Hi-Line Farm & Ranch March 2018

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March 2018 12 12March March2015 2018 12 May 2015 12 12 March 2015 SURVEY

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State from Around Around the the State State State FFA FFA Conventions Conventions Draws Draws Students Students from CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

the surgeon doesn’t think your arthritis is bad enough to warrant joint replacement. This is when disability becomes an issue, and we are concerned that this may affect your ability to work and maintain the productivity of your ranch or farm.

MSU Extension has teamed up with a researcher at MSU, a physician who is a specialist in musculoskeletal medicine, to see if we can create better treatment strategies for osteoarthritis. Our goal in osteoarthritis treatment should not just be pain relief, which is of course important, but also making sure you are able to work and keep your agricultural operation productive. This starts with understanding the issue better, which is why we have developed a survey that we are deploying in ten Montana counties, including Valley County.

This survey seeks to determine how prevalent arthritis, and especially osteoarthritis, is in our ranching and farming community, and to also assess its effect on the economic health of Montana’s ranches and farms.

This survey will soon be online for you FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH to complete from the comfort of your home FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH Creed third place winner and greenhand second place winner Mickayla Johnson acceptingan anaward awardatatthe the Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus, Wyatt Pattison and Advisor Patti Armbrister at Creed third place winner and greenhand second place winner Mickayla Johnson accepting but paper copies currently the Albus, Wyatt Pattison and Advisor Patti Armbrister at Lukas Johnson, Brettare Johnson, Dallasavailable Capdeville,atKyle state convention in Billings. the state convenstion in Billings. state convention in Billings.

Valley Extension ofďŹ ce. If you would the state County convenstion 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. like to share your experiences (eitherWYATT ranch-PATTISON WYATT PATTISON competing they HINSDALE CHAPTER REPORTER Three of our younger members, Elise Strommen, Chaykota Christensen and Halle Beil ing and farming with osteoarthritis or lack of HINSDALE CHAPTER REPORTER 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 searthritis symptoms) with the research team, we served on the courtesy corp and helped out with contests whenever needed. Our five seThe State (Future ofofAmerican) Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus and Wyatt Pattiask you to consider ďŹ lling one out. All ofFFA yourConvention The State (FutureFarmers Farmers American) FFA Conventionwas washeld held in in Billings Billings on on March March 25 25 -- 28.

28. niors, niors, Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus and Wyatt PattiOver 1,500 around the 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. responses are members conďŹ dential, and we will sendgathered Over 1,500FFA FFA membersfrom from around thestate state gathered to to compete compete in in State State CDEs, CDEs, ranging ranging from from son son were mechanics to public speaking.

There were over 500 members, advisors and their families attending that dinner.

Mickayla Johnson you a thank you gift of a $15 cash card for mechanics to public speaking.

There were over 500 members, advisors and their families attending that dinner. Mickayla Johnson Ten ofofthe Hinsdale chapter, for star star greenhand greenhand and and received receivedsecond secondplace. place.She Shealso alsocompeted competedwith withother othercreed creedspeakers speakers your time.

It should you about 15including minutes.

Tenmembers members thetake Hinsdale chapter, includingSophomore SophomoreCache CacheYounkin, Younkin,competed competed in in mechanmechan- competed competed for ics, agronomy, management, around the state and received third.

Please call orfarm stopbusiness by the Valley Countystar Extenics, agronomy, farm business management, stargreenhand greenhandand andstate statecreed creedspeaking. speaking.When When they they weren’t weren’t from from around the state and received third. sion ofďŹ ce to request a paper survey.

What are we going to do with the results from these 10 Montana counties? Like any good research study, you have to show that there is a problem before anyone is willing to provide funding to address the problem, and we

think that the survey data will accomplish

** that, "

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if we have enough ranchers and farmers "

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out the survey. Our ultimate goal will be

# # JAMES WALLING / FOR FARM & RANCH from

# from to create a rural, mobile treatment method for Above: Roubie Younkin from looks on with Bill Uphaus as the two muse over Merla Uphaus’ 4-H Scrapbooks on Feb. 28.

The books date back to 1937 to 1939. Lower-right: each each way way osteoarthritis, but there are quite a few steps Among the memorabilia, each the way Boys including fees includingall all taxes taxes and and and fees Girls Club charter for West Glasgow.

taken ! that need to be before this can become including all taxes and fees

!

a reality. The survey ! is our ďŹ rst step, and we

look forward to working with all of # you to

#

# make this a reality.

To contact Younkin, call the MSU Extension

imaginable 4-H event from the time from A.J. ETHERINGTON ofďŹ ce in Glasgow at 406-228-6200 or email at baby beef sales to egg grading events. To FOR FARM & RANCH valley@montana.edu.

say it stirred nostalgia in the ofďŹ ce was an

understatement.

When Bill Uphaus received his late Aunt Younkin hopes to preserve the original Merla Uphaus’ 4-H scrapbooks from his scrapbooks as the condition is deteriorating, Cousin, Joy Jenne, in Renton, Wash., he knew and then she hopes to display them at the Valthat he should bring them to Roubie Younkin at ley County Pioneer Museum. the MSU Extension OfďŹ ce in Valley County.

Enjoy Enjoythe theride. ride.

Younkin also expressed hopes that the muUphaus delivered the scrapbooks on Enjoy the ride. seum would be able to carve out some space Wednesday, Feb. 28, and he and Younkin to show off other 4-H memorabilia, but she reminisced about the organization's history in also clariďŹ ed that she had no current plans to Valley County. exhibit in Glasgow.

According to the scrapbooks Merla Uphaus ANDREW MCKEAN/ /FOR FORTHE THE HI-LINE FARM RANCH ANDREW MCKEAN &&RANCH capeair.com capeair.com 800-CAPE-AIR capeair.com 800-CAPE-AIR 800-CAPE-AIR To contact Younkin, call theHI-LINE MSUFARM Extension was likely with the West Glasgow Sewing 4-H Lih-An Ellis McKean work on clearing out a beaver dam along the Little Brazil Creek, Yang, Merlin, Iris and Ellis McKean work on clearing out a beaver dam along the Little Brazil Creek, ofďŹ ce in Glasgow at 406-228-6200 or email at Club, and one ofnotnot the two books contained the *Fares subjecttoto availability and other conditions. notice, and are guaranteed until ticketed. *Fares aresubject toavailability availabilityand andother otherconditions. conditions.Fares Faresmay maychange changewithout without notice, and are not guaranteed until ticketed. *Fares are may change without notice, and are guaranteed until ticketed. valley@montana.edu.

1937 charter for the club. The rest of the book southwest of Glasgow. was ďŹ lled with news clippings about every

IfIf save both. both. time is money, money, save If time time is is money,

PUTTING IN SOME DAM DAM WORK WORK

52 52

$$

Uphaus Shares History with Extension Office

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Bulls Stay Stay Steady Steady Bulls

Local History with MSU Extension - Page 12 The Month in Weather - Page 2

Bullsales salesremain remainstrong strongand andthe themarket market Master Gardener Workshops - Page 3 Bull

remainsatataasteady steadyhigh high//Page Page2 2 remains

2 2

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March March2018 2018

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ROUBIE YOUNKIN, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH As you know, we at MSU Extension are just as concerned about you as we are about your agricultural operations. There are certainly no shortage of topics, when it comes to your health, but the causes of physical disability would have to rank towards the top for ranchers and farmers, because without the ability to perform physical work, there is no agricultural operation or production.

So let’s talk about arthritis. Arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability, affecting about 23% of adults in Montana, and osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis.

The main difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is the cause behind the joint symptoms. Osteoarthritis is caused by mechanical wear and tear on joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks

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the body’s joints. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, but hips, knees and hands are most often affected.

Ranchers and farmers, unfortunately, have more arthritis than the general population. It is not clear why this is the case, as physical activity by itself is actually good for joints.

But joint injury and overloading of joints, as well as carrying around too much weight on our bodies, are all risk factors for osteoarthritis, and these are all things that can happen in our agricultural community.

Our treatment strategies for osteoarthritis are not really optimal. There is pain medication, and staying active helps, as does weight loss. These are effective for mild osteoarthritis. When arthritis becomes severe, there is joint replacement, but there is this big middle ground, when osteoarthritis is painful enough that conservative therapies are inadequate, but

HEMLOCK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 competitive in moister soils but can tolerate drought due to its large taproot.

All parts of the hemlock plant are highly toxic to humans and livestock, with the roots and lower stems being most toxic. Two alkaloids that affect the reproductive system and the central nervous system are responsible for the poisonous nature of the plant. Symptoms of poisoning can occur in as little as 30 minutes and include nervousness, trembling, muscular weakness, loss of coordination, dilation of the pupils, a weak or slow heartbeat, coma and eventually death from respiratory paralysis.

Though all classes of livestock are affected by hemlock, cattle, goats and horses are particularly sensitive to the poisonous alkaloids.

To manage poison hemlock it is critical to prevent the plant from expanding its infestation. Spot applications of herbicides or manually removing the plant with a hoe will help to manage small infestations, but larger infestations may require a more aggressive approach.

Halting seed production is critical to reducing its expansion since that is its only method of reproduction, so mowing can be used as a control measure. Always wear gloves when touching the plant, particularly the roots and lower stems For more information on Poison Hemlock contact your local MSU Extension ofďŹ ce and ask for the MontGuide for hemlock written by Monica Pokorny, Stacy Davis and Jane Mangold.

Call the MSU Extension ofďŹ ce in Glasgow at 406-228-6200 or email at valley@montana. edu.

See SURVEY Page 12

Cathryn Reitler, Fine Artist

SERVING AREA âœŻ LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS FOR 72 YEARS!

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MSU Extension Seeks Input

NEW & USED TRUCKS AND CARS

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

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MARY KATE TESKE / FOR FARM & RANCH

A look at Highway 2 near Glasgow in February. Photographer Mary Kate Teske also shot OUR COVER this month, which features a trio of fisherman checking the ice in front of the Fort Peck Dam on Feb. 9.

The Month in Weather JAMES WALLING FOR FARM & RANCH

February 2018 will be remembered for one thing, abundant cold. For most locations across the Hi-Line the month ďŹ nished in the top 5 coldest of all time. Arctic high pressure ruled for the majority of the month, driven by a weak La-Nina pattern, which is a cooling of the waters in the PaciďŹ c Ocean off the coast of South America. For the most part, the region has done well precipitation wise, especially west of Glasgow and Jordan.

Glasgow finished the month with .78� which is .52� above the monthly normal.

That puts us at 1.15� on the year, which is .52� above normal. This increase in precipitation will help put a dent in our long term drought, but it will take quite a bit more to

overcome the 12 month deďŹ cit of 4.5â€?. It is also worth mentioning that the northeast corner of the Treasure State hasn’t been as fortunate with recent snowfall. Daniels and Sheridan counties have been largely missed by recent snowstorms, and are in dire need of precipitation.

With that said, some improvement was reected in the U.S. drought monitor over the central part of the state, with Montana now showing less than 40 percent of the state impacted by drought. There is also some good news out there for irrigators; mountain snow pack is well above seasonal normals, with some areas topping out at 160 percent of normal for late February. This should result in some good sustained runoff for the Milk, Missouri, and Yellowstone rivers through the spring time.

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March 8 - 9, 2018 Glasgow Time:

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Participation in this workshop will satisfy the ĆŒÄžĆ‹ĆľĹ?ĆŒÄžĹľÄžĹśĆšĆ? ŽĨ &Ä‚ĆŒĹľ ^ÄžĆŒÇ€Ĺ?Ä?Äž Ĺ?ĞŜÄ?LJ WĆŒĹ˝ÄšĆľÄ?ĆšĹ?ŽŜ ĂŜĚ &Ĺ?ŜĂŜÄ?Ĺ?Ä‚ĹŻ DĂŜĂĹ?ĞžĞŜƚ dĆŒÄ‚Ĺ?ĹśĹ?ĹśĹ?͘

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Finance, Marketing, and Decision Tools  Enterprise Cost Budgets  Personal Financial Management  Marketing and Livestock Grain  Contributions Approach to Leasing  Mechanics of Basis  Disaster Assistance and Tax Considerations Insurance and Marketing  Family Business  Risk Management  Crop Insurance  Financing Your Farm or Ranch  Pulse Crops: Economic Considerations  Ten Habits of ProďŹ table Farmer

MSU Extension if oering these workshops at no cost.

Registration is Required, please contact: Keri Hayes (khayes@montana.edu) 406-994-3511 or George Haynes (haynes@montana.edu) 406-994-5012

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Montana State University Extension is an ADA/EO/AA/Veteran’s Preference Employer and Provider of Educational Outreach.

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BLM Issues Land Payments to Montana BRIAN LOMBARD FOR FARM & RANCH

The BLM recently announced the distribution of more than $326,000 to ten counties in Montana and three in New Mexico. These payments were made possible through the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937, which allowed the federal government to purchase damaged rangelands in the aftermath of a series of agricultural sector crises in the 1920s.

The BLM manages these national grasslands lands as part of its multiple-use mission and pays counties 25 percent of the net receipts derived from those lands.

The payments to ten counties in Montana total more than $314,000 while three New Mexico counties will be paid more than $11,000. The payments made in 2018 are from receipts collected by the BLM in

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MSU Extension Economists George Haynes, Kate Fuller, and Joel Schumacher will offer Farm Management Workshops in ďŹ ve communities in January – March 2018. Other faculty members contributing to these workshops include Agricultural Economists Anton Bekkerman, Joseph Janzen, Gary Brester, and Eric Belasco; Family Economist Marsha Goetting, Plant Pathologist Mary Burrows, Cropping Systems Specialist Kent McVay, and Beef Cattle Specialist Rachel Endecott.

Workshops are scheduled for two days, and will cover the following topics: Fi-

nancial analysis and enterprise budgeting, risk management, marketing of grain and cattle, disaster assistance and tax considerations, agricultural policy issues, estate planning; and crop and livestock production.

The Farm Management Workshop will be held in Glasgow on March 8-9 at the Cottonwood Inn and Suites.

Participation in these workshops will satisfy the requirements for Farm Service Agency Production and Financial Management Training. There is no cost for this workshop. Please register by contacting Keri Hayes (406-994-3511 or khayes@montana.edu) or George Haynes (406-994-5012 or haynes@ montana.edu).

Master Gardener Workshops SHELLEY MILLS, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH Valley County MSU Extension is offering an eight-week Level 1 Extension Master Gardener course to teach basic yard and garden installation and maintenance, which is great for beginners and is a good refresher for intermediate to advanced gardeners. The MSU Extension Service in Valley County will be providing the 8 week Level 1 course for

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Master Gardeners, beginning March 12 The classes will be taught on Monday evenings from 6-8 p.m. at the Valley County Courthouse (either the community room or the law library).

This is a fabulous opportunity to learn how to garden in northeastern Montana which can be quite challenging, particularly if you are not from the area.

Don’t forget to contact the Valley County MSU Extension OfďŹ ce to register for this and other programs in advance at 406-228-6241

For Sale Now Private Treaty at the Ranch

& NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA Purple mottling on lower stem of poison hemlock.

CHRIS EVANS / FOR FARM & RANCH

Spotting Poison Hemlock SHELLEY MILLS, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH We’ve had quite a few questions and requests for identiďŹ cation of a large plant that resembles wild carrot a.k.a. Queen Anne’s lace. The plant is Poison Hemlock and it has been cropping up throughout the region in areas like gardens, shelterbelts, and even back alleys.

Poison hemlock is a member of the parsley or carrot family Apiaceae which it can be mistaken for. It can reach heights of three to eight feet tall and has a deep taproot. The root has an odor similar to carrots or parsnips, but the foliage has a deep musty smell. It is a biennial, producing a large rosette the ďŹ rst year and usually remains in the vegetative state until the second year when it produces tall owering shoots. The owering shoots are hollow with the exception of where the leaf branches attach (nodes). The leaves are alternately arranged on the stem and can be quite large – up to 12

inches long and four inches wide. They are pinnately compound meaning that they are made up of several pairs of leaets attached to a leaf stem.

One key diagnostic characteristic of hemlock is the purple mottling on the lower stem.

Hemlock also lacks the hairs that are found on the stems and leaves of other members of the carrot family. Flowering occurs in July and August with white owers arranged in a broad umbrella shape comprised of a bunch of small owers on a single stem branching from the terminal stalk.

Poison hemlock is from Europe and was introduced to North American in the 1800’s as an ornamental. It has been very successful at self-distribution throughout most of North America. It grows where there is adequate moisture and frequent disturbance such as along stream beds and ood plains. It is more See HEMLOCK Page 11

March March 2018 2018

Economists Offer Tips

SHELLEY MILLS, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH

2017. “The Bureau of Land Management values the partnerships created with county ofďŹ cials through this program, as they are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands,â€? said Brian Steed, BLM’s Deputy Director for Programs and Policy. “We look forward to working with county ofďŹ cials to ensure that this program continues to support those communities within Montana and New Mexico,â€? continued Steed.

Payments made through the authority of the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act are essential to these counties as they provide for public services, including road maintenance and schools.

The Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 was created in response to a series of agricultural sector crises of the 1920s, including drought, insufďŹ cient rainfall, falling prices, insect plagues, isolation, and poverty.

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March 2018

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Pulse nutrition for healthy crops Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com When Clain Jones, Montana State University Extension Soil Fertility specialist came to Havre Jan. 8 to speak at the 2018 Golden Triangle Cropping Seminar, north-central Montana was coming off a year of significant drought and still had an unknown winter moisture future. But with spring on the horizon and record snowfall and low temperatures already in the books, Jones’ basic advice to pulse growers, to be careful fertilizing and test soils, still holds true for spring 2018.

Montana is the leading U.S. pulse grower, passing 1 million acres of pulses in 2017, Jones said, and now 40 to 60 percent of producers have tried growing pulses, though 10 years ago that number would have been around 10 percent and many producers thought the differences in planting and harvesting pulses was too daunting.

“It seems once people have done it once they’re like ‘Hey, that wasn’t that bad. I know I have to harvest slower or seed slower, but I made a little more money this year considering I didn’t have to put on much fertilizer and prices are better than for winter wheat,’” he said, “and then it seems they often keep growing them.”

They do require some different growing strategies and Jones’ presentation addressed some of the issues.

The take-home message on fertilizing pulses, Jones said, is that pulses are relatively sensitive to seed-placed fertilizer, more so than small grains. As to how much of what to use, he added, a November

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Clain Jones, an extension soil fertility specialist, speaks about nutrient management and fertilization Jan. 8 to a crowd of around 60 people at the Northern Agricultural Research Center.

Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP In a Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018 photo, Mike Knight, co-founder of Clean Fresh Food near Paoli shows off some of the nearly full-grown lettuce grown in his greenhouse that is part of an aquaponics system located on a former dairy farm Farming can many forms but for Mike Knight, it includes tilapia and growing fresh vegetables year round all without dirt.

Knight's aquaponics farm provides fresh vegetables to local grocery stores and restaurants year round.

“We’ve expanded twice to meet the needs of what people are asking for,” said Meunier, who for years had run one of the largest amusement game companies in the state with her husband. “I know we will get to the point where we will make a consistent profit each month, but we’re just not there yet. This entire business is very expensive. I know of several people who have gone into it and are now out of it because it’s too much work.”

The Knights are well aware of the challenges but are determined to find the right system and business model.

They purchased the farm in 2011 and a year later started construction on their $250,000 aquaponics operation, which includes a 7,200-square-foot greenhouse and 2,700square-foot fish building. They began growing fish in four 50-gallon tanks in an old milk house in October 2012, harvested their first vegetables in summer 2013 and harvested their first fish around Thanksgiving of that year, Dagny Knight said.

The farm now produces about 12,000 head of lettuce a month. But other crops like mustard and carrot greens, basil and arugula are

also being grown in the system that uses six troughs, each 8 feet wide, 100 feet long and about a foot deep, each with 100 floating Styrofoam mats.

The water in the 55,000-gallon system is fertilized naturally by the tilapia that swim in 12 1,200-gallon plastic tanks in a building adjacent to the greenhouse. The water, the vast majority of which is recycled through the system, comes from the well and is warmed with an outdoor furnace that in 2017 went through 40 cords of wood harvested from the farm.

“This is the result of entrepreneurial ADD,” Mike Knight said. “I didn’t grow up on a farm. I grew up on military bases. My whole thing is trying to make this sustainable on its own. If we can do this in this climate, growing these fresh green vegetables, what’s it mean to remote locations around the world and farther-northern climates?”

Knight, 62, who grew up in Utah and is a graduate of Utah State, has a drive for entrepreneurial ventures and has a deep business background. He is the former director of the Applied Population Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in 1993 founded Third

Wave Research Group, a company that provides insights from customers for other businesses, customer-based marketing strategies and behavior-based marketing services. He sold the company in 2010 and now heads Customer Analytics, a company with 365 employees that provides data-mining services for non-health care companies looking to expand their business.

The lettuce and micro greens grown at Clean Fresh Foods are sold to the two Metcalfe’s Markets in Madison, restaurants at Memorial Union and the business school at UW-Madison and to the Downtown Madison restaurants Lucille and Merchant. The tilapia, prolific at fish counters and one of the most consumed foods in the world, are not part of the business plan and are periodically harvested and either composted or given away to family and friends every 12 to 18 months.

But the Knights, who have received guidance from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Roth Fresh Farms in Boscobel, a company that uses tilapia to grow lettuce, micro greens and edible flowers, may switch to bluegill. The beloved pan fish would still

provide the needed fertilizer but could be more marketable to Wisconsin restaurants known for their fish fries and customers with an appetite for the sweet-tasting fish.

The Knights are also looking at ways to increase profits with the vegetables, which could mean focusing more on herbs and micro greens, which could bring in higher prices and generate more revenue. Each 2-foot-by-4foot floating raft can grow about $45 worth of lettuce but about $56 worth of micro greens.

They also want to grow food without government subsidies, are considering adding more troughs and would like to partner with a company to create a brand of herbs. They also want to explore dedicating some troughs to specific businesses that could customize their crops.

“I’m not sure what the exact model is, but I know it’s not just delivering lettuce to restaurants,” Mike Knight said. “At some point, we’re going to go back to more of a regional model. We’ve already done it with beer and whiskey. Just look at all the distillers and breweries. I think it’s the right trend.”

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Aquaponics: Wisconsin's first commercial aquaponics farm opened in 2009 n Continued from page 7

Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP Mike Knight with the tanks of tilapia. Farming can many forms but for Knight, it includes tilapia and growing fresh vegetables year round all without dirt. Knight's aquaponics farm provides fresh vegetables to local grocery stores and restaurants year round. The farm was photographed, Feb. 8.

Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP In a Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018 photo, Ann O'Brien-Schorr, a former nurse who lives near Farm Fresh Foods in the town of Primrose, transfers young lettuce plants to a raft that will float in a trough of water fertilized by the waste of tilapia. The farm harvests about 12,000 head of lettuce a month, which is sold to grocery stores and restaurants.

fish waste from the aquaculture system is broken down by bacteria into dissolved nutrients that are then fed into a hydroponics system to grow vegetables or other plants. The nutrient removal improves water quality for the fish but also decreases overall water consumption by limiting the amount released as effluent, according to a 2017 report by D. Allen Porttillo, an extension and outreach fisheries specialist at Iowa State University.

Like hydroponics, aquaponics systems require less land and water than conventional crop production methods, increase growth rates and allow for year-round production.

Aquaponics farms are dotted throughout the state. They include Lake Orchard Farm Aquaponics near Sheboygan, which harvests 1,100 heads of lettuce a week and also sells tilapia. Floating Gardens Aquaponics near the La Crosse County community of Mindoro opened in 2017 and sells lettuce, kale, basil, chive, lavender, cilantro and other greens to

kale and radishes.

She battles aphids from nearby alfalfa fields, has lost crops due to cold and early on

grocery stores and other retailers in western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota.

In nearby Jackson County, Superior Fresh has one of the largest aquaponics systems in the world. The massive facility in Northfield, just south of the intersection of Interstate 94 and Highway 121, has a 1.3 million-gallon system, a 123,000-square-foot greenhouse designed to produce 1.8 million pounds of leafy greens annually and a 40,000-square-foot fish house that is home to thousands of Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout.

The first commercial aquaponics farm in the state opened in 2009 near North Freedom in Sauk County.

Donna Meunier has a 9,000-square-foot greenhouse that is fed by 10 1,200-gallon tanks brimming with tilapia. Her KP Simply Fresh facility grows 15 to 20 varieties of lettuce for area nursing homes and hospitals and, over the past few years, she’s been experimenting with growing cucumbers, cherry tomatoes,

had to replace her copper pipes leading from the well with PVC because copper is toxic to fish.

www.havredailynews.com soil test might be accurate enough to pinpoint nutrient needs, but many variables that farmers and fields had to contend with over the winter could make testing in early April a good investment, he added.

Jones said that in 2017 he was approached by different producers on 12 cases of failed nodulation in pulse crops, and, though he said he did not yet have a definitive answer to the problem these producers were having, likely culprits and fixes could be found by looking into plant nutrition.

Some factors producers deal with that negatively affect nodulation and nitrogen fixation are out of their control, Jones said, including dry or waterlogged soil; soil PH lower than 5.5 or greater than 8, which can affect which inoculant to use; saline soils and extreme soil temperatures to some extent.

“Probably temperature is more important during storage than in the soil,” he said. “Soil temps can range from 30s to 80s and it’s OK, but seed in the trunk or under a toneau, sitting in the sun sealed in a bag, or in a hot silo or barn” can cause problems.

Other factors can be controlled, he added, including using inoculant specific to the crop and soil conditions; keeping inoculant and seed stored in a cool dark place; using granular inoculant which is more reliable, especially in low-PH areas such as some seen in Chouteau County; and avoid mixing inoculants with fertilizer salts, which can kill the rhizobium.

Nutrients Four nutrients need to be balanced for healthy pulse crops: nitrogen, sulfur, phos-

FARM & RANCH phorous and potassium.

“Normally, as a fertility guy I don’t talk about fertilizing pulses with nitrogen,” Jones said, “but if you have failed inoculation or nodulation then, really, it’s your only choice.”

Producers need to pull some plants at four to six weeks after planting to check for nodule growth. If the plants don’t have nodules, they can’t fix nitrogen themselves and will need to be fertilized to meet their nitrogen needs. After six weeks, Jones said, the pay-off diminishes, and once the plants start flowering adding nitrogen will do no good.

While pulses help increase nitrogen in soil, they also require nitrogen to grow, he said, either through inoculation with a cropspecific rhizobium bacteria or fertilization.

Studies in Denton and Moore in 1999, he said, showed that, in fields that had no recent pulse history, adding inoculant or nitrogen about doubled the harvest. Fields that received inoculant only slightly outperformed those that were fertilized only.

The study also showed fields that were new to pulse crops performed better with a granular inoculant, and those that had been planted with pulses sometime in the previous five years did equally well with cheaper liquid or peat.

Pulses benefit from adding starter nitrogen, Jones said, because very little nitrogen is contributed by nodules until the formation of the third node; until then, the nitrogen has to come from what is available in the top 12 inches of soil. Getting those nodes to form requires a healthy plant and with insufficient nitrogen the plants can get “stuck,” he said.

Also, plants that received starter nitro-

March 2018

5

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Senator Steve Daines, R-Mont., talks to constituents Friday outside the Stricks AG office in Chester. The business processes pulse crops, which are increasingly being raised in the Golden Triangle along with wheat. gen were better able to fight pea leaf weevil, and they matured up to two or three weeks earlier, which often helped the flowering stage beat the hottest weeks of the year, he said. But if the plants do have nodules dry up, stopping nitrogen fixation, growth still occurs because the plants can

access the nitrogen in the soil.

Yellow upper leaves can be a sign of nitrogen deficiency. On the other hand, yellow lower leaves is likely a sulfur deficiency because sulfur is immobile in the plant,and can’t move from lower leaves to the upper

■ See Pulse Page 6

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www.havredailynews.com

Pulse: For the nutrients, timing is crucial

sulfur, phosphorous and potassium, building up the nutrients in the prior crop is helpful And, though it might seem wasteful, double inoculating with different products, especially in fields new to pulses and in years with challenging weather might be worthwhile.

“Three guys in my Stanford (Cropping Seminar) audience had failed nodulation in 2017, and they were going to try different products, and at different times in the growth period of different pulses to see what worked best,” he said. “It seems, on the surface, it’s like ‘God, you know that seems wasteful.’ But when you think about what these guys went through last year and how many bushels they lost, and they’re (thinking) it’s worth it for six more dollars per acre.”

n Continued from page 5 leaves, Jones said.

Sulfur is as important as nitrogen in making protein in small grains and pulses, he added.

“Most people think that nitrogen is all that’s needed to make protein. Well, it turns out that sulfur is very important too,” he said. “Plants don’t need as much of it, but if plants don’t have sulfur the nitrogen is essentially wasted.”

Unfortunately, Jones said, soil tests are not reliable for sulfur and producers will likely have to rely on the results of the previous years’ crop to know if sulfur needs to be added to a field.

Sulfur, he said, leaches very readily out of the top 6 to 8 inches of soil, so when plant roots grow deeper than that they might find sulfur and grow out of the problem.

Elemental sulfur, which works best as a long-term fertilizer, can help build up the soil nutrient in a prior crop and help fight leaching from excess moisture because it released so slowly. But, he said, sulphate works best as a rescue “I recommend basing sulfur rates on previous crop performance, and if you’ve seen sections of the field that maybe exhibit sulfur deficiency hit those areas with sulfate, but also consider replacing the sulfur that the pulse is going to remove,” he said.

Most farmers, Jones said, have a pretty good feel for how much phosphorous is

needed for winter wheat, but pulses can change up those numbers. Winter wheat needs about twice as much phosphorous as pulse crops, but removal of phosphorous from the soil is about equal between the two types of plants.

Without phosphorous, the plants will be smaller and have fewer nodules, thus produce less nitrogen. A study in Sidney showed that adding a little phosphorous bumped the harvest from about 23 bushels to 27, he said.

Pulses require less phosphorous partly because the plants produce less yield, Jones added, but also because the legumes lower the PH right around the roots, creating a condition to make the phosphorous more available, while grains raise the PH around their roots.

Jones said that pulses and inoculants are highly sensitive to fertilizer, so side band application at the time of planting is easier on the plants, but if they’re showing yellow or browning leaves, no of little nodulation or white nodules rather than rosie nodules, which indicates the plant is not actively fixing nitrogen, then the plants need a fertilizer boost to rescue the crop.

The nutrient takeaway

Timing is crucial.

Studies have shown that when producers

FARM & RANCH

Post-drought considerations Coming off a major drought year into what will likely be a year with at least decent early moisture, Jones stressed that soil tests will be a key to growing healthy crops in 2018, recommending that samples be taken at 2- and 3-foot depths Coming off a drought, nutrient levels can be way off of averages for several reasons, he said.

“When you’re thinking about fertility

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) tours a Stricks AG facility foro processing pulse crops with Jillien Streit, part-owner of the company, Feb. 25 in Chester. waited to fertilize nitrogen until eight weeks after seeding, they essentially saw no more yield than in the control group that was not fertilized, he said, making the six-week point the end of a critical time period, and

starter nitrogen can pay off.

The other important measure is to keep from applying the fertilizer directly on the seed or plants, so that means side band application or below the seed. In the case of

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Clain Jones, an extension soil fertility specialist, speaks about nutrient management and fertilization Jan. 8 to a crowd of around 60 people at the Northern Agricultural Research Center.

March 2018

7

post-drought make sure that you account for nutrient removal by when you harvest, what you harvest, the maturity of your residue,” Jones said. “Keep in mind that fall conditions likely influence decomposition rate and nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium availability. It is likely that right now your soil NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) are higher than average.”

Nitrate might be high because the plants weren’t healthy enough to grow and utilize it, so adding nitrogen might raise nitrogen to toxic levels.

On the other hand, he said, nitrogen could be low because of loss of biomass in drought leaving nothing for decomposition.

Haying a crop rather than harvesting, or baling the straw, can alter nutrient levels by pulling out vegetation that would have otherwise broken down over the winter to provide nutrients — potassium especially is removed because the potassium stays in the stem and leaf of the plant rather than going into the grain, he said. Small, drought-affected plants with shallow root systems will use nutrients in upper soil levels, but leave deeper soil nutrient rich.

Numerous studies show that soil tests taken in August generally have little correlation with the soil is like in the spring, he said.

“If you were to use late August soil sampling to determine fertilization requirements,” he said, “you could be way off.”

November tests generally come closer, he said, but for this year he recommended early April testing with so much snow after a drought year.

“When pulse prices are high, fertilization can pay for itself as long as water isn’t limiting,” he said. “Here in Hill County there aren’t many years when it’s not an issue.”

Wisconsin producers turn to aquaponics farming LEFURGEY FAMILY · LOMA, MT Read stories from our members at MontanaFarmersUnion.com

THE POWER OF MANY MEANS

THE POWER OF YOU Montana Farmers Union has spent the last century connecting Montana farmers and ranchers in our communities through cooperation, education, and legislation.

Because successful farmers and ranchers are good for everyone in Montana.

406·452·6406 / 800·234·4071 MontanaFarmersUnion.com

By BARRY ADAMS Wisconsin State Journal PRIMROSE, Wis. (AP) — The farmland along Sun Valley Parkway east of Paoli is still fertile soil for corn, soybeans, alfalfa and other traditional crops.

But a 120-acre farm established in the 1800s along a rail line that is now the Badger State Trail is trying to make a year-round business out of lettuce, herbs and micro greens, thanks to a greenhouse, tanks of tilapia and the entrepreneurial drive of its owners and small staff.

Clean Fresh Foods is the creation of Mike and Dagny Knight, who are skipping the dirt. Instead, their aquaponics farm uses tanks and troughs of well water in an attempt to reach profitability, capitalize on the local food movement and provide fresh greens to restaurants, grocery stores and institutions, even when their Dane County property is smothered in February snow.

“I think we’re just on the edge of profitability,” former nurse Dagny Knight told the Wisconsin State Journal. “If we can figure out this micro greens piece and get into the farmers market niche, that would be a good step in the right direction. We’re just so close to breaking through that profitability mark.”

Aquaponics is a combination of hydroponics and aquaculture in which

■ See Aquaponics Page 8 Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP Aquaponics is a combination of hydroponics and aquaculture in which fish waste from the aquaculture system is broken down by bacteria into dissolved nutrients that is then fed into a hydroponics system to grow vegetables or other plants. The nutrient removal improves water quality for the fish but also decreases overall water consumption by limiting the amount released as effluent. The farm was photographed, Feb. 8.

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March 2018

Hi-Line

www.havredailynews.com

www.havredailynews.com

Pulse: For the nutrients, timing is crucial

sulfur, phosphorous and potassium, building up the nutrients in the prior crop is helpful And, though it might seem wasteful, double inoculating with different products, especially in fields new to pulses and in years with challenging weather might be worthwhile.

“Three guys in my Stanford (Cropping Seminar) audience had failed nodulation in 2017, and they were going to try different products, and at different times in the growth period of different pulses to see what worked best,” he said. “It seems, on the surface, it’s like ‘God, you know that seems wasteful.’ But when you think about what these guys went through last year and how many bushels they lost, and they’re (thinking) it’s worth it for six more dollars per acre.”

n Continued from page 5 leaves, Jones said.

Sulfur is as important as nitrogen in making protein in small grains and pulses, he added.

“Most people think that nitrogen is all that’s needed to make protein. Well, it turns out that sulfur is very important too,” he said. “Plants don’t need as much of it, but if plants don’t have sulfur the nitrogen is essentially wasted.”

Unfortunately, Jones said, soil tests are not reliable for sulfur and producers will likely have to rely on the results of the previous years’ crop to know if sulfur needs to be added to a field.

Sulfur, he said, leaches very readily out of the top 6 to 8 inches of soil, so when plant roots grow deeper than that they might find sulfur and grow out of the problem.

Elemental sulfur, which works best as a long-term fertilizer, can help build up the soil nutrient in a prior crop and help fight leaching from excess moisture because it released so slowly. But, he said, sulphate works best as a rescue “I recommend basing sulfur rates on previous crop performance, and if you’ve seen sections of the field that maybe exhibit sulfur deficiency hit those areas with sulfate, but also consider replacing the sulfur that the pulse is going to remove,” he said.

Most farmers, Jones said, have a pretty good feel for how much phosphorous is

needed for winter wheat, but pulses can change up those numbers. Winter wheat needs about twice as much phosphorous as pulse crops, but removal of phosphorous from the soil is about equal between the two types of plants.

Without phosphorous, the plants will be smaller and have fewer nodules, thus produce less nitrogen. A study in Sidney showed that adding a little phosphorous bumped the harvest from about 23 bushels to 27, he said.

Pulses require less phosphorous partly because the plants produce less yield, Jones added, but also because the legumes lower the PH right around the roots, creating a condition to make the phosphorous more available, while grains raise the PH around their roots.

Jones said that pulses and inoculants are highly sensitive to fertilizer, so side band application at the time of planting is easier on the plants, but if they’re showing yellow or browning leaves, no of little nodulation or white nodules rather than rosie nodules, which indicates the plant is not actively fixing nitrogen, then the plants need a fertilizer boost to rescue the crop.

The nutrient takeaway

Timing is crucial.

Studies have shown that when producers

FARM & RANCH

Post-drought considerations Coming off a major drought year into what will likely be a year with at least decent early moisture, Jones stressed that soil tests will be a key to growing healthy crops in 2018, recommending that samples be taken at 2- and 3-foot depths Coming off a drought, nutrient levels can be way off of averages for several reasons, he said.

“When you’re thinking about fertility

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) tours a Stricks AG facility foro processing pulse crops with Jillien Streit, part-owner of the company, Feb. 25 in Chester. waited to fertilize nitrogen until eight weeks after seeding, they essentially saw no more yield than in the control group that was not fertilized, he said, making the six-week point the end of a critical time period, and

starter nitrogen can pay off.

The other important measure is to keep from applying the fertilizer directly on the seed or plants, so that means side band application or below the seed. In the case of

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Clain Jones, an extension soil fertility specialist, speaks about nutrient management and fertilization Jan. 8 to a crowd of around 60 people at the Northern Agricultural Research Center.

March 2018

7

post-drought make sure that you account for nutrient removal by when you harvest, what you harvest, the maturity of your residue,” Jones said. “Keep in mind that fall conditions likely influence decomposition rate and nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium availability. It is likely that right now your soil NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) are higher than average.”

Nitrate might be high because the plants weren’t healthy enough to grow and utilize it, so adding nitrogen might raise nitrogen to toxic levels.

On the other hand, he said, nitrogen could be low because of loss of biomass in drought leaving nothing for decomposition.

Haying a crop rather than harvesting, or baling the straw, can alter nutrient levels by pulling out vegetation that would have otherwise broken down over the winter to provide nutrients — potassium especially is removed because the potassium stays in the stem and leaf of the plant rather than going into the grain, he said. Small, drought-affected plants with shallow root systems will use nutrients in upper soil levels, but leave deeper soil nutrient rich.

Numerous studies show that soil tests taken in August generally have little correlation with the soil is like in the spring, he said.

“If you were to use late August soil sampling to determine fertilization requirements,” he said, “you could be way off.”

November tests generally come closer, he said, but for this year he recommended early April testing with so much snow after a drought year.

“When pulse prices are high, fertilization can pay for itself as long as water isn’t limiting,” he said. “Here in Hill County there aren’t many years when it’s not an issue.”

Wisconsin producers turn to aquaponics farming LEFURGEY FAMILY · LOMA, MT Read stories from our members at MontanaFarmersUnion.com

THE POWER OF MANY MEANS

THE POWER OF YOU Montana Farmers Union has spent the last century connecting Montana farmers and ranchers in our communities through cooperation, education, and legislation.

Because successful farmers and ranchers are good for everyone in Montana.

406·452·6406 / 800·234·4071 MontanaFarmersUnion.com

By BARRY ADAMS Wisconsin State Journal PRIMROSE, Wis. (AP) — The farmland along Sun Valley Parkway east of Paoli is still fertile soil for corn, soybeans, alfalfa and other traditional crops.

But a 120-acre farm established in the 1800s along a rail line that is now the Badger State Trail is trying to make a year-round business out of lettuce, herbs and micro greens, thanks to a greenhouse, tanks of tilapia and the entrepreneurial drive of its owners and small staff.

Clean Fresh Foods is the creation of Mike and Dagny Knight, who are skipping the dirt. Instead, their aquaponics farm uses tanks and troughs of well water in an attempt to reach profitability, capitalize on the local food movement and provide fresh greens to restaurants, grocery stores and institutions, even when their Dane County property is smothered in February snow.

“I think we’re just on the edge of profitability,” former nurse Dagny Knight told the Wisconsin State Journal. “If we can figure out this micro greens piece and get into the farmers market niche, that would be a good step in the right direction. We’re just so close to breaking through that profitability mark.”

Aquaponics is a combination of hydroponics and aquaculture in which

■ See Aquaponics Page 8 Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP Aquaponics is a combination of hydroponics and aquaculture in which fish waste from the aquaculture system is broken down by bacteria into dissolved nutrients that is then fed into a hydroponics system to grow vegetables or other plants. The nutrient removal improves water quality for the fish but also decreases overall water consumption by limiting the amount released as effluent. The farm was photographed, Feb. 8.

8

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FARM & RANCH

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www.havredailynews.com

Aquaponics: Wisconsin's first commercial aquaponics farm opened in 2009 n Continued from page 7

Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP Mike Knight with the tanks of tilapia. Farming can many forms but for Knight, it includes tilapia and growing fresh vegetables year round all without dirt. Knight's aquaponics farm provides fresh vegetables to local grocery stores and restaurants year round. The farm was photographed, Feb. 8.

Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP In a Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018 photo, Ann O'Brien-Schorr, a former nurse who lives near Farm Fresh Foods in the town of Primrose, transfers young lettuce plants to a raft that will float in a trough of water fertilized by the waste of tilapia. The farm harvests about 12,000 head of lettuce a month, which is sold to grocery stores and restaurants.

fish waste from the aquaculture system is broken down by bacteria into dissolved nutrients that are then fed into a hydroponics system to grow vegetables or other plants. The nutrient removal improves water quality for the fish but also decreases overall water consumption by limiting the amount released as effluent, according to a 2017 report by D. Allen Porttillo, an extension and outreach fisheries specialist at Iowa State University.

Like hydroponics, aquaponics systems require less land and water than conventional crop production methods, increase growth rates and allow for year-round production.

Aquaponics farms are dotted throughout the state. They include Lake Orchard Farm Aquaponics near Sheboygan, which harvests 1,100 heads of lettuce a week and also sells tilapia. Floating Gardens Aquaponics near the La Crosse County community of Mindoro opened in 2017 and sells lettuce, kale, basil, chive, lavender, cilantro and other greens to

kale and radishes.

She battles aphids from nearby alfalfa fields, has lost crops due to cold and early on

grocery stores and other retailers in western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota.

In nearby Jackson County, Superior Fresh has one of the largest aquaponics systems in the world. The massive facility in Northfield, just south of the intersection of Interstate 94 and Highway 121, has a 1.3 million-gallon system, a 123,000-square-foot greenhouse designed to produce 1.8 million pounds of leafy greens annually and a 40,000-square-foot fish house that is home to thousands of Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout.

The first commercial aquaponics farm in the state opened in 2009 near North Freedom in Sauk County.

Donna Meunier has a 9,000-square-foot greenhouse that is fed by 10 1,200-gallon tanks brimming with tilapia. Her KP Simply Fresh facility grows 15 to 20 varieties of lettuce for area nursing homes and hospitals and, over the past few years, she’s been experimenting with growing cucumbers, cherry tomatoes,

had to replace her copper pipes leading from the well with PVC because copper is toxic to fish.

www.havredailynews.com soil test might be accurate enough to pinpoint nutrient needs, but many variables that farmers and fields had to contend with over the winter could make testing in early April a good investment, he added.

Jones said that in 2017 he was approached by different producers on 12 cases of failed nodulation in pulse crops, and, though he said he did not yet have a definitive answer to the problem these producers were having, likely culprits and fixes could be found by looking into plant nutrition.

Some factors producers deal with that negatively affect nodulation and nitrogen fixation are out of their control, Jones said, including dry or waterlogged soil; soil PH lower than 5.5 or greater than 8, which can affect which inoculant to use; saline soils and extreme soil temperatures to some extent.

“Probably temperature is more important during storage than in the soil,” he said. “Soil temps can range from 30s to 80s and it’s OK, but seed in the trunk or under a toneau, sitting in the sun sealed in a bag, or in a hot silo or barn” can cause problems.

Other factors can be controlled, he added, including using inoculant specific to the crop and soil conditions; keeping inoculant and seed stored in a cool dark place; using granular inoculant which is more reliable, especially in low-PH areas such as some seen in Chouteau County; and avoid mixing inoculants with fertilizer salts, which can kill the rhizobium.

Nutrients Four nutrients need to be balanced for healthy pulse crops: nitrogen, sulfur, phos-

FARM & RANCH phorous and potassium.

“Normally, as a fertility guy I don’t talk about fertilizing pulses with nitrogen,” Jones said, “but if you have failed inoculation or nodulation then, really, it’s your only choice.”

Producers need to pull some plants at four to six weeks after planting to check for nodule growth. If the plants don’t have nodules, they can’t fix nitrogen themselves and will need to be fertilized to meet their nitrogen needs. After six weeks, Jones said, the pay-off diminishes, and once the plants start flowering adding nitrogen will do no good.

While pulses help increase nitrogen in soil, they also require nitrogen to grow, he said, either through inoculation with a cropspecific rhizobium bacteria or fertilization.

Studies in Denton and Moore in 1999, he said, showed that, in fields that had no recent pulse history, adding inoculant or nitrogen about doubled the harvest. Fields that received inoculant only slightly outperformed those that were fertilized only.

The study also showed fields that were new to pulse crops performed better with a granular inoculant, and those that had been planted with pulses sometime in the previous five years did equally well with cheaper liquid or peat.

Pulses benefit from adding starter nitrogen, Jones said, because very little nitrogen is contributed by nodules until the formation of the third node; until then, the nitrogen has to come from what is available in the top 12 inches of soil. Getting those nodes to form requires a healthy plant and with insufficient nitrogen the plants can get “stuck,” he said.

Also, plants that received starter nitro-

March 2018

5

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Senator Steve Daines, R-Mont., talks to constituents Friday outside the Stricks AG office in Chester. The business processes pulse crops, which are increasingly being raised in the Golden Triangle along with wheat. gen were better able to fight pea leaf weevil, and they matured up to two or three weeks earlier, which often helped the flowering stage beat the hottest weeks of the year, he said. But if the plants do have nodules dry up, stopping nitrogen fixation, growth still occurs because the plants can

access the nitrogen in the soil.

Yellow upper leaves can be a sign of nitrogen deficiency. On the other hand, yellow lower leaves is likely a sulfur deficiency because sulfur is immobile in the plant,and can’t move from lower leaves to the upper

■ See Pulse Page 6

4

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March 2018

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www.havredailynews.com

www.havredailynews.com

FARM & RANCH

March 2018

9

Pulse nutrition for healthy crops Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com When Clain Jones, Montana State University Extension Soil Fertility specialist came to Havre Jan. 8 to speak at the 2018 Golden Triangle Cropping Seminar, north-central Montana was coming off a year of significant drought and still had an unknown winter moisture future. But with spring on the horizon and record snowfall and low temperatures already in the books, Jones’ basic advice to pulse growers, to be careful fertilizing and test soils, still holds true for spring 2018.

Montana is the leading U.S. pulse grower, passing 1 million acres of pulses in 2017, Jones said, and now 40 to 60 percent of producers have tried growing pulses, though 10 years ago that number would have been around 10 percent and many producers thought the differences in planting and harvesting pulses was too daunting.

“It seems once people have done it once they’re like ‘Hey, that wasn’t that bad. I know I have to harvest slower or seed slower, but I made a little more money this year considering I didn’t have to put on much fertilizer and prices are better than for winter wheat,’” he said, “and then it seems they often keep growing them.”

They do require some different growing strategies and Jones’ presentation addressed some of the issues.

The take-home message on fertilizing pulses, Jones said, is that pulses are relatively sensitive to seed-placed fertilizer, more so than small grains. As to how much of what to use, he added, a November

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Clain Jones, an extension soil fertility specialist, speaks about nutrient management and fertilization Jan. 8 to a crowd of around 60 people at the Northern Agricultural Research Center.

Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP In a Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018 photo, Mike Knight, co-founder of Clean Fresh Food near Paoli shows off some of the nearly full-grown lettuce grown in his greenhouse that is part of an aquaponics system located on a former dairy farm Farming can many forms but for Mike Knight, it includes tilapia and growing fresh vegetables year round all without dirt.

Knight's aquaponics farm provides fresh vegetables to local grocery stores and restaurants year round.

“We’ve expanded twice to meet the needs of what people are asking for,” said Meunier, who for years had run one of the largest amusement game companies in the state with her husband. “I know we will get to the point where we will make a consistent profit each month, but we’re just not there yet. This entire business is very expensive. I know of several people who have gone into it and are now out of it because it’s too much work.”

The Knights are well aware of the challenges but are determined to find the right system and business model.

They purchased the farm in 2011 and a year later started construction on their $250,000 aquaponics operation, which includes a 7,200-square-foot greenhouse and 2,700square-foot fish building. They began growing fish in four 50-gallon tanks in an old milk house in October 2012, harvested their first vegetables in summer 2013 and harvested their first fish around Thanksgiving of that year, Dagny Knight said.

The farm now produces about 12,000 head of lettuce a month. But other crops like mustard and carrot greens, basil and arugula are

also being grown in the system that uses six troughs, each 8 feet wide, 100 feet long and about a foot deep, each with 100 floating Styrofoam mats.

The water in the 55,000-gallon system is fertilized naturally by the tilapia that swim in 12 1,200-gallon plastic tanks in a building adjacent to the greenhouse. The water, the vast majority of which is recycled through the system, comes from the well and is warmed with an outdoor furnace that in 2017 went through 40 cords of wood harvested from the farm.

“This is the result of entrepreneurial ADD,” Mike Knight said. “I didn’t grow up on a farm. I grew up on military bases. My whole thing is trying to make this sustainable on its own. If we can do this in this climate, growing these fresh green vegetables, what’s it mean to remote locations around the world and farther-northern climates?”

Knight, 62, who grew up in Utah and is a graduate of Utah State, has a drive for entrepreneurial ventures and has a deep business background. He is the former director of the Applied Population Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in 1993 founded Third

Wave Research Group, a company that provides insights from customers for other businesses, customer-based marketing strategies and behavior-based marketing services. He sold the company in 2010 and now heads Customer Analytics, a company with 365 employees that provides data-mining services for non-health care companies looking to expand their business.

The lettuce and micro greens grown at Clean Fresh Foods are sold to the two Metcalfe’s Markets in Madison, restaurants at Memorial Union and the business school at UW-Madison and to the Downtown Madison restaurants Lucille and Merchant. The tilapia, prolific at fish counters and one of the most consumed foods in the world, are not part of the business plan and are periodically harvested and either composted or given away to family and friends every 12 to 18 months.

But the Knights, who have received guidance from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Roth Fresh Farms in Boscobel, a company that uses tilapia to grow lettuce, micro greens and edible flowers, may switch to bluegill. The beloved pan fish would still

provide the needed fertilizer but could be more marketable to Wisconsin restaurants known for their fish fries and customers with an appetite for the sweet-tasting fish.

The Knights are also looking at ways to increase profits with the vegetables, which could mean focusing more on herbs and micro greens, which could bring in higher prices and generate more revenue. Each 2-foot-by-4foot floating raft can grow about $45 worth of lettuce but about $56 worth of micro greens.

They also want to grow food without government subsidies, are considering adding more troughs and would like to partner with a company to create a brand of herbs. They also want to explore dedicating some troughs to specific businesses that could customize their crops.

“I’m not sure what the exact model is, but I know it’s not just delivering lettuce to restaurants,” Mike Knight said. “At some point, we’re going to go back to more of a regional model. We’ve already done it with beer and whiskey. Just look at all the distillers and breweries. I think it’s the right trend.”

10 March 2018 10 March 2018

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BLM Issues Land Payments to Montana BRIAN LOMBARD FOR FARM & RANCH

The BLM recently announced the distribution of more than $326,000 to ten counties in Montana and three in New Mexico. These payments were made possible through the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937, which allowed the federal government to purchase damaged rangelands in the aftermath of a series of agricultural sector crises in the 1920s.

The BLM manages these national grasslands lands as part of its multiple-use mission and pays counties 25 percent of the net receipts derived from those lands.

The payments to ten counties in Montana total more than $314,000 while three New Mexico counties will be paid more than $11,000. The payments made in 2018 are from receipts collected by the BLM in

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FARM FARM & & RANCH RANCH

MSU Extension Economists George Haynes, Kate Fuller, and Joel Schumacher will offer Farm Management Workshops in ďŹ ve communities in January â&#x20AC;&#x201C; March 2018. Other faculty members contributing to these workshops include Agricultural Economists Anton Bekkerman, Joseph Janzen, Gary Brester, and Eric Belasco; Family Economist Marsha Goetting, Plant Pathologist Mary Burrows, Cropping Systems Specialist Kent McVay, and Beef Cattle Specialist Rachel Endecott.

Workshops are scheduled for two days, and will cover the following topics: Fi-

nancial analysis and enterprise budgeting, risk management, marketing of grain and cattle, disaster assistance and tax considerations, agricultural policy issues, estate planning; and crop and livestock production.

The Farm Management Workshop will be held in Glasgow on March 8-9 at the Cottonwood Inn and Suites.

Participation in these workshops will satisfy the requirements for Farm Service Agency Production and Financial Management Training. There is no cost for this workshop. Please register by contacting Keri Hayes (406-994-3511 or khayes@montana.edu) or George Haynes (406-994-5012 or haynes@ montana.edu).

Master Gardener Workshops SHELLEY MILLS, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH Valley County MSU Extension is offering an eight-week Level 1 Extension Master Gardener course to teach basic yard and garden installation and maintenance, which is great for beginners and is a good refresher for intermediate to advanced gardeners. The MSU Extension Service in Valley County will be providing the 8 week Level 1 course for

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Master Gardeners, beginning March 12 The classes will be taught on Monday evenings from 6-8 p.m. at the Valley County Courthouse (either the community room or the law library).

This is a fabulous opportunity to learn how to garden in northeastern Montana which can be quite challenging, particularly if you are not from the area.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to contact the Valley County MSU Extension OfďŹ ce to register for this and other programs in advance at 406-228-6241

For Sale Now Private Treaty at the Ranch

& NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA Purple mottling on lower stem of poison hemlock.

CHRIS EVANS / FOR FARM & RANCH

Spotting Poison Hemlock SHELLEY MILLS, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had quite a few questions and requests for identiďŹ cation of a large plant that resembles wild carrot a.k.a. Queen Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lace. The plant is Poison Hemlock and it has been cropping up throughout the region in areas like gardens, shelterbelts, and even back alleys.

Poison hemlock is a member of the parsley or carrot family Apiaceae which it can be mistaken for. It can reach heights of three to eight feet tall and has a deep taproot. The root has an odor similar to carrots or parsnips, but the foliage has a deep musty smell. It is a biennial, producing a large rosette the ďŹ rst year and usually remains in the vegetative state until the second year when it produces tall ďŹ&#x201A;owering shoots. The ďŹ&#x201A;owering shoots are hollow with the exception of where the leaf branches attach (nodes). The leaves are alternately arranged on the stem and can be quite large â&#x20AC;&#x201C; up to 12

inches long and four inches wide. They are pinnately compound meaning that they are made up of several pairs of leaďŹ&#x201A;ets attached to a leaf stem.

One key diagnostic characteristic of hemlock is the purple mottling on the lower stem.

Hemlock also lacks the hairs that are found on the stems and leaves of other members of the carrot family. Flowering occurs in July and August with white ďŹ&#x201A;owers arranged in a broad umbrella shape comprised of a bunch of small ďŹ&#x201A;owers on a single stem branching from the terminal stalk.

Poison hemlock is from Europe and was introduced to North American in the 1800â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as an ornamental. It has been very successful at self-distribution throughout most of North America. It grows where there is adequate moisture and frequent disturbance such as along stream beds and ďŹ&#x201A;ood plains. It is more See HEMLOCK Page 11

March March 2018 2018

Economists Offer Tips

SHELLEY MILLS, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH

2017. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bureau of Land Management values the partnerships created with county ofďŹ cials through this program, as they are vital to managing sustainable, working public lands,â&#x20AC;? said Brian Steed, BLMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deputy Director for Programs and Policy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We look forward to working with county ofďŹ cials to ensure that this program continues to support those communities within Montana and New Mexico,â&#x20AC;? continued Steed.

Payments made through the authority of the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act are essential to these counties as they provide for public services, including road maintenance and schools.

The Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 was created in response to a series of agricultural sector crises of the 1920s, including drought, insufďŹ cient rainfall, falling prices, insect plagues, isolation, and poverty.

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March March2018 2018

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ROUBIE YOUNKIN, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH As you know, we at MSU Extension are just as concerned about you as we are about your agricultural operations. There are certainly no shortage of topics, when it comes to your health, but the causes of physical disability would have to rank towards the top for ranchers and farmers, because without the ability to perform physical work, there is no agricultural operation or production.

So letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about arthritis. Arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability, affecting about 23% of adults in Montana, and osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis.

The main difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is the cause behind the joint symptoms. Osteoarthritis is caused by mechanical wear and tear on joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own immune system attacks

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the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s joints. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, but hips, knees and hands are most often affected.

Ranchers and farmers, unfortunately, have more arthritis than the general population. It is not clear why this is the case, as physical activity by itself is actually good for joints.

But joint injury and overloading of joints, as well as carrying around too much weight on our bodies, are all risk factors for osteoarthritis, and these are all things that can happen in our agricultural community.

Our treatment strategies for osteoarthritis are not really optimal. There is pain medication, and staying active helps, as does weight loss. These are effective for mild osteoarthritis. When arthritis becomes severe, there is joint replacement, but there is this big middle ground, when osteoarthritis is painful enough that conservative therapies are inadequate, but

HEMLOCK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 competitive in moister soils but can tolerate drought due to its large taproot.

All parts of the hemlock plant are highly toxic to humans and livestock, with the roots and lower stems being most toxic. Two alkaloids that affect the reproductive system and the central nervous system are responsible for the poisonous nature of the plant. Symptoms of poisoning can occur in as little as 30 minutes and include nervousness, trembling, muscular weakness, loss of coordination, dilation of the pupils, a weak or slow heartbeat, coma and eventually death from respiratory paralysis.

Though all classes of livestock are affected by hemlock, cattle, goats and horses are particularly sensitive to the poisonous alkaloids.

To manage poison hemlock it is critical to prevent the plant from expanding its infestation. Spot applications of herbicides or manually removing the plant with a hoe will help to manage small infestations, but larger infestations may require a more aggressive approach.

Halting seed production is critical to reducing its expansion since that is its only method of reproduction, so mowing can be used as a control measure. Always wear gloves when touching the plant, particularly the roots and lower stems For more information on Poison Hemlock contact your local MSU Extension ofďŹ ce and ask for the MontGuide for hemlock written by Monica Pokorny, Stacy Davis and Jane Mangold.

Call the MSU Extension ofďŹ ce in Glasgow at 406-228-6200 or email at valley@montana. edu.

See SURVEY Page 12

Cathryn Reitler, Fine Artist

SERVING AREA â&#x153;Ż LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS FOR 72 YEARS!

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11 March2018 201811 March

FARM & & RANCH FARM RANCH

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MSU Extension Seeks Input

NEW & USED TRUCKS AND CARS

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

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MARY KATE TESKE / FOR FARM & RANCH

A look at Highway 2 near Glasgow in February. Photographer Mary Kate Teske also shot OUR COVER this month, which features a trio of fisherman checking the ice in front of the Fort Peck Dam on Feb. 9.

The Month in Weather JAMES WALLING FOR FARM & RANCH

February 2018 will be remembered for one thing, abundant cold. For most locations across the Hi-Line the month ďŹ nished in the top 5 coldest of all time. Arctic high pressure ruled for the majority of the month, driven by a weak La-Nina pattern, which is a cooling of the waters in the PaciďŹ c Ocean off the coast of South America. For the most part, the region has done well precipitation wise, especially west of Glasgow and Jordan.

Glasgow finished the month with .78â&#x20AC;? which is .52â&#x20AC;? above the monthly normal.

That puts us at 1.15â&#x20AC;? on the year, which is .52â&#x20AC;? above normal. This increase in precipitation will help put a dent in our long term drought, but it will take quite a bit more to

overcome the 12 month deďŹ cit of 4.5â&#x20AC;?. It is also worth mentioning that the northeast corner of the Treasure State hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been as fortunate with recent snowfall. Daniels and Sheridan counties have been largely missed by recent snowstorms, and are in dire need of precipitation.

With that said, some improvement was reďŹ&#x201A;ected in the U.S. drought monitor over the central part of the state, with Montana now showing less than 40 percent of the state impacted by drought. There is also some good news out there for irrigators; mountain snow pack is well above seasonal normals, with some areas topping out at 160 percent of normal for late February. This should result in some good sustained runoff for the Milk, Missouri, and Yellowstone rivers through the spring time.

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Finance, Marketing, and Decision Tools ď&#x201A;¨ Enterprise Cost Budgets ď&#x201A;¨ Personal Financial Management ď&#x201A;¨ Marketing and Livestock Grain ď&#x201A;¨ Contributions Approach to Leasing ď&#x201A;¨ Mechanics of Basis ď&#x201A;¨ Disaster Assistance and Tax Considerations Insurance and Marketing ď&#x201A;¨ Family Business ď&#x201A;¨ Risk Management ď&#x201A;¨ Crop Insurance ď&#x201A;¨ Financing Your Farm or Ranch ď&#x201A;¨ Pulse Crops: Economic Considerations ď&#x201A;¨ Ten Habits of ProďŹ table Farmer

MSU Extension if oďŹ&#x20AC;ering these workshops at no cost.

Registration is Required, please contact: Keri Hayes (khayes@montana.edu) 406-994-3511 or George Haynes (haynes@montana.edu) 406-994-5012

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Montana State University Extension is an ADA/EO/AA/Veteranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Preference Employer and Provider of Educational Outreach.

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March 2018 12 12March March2015 2018 12 May 2015 12 12 March 2015 SURVEY

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State from Around Around the the State State State FFA FFA Conventions Conventions Draws Draws Students Students from CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

the surgeon doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think your arthritis is bad enough to warrant joint replacement. This is when disability becomes an issue, and we are concerned that this may affect your ability to work and maintain the productivity of your ranch or farm.

MSU Extension has teamed up with a researcher at MSU, a physician who is a specialist in musculoskeletal medicine, to see if we can create better treatment strategies for osteoarthritis. Our goal in osteoarthritis treatment should not just be pain relief, which is of course important, but also making sure you are able to work and keep your agricultural operation productive. This starts with understanding the issue better, which is why we have developed a survey that we are deploying in ten Montana counties, including Valley County.

This survey seeks to determine how prevalent arthritis, and especially osteoarthritis, is in our ranching and farming community, and to also assess its effect on the economic health of Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ranches and farms.

This survey will soon be online for you FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH to complete from the comfort of your home FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH FOR THE HI-LINE FARM & RANCH Creed third place winner and greenhand second place winner Mickayla Johnson acceptingan anaward awardatatthe the Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus, Wyatt Pattison and Advisor Patti Armbrister at Creed third place winner and greenhand second place winner Mickayla Johnson accepting but paper copies currently the Albus, Wyatt Pattison and Advisor Patti Armbrister at Lukas Johnson, Brettare Johnson, Dallasavailable Capdeville,atKyle state convention in Billings. the state convenstion in Billings. state convention in Billings.

Valley Extension ofďŹ ce. If you would the state County convenstion 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. like to share your experiences (eitherWYATT ranch-PATTISON WYATT PATTISON competing they HINSDALE CHAPTER REPORTER Three of our younger members, Elise Strommen, Chaykota Christensen and Halle Beil ing and farming with osteoarthritis or lack of HINSDALE CHAPTER REPORTER 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 searthritis symptoms) with the research team, we served on the courtesy corp and helped out with contests whenever needed. Our five seThe State (Future ofofAmerican) Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus and Wyatt Pattiask you to consider ďŹ lling one out. All ofFFA yourConvention The State (FutureFarmers Farmers American) FFA Conventionwas washeld held in in Billings Billings on on March March 25 25 -- 28.

28. niors, niors, Lukas Johnson, Brett Johnson, Dallas Capdeville, Kyle Albus and Wyatt PattiOver 1,500 around the 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. responses are members conďŹ dential, and we will sendgathered Over 1,500FFA FFA membersfrom from around thestate state gathered to to compete compete in in State State CDEs, CDEs, ranging ranging from from son son were mechanics to public speaking.

There were over 500 members, advisors and their families attending that dinner.

Mickayla Johnson you a thank you gift of a $15 cash card for mechanics to public speaking.

There were over 500 members, advisors and their families attending that dinner. Mickayla Johnson Ten ofofthe Hinsdale chapter, for star star greenhand greenhand and and received receivedsecond secondplace. place.She Shealso alsocompeted competedwith withother othercreed creedspeakers speakers your time.

It should you about 15including minutes.

Tenmembers members thetake Hinsdale chapter, includingSophomore SophomoreCache CacheYounkin, Younkin,competed competed in in mechanmechan- competed competed for ics, agronomy, management, around the state and received third.

Please call orfarm stopbusiness by the Valley Countystar Extenics, agronomy, farm business management, stargreenhand greenhandand andstate statecreed creedspeaking. speaking.When When they they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t from from around the state and received third. sion ofďŹ ce to request a paper survey.

What are we going to do with the results from these 10 Montana counties? Like any good research study, you have to show that there is a problem before anyone is willing to provide funding to address the problem, and we

think that the survey data will accomplish

** that, "

# $

if we have enough ranchers and farmers "

# $

* "

# $

ďŹ ll

out the survey. Our ultimate goal will be

# # JAMES WALLING / FOR FARM & RANCH from

# from to create a rural, mobile treatment method for Above: Roubie Younkin from looks on with Bill Uphaus as the two muse over Merla Uphausâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 4-H Scrapbooks on Feb. 28.

The books date back to 1937 to 1939. Lower-right: each each way way osteoarthritis, but there are quite a few steps Among the memorabilia, each the way Boys including fees includingall all taxes taxes and and and fees Girls Club charter for West Glasgow.

taken ! that need to be before this can become including all taxes and fees

!

a reality. The survey ! is our ďŹ rst step, and we

look forward to working with all of # you to

#

# make this a reality.

To contact Younkin, call the MSU Extension

imaginable 4-H event from the time from A.J. ETHERINGTON ofďŹ ce in Glasgow at 406-228-6200 or email at baby beef sales to egg grading events. To FOR FARM & RANCH valley@montana.edu.

say it stirred nostalgia in the ofďŹ ce was an

understatement.

When Bill Uphaus received his late Aunt Younkin hopes to preserve the original Merla Uphausâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 4-H scrapbooks from his scrapbooks as the condition is deteriorating, Cousin, Joy Jenne, in Renton, Wash., he knew and then she hopes to display them at the Valthat he should bring them to Roubie Younkin at ley County Pioneer Museum. the MSU Extension OfďŹ ce in Valley County.

Enjoy Enjoythe theride. ride.

Younkin also expressed hopes that the muUphaus delivered the scrapbooks on Enjoy the ride. seum would be able to carve out some space Wednesday, Feb. 28, and he and Younkin to show off other 4-H memorabilia, but she reminisced about the organization's history in also clariďŹ ed that she had no current plans to Valley County. exhibit in Glasgow.

According to the scrapbooks Merla Uphaus ANDREW MCKEAN/ /FOR FORTHE THE HI-LINE FARM RANCH ANDREW MCKEAN &&RANCH capeair.com capeair.com 800-CAPE-AIR capeair.com 800-CAPE-AIR 800-CAPE-AIR To contact Younkin, call theHI-LINE MSUFARM Extension was likely with the West Glasgow Sewing 4-H Lih-An Ellis McKean work on clearing out a beaver dam along the Little Brazil Creek, Yang, Merlin, Iris and Ellis McKean work on clearing out a beaver dam along the Little Brazil Creek, ofďŹ ce in Glasgow at 406-228-6200 or email at Club, and one ofnotnot the two books contained the *Fares subjecttoto availability and other conditions. notice, and are guaranteed until ticketed. *Fares aresubject toavailability availabilityand andother otherconditions. conditions.Fares Faresmay maychange changewithout without notice, and are not guaranteed until ticketed. *Fares are may change without notice, and are guaranteed until ticketed. valley@montana.edu.

1937 charter for the club. The rest of the book southwest of Glasgow. was ďŹ lled with news clippings about every

IfIf save both. both. time is money, money, save If time time is is money,

PUTTING IN SOME DAM DAM WORK WORK

52 52

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Uphaus Shares History with Extension Office

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