connect with friends outside the tractor or combine. Ranching still has something that farming doesn’t. “Brandingsâ€? still take a few hands, especially if your branding with a ďŹ re and horses and it is usually a family affair! I don’t hear of any “seedings.â€? Some may have a harvest crew, but they don’t usually bring their families, even for the evening meal. Unfortunately this may be a downside to farming: being able to do so much farming with fewer hands. But, let’s consider the “in betweenâ€? moments and the seasons of less work. Connect with your neighbors face to face. Be mindful of the spur of the moment opportunities to celebrate birthdays or catch a meal together. Generations before us did this well. We need to get back to this. Family and community is a priority! Speaking of past generations...if you talk to your parents or grandparents, many of them were very involved in community and church organizations. Their family was a priority. Church and fellowship was a priority. The way they did this was by getting involved and putting as much emphasis on family and community organizations as they did their ag operations. Our family has the best of intentions, but consistency is our struggle. Its hard to be involved in a community project or a church organization, when you “drop off the face of the earthâ€? from seeding to harvest. But we are working and will continue to work on those “in between moments.â€? How can you work to make personal sustainability a priority?

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ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD FOR FARM & RANCH Sustainability starts with you! Sustainability is such a buzz word right now, but what does it really mean and how does it affect us? I heard Rick Haines from the Independent Ag Network deďŹ ne it as the continuing on of an ag operation from generation to generation of the ag family. He said, if you don’t have that, you don’t have sustainability. That is my favorite deďŹ nition, but I’d take it a step further. Sustainability to me, is the ability to continue farming or ranching to your fullest potential while taking care of yourself and your family. We are a resource just like our livestock, our farm/ranch entity, our land, our equipment, etc. If we aren’t personally “sustainableâ€? in the ag lifestyle, then we won’t be able to pass the Farm or Ranch on, and sustainability (as the non-rural and non-farming/ranching community deďŹ nes it) will not be achieved either. There are 2% of us who call agriculture our profession. But it goes beyond a career. We know that agriculture is a lifestyle and a lifelong, heartfelt mission. Due to the overwhelming nature of ag, we have seen our communities rocked by suicide. We see farm/ranch kids choose not to come back to the farm because they have seen the amount of stress and strain their parents go through and don’t want that for themselves. We can’t control the weather. We can’t control the markets. There is struggle even with the most forward thinking, innovative plans. We can thank Adam and Eve for that struggle. But in the midst of our ag lifestyle, we can control how we care for ourselves, our spouses, and our children. We need to see ourselves as an important commodity that must be sustainable. You’ll notice that I listed “ourselvesâ€? ďŹ rst. Remember the safety spiel when you get on an airplane? They always say to put your own oxygen mask on ďŹ rst before helping someone else. If you are passed out from lack of oxygen, how helpful are you going to be? Not much! In fact you could be more of a liability to those around you.

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The Month in Weather

BRANDON BIGELBACH FOR FARM & RANCH February continues the trend from January of having a wide variety of weather. Per the National Weather Service in Glasgow, the highest observed temperature for February was 56 degrees on Feb. 11 and the lowest was -16 degrees on Feb. 8. The total snowfall for the month was 7.6 inches, which is equivalent to 0.49 inches of liquid precipitation. The most snow to fall in Glasgow in a 24-hour-period was 3.3 inches, which occurred on Feb. 6. Overall, the average temperature for the month was 23.1 degrees, which was about 5 degrees above normal. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor was

released Feb. 16 and reported patchy abnormally dry conditions over parts of eastern Montana, as well as in central and western portions of the state. Locally, a couple of areas of moderate drought were reported within these abnormally dry areas. With the warm spell across eastern Montana this month, many of the rivers and streams experienced ice breakup and the waterways started owing again. A couple of ice jams were reported during the month, one along the Milk River in Glasgow, and one along the Yellowstone River between Miles City and Glendive. For the latest on ooding conditions, please check the NWS website www.wrh.noaa.gov/ggw/ or call the ofďŹ ce 24/7 at 228-2850.

MSU Extension Workshops in Valley County

SHELLEY MILLS FOR FARM & RANCH MSU Extension in Valley County is offering a number of workshops in the month of March. A three-part winter series for livestock production begins on March 1 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. with Dr. Emily Glunk, MSU Extension forage specialist, presenting information regarding forage quality - dealing with molds and toxins. The importance of forage testing and how to interpret the results will also be discussed. The winter series continues with a workshop on March 17 from 10 a.m. to noon. Dr. George Haynes and Dr. Kate Fuller will be presenting information on Farm and Ranch Financial Management and Cash Leases or Shares. Finally, on March 27, from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Dr. Jane Mangold will be presenting information about rangeland weed management. All of these workshops will be at the Cottonwood Inn and are free of charge. Please call the Valley County MSU Extension ofďŹ ce for more information: 406-

228-6241, or smills@montana.edu. MSU Extension is also offering an Introduction to Beekeeping workshop on March 11 from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Fort Peck Interpretive Center. The biology of bees, beekeeping equipment, an event calendar, as well as the apiary program, honey bee health, and plants and planting for foraging bees are the topics of the program. Registration for the class is requested, please contact the MSU Extension ofďŹ ce in Valley County for more information: 406-228-6241, or smills@montana.edu. Master Gardener level one classes are being offered in Valley County beginning on April 3 at the Fort Peck Interpretive Center. The program is a series of 8, two-hour classes every Monday night through May 22. The classes are designed to offer tips and guidance for successful gardening in Valley County’s climate and soils. Please call the Valley County MSU Extension ofďŹ ce for further information and to pre-register: 406228-6241, or smills@montana.edu.

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A New Holland combine harvests wheat in Sept. of 2016 on Grant and Clayton Zerbe's Farm north of Frazer, Mont.

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March 2017 March 2017

of detail you need, and allow you to track a host of pertinent crop data. They provide an opportunity to make management decisions immediately and with precision that is well below the width of a seeder or sprayer. This approach, often called precision agriculture or “data-drivenâ€? agriculture, offers signiďŹ cant cost-saving beneďŹ ts. However, many questions must be answered as you determine whether a UAV system is right for you. How many acres do you need to photograph in a day? How often? What types of imagery would be best for your operation? What kind of resolution will your management decisions require? Your answers will determine what type of equipment will be needed and whether purchasing or outsourcing is more costeffective. Producers often have enough going on that many might want to outsource this task. There are commercial options for UAV services. However, when considering outsourcing, keep in mind that some amount of

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agronomic expertise is still likely needed for interpreting the information collected. For Markus Braaten, Certified Crop Adviser based in Kalispell, the crux of the matter is this: What questions do you want to answer with aerial imagery, and is UAV technology the best way to answer those questions? Consider how you would expect to use this technology, what value it would bring to you as a producer. You will need to determine whether its beneďŹ ts would justify the cost. UAVs are an emerging technology in the agricultural industry. Their use is not yet commonplace, and issues of privacy have been raised regarding detailed aerial imagery. Discussion continues on what is acceptable use and how UAVs ďŹ t into a producer’s toolbox. Like any new technology, UAVs will continue to get easier and cheaper to use and more prevalent in the industry. Their impact in the agricultural sector will very likely grow.

Weed Control Strategies for Burdock SEAN R. HEAVEY / FOR FARM & RANCH

A Case combine driven by Tom Volk harvests wheat on Don Fast Farmland in front of E.G.T.'s grain elevator complex near Frazer, Mont.

Pictured: Burdock (Arctium minus). STONE TIHISTA FOR FARM & RANCH As your Valley County Weed & Mosquito Coordinator, I would like to call your attention to one problematic plant in particular this month, Burdock. If you have a suggestion, questions, or comments as we attmept to educate the public about weeds and other pests, please write stihista@valleycountymt.gov. The Enemy: Burdock (Arctium minus) Characteristics: This biannual weed is starting to show up in many of our riparian areas such as the river bottoms, ditch banks, and ďŹ elds. In its ďŹ rst year of growth it has large leaves similar to rhubarb. It produces a purple ower but is best known for its hooked spines on the oval shaped seed head (size of a large marble) that ‘hook’ onto everything. The plant can grow as high as 6 feet and the leaves early in the spring can be spread out as far as 4 feet

COURTESY PHOTO / FOR FARM & RANCH

in diameter. Many people falsely call this plant Cocklebur. Attack: This plant hooks onto the hide of any furry animal. Once attached the seed-head can travel numerous miles until it is plucked out by the animal or rubbed off on trees, which is why it is found in many of our riparian areas. The plant does a great job of competing with the native species, but causes most damage by shading out other species, and usually found in riparian areas. Defense: Since this is a biannual plant, digging the plant up is very effective. Make sure that you get at least two inches below the soil surface to ensure that the plant does not regrow. 2,4-D is effective when the plant is young. If you have any questions about species or chemical recommendations contact your local county extension, chemical dealer or weed district ofďŹ ces. Next time you use your Velcro fasteners, remember this terrible weed started it all.

SEAN R. HEAVEY / FOR FARM & RANCH

Drone shot of New Holland combines harvesting wheat at Chicwheat Farms, owned by Grant and Clayton Zerbe, north of Frazer in September 2016.

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March 2017 12 2 March May 2015 2 12 March 2015 2015

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State from Around Around the the State State State FFA FFA Conventions Conventions Draws Draws Students Students from

Aerial Drones in Ag - Page 10 Photos by Sean R. Heavey FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH

kas Johnson, ukas Johnson,Brett BrettJohnson, Johnson,Dallas DallasCapdeville, Capdeville,Kyle KyleAlbus, Albus,Wyatt WyattPattison Pattisonand andAdvisor Advisor Patti Patti Armbrister Armbrister at at state convenstion in Billings. e state convenstion in Billings. WYATT WYATTPATTISON PATTISON HINSDALE HINSDALECHAPTER CHAPTERREPORTER REPORTER

The TheState State(Future (FutureFarmers FarmersofofAmerican) American)FFA FFAConvention Conventionwas washeld held in in Billings Billings on on March March 25 25 -- 28. 28. ver 1,500 Over 1,500FFA FFAmembers membersfrom fromaround aroundthe thestate stategathered gathered to to compete compete in in State State CDEs, CDEs, ranging ranging from from echanics totopublic mechanics publicspeaking. speaking. Ten members Ten membersofofthe theHinsdale Hinsdalechapter, chapter,including includingSophomore SophomoreCache CacheYounkin, Younkin,competed competed in in mechanmechan,s,agronomy, farm business management, star greenhand and state creed speaking. When they agronomy, farm business management, star greenhand and state creed speaking. When they weren’t weren’t

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Creed third place place winner winner and and greenhand greenhandsecond secondplace placewinner winnerMickayla MickaylaJohnson Johnsonaccepting acceptingan anaward awardatatthe the Creed third state convention in Billings. state convention in Billings. competing they went went to to various various workshops workshopspresented presentedby bypast paststate stateofďŹ cers ofďŹ cersand andeven evennational nationalofďŹ cers. ofďŹ cers. competing they Three of our younger members, Elise Strommen, Chaykota Christensen and Halle Beil Three of our younger members, Elise Strommen, Chaykota Christensen and Halle Beil served on the courtesy corp and helped out with contests whenever needed. Our five seserved on the courtesy corp and helped out with contests whenever needed. Our five seniors, Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus and Wyatt Pattiniors, Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus and Wyatt Pattison were awarded awarded their their State State Farmer Farmer Degrees Degrees at at the the State State Degree Degree dinner dinner on on Friday Fridaynight. night. son were There were over 500 members, advisors and their families attending that dinner. Mickayla Johnson There were over 500 members, advisors and their families attending that dinner. Mickayla Johnson competed for star star greenhand greenhand and and received receivedsecond secondplace. place.She Shealso alsocompeted competedwith withother othercreed creedspeakers speakers competed for from around the state and received third. from around the state and received third.

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