Hi-Line Farm & Ranch September 2015

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12 12 September September2015 2015

Accidents and Angels

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Farm Rescue Efforts Pay Off on the Ground KAty hEiNEcKE / FoR FARM & RANch On June 6, Emit Valnes of Eden, SD, along with his roping partner Bill Van Lith and wife Amy, had just dropped off the Van Lith kids with grandparents and were back on the road, headed to a rodeo in Russell, MN. They were in Marshall, MN, traveling 45 mph when Emit removed his seatbelt to take off his jacket. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a car coming at them. It ran a stop sign and drove right in to them.

Bill swerved to the left to avoid the car, but with a horse trailer in tow, it was impossible to avoid being hit by the oncoming car.

The impact caused the car to swing around and hit the passenger’s side where Emit was.

The horse trailer came unhooked, and rolled in the median. Due to the weight of the trailer, the truck kept going and hit the ditch and bounced, throwing them to the opposite side of the road.

Bill sustained bruised ribs, a badly cut left arm and hurt right shoulder. Amy broke some toes and had bruised toes and a badly bruised leg. Emit broke his back, bruised his right elbow and tendon, a nasty cut to his right leg and a 3 inch cut on the left side of his head.

“I remember it all so vividly, like it was slow motion,” said the 91-year-old. “He never looked and never saw us.” The driver of the car died on impact.

After recovering from the accident, the victims of the crash were unable to attend the business of farming and were desperately in

need of help.

Thankfully, the Farm Rescue Program arrived to help at the Valnes Ranch. Many might have heard of the Farm Rescue program.

It is a nonprofit organization that provides planting, haying and harvesting assistance free of charge for farm families who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster.

After the paperwork was submitted, within about two weeks, volunteer Keith Barkema was on site and ready to help with the first cutting of hay.

Keith Barkema of Klemme, IA, has been a volunteer with the program for just over a year. He himself farms about 600 acres and operates five semis on his 140-year-old family farm. He was pleased to be able to help with eight different families last year and he definitely enjoys helping others through his volunteering.

Barkema saw an advertisement in the Green Sheet and farm magazines but decided at first that he just didn’t have time to give up being away from his own farm operation. His son helps at the farm, so it is easier for Keith to pick up and leave to help others as needed.

The former was in the Sisseton area last fall and was familiar with the area.

Barkema is very glad that he changed his mind and joined this great operation. His wife helps out at a nearby state fair promoting the Farm Rescue program.

The family received a message while on

vacation that area residents were in a bind and needed someone to bale hay. Keith didn’t hesitate for a moment and made plans to be at Emit and Jayme’s place in their time of need. He was able to spend a week on the ranch and baled over 400 bales for Emit.

Neighbor Kevin Brooks was around to cut the hay and offered his assistance during the week. Keith formed a nice relationship with Emit and his father, David immediately.

With people like Keith and the Farm Rescue program, along with generous and caring family, neighbors, and friends, the Valnes famjanice shanks/for the farm and ranch ily is going to survive. Each Emit Valnes recovers in his hospital bed from a broken back. day will be a struggle but they will do it together, as Other bruising was found on some vertebrae’s they still have each other.

Good news was received at Emit’s follow- since the initial hospital stay, but it will heal up appointment. The T12 chip inserted to aid in time.

If Emit continues to progress at the current his recovery is fusing to the vertebrae and has pulled away from the spinal cord, relieving pace, he could be out of his back brace in early pressure so they don’t think surgery will be September. It teaches us to not take life for necessary. There is a slight chance of needing granted, as it can change in a moment’s notice, to install a rod in his back for stability but so make the most of every day you have and that won’t be a huge issue for this cowboy. live life to the fullest.

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msu eXtension / for the farm and ranch

Grace Pamkratz is a 4-h alumni and Sheep Superintendent in the Glasgow area.

‘Angels in Blue’ Nonprofit Serves Farm Families in Need – Page 2

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Jayme and Emit Valnes of Eden, SD, were helped by Farm Rescue after a car accident rendered them unable to cut hay.

Angels in Blue

Farm Rescue Helps Families Struck with Misfortune GEoRGiE KulczyK / thE couRiER It’s not a bad thing if you haven’t heard of Farm Rescue. Actually, it’s probably a good thing, since it’s an organization dedicated to helping farm families in crisis.

Founded in 2005, Farm Rescue is a non-profit organization that relies heavily on donations, volunteers, and sponsorships. It’s mission is to help family farmers bridge crises so they have an opportunity to continue viable operations. Farm Rescue provides planting, harvesting and haying assistance to farm families that have experienced a major injury, illness or natural disaster.

Founder and President Bill Gross is no stranger to the challenges of running a farm or ranch. His own family ran into financial trouble when his folks had cattle stolen off their ranch years ago. The youngest of five children, he was able to buy the family farm and still runs cattle and farms on the land today. Gross started Farm Rescue ten years ago with his own money, a handful of volunteers and limited equipment. Today, the company boasts a small staff, over 700 volunteers and numerous sponsors. “We’ve been called the ‘angels in blue’ because all of the volunteers wear blue uniforms,” says Gross. “These people come from all over on their own dimes to help.” Farm Rescue has had volunteers from Texas, Oregon, and other areas working in Montana.

Although the initial intent was to help farm families

janice shanks/for the farm and ranch

Scobey • Flaxville • Peerless • Richland • Opheim • Four Buttes 487-2741

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2015 11 11 September July 2015

Farm Rescue volunteer Keith Barkema loads hay for the Valnes family.

in North Dakota, the company has expanded it’s reach into South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and more recently Montana. A significant roadblock for the company is raising awareness of the services provided. According to Gross, Farm Rescue relies on the media to get the word out about the company. “There’s no way we could afford the kind of publicity we’ve gotten”, he said. “The media has been very gracious in helping Farm Rescue spread the word of our services.”

To date, Farm Rescue has helped more than 330 farm families and assisted 50 families last year. Gross emphasizes that Farm Rescue is not a government program and the services provided are not a handout.

“It’s really a grass roots effort”, says Gross. “Nobody’s throwing money at us and we don’t receive any federal or state funding”. The farm families still provide fuel, seeds, supplies, etc. needed to complete the work. Although actual funds are not distributed to farmers, Farm Rescue does provide the equipment and manpower needed to do the job.

Gross explains that about half of the farm families they are able to help submit their own applications.

The other half are nominated or referred by friends or neighbors that encourage them to apply for assistance.

Despite encouragement, some families are reluctant to accept help and others refuse the offered assistance.

Being able to help farm families also depends on logistics and practicality. Gross explains that they realistically can’t use resources to go several miles to farm just a few acres.

If you are a farm family in need, or you know a family that needs help, visit farmrescue.org or call 701-252-2017. You can also go online to donate, volunteer, watch testimonials or become a sponsor.

You can even shop online at Walmart and Amazon and have a percentage of your purchase donated to Farm Rescue - just use the links located on the Farm Rescue website. Donations are used to pay for the many expenses associated with planting, harvesting and haying of crops. For even more ways to learn about Farm Rescue, check out the links on their website for Twitter, Facebook, & YouTube.

coNtiNuED FRoM PAGE 10 the time to listen and respond to what others have to say. There are a number of things that can improve family communication. Make time to talk. It is especially important to talk about feelings.

Family Strength 4: Community And Family Ties Strong families also tend to be closely involved with the schools, churches, and local organizations that promote the well-being of the community and the individuals.

Ties with relatives, neighbors, and friends are especially important. Busy schedules can make it hard to spend time with people outside the family.

Family Strength 5: Working Together We excel at this in our agriculture community. There is nothing more effective to boost a family’s connection that setting and accomplishing a goal together. Strong families make decisions, solve family problems, and do family work together. Everyone participates.

Parents are the leaders, but the children’s opinions and efforts are invited, encouraged, and appreciated.

Family Strength 6: Flexibility And Openness To Change All families develop habits, routines, and a set of rules. These patterns are ways to deal with day-to-day life. There are a number of common changes most families face. Children get older. Adults switch jobs or retire. Families are reshaped by birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, sickness, and death. Families move to different communities. Family relationships are most likely to remain healthy and strong if family members adapt to these changes.

Spend some time together identifying your family’s strengths. Then celebrate them. From that foundation of existing strengths, choose additional strengths that you can add to your family. Become involved in activities that will help your family build those strengths.

Maintaining family values and strengths becomes even more important as our time together becomes limited. For this reason it is important to make the most of those times we do have together. There are strategies families can use to stay close and connected in our hectic worlds of practice, homework and household and farm/ranch chores. The most effective of which may be relaxing together for a few minutes after everyone gets home. This can lower everyone’s stress and provides time to reconnect after a busy day.

(Building Family Strength, Alabama Extension Publication) Mealtimes – Mealtimes become even more important as children have more demands placed on them. Mealtime is a time to share the good times of the day, to vent about the difficult times, and to experience problem solving and decision making under the careful guidance of a loving parent.

“Your child may be less likely to engage in disordered eating, more likely to eat healthier foods and less likely to be overweight” All three of these statistics are attached to one family ritual—shared mealtimes. (Musick &

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Meier).

Based on information from researchers from Cornell University, evidence to date suggests that family meals do provide benefits for children and youth. Some ways to make sure quality family time is a part of your busy lives include: 1. Set a goal to have regular family meals at least three times per week. This meal could be breakfast or supper just make sure that family members are present and provide an environment for shared conversations.

2. Remember the benefits of consistent family mealtimes. You can set this time based on the schedules of family members. Practice doesn’t get over until 8, the supper is at 8:30 with a snack offered at 6. The routine of family meals can generate feelings of closeness and comfort. (Even when mealtimes feel hectic or disorganized, take comfort in the fact that the simple act of regular mealtimes may be providing your child with stability).

3. Don’t forget, quality of family meals is just as important as quantity. Mealtimes have been noted as one of the most common times children communicate with parents, so if possible, guard your mealtimes from outside distractions. Turn off the TV and cell phones and ask questions to your children about their day, school, friends, goals, etc. Researchers note that family meals may provide a unique context for parents to connect with and share important information with their children (Musick & Meier).

Homework - Schoolwork is a reality that students, parents and consequently families need to face. It is often a source of conflict in most households as families juggle practice schedules, mealtimes, bedtimes and the overall exhaustion of being a student and being a parent. Keep in mind that down time is important for children. Even those who aren’t involved in a practice need time to unwind and refresh before tackling homework. Sitting down to do homework right of the bus is never a good idea. However, may seem ideal to Mom who wants it out of the way before supper.

Everyone should be in a better frame of mind after a break. Schedule a set time for your children to do their homework. The first step is to make sure you or your student knows what the assignments are and when they are due. This may involve quality communication with the school and teachers.

Remember that often teenagers clocks are set differently than adults. They go strong until the wee hours while adults long for a good night’s sleep. Give them some leeway on this one. If they are meeting the demands of school work and meeting their sleep needs, call a truce.

How this all fits in the rural lifestyle: Many deep and important conversations have occurred while packing buckets or shoveling manure. While viewed as work by youth, spending time after school working in the garden, in the shop or in the barn can meet that transitional need to relax before making supper or finishing homework. Agriculture provides a perfect backdrop for family time, effective communication, problem solving, decision making and reconnecting.

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shauna farVer / for the farm and ranch

Martin, Shauna, Kaitlin and terry Farver pose together. they were helped immensely by FSA personnel.

Feeling Out the Farm Service Agency ShAuNA FARVER FoR thE FARM & RANch I’ve decided I’m going to petition for a new National Day of recognition: ‘Hug Your FSA Staff’ Day. For those of you unfamiliar with the vernacular, FSA is the Farm Service Agency. They are the branch of government tasked with administrating various parts of the Farm Bill for farmers & ranchers.

And from the outside looking in, I think their job must be a nightmare.

The Farm Bill, and the myriad of programs that go along with it, can change with each new administration. Just when the staff at hundreds of FSA branches across the nation think they have a handle on it, it’s a whole new ball game.

Complete with new forms to fill out, new rules, new computer software and a group of newly frustrated ag producers to deal with.

I had the opportunity to play my role in the production recently when I stopped in at my local office to sign a few of those new forms. And by a few, I mean about 27.

I was met by a desk piled high with folders, more forms, binders with what I think must have been administrative rules, several cups of coffee, and enough pens and pencils to supply grades K-8 at our school. It looked exactly like my desk and made me feel right at home.

Behind it, was one of our local FSA gals, looking slightly shell shocked. And wearing a smile. Seriously. A great big one.

And get this: When I hinted that I was concerned I might not know the information she needed to complete the forms (because my husband usually made these visits), she told me I’d do just fine, and proceeded to walk me through the whole process, step-by-step.

By the time I was done, I was feeling pretty

confident about my skills in the FSA paperwork Olympics.

Now, I don’t mean for that to sound like I’m incredulous over receiving great customer service from our FSA office. They’re always wonderfully professional and knowledgeable.

The sad truth is that these folks often see farmers & ranchers at our worst. Tired, crabby, and annoyed at trying to decipher three pages of instructions to fill out one form. Impatiently applying for a combine loan halfway through harvest because the old one finally gave up. Or worse: How about venting after just having learned that in spite of losing a whole crop to hail, the program this year doesn’t cover that, or much of it anyway?

I’m as guilty as anyone of not having always behaved my best in the face of their best efforts. We leave dusty butt prints on their chairs, muddy foot prints on their carpet, and greasy fingerprints on their desks.

And still, they're smiling, patient, asking how I was doing, offering encouragement through a less than ideal harvest season. Oh yeah, and sharing a hug.

I left their office with a smile on my own face. And as I thought about it, I realized it’s that way more often than not. My bet is that it’s that way all across the country. FSA offices are administrating farm programs, sharing smiles & doing a little therapy on the side.

To my farming & ranching friends: If you haven’t hugged your FSA staff today, move it to the top of your ‘to do’ list. Just slip on a clean shirt, wipe your feet and wash your hands first.

In the meantime, I’ll get to work on that official National proclamation.

10 10 September September2015 2015

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4-H - What Would We Do Without Volunteers?

RouBiE youNKiN, MSu ExtENSioN FoR thE FARM AND RANch

Photos courtesy of msu eXtension / for the farm and ranch

Pictured above (l-R): cordell younkin and Volunteer Patti Armbrister , cache younkin and Wendy Becker.

Bottom left: Volunteer Patti Armbrister teaches 4-h members to fit cattle for showing purposes.

Back to School Means Making the Most of Family Time RouBiE youNKiN, MSu ExtENSioN FoR thE FARM AND RANch As our children head back to school, parents are faced with the reality that their children now spend more waking hours away from home that they do in our homes.

The traditional family evening together is reserved for old time television and the moments we have together become precious.

These are stressful times for families. Most families face difficult strains on time, money, and emotions. Sometimes homes become the

FARM FARM & & RANCH RANCH FSA’s Conservation Reserve Program Transition Incentive Program Availability

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September 2015 September 2015

place where everyone is worn-out or angry.

But, in spite of these difficulties, there are ways that our families can remain strong and happy.

What makes some families strong? The following is a list of family strengths. As you read about each of these family strengths, decide where your family is already strong.

Then identify one area where you want to be stronger.

Family Strength 1: Caring And Appreciation

Families are strengthened by expressions of caring and appreciation. Even when a family member makes many mistakes, members of strong families find ways to encourage and support each person.

Giving time is an important way of showing caring and appreciation Physical expressions are good ways of showing affection, love, and appreciation.

Good manners and everyday courtesy to a child or a spouse lets the person know that he or she matters.

Family Strength 2: Commitment Members of strong families are committed to the family. They value the things that make their family special. Even when times are hard, they work on problems together.

Family Strength 3: Communication Strong families communicate. They talk.

They share themselves. They share their feelings, hopes, dreams, fears, joys, sorrows, experiences, growth, and needs. They take See BAcK to School, Page 11

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JENNiFER colE / uSDA FARM SERVicE AGENcy FoR thE FARM AND RANch

“Not everything that counts can be counted.

And not everything that can be counted, counts.”

— Albert Einstein Volunteering is about giving, contributing and helping others and the community.

Whatever direction your interest flows there is a place to volunteer and people who will welcome your gift of time. The reasons to volunteer for a variety of reasons. Some wish to share their knowledge, acquire new skills, become involved with a good cause or to give back to their community.

Brodie and Scott Boreson work together as 4-h volunteers.

This is the intrinsic value of volunteering. It is rich and diverse leaders, we have a view into a picture of and ranges from spontaneous acts of kind- education, caring, compassion, dedication ness to organizing hundreds to achieve a and selflessness. Community members who share their vast knowledge with members common goal.

Volunteers take on many forms from fill another important role in our member’s the traditional dedicated volunteer who is 4-H experience. 4-H members themselves willing to devote the time and effort to get become volunteers in almost every aspect of the job done from start to finish to “micro- their club and county experiences. In essence volunteers” who give small increments of volunteering is a “generational linked” trait. time to contribute to the accomplishment of If my grandfather volunteered, chances are a goal. To say that one is more valuable that I will too” the other would be in error.

Thank you all of the many valued 4-H 4-H Volunteers are appreciated in every Volunteers. way, shape or form. Beginning with 4-H

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BOZEMAN - USDA Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Bruce Nelson reminds producers about the availability of the Transition Incentives Program (TIP). TIP assists with the transition of expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land from a retired or retiring owner or operator to a beginning, veteran or underserved farmer or rancher to return land to production for sustainable grazing or crop production.

Enrollment in TIP is on a continuous basis until the total funds authorized for the program are exhausted. As of Aug. 3, Montana had approximately $1.5 million in TIP funds available. Beginning (including veteran), or underserved farmers and ranchers and retired or retiring CRP participants may enroll in TIP during the final year before the scheduled date of CRP contract expiration or on Sept. 30.

For example, if a CRP contract is scheduled to expire on Sept. 30, 2015, the land may be enrolled in TIP from Oct. 1, 2014, through Sept. 30, 2015.

Retired or retiring owners or operators participating in TIP may receive up to two additional annual rental payments after their CRP contract expires provided the beginning

or underserved farmer or rancher is not a family member.

“CRP participants with land expiring on Sept. 30, 2015, and who are interested in transitioning their land to a beginning or underserved farmer and/or rancher should contact the local FSA office right away,” Nelson said. “The deadline to enroll in this year’s CRP Transition Incentive Program is Sept.

30, 2015. Funds are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.”

CRP is a voluntary program that contracts with agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive agricultural land is not farmed or ranched, but instead used for conservation benefits. CRP participants establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, improve the water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Continuous sign-up contracts are 10 to 15 years in duration. FSA implements TIP and CRP on behalf of USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation.

For questions about CRP and any FSA program, contact the local FSA service center office and/or visit Montana FSA online at www.fsa.usda.gov/mt.

Montana Stockgrowers Seeks Nominations for Ranching Woman of the year RyAN GooDMAN, MoNtANA StocKGRoWERS FoR thE FARM AND RANch The Montana Stockgrowers Association is seeking nominations for the 2015 Montana Ranching Woman of the Year. The annual award is presented to an MSGA member who has made great contributions to the Montana ranching community and has gone above and beyond to support their family and friends.

Nominations are due Oct. 31 and the recipient will be recognized at MSGA’s annual convention in Billings, Dec. 3-5.

“Women are often the backbone of Montana’s ranching communities. These women often go above and beyond to support their immediate family members and pitch in whenever the need arises in their communities,” said Gene Curry, MSGA President from Valier. “We look forward to recognizing these accomplished women each year at our annual convention and thanking them for their hard work.”

Last year’s recipient of the Ranching Woman of the Year was Bev Fryer, who ranches with her husband, Ed, near White Sulfur Springs. Alongside raising a family, the Fryers raise cattle at the Castle Mountain Ranch, where Bev takes charge of training horses and calving more than 300 heifers each

spring. Bev is active in area youth and CattleWomen’s activities, ranch rodeos, and guides hunters looking for elk each year.

Past recipients of the award include Glenna Stucky of Avon, Floydena Garrison of Glen, Helen Hougen of Melstone, Marian Hanson of Ashland, Carol Mosher of Augusta and Donna Sitz-Arthun of Billings.

Nomination letters submitted by family or close friends should identify a ranching woman, who is a member of Montana Stockgrowers, describe her role on the ranch, and the characteristics that set her apart when supporting the family and ranch, as well as describe her involvement in community efforts. Biographies should include the ranching woman’s hometown, family members, and number of years involved in ranching activities.

Along with the nomination biography, submissions should include photos depicting the ranching woman’s family, ranch and community involvement.

Nominations should be submitted to the Montana Stockgrowers office by Oct. 31, 2015 via mail (420 N. California, Helena, MT 59601) or email (lorrie@mtbeef.org).

For more information contact the MSGA office at (406) 442-3420 or visit mtbeef.org/ ranching-woman.

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Treasure State Quarter Horses Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com By the time Una Crowley Ford was in eighth grade she was so sure that she wanted to raise quarter horses professionally, that she took all her 4-H earnings, compounded that total with a loan from the bank, and purchased three weanlings.

This was the beginning of Treasure State Quarter Horses, now operated by Una and her husband, Todd Ford, who are breeding American Quarter Horse Association registered performance horses on the historic Young Ranch in the Bear Paw Mountains.

Una said that, when she was young, she spent a lot of time at Bill and Barbara Cowan’s ranch nearby. Barbara recognized Una’s passion for horses and sent the AQHA Journal home with Una, who spent hours pouring over the information and ads and then she caller breeders on her own.

“That’s kind of what got me started,” Una said, joking that, unfortunately, she was calling breeders of halter and Western pleasure show horses.

“My dad and my grandpa were, like, ‘Well, if you really want to do this then you need to get into something we can use out here and do cow (working) bloodlines, performance bloodlines and stuff,’” she said.

Guided by their advice to search out cattle- and performance-type bloodlines, Una took her investment funds and drove with her parents and a cousin to the Crago Performance Horses auction in Belle Fouche, South Dakota. At the time, she said, this was one of the biggest weanling sales held in the country.

“I knew I didn’t have a big enough bank account to go buy anything that was older than that. I would have to start with a baby and work up,” she said.

At the sale, she bought two stallion prospects, one of which — Firemeawinner — became her foundation stud, and a filly, which became her first broodmare. She later added four more broodmares to round out her original herd.

Todd entered into the partnership later.

In fact, he didn’t even ride or know about registered horses until after they got together, Una said, but he quickly immersed himself in every aspect of the operation, from training to doctoring, pedigrees, and horse selection and sales.

“You get a lot of guys that always wanted to be cowboys. … I never wanted to be a cowboy. It never even entered my mind,” Todd said. “I’m still not a cowboy. Yeah, I’ll go move cows and help out with the cows, and calve, and do the whole works, but I’m not a cowboy. I do think that I’ve evolved

into a bit of a horseman, but it all started just riding.”

Una said despite his downplaying his training abilities, Todd has been their coltbreaker from the first year he was out at the ranch and has turned out to be a natural and gifted trainer. Originally, he learned from observing and working with top cutting horse trainers in Canada, then by absorbing

everything he could from training videos and other sources.

“I’ve always been a person that if you’re going to do something then you should do it right and you should put everything you have into it,” Todd said, “so when I saw I was going to be riding horses then I wanted

■ Continued to page 5

Havre Daily News/Pam Burke Una Crowley Ford of Treasure State Quarter Horses returns from putting feed out for her broodmares and foals.

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Horses: Their younger stallion will be campaigning in barrel racing futurities ■ Continued from page 8 to waste my time with this one,’ so they just go right by you and go to something else,” Todd said.

And if it weren't already in their nature to want to please customers, Todd and Una understand that it's good business as well.

“They have choices,” Una added. “They can choose to ride your brand or not ride it.”

Breeding “We are a little bit different because we do about 75 percent speed on cow,” Todd said referring to the fact that stallions are listed on the top line on registration papers, the mare on the bottom line. “Our studs are speed bred, but a lot of our mares are cow bred.”

Disposition is the drive for this breeding choice. Todd and Una said they have found that the offspring will get a desire and ability to run from the sire, but they pick up more of their personality and trainability from the dam. The cow horses are more tractable, maneuverable and responsive to cueing, Todd said.

“They can run all they want,” Todd said with a laugh, “but if they can’t turn, they don’t do you a lot of good.”

“When we do our speed on speed (bloodline crosses), we’ve been really careful,” Una said. “Todd will know how those mares and colts rode. If it’s a lot of run bred but it’s super manageable and down-to-earth still, it’d be OK.” Horse buyers can be pedigree-driven in the modern market, they said, but they’ve found that they have good success with their horses by ensuring that they have proven athletes in their breeding program.

“If you don’t have one of those pedigrees in the top 10 to 15, you have to be conscientious about making sure your mares are proven, or their near siblings or get are proven — every colt must be proven and have a record,” Todd said.

“That’s what we have worked really, really hard at over the last seven to 10 years is building up a mare program that is proven all the way through,” Una said. “If she didn’t prove herself, her colts are already out there.”

Una and Todd work hard to keep in touch with their buyers to check on the progress of their foals as they mature, go into training and get worked. This input from the buyers, most of whom are repeat customers, gives them valuable, first-hand input on the success of their crosses, they said.

A few buyers have now started using their horses in mounted shooting competition, Una said. One horse has qualified for national competition at the AQHA Congress.

“It’s a whole new sport to us, so it’s really cool to see our horses doing something like that,” she said.

Getting this type of input has become much easier with Facebook, Una said.

“I think you have to have the social media now, I didn’t even have Facebook … we didn’t even know what Facebook was until probably, it was about two-and-a-half years ago,” she said, but now it’s a valued tool for keeping them in the loop with what their

Havre Daily News/Pam Burke Three foals and a mare from the Treasure State Quarter Horses herd trot through a pasture in the Bear Paw Mountains where the foals are raised. The rugged hillsides help teach the foals to be handy from a young age. horses are doing out in the world of competition.

Sales

Social media has helped promote sales as well.

While Treasure State Quarter Horses has had a website for almost 20 years, she said, their Facebook page has really bumped up their exposure and requests for catalogs.

They sell foals through private treaty, but every year Treasure State QH has been a guest consignor at the annual Weaver Quarter Horse sale the third Saturday in September.

Stan Weaver, based in Big Sandy, invited Una to put her horses in his inaugural sale 20 years ago when they were both attending the Crago sale where Una got her first horses.

She and Todd put about 20 foals and four or five riding horses in the sale each year.

Todd halter breaks the foals and starts all the ridden horses under saddle.

They don’t put all their foals and broke horses in the sale, but they try to put a variety of foals — from top-end performance horse prospects to quality ranch-type ones and both fillies and colts. While top bloodline weanlings sell for $8,000 up to their top-seller of $12,750, they also have quality weanlings with less high-powered pedigrees that can give people a good youngster for $1,500.

“That’s one thing we like to do, too, is bring something that everyone can afford because I don’t think it does you any good to only bring your $12,000-type options ... that’s not what everybody has,” Una said, “and so I think it’s good that we can bring the lower (priced weanlings) and still not compromise the horse you’re going to get.”

Todd and Una work to show the public

their horses’ successes, but they are realistic about quirks in the market, too. Some of the weanlings they hold back from the sale because they want to see how they do under saddle, perhaps because they are a new

cross, but others are held back simply because of their color.

“Color plays a huge, huge part in it,” Una said. “The lower-end pedigrees, where buyers aren’t looking for high performance, the roans, buckskins, palominos and such work better,” so they’ll hold back some sorrel-colored foals until they are old enough to ride.

“Once you get them broke and riding around, then color doesn’t play near as much of a factor as the babies because then people are like, ‘That horse isn’t going to buck me off. I don’t care if it’s a sorrel or a bay,’” Todd said.

Sometimes all the performance proof a buyer needs is just that display of a good mind, but careful breeding breaks through a lot of those color preference barriers.

“In the past couple years, we’ve had two sorrels and a chestnut that have topped our weaner colts for us, and that’s great because you have people in the crowd who aren’t there to buy color,” Una said. “They recognize that that is the colt that should’ve sold for the most based off the papers, what the mom has done, what the dad has done, what the siblings have done.”

Still, they said, one of the best measures that their performance horse breeding program is doing well comes from their customers “We have a very large amount of our customers, clients, that are repeat buyers, which we are incredibly fortunate to have,” Una said.

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■ Continued from page 3 to do it well.”

Along with spending as much as a month at a time riding and training with professionals in Canada in the early years, he said he also has been lucky enough to be invited to work with world class trainers that Barbara Cowan brings in to work with their horses.

It wasn’t just the professional trainers and competitors who taught him, though, because he rides around top working cowboys like his father-in-law, Ted Crowley, all year round, he said.

“I think the two mix really well, to be around the traditionist-type and then being around modern-day trainers,” Todd said. “So seeing perspectives from the traditional aspect to the modern, and kind of grouping it all together, has been a big deal,” he said.

He’s not the only one benefiting from top names in the training industry. Una said she’s been fortunate to get tips from some of the top barrel racers in the country, helping her improve her skills in her return to barrel competition.

In addition to the work on their ranch, Una has worked as a nurse for 14 years. It’s just been the last year that she has dropped from full to part time so she can spend more time working on the ranch, with family, including daughters Maisie, 8, and Ashlyn, 6, and horses.

She is starting to campaign a 5-year-old

“Obviously, for us to be gone a whole year campaigning a horse is not practical, and we’re not set up to do something like that,” Una said about their decision to send Tres to a professional barrel racing trainer.

“Getting exposure down south is huge,” Todd said. “It’s so hard being this far north to get the exposure on a young stud that you need. ... They need to be in the mix of it all down there where people can see them, otherwise you’re just beating your head against a wall.”

But it’s not just the stallions who need to be proven winners in the performance horse breeding business, they said.

Mares and Foals

■ Continued to page 9

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Horses: Una and Todd feel fortunate to get guidance from horse industry pros

■ Continued from page 5

Mares need to show that they have what it takes to put in a top performance, too, but that can be a little more difficult because their competition careers are curtailed while producing and nurturing offspring.

Una and Todd said they have carefully selected their broodmare band to include mares that have already been proven or whose siblings or offspring have proven themselves in competition.

Right now, their mare herd is at 40 head, which they consider to be the top end of their capacity, but culling a herd of specially selected and bred horses isn’t easy.

“This spring, Una and I walked out amongst the brood mares and we were, like, ‘Which ones are we going to try to cut,’” Todd said. “And, geez, if you believe in them it’s hard to get rid of them — and we’re to the point where we believe in them ... how do you pick?”

They also do their best to keep track of the weanlings and riding horses they sell to better know which bloodlines and crosses are working out. Their goal is to produce horses that are competitive in timed events like barrel racing, roping and bulldogging and still usable on a ranch. No matter the purpose the horse is bred for, they want a good mind on that horse.

“Most people, nowadays, are more weekend people, especially when you look at the performance part of it. They’re not riding (their horses) up and down hills and using them hard every day,” Todd said. “A lot of them are arena-type horses, so they’re not really getting worked that much, so you have to put a horse out there that you can do that with.

“You can give them a week off, jump back on them and still have the same horse in a week up here,” he said pointing to his head, “and it’s not bucking people off and that sort of thing. I think that’s huge nowadays.”

Whether it’s the owner riding the horse or a trainer starting the horse, that trainable, tractable mind is key, they said.

“If they’re knot-heads, the trainer’s, like, ‘There’s too many good ones. I’m not going

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Havre Daily News/Pam Burke A mare and her look-alike foal show how strong bloodlines pass traits to offspring.

mare, a product of their breeding program, in barrel racing.

Because the horse is young and relatively inexperienced, Una said, and because she’s learning a lot at the same time, it’s going to take a while before she gets her professional card and starts campaigning across the region. In the meantime, they are getting seasoned with local and state competition.

Stallions

Today, Una and Todd have for their breeding program the stallions Frenchmans Shake Em and Tres My Fame. Though a recent injury prompted retiring Shaker to stud only, they said, Tres is in training for barrels with a trainer in Arizona. He’ll be back in the spring to cover the mares they’ve selected for him, but the rest of the year he’ll spend competing, with a focus on barrel futurities.

Because divisions in barrel futurities are based on the horse’s age, they give young horses a chance to prove themselves on a more level playing field. The yearlong series of competitions start in the warm southwest in January and work their way north through the summer.

■ Continued to page 8 Havre Daily News/Pam Burke Todd Ford inspects broodmares and foals as they eat their afternoon feeding.

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■ Continued from page 3 to do it well.”

Along with spending as much as a month at a time riding and training with professionals in Canada in the early years, he said he also has been lucky enough to be invited to work with world class trainers that Barbara Cowan brings in to work with their horses.

It wasn’t just the professional trainers and competitors who taught him, though, because he rides around top working cowboys like his father-in-law, Ted Crowley, all year round, he said.

“I think the two mix really well, to be around the traditionist-type and then being around modern-day trainers,” Todd said. “So seeing perspectives from the traditional aspect to the modern, and kind of grouping it all together, has been a big deal,” he said.

He’s not the only one benefiting from top names in the training industry. Una said she’s been fortunate to get tips from some of the top barrel racers in the country, helping her improve her skills in her return to barrel competition.

In addition to the work on their ranch, Una has worked as a nurse for 14 years. It’s just been the last year that she has dropped from full to part time so she can spend more time working on the ranch, with family, including daughters Maisie, 8, and Ashlyn, 6, and horses.

She is starting to campaign a 5-year-old

“Obviously, for us to be gone a whole year campaigning a horse is not practical, and we’re not set up to do something like that,” Una said about their decision to send Tres to a professional barrel racing trainer.

“Getting exposure down south is huge,” Todd said. “It’s so hard being this far north to get the exposure on a young stud that you need. ... They need to be in the mix of it all down there where people can see them, otherwise you’re just beating your head against a wall.”

But it’s not just the stallions who need to be proven winners in the performance horse breeding business, they said.

Mares and Foals

■ Continued to page 9

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Horses: Una and Todd feel fortunate to get guidance from horse industry pros

■ Continued from page 5

Mares need to show that they have what it takes to put in a top performance, too, but that can be a little more difficult because their competition careers are curtailed while producing and nurturing offspring.

Una and Todd said they have carefully selected their broodmare band to include mares that have already been proven or whose siblings or offspring have proven themselves in competition.

Right now, their mare herd is at 40 head, which they consider to be the top end of their capacity, but culling a herd of specially selected and bred horses isn’t easy.

“This spring, Una and I walked out amongst the brood mares and we were, like, ‘Which ones are we going to try to cut,’” Todd said. “And, geez, if you believe in them it’s hard to get rid of them — and we’re to the point where we believe in them ... how do you pick?”

They also do their best to keep track of the weanlings and riding horses they sell to better know which bloodlines and crosses are working out. Their goal is to produce horses that are competitive in timed events like barrel racing, roping and bulldogging and still usable on a ranch. No matter the purpose the horse is bred for, they want a good mind on that horse.

“Most people, nowadays, are more weekend people, especially when you look at the performance part of it. They’re not riding (their horses) up and down hills and using them hard every day,” Todd said. “A lot of them are arena-type horses, so they’re not really getting worked that much, so you have to put a horse out there that you can do that with.

“You can give them a week off, jump back on them and still have the same horse in a week up here,” he said pointing to his head, “and it’s not bucking people off and that sort of thing. I think that’s huge nowadays.”

Whether it’s the owner riding the horse or a trainer starting the horse, that trainable, tractable mind is key, they said.

“If they’re knot-heads, the trainer’s, like, ‘There’s too many good ones. I’m not going

www.havredailynews.com

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Havre Daily News/Pam Burke A mare and her look-alike foal show how strong bloodlines pass traits to offspring.

mare, a product of their breeding program, in barrel racing.

Because the horse is young and relatively inexperienced, Una said, and because she’s learning a lot at the same time, it’s going to take a while before she gets her professional card and starts campaigning across the region. In the meantime, they are getting seasoned with local and state competition.

Stallions

Today, Una and Todd have for their breeding program the stallions Frenchmans Shake Em and Tres My Fame. Though a recent injury prompted retiring Shaker to stud only, they said, Tres is in training for barrels with a trainer in Arizona. He’ll be back in the spring to cover the mares they’ve selected for him, but the rest of the year he’ll spend competing, with a focus on barrel futurities.

Because divisions in barrel futurities are based on the horse’s age, they give young horses a chance to prove themselves on a more level playing field. The yearlong series of competitions start in the warm southwest in January and work their way north through the summer.

■ Continued to page 8 Havre Daily News/Pam Burke Todd Ford inspects broodmares and foals as they eat their afternoon feeding.

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Treasure State Quarter Horses Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com By the time Una Crowley Ford was in eighth grade she was so sure that she wanted to raise quarter horses professionally, that she took all her 4-H earnings, compounded that total with a loan from the bank, and purchased three weanlings.

This was the beginning of Treasure State Quarter Horses, now operated by Una and her husband, Todd Ford, who are breeding American Quarter Horse Association registered performance horses on the historic Young Ranch in the Bear Paw Mountains.

Una said that, when she was young, she spent a lot of time at Bill and Barbara Cowan’s ranch nearby. Barbara recognized Una’s passion for horses and sent the AQHA Journal home with Una, who spent hours pouring over the information and ads and then she caller breeders on her own.

“That’s kind of what got me started,” Una said, joking that, unfortunately, she was calling breeders of halter and Western pleasure show horses.

“My dad and my grandpa were, like, ‘Well, if you really want to do this then you need to get into something we can use out here and do cow (working) bloodlines, performance bloodlines and stuff,’” she said.

Guided by their advice to search out cattle- and performance-type bloodlines, Una took her investment funds and drove with her parents and a cousin to the Crago Performance Horses auction in Belle Fouche, South Dakota. At the time, she said, this was one of the biggest weanling sales held in the country.

“I knew I didn’t have a big enough bank account to go buy anything that was older than that. I would have to start with a baby and work up,” she said.

At the sale, she bought two stallion prospects, one of which — Firemeawinner — became her foundation stud, and a filly, which became her first broodmare. She later added four more broodmares to round out her original herd.

Todd entered into the partnership later.

In fact, he didn’t even ride or know about registered horses until after they got together, Una said, but he quickly immersed himself in every aspect of the operation, from training to doctoring, pedigrees, and horse selection and sales.

“You get a lot of guys that always wanted to be cowboys. … I never wanted to be a cowboy. It never even entered my mind,” Todd said. “I’m still not a cowboy. Yeah, I’ll go move cows and help out with the cows, and calve, and do the whole works, but I’m not a cowboy. I do think that I’ve evolved

into a bit of a horseman, but it all started just riding.”

Una said despite his downplaying his training abilities, Todd has been their coltbreaker from the first year he was out at the ranch and has turned out to be a natural and gifted trainer. Originally, he learned from observing and working with top cutting horse trainers in Canada, then by absorbing

everything he could from training videos and other sources.

“I’ve always been a person that if you’re going to do something then you should do it right and you should put everything you have into it,” Todd said, “so when I saw I was going to be riding horses then I wanted

■ Continued to page 5

Havre Daily News/Pam Burke Una Crowley Ford of Treasure State Quarter Horses returns from putting feed out for her broodmares and foals.

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Horses: Their younger stallion will be campaigning in barrel racing futurities ■ Continued from page 8 to waste my time with this one,’ so they just go right by you and go to something else,” Todd said.

And if it weren't already in their nature to want to please customers, Todd and Una understand that it's good business as well.

“They have choices,” Una added. “They can choose to ride your brand or not ride it.”

Breeding “We are a little bit different because we do about 75 percent speed on cow,” Todd said referring to the fact that stallions are listed on the top line on registration papers, the mare on the bottom line. “Our studs are speed bred, but a lot of our mares are cow bred.”

Disposition is the drive for this breeding choice. Todd and Una said they have found that the offspring will get a desire and ability to run from the sire, but they pick up more of their personality and trainability from the dam. The cow horses are more tractable, maneuverable and responsive to cueing, Todd said.

“They can run all they want,” Todd said with a laugh, “but if they can’t turn, they don’t do you a lot of good.”

“When we do our speed on speed (bloodline crosses), we’ve been really careful,” Una said. “Todd will know how those mares and colts rode. If it’s a lot of run bred but it’s super manageable and down-to-earth still, it’d be OK.” Horse buyers can be pedigree-driven in the modern market, they said, but they’ve found that they have good success with their horses by ensuring that they have proven athletes in their breeding program.

“If you don’t have one of those pedigrees in the top 10 to 15, you have to be conscientious about making sure your mares are proven, or their near siblings or get are proven — every colt must be proven and have a record,” Todd said.

“That’s what we have worked really, really hard at over the last seven to 10 years is building up a mare program that is proven all the way through,” Una said. “If she didn’t prove herself, her colts are already out there.”

Una and Todd work hard to keep in touch with their buyers to check on the progress of their foals as they mature, go into training and get worked. This input from the buyers, most of whom are repeat customers, gives them valuable, first-hand input on the success of their crosses, they said.

A few buyers have now started using their horses in mounted shooting competition, Una said. One horse has qualified for national competition at the AQHA Congress.

“It’s a whole new sport to us, so it’s really cool to see our horses doing something like that,” she said.

Getting this type of input has become much easier with Facebook, Una said.

“I think you have to have the social media now, I didn’t even have Facebook … we didn’t even know what Facebook was until probably, it was about two-and-a-half years ago,” she said, but now it’s a valued tool for keeping them in the loop with what their

Havre Daily News/Pam Burke Three foals and a mare from the Treasure State Quarter Horses herd trot through a pasture in the Bear Paw Mountains where the foals are raised. The rugged hillsides help teach the foals to be handy from a young age. horses are doing out in the world of competition.

Sales

Social media has helped promote sales as well.

While Treasure State Quarter Horses has had a website for almost 20 years, she said, their Facebook page has really bumped up their exposure and requests for catalogs.

They sell foals through private treaty, but every year Treasure State QH has been a guest consignor at the annual Weaver Quarter Horse sale the third Saturday in September.

Stan Weaver, based in Big Sandy, invited Una to put her horses in his inaugural sale 20 years ago when they were both attending the Crago sale where Una got her first horses.

She and Todd put about 20 foals and four or five riding horses in the sale each year.

Todd halter breaks the foals and starts all the ridden horses under saddle.

They don’t put all their foals and broke horses in the sale, but they try to put a variety of foals — from top-end performance horse prospects to quality ranch-type ones and both fillies and colts. While top bloodline weanlings sell for $8,000 up to their top-seller of $12,750, they also have quality weanlings with less high-powered pedigrees that can give people a good youngster for $1,500.

“That’s one thing we like to do, too, is bring something that everyone can afford because I don’t think it does you any good to only bring your $12,000-type options ... that’s not what everybody has,” Una said, “and so I think it’s good that we can bring the lower (priced weanlings) and still not compromise the horse you’re going to get.”

Todd and Una work to show the public

their horses’ successes, but they are realistic about quirks in the market, too. Some of the weanlings they hold back from the sale because they want to see how they do under saddle, perhaps because they are a new

cross, but others are held back simply because of their color.

“Color plays a huge, huge part in it,” Una said. “The lower-end pedigrees, where buyers aren’t looking for high performance, the roans, buckskins, palominos and such work better,” so they’ll hold back some sorrel-colored foals until they are old enough to ride.

“Once you get them broke and riding around, then color doesn’t play near as much of a factor as the babies because then people are like, ‘That horse isn’t going to buck me off. I don’t care if it’s a sorrel or a bay,’” Todd said.

Sometimes all the performance proof a buyer needs is just that display of a good mind, but careful breeding breaks through a lot of those color preference barriers.

“In the past couple years, we’ve had two sorrels and a chestnut that have topped our weaner colts for us, and that’s great because you have people in the crowd who aren’t there to buy color,” Una said. “They recognize that that is the colt that should’ve sold for the most based off the papers, what the mom has done, what the dad has done, what the siblings have done.”

Still, they said, one of the best measures that their performance horse breeding program is doing well comes from their customers “We have a very large amount of our customers, clients, that are repeat buyers, which we are incredibly fortunate to have,” Una said.

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4-H - What Would We Do Without Volunteers?

RouBiE youNKiN, MSu ExtENSioN FoR thE FARM AND RANch

Photos courtesy of msu eXtension / for the farm and ranch

Pictured above (l-R): cordell younkin and Volunteer Patti Armbrister , cache younkin and Wendy Becker.

Bottom left: Volunteer Patti Armbrister teaches 4-h members to fit cattle for showing purposes.

Back to School Means Making the Most of Family Time RouBiE youNKiN, MSu ExtENSioN FoR thE FARM AND RANch As our children head back to school, parents are faced with the reality that their children now spend more waking hours away from home that they do in our homes.

The traditional family evening together is reserved for old time television and the moments we have together become precious.

These are stressful times for families. Most families face difficult strains on time, money, and emotions. Sometimes homes become the

FARM FARM & & RANCH RANCH FSA’s Conservation Reserve Program Transition Incentive Program Availability

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September 2015 September 2015

place where everyone is worn-out or angry.

But, in spite of these difficulties, there are ways that our families can remain strong and happy.

What makes some families strong? The following is a list of family strengths. As you read about each of these family strengths, decide where your family is already strong.

Then identify one area where you want to be stronger.

Family Strength 1: Caring And Appreciation

Families are strengthened by expressions of caring and appreciation. Even when a family member makes many mistakes, members of strong families find ways to encourage and support each person.

Giving time is an important way of showing caring and appreciation Physical expressions are good ways of showing affection, love, and appreciation.

Good manners and everyday courtesy to a child or a spouse lets the person know that he or she matters.

Family Strength 2: Commitment Members of strong families are committed to the family. They value the things that make their family special. Even when times are hard, they work on problems together.

Family Strength 3: Communication Strong families communicate. They talk.

They share themselves. They share their feelings, hopes, dreams, fears, joys, sorrows, experiences, growth, and needs. They take See BAcK to School, Page 11

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NEWTON MOTORS, INC.

JENNiFER colE / uSDA FARM SERVicE AGENcy FoR thE FARM AND RANch

“Not everything that counts can be counted.

And not everything that can be counted, counts.”

— Albert Einstein Volunteering is about giving, contributing and helping others and the community.

Whatever direction your interest flows there is a place to volunteer and people who will welcome your gift of time. The reasons to volunteer for a variety of reasons. Some wish to share their knowledge, acquire new skills, become involved with a good cause or to give back to their community.

Brodie and Scott Boreson work together as 4-h volunteers.

This is the intrinsic value of volunteering. It is rich and diverse leaders, we have a view into a picture of and ranges from spontaneous acts of kind- education, caring, compassion, dedication ness to organizing hundreds to achieve a and selflessness. Community members who share their vast knowledge with members common goal.

Volunteers take on many forms from fill another important role in our member’s the traditional dedicated volunteer who is 4-H experience. 4-H members themselves willing to devote the time and effort to get become volunteers in almost every aspect of the job done from start to finish to “micro- their club and county experiences. In essence volunteers” who give small increments of volunteering is a “generational linked” trait. time to contribute to the accomplishment of If my grandfather volunteered, chances are a goal. To say that one is more valuable that I will too” the other would be in error.

Thank you all of the many valued 4-H 4-H Volunteers are appreciated in every Volunteers. way, shape or form. Beginning with 4-H

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BOZEMAN - USDA Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Bruce Nelson reminds producers about the availability of the Transition Incentives Program (TIP). TIP assists with the transition of expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land from a retired or retiring owner or operator to a beginning, veteran or underserved farmer or rancher to return land to production for sustainable grazing or crop production.

Enrollment in TIP is on a continuous basis until the total funds authorized for the program are exhausted. As of Aug. 3, Montana had approximately $1.5 million in TIP funds available. Beginning (including veteran), or underserved farmers and ranchers and retired or retiring CRP participants may enroll in TIP during the final year before the scheduled date of CRP contract expiration or on Sept. 30.

For example, if a CRP contract is scheduled to expire on Sept. 30, 2015, the land may be enrolled in TIP from Oct. 1, 2014, through Sept. 30, 2015.

Retired or retiring owners or operators participating in TIP may receive up to two additional annual rental payments after their CRP contract expires provided the beginning

or underserved farmer or rancher is not a family member.

“CRP participants with land expiring on Sept. 30, 2015, and who are interested in transitioning their land to a beginning or underserved farmer and/or rancher should contact the local FSA office right away,” Nelson said. “The deadline to enroll in this year’s CRP Transition Incentive Program is Sept.

30, 2015. Funds are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.”

CRP is a voluntary program that contracts with agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive agricultural land is not farmed or ranched, but instead used for conservation benefits. CRP participants establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, improve the water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat. In return, FSA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Continuous sign-up contracts are 10 to 15 years in duration. FSA implements TIP and CRP on behalf of USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation.

For questions about CRP and any FSA program, contact the local FSA service center office and/or visit Montana FSA online at www.fsa.usda.gov/mt.

Montana Stockgrowers Seeks Nominations for Ranching Woman of the year RyAN GooDMAN, MoNtANA StocKGRoWERS FoR thE FARM AND RANch The Montana Stockgrowers Association is seeking nominations for the 2015 Montana Ranching Woman of the Year. The annual award is presented to an MSGA member who has made great contributions to the Montana ranching community and has gone above and beyond to support their family and friends.

Nominations are due Oct. 31 and the recipient will be recognized at MSGA’s annual convention in Billings, Dec. 3-5.

“Women are often the backbone of Montana’s ranching communities. These women often go above and beyond to support their immediate family members and pitch in whenever the need arises in their communities,” said Gene Curry, MSGA President from Valier. “We look forward to recognizing these accomplished women each year at our annual convention and thanking them for their hard work.”

Last year’s recipient of the Ranching Woman of the Year was Bev Fryer, who ranches with her husband, Ed, near White Sulfur Springs. Alongside raising a family, the Fryers raise cattle at the Castle Mountain Ranch, where Bev takes charge of training horses and calving more than 300 heifers each

spring. Bev is active in area youth and CattleWomen’s activities, ranch rodeos, and guides hunters looking for elk each year.

Past recipients of the award include Glenna Stucky of Avon, Floydena Garrison of Glen, Helen Hougen of Melstone, Marian Hanson of Ashland, Carol Mosher of Augusta and Donna Sitz-Arthun of Billings.

Nomination letters submitted by family or close friends should identify a ranching woman, who is a member of Montana Stockgrowers, describe her role on the ranch, and the characteristics that set her apart when supporting the family and ranch, as well as describe her involvement in community efforts. Biographies should include the ranching woman’s hometown, family members, and number of years involved in ranching activities.

Along with the nomination biography, submissions should include photos depicting the ranching woman’s family, ranch and community involvement.

Nominations should be submitted to the Montana Stockgrowers office by Oct. 31, 2015 via mail (420 N. California, Helena, MT 59601) or email (lorrie@mtbeef.org).

For more information contact the MSGA office at (406) 442-3420 or visit mtbeef.org/ ranching-woman.

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Jayme and Emit Valnes of Eden, SD, were helped by Farm Rescue after a car accident rendered them unable to cut hay.

Angels in Blue

Farm Rescue Helps Families Struck with Misfortune GEoRGiE KulczyK / thE couRiER It’s not a bad thing if you haven’t heard of Farm Rescue. Actually, it’s probably a good thing, since it’s an organization dedicated to helping farm families in crisis.

Founded in 2005, Farm Rescue is a non-profit organization that relies heavily on donations, volunteers, and sponsorships. It’s mission is to help family farmers bridge crises so they have an opportunity to continue viable operations. Farm Rescue provides planting, harvesting and haying assistance to farm families that have experienced a major injury, illness or natural disaster.

Founder and President Bill Gross is no stranger to the challenges of running a farm or ranch. His own family ran into financial trouble when his folks had cattle stolen off their ranch years ago. The youngest of five children, he was able to buy the family farm and still runs cattle and farms on the land today. Gross started Farm Rescue ten years ago with his own money, a handful of volunteers and limited equipment. Today, the company boasts a small staff, over 700 volunteers and numerous sponsors. “We’ve been called the ‘angels in blue’ because all of the volunteers wear blue uniforms,” says Gross. “These people come from all over on their own dimes to help.” Farm Rescue has had volunteers from Texas, Oregon, and other areas working in Montana.

Although the initial intent was to help farm families

janice shanks/for the farm and ranch

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2015 11 11 September July 2015

Farm Rescue volunteer Keith Barkema loads hay for the Valnes family.

in North Dakota, the company has expanded it’s reach into South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and more recently Montana. A significant roadblock for the company is raising awareness of the services provided. According to Gross, Farm Rescue relies on the media to get the word out about the company. “There’s no way we could afford the kind of publicity we’ve gotten”, he said. “The media has been very gracious in helping Farm Rescue spread the word of our services.”

To date, Farm Rescue has helped more than 330 farm families and assisted 50 families last year. Gross emphasizes that Farm Rescue is not a government program and the services provided are not a handout.

“It’s really a grass roots effort”, says Gross. “Nobody’s throwing money at us and we don’t receive any federal or state funding”. The farm families still provide fuel, seeds, supplies, etc. needed to complete the work. Although actual funds are not distributed to farmers, Farm Rescue does provide the equipment and manpower needed to do the job.

Gross explains that about half of the farm families they are able to help submit their own applications.

The other half are nominated or referred by friends or neighbors that encourage them to apply for assistance.

Despite encouragement, some families are reluctant to accept help and others refuse the offered assistance.

Being able to help farm families also depends on logistics and practicality. Gross explains that they realistically can’t use resources to go several miles to farm just a few acres.

If you are a farm family in need, or you know a family that needs help, visit farmrescue.org or call 701-252-2017. You can also go online to donate, volunteer, watch testimonials or become a sponsor.

You can even shop online at Walmart and Amazon and have a percentage of your purchase donated to Farm Rescue - just use the links located on the Farm Rescue website. Donations are used to pay for the many expenses associated with planting, harvesting and haying of crops. For even more ways to learn about Farm Rescue, check out the links on their website for Twitter, Facebook, & YouTube.

coNtiNuED FRoM PAGE 10 the time to listen and respond to what others have to say. There are a number of things that can improve family communication. Make time to talk. It is especially important to talk about feelings.

Family Strength 4: Community And Family Ties Strong families also tend to be closely involved with the schools, churches, and local organizations that promote the well-being of the community and the individuals.

Ties with relatives, neighbors, and friends are especially important. Busy schedules can make it hard to spend time with people outside the family.

Family Strength 5: Working Together We excel at this in our agriculture community. There is nothing more effective to boost a family’s connection that setting and accomplishing a goal together. Strong families make decisions, solve family problems, and do family work together. Everyone participates.

Parents are the leaders, but the children’s opinions and efforts are invited, encouraged, and appreciated.

Family Strength 6: Flexibility And Openness To Change All families develop habits, routines, and a set of rules. These patterns are ways to deal with day-to-day life. There are a number of common changes most families face. Children get older. Adults switch jobs or retire. Families are reshaped by birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, sickness, and death. Families move to different communities. Family relationships are most likely to remain healthy and strong if family members adapt to these changes.

Spend some time together identifying your family’s strengths. Then celebrate them. From that foundation of existing strengths, choose additional strengths that you can add to your family. Become involved in activities that will help your family build those strengths.

Maintaining family values and strengths becomes even more important as our time together becomes limited. For this reason it is important to make the most of those times we do have together. There are strategies families can use to stay close and connected in our hectic worlds of practice, homework and household and farm/ranch chores. The most effective of which may be relaxing together for a few minutes after everyone gets home. This can lower everyone’s stress and provides time to reconnect after a busy day.

(Building Family Strength, Alabama Extension Publication) Mealtimes – Mealtimes become even more important as children have more demands placed on them. Mealtime is a time to share the good times of the day, to vent about the difficult times, and to experience problem solving and decision making under the careful guidance of a loving parent.

“Your child may be less likely to engage in disordered eating, more likely to eat healthier foods and less likely to be overweight” All three of these statistics are attached to one family ritual—shared mealtimes. (Musick &

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Meier).

Based on information from researchers from Cornell University, evidence to date suggests that family meals do provide benefits for children and youth. Some ways to make sure quality family time is a part of your busy lives include: 1. Set a goal to have regular family meals at least three times per week. This meal could be breakfast or supper just make sure that family members are present and provide an environment for shared conversations.

2. Remember the benefits of consistent family mealtimes. You can set this time based on the schedules of family members. Practice doesn’t get over until 8, the supper is at 8:30 with a snack offered at 6. The routine of family meals can generate feelings of closeness and comfort. (Even when mealtimes feel hectic or disorganized, take comfort in the fact that the simple act of regular mealtimes may be providing your child with stability).

3. Don’t forget, quality of family meals is just as important as quantity. Mealtimes have been noted as one of the most common times children communicate with parents, so if possible, guard your mealtimes from outside distractions. Turn off the TV and cell phones and ask questions to your children about their day, school, friends, goals, etc. Researchers note that family meals may provide a unique context for parents to connect with and share important information with their children (Musick & Meier).

Homework - Schoolwork is a reality that students, parents and consequently families need to face. It is often a source of conflict in most households as families juggle practice schedules, mealtimes, bedtimes and the overall exhaustion of being a student and being a parent. Keep in mind that down time is important for children. Even those who aren’t involved in a practice need time to unwind and refresh before tackling homework. Sitting down to do homework right of the bus is never a good idea. However, may seem ideal to Mom who wants it out of the way before supper.

Everyone should be in a better frame of mind after a break. Schedule a set time for your children to do their homework. The first step is to make sure you or your student knows what the assignments are and when they are due. This may involve quality communication with the school and teachers.

Remember that often teenagers clocks are set differently than adults. They go strong until the wee hours while adults long for a good night’s sleep. Give them some leeway on this one. If they are meeting the demands of school work and meeting their sleep needs, call a truce.

How this all fits in the rural lifestyle: Many deep and important conversations have occurred while packing buckets or shoveling manure. While viewed as work by youth, spending time after school working in the garden, in the shop or in the barn can meet that transitional need to relax before making supper or finishing homework. Agriculture provides a perfect backdrop for family time, effective communication, problem solving, decision making and reconnecting.

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shauna farVer / for the farm and ranch

Martin, Shauna, Kaitlin and terry Farver pose together. they were helped immensely by FSA personnel.

Feeling Out the Farm Service Agency ShAuNA FARVER FoR thE FARM & RANch I’ve decided I’m going to petition for a new National Day of recognition: ‘Hug Your FSA Staff’ Day. For those of you unfamiliar with the vernacular, FSA is the Farm Service Agency. They are the branch of government tasked with administrating various parts of the Farm Bill for farmers & ranchers.

And from the outside looking in, I think their job must be a nightmare.

The Farm Bill, and the myriad of programs that go along with it, can change with each new administration. Just when the staff at hundreds of FSA branches across the nation think they have a handle on it, it’s a whole new ball game.

Complete with new forms to fill out, new rules, new computer software and a group of newly frustrated ag producers to deal with.

I had the opportunity to play my role in the production recently when I stopped in at my local office to sign a few of those new forms. And by a few, I mean about 27.

I was met by a desk piled high with folders, more forms, binders with what I think must have been administrative rules, several cups of coffee, and enough pens and pencils to supply grades K-8 at our school. It looked exactly like my desk and made me feel right at home.

Behind it, was one of our local FSA gals, looking slightly shell shocked. And wearing a smile. Seriously. A great big one.

And get this: When I hinted that I was concerned I might not know the information she needed to complete the forms (because my husband usually made these visits), she told me I’d do just fine, and proceeded to walk me through the whole process, step-by-step.

By the time I was done, I was feeling pretty

confident about my skills in the FSA paperwork Olympics.

Now, I don’t mean for that to sound like I’m incredulous over receiving great customer service from our FSA office. They’re always wonderfully professional and knowledgeable.

The sad truth is that these folks often see farmers & ranchers at our worst. Tired, crabby, and annoyed at trying to decipher three pages of instructions to fill out one form. Impatiently applying for a combine loan halfway through harvest because the old one finally gave up. Or worse: How about venting after just having learned that in spite of losing a whole crop to hail, the program this year doesn’t cover that, or much of it anyway?

I’m as guilty as anyone of not having always behaved my best in the face of their best efforts. We leave dusty butt prints on their chairs, muddy foot prints on their carpet, and greasy fingerprints on their desks.

And still, they're smiling, patient, asking how I was doing, offering encouragement through a less than ideal harvest season. Oh yeah, and sharing a hug.

I left their office with a smile on my own face. And as I thought about it, I realized it’s that way more often than not. My bet is that it’s that way all across the country. FSA offices are administrating farm programs, sharing smiles & doing a little therapy on the side.

To my farming & ranching friends: If you haven’t hugged your FSA staff today, move it to the top of your ‘to do’ list. Just slip on a clean shirt, wipe your feet and wash your hands first.

In the meantime, I’ll get to work on that official National proclamation.

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12 12 September September2015 2015

Accidents and Angels

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Farm Rescue Efforts Pay Off on the Ground KAty hEiNEcKE / FoR FARM & RANch On June 6, Emit Valnes of Eden, SD, along with his roping partner Bill Van Lith and wife Amy, had just dropped off the Van Lith kids with grandparents and were back on the road, headed to a rodeo in Russell, MN. They were in Marshall, MN, traveling 45 mph when Emit removed his seatbelt to take off his jacket. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a car coming at them. It ran a stop sign and drove right in to them.

Bill swerved to the left to avoid the car, but with a horse trailer in tow, it was impossible to avoid being hit by the oncoming car.

The impact caused the car to swing around and hit the passenger’s side where Emit was.

The horse trailer came unhooked, and rolled in the median. Due to the weight of the trailer, the truck kept going and hit the ditch and bounced, throwing them to the opposite side of the road.

Bill sustained bruised ribs, a badly cut left arm and hurt right shoulder. Amy broke some toes and had bruised toes and a badly bruised leg. Emit broke his back, bruised his right elbow and tendon, a nasty cut to his right leg and a 3 inch cut on the left side of his head.

“I remember it all so vividly, like it was slow motion,” said the 91-year-old. “He never looked and never saw us.” The driver of the car died on impact.

After recovering from the accident, the victims of the crash were unable to attend the business of farming and were desperately in

need of help.

Thankfully, the Farm Rescue Program arrived to help at the Valnes Ranch. Many might have heard of the Farm Rescue program.

It is a nonprofit organization that provides planting, haying and harvesting assistance free of charge for farm families who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster.

After the paperwork was submitted, within about two weeks, volunteer Keith Barkema was on site and ready to help with the first cutting of hay.

Keith Barkema of Klemme, IA, has been a volunteer with the program for just over a year. He himself farms about 600 acres and operates five semis on his 140-year-old family farm. He was pleased to be able to help with eight different families last year and he definitely enjoys helping others through his volunteering.

Barkema saw an advertisement in the Green Sheet and farm magazines but decided at first that he just didn’t have time to give up being away from his own farm operation. His son helps at the farm, so it is easier for Keith to pick up and leave to help others as needed.

The former was in the Sisseton area last fall and was familiar with the area.

Barkema is very glad that he changed his mind and joined this great operation. His wife helps out at a nearby state fair promoting the Farm Rescue program.

The family received a message while on

vacation that area residents were in a bind and needed someone to bale hay. Keith didn’t hesitate for a moment and made plans to be at Emit and Jayme’s place in their time of need. He was able to spend a week on the ranch and baled over 400 bales for Emit.

Neighbor Kevin Brooks was around to cut the hay and offered his assistance during the week. Keith formed a nice relationship with Emit and his father, David immediately.

With people like Keith and the Farm Rescue program, along with generous and caring family, neighbors, and friends, the Valnes famjanice shanks/for the farm and ranch ily is going to survive. Each Emit Valnes recovers in his hospital bed from a broken back. day will be a struggle but they will do it together, as Other bruising was found on some vertebrae’s they still have each other.

Good news was received at Emit’s follow- since the initial hospital stay, but it will heal up appointment. The T12 chip inserted to aid in time.

If Emit continues to progress at the current his recovery is fusing to the vertebrae and has pulled away from the spinal cord, relieving pace, he could be out of his back brace in early pressure so they don’t think surgery will be September. It teaches us to not take life for necessary. There is a slight chance of needing granted, as it can change in a moment’s notice, to install a rod in his back for stability but so make the most of every day you have and that won’t be a huge issue for this cowboy. live life to the fullest.

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Grace Pamkratz is a 4-h alumni and Sheep Superintendent in the Glasgow area.

‘Angels in Blue’ Nonprofit Serves Farm Families in Need – Page 2