Hi-Line Farm & Ranch September 2017

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AUDRA ORTEGA / FOR FARM & RANCH

Glasgow's Audra Ortega (photos above and below) was featured in an Aug. 9 article in The Glasgow Courier titled "Photographer Aims at What She Loves." For more info about her work, write to courier@nemont.net.

The Photography of Audra Ortega - Page 12

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What do “low cost� ag suppliers

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ROUBIE YOUNKIN, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH “Keep your eyes on the Judge," 4-H parents like to say. “Always keep your animal between yourself and the judge,â€? and “always push him away from you never toward," and "smile, like you are having fun.â€? 4-H/FFA livestock showmen hear this every year (every show) in the way of coaching from their well-meaning parents. Well, they had had enough! At the Northeast Montana Fair this year, the tables were turned after the round robin showmanship, which tests the skills of all showmen with one member rising to the top showing all species. Brooke Westby, CJ Nelson, John McColly and Cache Younkin moved into the judges’ positions and parents positioned themselves to reveal their showmanship talents and moved to receiving end of their own advice. Two animals of each species, Beef, Sheep, Swine and Horse, entered the arena and the adults took the “reinsâ€? or the show stick if that was the case, and the competition began. The judges asked the contestants questions speciďŹ c to each species in terms of markets, feed, and reproduction. Judging sheets revealed the perspective of

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these young evaluators as the “Classâ€? was filled in with a politically correct, “Senior Citizens,â€? or a respectful “Adults,â€? an honest, “Geezers,â€? and ďŹ nally the cold hard reality of “old people.â€? As the rotations between the species began, those rusty skills were dusted off and long-ago instilled techniques worked their way to the surface. "Walk, Trot, Turn;" "square up those legs;" "lift up his head," and "eyes on the judge" became silent mantras as the competition became intense. Meanwhile, the crowd was enthralled. All ages enjoyed watching parents and peers. Eyes were trained on the show ring as each watched carefully for a slight error in style or technique. These showmen didn’t have just four judges, they were making an impression on the entire crowd. There was much seriousness and much laughter as the rotations came to an end and the competitors lined up for the judging results. Alum and 4-H Leader Sheena Hubbard came out the champion with each participant being recognized for a special skill or talent. However, the trophy was awarded to Paul Siefert for the most creative answers to the judges questions. Funny, because this contest was inspired by Siefert.

ROUBIE YOUNKIN / FOR FARM & RANCH

Cache Younkin (r) grades entries from Larry Ross Simpson (l) and Paul Siefert (center) at the fairgrounds in Glasgow.

MONA DOEBLER / FOR FARM & RANCH

Thanks to a tip from a friend, photographer Mona Doebler caught a picture of this moose near the Beaver Creek Bridge northwest of Hinsdale on Aug. 16.

The Month in Weather BRANDON BIGELBACH FOR FARM & RANCH Warm and dry conditions persisted throughout northeast Montana again this past month. August will mark the fifth straight month in which the region experienced below-normal precipitation. Winds this month were calmer on average than in the past few months. For August, 23 days of the month saw maximum wind speeds less than 25 mph. Aug. 24, saw the greatest winds with 49 mph sustained winds and gusts to 63 mph, due to the passage of a dry thunderstorm during the evening hours. As for ďŹ re restrictions, conditions for the northeast portion of the state remains mostly unchanged. Most counties in the region are under Stage 1 ďŹ re restrictions, with Daniels County still in a burn ban for private lands. As of press date, per the National Weather Service in Glasgow, the highest observed temperature for the month was 97 degrees on Aug. 30, and the lowest was 46 degrees on Aug. 20. The total liquid precipitation

reported at Glasgow was 0.27�, which was approximately 1� below normal. Over a 24-hour period, the greatest precipitation total was 0.21�, which occurred on Aug. 2. The overall mean temperature for the month was approximately 69 degrees, which is approximately 1 degree below normal. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor was released on Aug. 22. Conditions have deteriorated over this summer to the point that over 97 percent of the state is now considered at least Abnormally Dry. From there it gets more severe when narrowing down to the northeast region. The entirety of northeast Montana is listed as being in an Extreme Drought, which is the penultimate drought category. Of the almost 12 percent of the state listed in the ultimate drought category, Exceptional Drought, nearly all of that area exists in the northeast. Smaller portions of Petroleum, Prairie and McCone counties are covered in Exceptional Drought, while a majority of Phillips, Valley, Garfield, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Daniels counties are in this ultimate drought severity category.

ROUBIE YOUNKIN / FOR FARM & RANCH

4-H parents pictured (l-r): Ky Idler, Sheena Hubbard, Billy Allestad, Emilee Redfield, Justin Fuhrmann, Larry Ross Simpson and Paul Siefert. Not pictured: Cindy Fouhy and Stacy Harris.

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The Rural Sisterhood: 'My View' ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD FOR FARM & RANCH The brown of dying and extreme drought stricken ďŹ elds extends from the header of my swather, past the occasional green weed and even more rare evergreen tree, to the horizon. The brown is then exchanged for grey from the remnants of a multitude of ďŹ res here in our state and across Canada. I’ve begun measuring the intensity of the smoke by whether or not I can see Tower hill, to the south, out my kitchen window. On days where the grey of smoke is intense, the only blue left in the expansive Big Sky is right above me. Everyday I hear of another ďŹ re. Some put out quickly by fast responding neighbors. Others rage and lap up ďŹ elds, pastures, livestock, and homes and remain out of control. Livestock in pastures away from the raging and uncontrolled ďŹ res need to be moved to different pastures as they are quickly eating up what’s there. Pastures that were once thick with knee to waisthigh grass are dead and bare. Vehicles with ďŹ lled water tanks in the back, dot the thirsty landscape. No one is taking unnecessary risks. But taking risks is inherent in the lifestyle many have chosen on this side of the state. Each farmer and rancher tries to minimize the risk in his or her operation. This year we’ll make huge, pocketbook affecting cuts so that we have food enough for our livestock. Jobs in town will be procured. Fervent prayers, for the drought to end, will continue. We will live out our faith that “joy comes in the morning," God has not forgotten us, the expansive blue Big Sky will return, brown and dead grasses and native plants will return green and lush, and rain will nourish our land. You can follow Elizabeth Shipstead's writing and photography at theruralsisterhood.com.

YOU’RE READING HILINE FARM & RANCH THE AG MONTHLY FOR NORTHEAST & NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA

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Burkes Put Acreage Into Conservation BEBE CROUSE, NATURE CONSERVANCY FOR FARM & RANCH Kelly and Tami Burke provide for more than cattle on their ranch south of Glasgow. Their land is also used by pronghorn, Greater Sage-grouse, mule deer and a variety of wildlife that depend on its diverse mix of habitat. Wildlife like sage-grouse thrive where good grazing practices are combined with keeping good habitat intact. The Burkes are doing both. That’s why it made sense for them to place 3,792 acres into a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy. For Kelly Burke, the easement made sense. “It just looked like the beneďŹ ts we were getting were higher than what we’d be giving up.â€? They’ve even gone a step further by restoring about one square mile of former cropland. The 640 acres have now been seeded for native vegetation. “Restoring natural vegetation on soils better suited as rangeland than crops ensures continuity of habitat that is critical for healthy sage-grouse populations," says Brian

Martin, Grasslands Conservation Director for The Nature Conservancy in Montana. The easement bridges a gap between it and the remaining habitat which ranges from grasslands in the Missouri River Breaks to sagebrush grassland. The easement purchase was a cooperative effort with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provided a portion of the funds for the acquisition through their Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) program. The ALE program was created by Congress to support the conservation of family farms and ranches. In addition to the easement, the Burkes have worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and Bureau of Land Management to improve the management of the range on their private land and BLM leases. Their goal is to enhance habitat for sage-grouse while improving forage for livestock. The easement allows for these continued grazing practices as part of a sustainable ranch operation. To learn more about conservation easements, call 406-579-8559 or write to bcrouse@tnc.org.

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

September & October 2017 Schedule

September 2017 All Class Cattle Auction

ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD / FOR FARM & RANCH

SEAN R. HEAVEY / FOR FARM & RANCH

Glasgow-based photographer Sean R. Heavey took these detail shots at a rodeo event during the Northeast Montana Fair in August.

MONTANA FSA FOR FARM & RANCH FSA's Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land, or ďŹ re on federally managed land. Livestock producers in 24 Montana counties are eligible to apply for 2017 LFP benefits on small grain, native pasture, improved pasture, annual ryegrass, forage sorghum that is produced on dryland acres and used for grazing. Irrigated acres used for grazing or aftermath grazing are not eligible under this program. Eligible livestock include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, reindeer or sheep that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland during the normal grazing period. County committees can only accept LFP applications after notiďŹ cation is received by the National OfďŹ ce of a qualifying drought or if a federal agency prohibits producers from grazing normal permitted livestock on federally managed lands due to qualifying ďŹ re. As of Aug. 24, 2017, the following 24 Montana counties met the drought criteria

on the U.S. Drought Monitor and are eligible for the 2017 LFP Program: Blaine, Carter, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, GarďŹ eld, Hill, McCone, Musselshell, Petroleum, Phillips, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Treasure, Valley and Wibaux and Yellowstone. Producers with grazing land physically located in one of the 24 eligible LFP counties should contact their local FSA ofďŹ ce to schedule an appointment to begin the application process. Eligible livestock producers must complete a CCC-853 and the required supporting documentation no later than Jan. 30, 2018, for 2017 losses. Note that 2017 acreage reports are required to be ďŹ led for all eligible land no later than the ďŹ nal reporting date of Nov. 15, 2017. Acreage reports ďŹ led after that date will not be accepted which will result in ineligibility for the 2017 LFP program. Required supporting documents may include information related to grazing leases or federal grazing permits, contract grower agreements, documentation to support livestock inventory and more. Additional Information about LFP, including eligible livestock and ďŹ re criteria, is available at your local FSA ofďŹ ce or online at www.fsa.usda.gov.

October 2017

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CRP, Livestock Forage Programs Expanded Cattle make the most of drought stricken pastures on the Shipstead family ranch in Valley County.

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Cowboy Hall of Fame lists inductees Faber, Stukers among inductees

From Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame Editor’s note: See pages 6 and 7 for biographies of local inductees. The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center has announced the tenth class of inductions into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame, including from District 4 in north-central Montana. The inductees were chosen from a field of candidates nominated by the general public. Inductees are honored for their notable contributions to the history and culture of Montana. “Our volunteer trustees around Montana vote on nominations that come from the district in which they reside,” Jeff Bolstad, president, said. “It gives the local communities a strong voice in who will represent them in the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame exists to honor those who have made an impact in their part of the state and represent Montana’s authentic heritage for future generations.” The MCHF and WHC board of directors has designated 12 trustee districts across the state from which up to 20 trustees may be appointed. Nomination criteria established by the board for the Class of 2017 inductions

allowed the election of up to one Living Inductee and two Legacy Inductees from each of the 12 districts.

The 2017 inducteesinto the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame are: District 1 (Daniels, Phillips, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Valley counties): Living Award – Mary Louise (Hovendick) Helland, Glasgow. Legacy Award – B. M. Bower, Glasgow, and Eugene Joseph “Gene” Martin, Wolf Point. District 2 (Dawson, Garfield, McCone, Prairie, Richland and Wibaux counties): Living Award – Jim Baisch, Glendive. Legacy Award – Lorin Abarr Sr., Fallon, and Orlando Shepard “Doc” Drake, Wibaux. District 3 (Carter, Custer, Fallon, Powder River, Rosebud and Treasure counties): Living Award – John L. “Jack” Bailey, Forsyth. Legacy Award – Jersey Lilly Bar and Café, Ingomar, and Bob and Helen (Fulton) Askin, Ismay. District 4 (Blaine, Chouteau, Hill and Liberty counties): Living Award – Nicholas Bernard “Nick” Faber, Chinook. Legacy Award – John and Fay (Vercruyssen) Stuker, Chinook, and Ed and Orah (Young) Massie, Great Falls (formerly of Chouteau County). District 5 (Cascade, Glacier, Pondera, Teton and Toole counties): Living Award – Norma Ashby, Great Falls. Legacy Award – Brian F. Connolly, Browning, and Daniel

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Charles “Dan” Boggs, Heart Butte. District 6 (Fergus, Golden Valley, Judith Basin, Musselshell, Petroleum and Wheatland counties): Living Award – Edgar E. Lewis, Lavina. Legacy Award – Melvin L. Cheney, Stanford, and White Wolf of the Judith Basin, Stanford. District 7 (Big Horn, Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet Grass and Yellowstone counties): Living Award – David Herman Branger, Roscoe. Legacy Award – Saint Paul Case, Hardin, and John Otis “Jack” Hash, Roscoe. District 8 (Broadwater, Jefferson, and Lewis and Clark counties): Living Award – Governor Judy (Morstein) Martz, Helena. Legacy Award – Robert F. “Bob” Cooney, Helena, and James J. “Jim” McLucas, Helena. District 9 (Gallatin, Meagher and Park counties): Living Award – Ernest “Ernie” Briggs, Clyde Park. Legacy Award – John Leonard “Jack” Short, White Sulphur Springs, and Montana FFA Association, Bozeman. District 10 (Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, and Sanders Counties): Living Award – Ray and Shirley Jacobs, Eureka. Legacy Award – Roy B. King, Arlee, and Billy Schall, Arlee. District 11 (Mineral, Missoula and Ravalli counties): Living Award – Jack Keith Ward, Hamilton. Legacy Award – Father Antonio “Anthony” Ravalli, S.J., Stevensville. District 12 (Deer Lodge, Beaverhead,

Silver Bow, Granite, Madison and Powell counties): Living Award – Bobbie Jean (Meine) Mussard, Dillon. Legacy Award – Maurice G. “Bud” Weaver, Drummond, and Hitched Horsehair and Braided Horsehair, Deer Lodge.

The MCHF and WHC will honor these inductees during the annual Circle the Wagons gathering Feb. 2-3 in Great Falls at the Best Western Heritage Inn. More information on this event will come later in the year. Since the initial round of inductions to the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2008, including this year’s inductions, 310 inductees have been honored. Full biographies for past inductees are available on the MCHF and WHC’s website at http://www.montanacowboyfame.org. This year’s inductees will be added to the website soon. —— The mission of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center is to “honor our cowboy way of life, American Indian cultures and collective Montana Western heritage.” We exist to serve as a resource to all who wish to see this way of life passed forward to the next generation. Our vision is “to be the state’s premier destination attraction that celebrates and passes forward Montana’s unique western culture and heritage.”

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Montana teacher shares passion for agriculture with students By HILARY MATHESON Daily Inter Lake KALISPELL (AP) — Justin Heupel has stuck with plan A for more than two decades as he’s moved from eastern to western Montana teaching agriculture. “Plan A was to be an ag education teacher,” Heupel said during an interview in a classroom at the H.E. Robinson Vocational Agricultural Center. “And if plan A didn’t work out, plan B was something in ag industry to be able to utilize my degree.” This school year marks his 22nd year teaching and his 14th year with Kalispell Public Schools at the vo-ag center, where he teaches seniors and a sophomore class. Heupel, 43, started out teaching five students in his first job prior to joining the largest school district in Flathead County. “I just really felt like I wanted people to understand agriculture. Where their food comes from. How it’s produced and why it’s produced that way,” Heupel said. “And that continues to be a passion today.” G row i n g u p i n t h e s m a l l tow n o f Culbertson, Heupel’s mother was an elementary teacher and his father managed the town’s grain elevator. Together, the family raised horses and pigs. “So I was surrounded by agriculture,” Heupel said, whether it was feeding animals, cleaning pens, hauling hay, fixing fence, or working a summer job selling John Deere equipment at a dealership as a high schooler. When it came to college, Heupel said he knew that by getting a degree in ag educa-

tion he could comprehensively learn about agriculture from plants and animals to mechanical and business aspects. “Agriculture doesn’t end with farming. That’s where it begins. That’s one I say a lot,” Heupel said with a smile. “One thing I’m really interested in is the business and economics of agriculture,” he said. Why economics? “(It) is easy to forget, especially at a time where the service sector of the economy is doing better, or more healthy, and we forget about our basic industries that add value to the economy. We talk about dollars circulating and economic growth — but where does the dollar start in the economy — it’s with our basic industries and ag is one of those.” Heupel appears to have a personality attuned to being in the classroom or on the farm — approachable, even-tempered, organized and ready to problem solve or instruct at any moment. His approach to teaching is creating a structured environment that is both interesting, relevant and practical whether in the classroom, the shop, the greenhouse or on the farm. “Like when we’re teaching about fertilizer. You might not ever raise a field of wheat, but you’re going to have a lawn and when you go to your hardware store to buy your sack of fertilizer that fertilizer analysis, the three numbers on the bag, is the same,” Heupel said. As one of the ag teachers on a working farm, there is still work to be done over the summer. Each teacher clocks in 20 days over

the summer and two high school students are employed to help keep things running smoothly. “We’ll be harvesting barley soon,” Heupel said. Outside, the center is surrounded by a working farm of hay, barley and livestock. It’s busy on a daily basis with students tending to their animals or helping out in other ways. The center is in the midst of calving season. In one pasture, cattle grazed and calves hunkered down, hiding behind tall grasses. Heupel, his wife Vicki, who is a science teacher at Bigfork High School, and two sons live in Kalispell, but not on a farm — similar to most of the ag students. “This is kind of it,” Heupel said about the vo-ag center. “We do have animals. My own kids have animals and they house them here at the ag center.” In a nearby pen, his youngest son, Evan, who will be a seventh-grader at Kalispell Middle School was training his pig for show by leading it around a pen while it nosed the ground more interested in looking for food. Heupel noted that Evan was a grand champion last year. His oldest son Luke has a steer. “This is Luke’s first year to have a steer, so it’s really fun to work for him,” Heupel said, but said he would be remiss if he didn’t mention that Luke is also a band student and a “rock-star trumpet player.” When not teaching, Heupel said, he enjoys camping, fishing, hunting and is “a DIYer and home improver.”

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September 2017

■ Continued from page 7 and Marie (Anssons) Vercruyssen, who lived up the creek, raised bees that they kept in the root cellar during winter to keep from freezing. Fay graduated from high school in three years at the Ursuline Academy in Great Falls in 1948 and with a two-year teaching degree from the College of Great Falls in 1950. John and Fay married July 29, 1950, at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church in Chinook, between first and second cuttings of hay. John’s father gave them a bred milk cow. They moved north to farm and ranch, first leasing several places before buying. Their first home was a log house and their next, unoccupied a few years, the front door would not close, windows were broken and the chimney crumbled. They moved in before repairs because John insisted. Three children were born: Jerri, John H. and Kenneth. In 1953, they moved to a ranch that they purchased 33 miles north of Chinook by the Canadian border, on the Bagan Road that turned to gumbo with rain. Four more children were born: Richard, Ruth, Marion and Leslie. For eight years, Fay, taught their children and neighbor children at Hydro School two miles from the ranch. John’s father lived with them before his passing. Their black and white TV ran off a gas engine, their backyard had clotheslines and an outhouse supplied with catalogs from J.C. Penney, Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward and peach wrappers. Their water well

was at the bottom of the hill, water had to be pumped and hauled for bathing, cleaning and the wringer wash machine. The root cellar was used for food storage and storm shelter. The basement held coal, potatoes, jars of canned goods and supplies. Baths were taken in the kitchen in a round metal tub, living room linoleum was turned for a better wear pattern, nails were straightened for reuse, and a large garden, chickens, geese, pigs, horses and Hereford cattle were raised. John once accompanied his cattle on the cattle train back east to sell. Bachelors visited often to eat pies Fay baked. The Rural Electric Association brought electricity into their area about 1958. In 1967, more land was purchased, eight miles north of Chinook on the Elloam Road, for children to attend high school. The bathroom tub warmed many newborn calves. Horses were still used for cattle herding and winter feeding. John began raising registered Belgian draft horses in 1979 and he showed two, four and six horse hitches. John could hitch and have his team ready to drive in 10 minutes and from atop the haystack or on the ground his team would listen for and follow his commands. John was a director of Milk River Production Credit Association, the local and interstate Federal Land Bank boards, an officer of the Silver Bow and Cherry Ridge Grazing Districts, a member of the Veterans of Foreign War, American Legion and Montana Stockgrowers Association, a school

board trustee and a 4-H judge. In 1967, John was the Outstanding Conservation Farmer of Blaine County. John and Fay celebrated both their 40th and 50th wedding anniversaries at their ranch with family and many friends. A Catholic Mass was celebrated at the ranch on their 50th anniversary. After John’s passing, Fay cared for their daughter, Ruth, who battled cancer. Fay would tell you, “Life is easier than you think; all you have to do is accept the impossible, bear the intolerable and be able to smile at anything.” The ranches John and Fay built up together remain in their family, and they resided there until their passing. John died Oct. 28, 2001, and Fay died June 19, 2014, and both were buried at Kuper Memorial Cemetery, Blaine County, Chinook, Montana. Re s o u rc e : S t u k e r, J o h n a n d Fa y. Handwritten memories. Chinook, Montana.

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U.S. Cattlemen’s Association holding meeting and forum in Billings From U.S. Cattlemen’s Association WASHINGTON — The United States Cattlemen’s Association announced the 2017 Annual Meeting and Cattle Producer’s Forum, to be held Sept. 15-16 at the Big Horn Resort in Billings, Montana. USCA will host its annual meeting Friday, Sept. 15, followed by the forum Saturday, Sept. 16. Building on the success of last year’s event, the 2017 Cattle Producer’s Forum will once again bring industry experts from Washington, D.C., and across the country to a shared stage in Billings, to discuss the current state of the U.S. cattle industry. The Forum will feature panel discussions on: Bull o r B e a r ? Tr a d e U n d e r t h e N ew

Administration; The Next Big Thing is Already Here: How to Capitalize on a Changing Industry; Beyond the Retail Counter, and more. “ T h e U S CA A n n u a l M e e t i n g a n d Producer’s Forum provide an ideal platform for discussion amongst U.S. cattle producers on issues facing today’s industry,” USCA’s Policy and Outreach Director Lia Biondo said. “Last year’s combination of events brought industry experts and producers from across the country to have serious conversations about the state of the industry and the direction it was headed.” USCA President Kenny Graner said, “Since last year’s event, USCA has continued the discussions held at the forum and will

invite back some of our panel members, in addition to new faces. The forum has been founded on a principle that an open discussion amongst all producers, no matter their affiliation, must take place if we are to address and solve some of the issues facing producers today. No topic is off limits and open discussion is encouraged; the testimonials from last year’s event are evidence enough to encourage all members of the industry to attend and take part in a different type of meeting format.” MEETING DETAILS Friday, Sept. 15, will serve as the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Annual Meeting, where members are invited to take part in

committee meetings, and to discuss organizational goals and objectives for the upcoming year and elect new leaders. Saturday, Sept. 16th, all cattle producers and industry representatives are encouraged to continue the discussions at the forum and accompanying social events. A draft agenda and registration information can be found on the meeting website at http://www.cattlemensmeeting.com. New speakers are added each week; people can check back often for updates. Registration is $45 per person online, $50 at the door. Hotel reservations can be made by calling the Big Horn Resort at 406-839-9300. Mention “U.S. Cattlemen’s Association” for the discounted rate of $109/night.

Farm-based research showcases role of equipment and its impact on crop yields From AGCO Corp. DULUTH, Ga. — Higher yields and greater returns are the ultimate goals for crop producers, and to help corn growers better understand the role equipment plays in optimized crop production systems, AGCO Corp. launched the Crop Tour 2017 on-farm research and demonstration program. The Crop Tour culminates in a series of field events, compares innovative tillage, highspeed planting and in-season cropping practices, with information also available online. “The Crop Tour is all about explaining the interaction between equipment, plants and soil — a systems approach,” said Darren Goebel, director of global commercial crop care at AGCO. “With these plots, we’re demonstrating how variation in soil, equipment

and technology impact plant emergence, health, productivity and yield. Our goal is to help growers better understand how the equipment impacts the soil and the outcome of different practices on the crop.” Evaluating the impact of speed Planting done on 2016 Crop Tour plots highlighted the agronomic benefits of accurate downforce, seed singulation and depth control, using the White Planters 9800VE Series planters. The planter series features advanced seed metering, electronic drive, automated downforce, plus monitoring and data management technologies from Precision Planting. In 2017, the 9800VE Series planters feature the addition of the Precision Planting SpeedTube seed

delivery system that allows accurate planting at nearly double traditional operating speeds. Plots in 2017 are evaluating how planting speed affects the same agronomic issues studied in Crop Tour 2016. Each of the 10-acre demonstration fields includes strips comparing plant emergence, season-long plant progress and yield impact due to variables such as: • Tillage and seedbed quality, including residue management and seed-to-soil contact, with some locations demonstrating the new Sunflower SF6830 high-speed rotary finisher for seedbed preparation • Seeding depth, with six comparisons, ranging from 1 inch to 3.5 inches • Down-pressure variability, light, ideal and heavy, across the width of the planter

• Plant spacing, including the impact of skips and doubles • Compaction, created in a strip that will allow comparison across all treatments “Higher operating speeds allow producers to till and plant more acres per day, so a greater percentage of their crop can be planted within the ideal time frame for optimum yields,” Goebel said. “By establishing these demonstrations and gathering data about the different variables that growers face every year, we will help growers get a better understanding of which factors have the greatest impact on yield.” —— See videos, articles and photos of the Crop Tour project at http://www.AGCOCropCare. com.

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Hall of Fame 2017 inducts Nicholas Bernard “Nick” Faber Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame 2017 Legacy inductees From Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame Nicholas Bernard “Nick” Faber was born Aug. 1, 1937, to Leonard and Rose (Redwing) Faber in Havre, Montana. He grew up in the Bear Paw Mountains south of Havre, originally at the Hays Place and then on Sucker Creek. He went to school at the Faber School and then on to what now is Beaver Creek Park, riding behind his sister, Lorna, to school each day. Nick grew up cowboying with his cousins, learning how to work cattle and break horses. He also spent time trapping and hunting. A s h e g o t o l d e r, exc i t e m e n t included trailing the cattle to shipping in Havre, finding stock to practice their bronc skills on, or driving fast cars and attending the country dances. He met Patricia Greytak from North Havre and it was heard from a local farmer, that they just couldn’t compete against those “South Country Cowboys.” Nick and Pat married Jan. 28, 1957, and had three children, Russell, Julie, and Karene. Nick and Pat purchased “No. 1” over by Lloyd and they spent the winter getting the place in order so that they could move in while grandma

watched the kids. This did not include indoor plumbing at first. In 1968, Nick bought the Kuhr Place in Cleveland and moved his family over there. Banking was d i f f e re n t i n t h o s e d ays a n d, according to Pat, he primarily got the loan because the lender knew he was hard-working and would pay him back. He continued to expand, purchasing land and trading when he could. He wa s i n vo l ve d i n t h e Wa r r i c k Rodeo and picked up there, but building his ranch became his primary focus. He was one the of the first ranchers in the Bear Paws to try the new black cattle, Angus, in a dominant Hereford area. Nick had the luck of having some great horses that he kept over the years. “Cook“ and others are overlooking the ranch in a place of honor now. When Nick wasn’t feeding with his team, working cattle, trucking or cutting hay, his other joy was running his Cat. Bucked brush, a new high road or an opened-up gravel pit were proof that he was playing with his toy. In the 1990s, Nick bought the Cleveland Bar and soon brought home some freezing Corrientes f ro m t h e M ex i c a n b o rd e r i n January. The next summer those

same animals brought the community together in a newly built arena. The Cleveland Arena was the site of several ropings and the Cleveland Ranch Rodeo for years. Nick is a great supporter of these events, donating cattle and equipment. Nick continues to raise Angus cows at the Cleveland ranch, still riding — a big bay now — working hard to continually improve the genetics of his herd, growing hay and silage, and feeding cows. The neighbors comment that Nick “loves to feed his cows” and they sometimes set their haying and feeding schedules around him. Those who know Nick know that he never sits still and he is constantly thinking of the next project to get done to improve his ranch and the quality of his cows. He will be forever blazing new trails with the heart of an origi-

John Will Stuker was born July 17, 1924, at home in Paradise Valley, Blaine County, Montana, to John and Sophie (Rausch) Stuker, the second of five children. He attended Paradise Valley School. At age 7, John sat on a flat board to drive a team of horses in the fields to break up the clumps of dirt. At age 10, his mother died. At 12, John farmed while his father hauled drinking water from their farm to Harlem, a 25-mile round trip. At 17, John was hired by Gustove Vercruyssen then by Prudencio “Prunes” Agorreta, a neighboring rancher, 18 miles south of Chinook on Clear Creek. Prunes ran large bands of sheep and herds of cattle. John made many 85-mile day rides by horse to and from Prunes’ to north of Lohman to chase wild horses back into Canada. There were no fences and the grass was needed for cattle. An agricultural deferment requested by Prunes kept John from the service until January of 1946. John served in the U.S. Army on the Berlin Airlift, Operation Vittles, in the 252nd Combat Engineer Battalion as a staff sergeant and had his paycheck sent home. John was honorably discharged Dec. 31, 1948. He returned home to work for Prunes until Prunes’ death and his estate was settled in 1950. John remained in the U.S. Army Reserves for four years. Fay Lois Vercruyssen was born on leap year, Feb. 29, 1932, to Gustove and Marion (Kearful) Vercruyssen, in the Sacred Heart Hospital, Havre, Montana. She was the second of four girls. Fay lived in a homestead log house with a dirt floor until 8, then her

Courtesy photo Nicholas Bernard “Nick” Faber holds a rope while working in the Bear Paw Mountains. The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center is inducting lifelong Bear Paw Mountain rancher Faber as a 2017 inductee into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Behind every successful Ag producer is a supportive family and a strong bank committed to agriculture • Operating Loans & Lines of Credit • Ag Real Estate Loans • Livestock & Equipment Loans • Deferred Payment Contracts*

Chuck Wimmer

Doug Kallenberger

Kaare Engebretson

*Available through Stockman Exchange. Contracts are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not bank guaranteed. Consult a tax advisor.

324 3rd Ave Havre: 265-3800

in an irrigation ditch by pulling her out. Her family raised many sheep and cattle and her job was to take the milk cows out to pasture in the morning and bring them home at night, milk a cow in the morning and night, feed chickens, gather eggs, do dishes and wash clothes on a scrub board with lye soap. When ill, rendered goose and skunk fat were mixed half-and-half and applied to her chest, back and throat. For a cough, kerosene and honey were mixed to

John Will and Fay Lois (Vercruyssen) Stuker 1924-2001 and 1932-2014

stockmanbank.com ©2017 Stockman Bank | NMLS ID# 440094 | Member FDIC

Courtesy photo Fay Lois (Vercruyssen) and John Will Stuker pose for a photograph. The longtime Blaine County ranchers are 2017 legacy inductees in the Montana Cowbaoy Hall of Fame. father built a regular wooden house. She had scarlet fever and lost her hair. At 9, during haying season, Fay drove a team of horses on a sulky rake behind the mower and the stacker team while her future husband, John, stacked the hay. The neighbor would hire Fay to drive the stacker team all summer for one dollar. The pony Fay rode 3 1/2 miles south to Ada School often ate her lunch from the saddle pack. One summer, the family collie rescued her from drowning

swallow. At 9, Fay’s parents separated and Fay lived with her grandparents, Jerome and Flora (Tibbits) Kearful, on the Eden Ranch, three miles down creek. Jerome “squatted” his land before homesteading was available, built a log cabin in 1890 and purchased a Sears & Roebuck prefabricated house in 1916. Fay rode a horse 3 1/2 miles north to Sprague School. Fay always liked bees, because her grandparents, Alphonse

■ See Legacy Page 8

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Hall of Fame 2017 inducts Nicholas Bernard “Nick” Faber Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame 2017 Legacy inductees From Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame Nicholas Bernard “Nick” Faber was born Aug. 1, 1937, to Leonard and Rose (Redwing) Faber in Havre, Montana. He grew up in the Bear Paw Mountains south of Havre, originally at the Hays Place and then on Sucker Creek. He went to school at the Faber School and then on to what now is Beaver Creek Park, riding behind his sister, Lorna, to school each day. Nick grew up cowboying with his cousins, learning how to work cattle and break horses. He also spent time trapping and hunting. A s h e g o t o l d e r, exc i t e m e n t included trailing the cattle to shipping in Havre, finding stock to practice their bronc skills on, or driving fast cars and attending the country dances. He met Patricia Greytak from North Havre and it was heard from a local farmer, that they just couldn’t compete against those “South Country Cowboys.” Nick and Pat married Jan. 28, 1957, and had three children, Russell, Julie, and Karene. Nick and Pat purchased “No. 1” over by Lloyd and they spent the winter getting the place in order so that they could move in while grandma

watched the kids. This did not include indoor plumbing at first. In 1968, Nick bought the Kuhr Place in Cleveland and moved his family over there. Banking was d i f f e re n t i n t h o s e d ays a n d, according to Pat, he primarily got the loan because the lender knew he was hard-working and would pay him back. He continued to expand, purchasing land and trading when he could. He wa s i n vo l ve d i n t h e Wa r r i c k Rodeo and picked up there, but building his ranch became his primary focus. He was one the of the first ranchers in the Bear Paws to try the new black cattle, Angus, in a dominant Hereford area. Nick had the luck of having some great horses that he kept over the years. “Cook“ and others are overlooking the ranch in a place of honor now. When Nick wasn’t feeding with his team, working cattle, trucking or cutting hay, his other joy was running his Cat. Bucked brush, a new high road or an opened-up gravel pit were proof that he was playing with his toy. In the 1990s, Nick bought the Cleveland Bar and soon brought home some freezing Corrientes f ro m t h e M ex i c a n b o rd e r i n January. The next summer those

same animals brought the community together in a newly built arena. The Cleveland Arena was the site of several ropings and the Cleveland Ranch Rodeo for years. Nick is a great supporter of these events, donating cattle and equipment. Nick continues to raise Angus cows at the Cleveland ranch, still riding — a big bay now — working hard to continually improve the genetics of his herd, growing hay and silage, and feeding cows. The neighbors comment that Nick “loves to feed his cows” and they sometimes set their haying and feeding schedules around him. Those who know Nick know that he never sits still and he is constantly thinking of the next project to get done to improve his ranch and the quality of his cows. He will be forever blazing new trails with the heart of an origi-

John Will Stuker was born July 17, 1924, at home in Paradise Valley, Blaine County, Montana, to John and Sophie (Rausch) Stuker, the second of five children. He attended Paradise Valley School. At age 7, John sat on a flat board to drive a team of horses in the fields to break up the clumps of dirt. At age 10, his mother died. At 12, John farmed while his father hauled drinking water from their farm to Harlem, a 25-mile round trip. At 17, John was hired by Gustove Vercruyssen then by Prudencio “Prunes” Agorreta, a neighboring rancher, 18 miles south of Chinook on Clear Creek. Prunes ran large bands of sheep and herds of cattle. John made many 85-mile day rides by horse to and from Prunes’ to north of Lohman to chase wild horses back into Canada. There were no fences and the grass was needed for cattle. An agricultural deferment requested by Prunes kept John from the service until January of 1946. John served in the U.S. Army on the Berlin Airlift, Operation Vittles, in the 252nd Combat Engineer Battalion as a staff sergeant and had his paycheck sent home. John was honorably discharged Dec. 31, 1948. He returned home to work for Prunes until Prunes’ death and his estate was settled in 1950. John remained in the U.S. Army Reserves for four years. Fay Lois Vercruyssen was born on leap year, Feb. 29, 1932, to Gustove and Marion (Kearful) Vercruyssen, in the Sacred Heart Hospital, Havre, Montana. She was the second of four girls. Fay lived in a homestead log house with a dirt floor until 8, then her

Courtesy photo Nicholas Bernard “Nick” Faber holds a rope while working in the Bear Paw Mountains. The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center is inducting lifelong Bear Paw Mountain rancher Faber as a 2017 inductee into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Behind every successful Ag producer is a supportive family and a strong bank committed to agriculture • Operating Loans & Lines of Credit • Ag Real Estate Loans • Livestock & Equipment Loans • Deferred Payment Contracts*

Chuck Wimmer

Doug Kallenberger

Kaare Engebretson

*Available through Stockman Exchange. Contracts are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not bank guaranteed. Consult a tax advisor.

324 3rd Ave Havre: 265-3800

in an irrigation ditch by pulling her out. Her family raised many sheep and cattle and her job was to take the milk cows out to pasture in the morning and bring them home at night, milk a cow in the morning and night, feed chickens, gather eggs, do dishes and wash clothes on a scrub board with lye soap. When ill, rendered goose and skunk fat were mixed half-and-half and applied to her chest, back and throat. For a cough, kerosene and honey were mixed to

John Will and Fay Lois (Vercruyssen) Stuker 1924-2001 and 1932-2014

stockmanbank.com ©2017 Stockman Bank | NMLS ID# 440094 | Member FDIC

Courtesy photo Fay Lois (Vercruyssen) and John Will Stuker pose for a photograph. The longtime Blaine County ranchers are 2017 legacy inductees in the Montana Cowbaoy Hall of Fame. father built a regular wooden house. She had scarlet fever and lost her hair. At 9, during haying season, Fay drove a team of horses on a sulky rake behind the mower and the stacker team while her future husband, John, stacked the hay. The neighbor would hire Fay to drive the stacker team all summer for one dollar. The pony Fay rode 3 1/2 miles south to Ada School often ate her lunch from the saddle pack. One summer, the family collie rescued her from drowning

swallow. At 9, Fay’s parents separated and Fay lived with her grandparents, Jerome and Flora (Tibbits) Kearful, on the Eden Ranch, three miles down creek. Jerome “squatted” his land before homesteading was available, built a log cabin in 1890 and purchased a Sears & Roebuck prefabricated house in 1916. Fay rode a horse 3 1/2 miles north to Sprague School. Fay always liked bees, because her grandparents, Alphonse

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■ Continued from page 7 and Marie (Anssons) Vercruyssen, who lived up the creek, raised bees that they kept in the root cellar during winter to keep from freezing. Fay graduated from high school in three years at the Ursuline Academy in Great Falls in 1948 and with a two-year teaching degree from the College of Great Falls in 1950. John and Fay married July 29, 1950, at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church in Chinook, between first and second cuttings of hay. John’s father gave them a bred milk cow. They moved north to farm and ranch, first leasing several places before buying. Their first home was a log house and their next, unoccupied a few years, the front door would not close, windows were broken and the chimney crumbled. They moved in before repairs because John insisted. Three children were born: Jerri, John H. and Kenneth. In 1953, they moved to a ranch that they purchased 33 miles north of Chinook by the Canadian border, on the Bagan Road that turned to gumbo with rain. Four more children were born: Richard, Ruth, Marion and Leslie. For eight years, Fay, taught their children and neighbor children at Hydro School two miles from the ranch. John’s father lived with them before his passing. Their black and white TV ran off a gas engine, their backyard had clotheslines and an outhouse supplied with catalogs from J.C. Penney, Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward and peach wrappers. Their water well

was at the bottom of the hill, water had to be pumped and hauled for bathing, cleaning and the wringer wash machine. The root cellar was used for food storage and storm shelter. The basement held coal, potatoes, jars of canned goods and supplies. Baths were taken in the kitchen in a round metal tub, living room linoleum was turned for a better wear pattern, nails were straightened for reuse, and a large garden, chickens, geese, pigs, horses and Hereford cattle were raised. John once accompanied his cattle on the cattle train back east to sell. Bachelors visited often to eat pies Fay baked. The Rural Electric Association brought electricity into their area about 1958. In 1967, more land was purchased, eight miles north of Chinook on the Elloam Road, for children to attend high school. The bathroom tub warmed many newborn calves. Horses were still used for cattle herding and winter feeding. John began raising registered Belgian draft horses in 1979 and he showed two, four and six horse hitches. John could hitch and have his team ready to drive in 10 minutes and from atop the haystack or on the ground his team would listen for and follow his commands. John was a director of Milk River Production Credit Association, the local and interstate Federal Land Bank boards, an officer of the Silver Bow and Cherry Ridge Grazing Districts, a member of the Veterans of Foreign War, American Legion and Montana Stockgrowers Association, a school

board trustee and a 4-H judge. In 1967, John was the Outstanding Conservation Farmer of Blaine County. John and Fay celebrated both their 40th and 50th wedding anniversaries at their ranch with family and many friends. A Catholic Mass was celebrated at the ranch on their 50th anniversary. After John’s passing, Fay cared for their daughter, Ruth, who battled cancer. Fay would tell you, “Life is easier than you think; all you have to do is accept the impossible, bear the intolerable and be able to smile at anything.” The ranches John and Fay built up together remain in their family, and they resided there until their passing. John died Oct. 28, 2001, and Fay died June 19, 2014, and both were buried at Kuper Memorial Cemetery, Blaine County, Chinook, Montana. Re s o u rc e : S t u k e r, J o h n a n d Fa y. Handwritten memories. Chinook, Montana.

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U.S. Cattlemen’s Association holding meeting and forum in Billings From U.S. Cattlemen’s Association WASHINGTON — The United States Cattlemen’s Association announced the 2017 Annual Meeting and Cattle Producer’s Forum, to be held Sept. 15-16 at the Big Horn Resort in Billings, Montana. USCA will host its annual meeting Friday, Sept. 15, followed by the forum Saturday, Sept. 16. Building on the success of last year’s event, the 2017 Cattle Producer’s Forum will once again bring industry experts from Washington, D.C., and across the country to a shared stage in Billings, to discuss the current state of the U.S. cattle industry. The Forum will feature panel discussions on: Bull o r B e a r ? Tr a d e U n d e r t h e N ew

Administration; The Next Big Thing is Already Here: How to Capitalize on a Changing Industry; Beyond the Retail Counter, and more. “ T h e U S CA A n n u a l M e e t i n g a n d Producer’s Forum provide an ideal platform for discussion amongst U.S. cattle producers on issues facing today’s industry,” USCA’s Policy and Outreach Director Lia Biondo said. “Last year’s combination of events brought industry experts and producers from across the country to have serious conversations about the state of the industry and the direction it was headed.” USCA President Kenny Graner said, “Since last year’s event, USCA has continued the discussions held at the forum and will

invite back some of our panel members, in addition to new faces. The forum has been founded on a principle that an open discussion amongst all producers, no matter their affiliation, must take place if we are to address and solve some of the issues facing producers today. No topic is off limits and open discussion is encouraged; the testimonials from last year’s event are evidence enough to encourage all members of the industry to attend and take part in a different type of meeting format.” MEETING DETAILS Friday, Sept. 15, will serve as the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Annual Meeting, where members are invited to take part in

committee meetings, and to discuss organizational goals and objectives for the upcoming year and elect new leaders. Saturday, Sept. 16th, all cattle producers and industry representatives are encouraged to continue the discussions at the forum and accompanying social events. A draft agenda and registration information can be found on the meeting website at http://www.cattlemensmeeting.com. New speakers are added each week; people can check back often for updates. Registration is $45 per person online, $50 at the door. Hotel reservations can be made by calling the Big Horn Resort at 406-839-9300. Mention “U.S. Cattlemen’s Association” for the discounted rate of $109/night.

Farm-based research showcases role of equipment and its impact on crop yields From AGCO Corp. DULUTH, Ga. — Higher yields and greater returns are the ultimate goals for crop producers, and to help corn growers better understand the role equipment plays in optimized crop production systems, AGCO Corp. launched the Crop Tour 2017 on-farm research and demonstration program. The Crop Tour culminates in a series of field events, compares innovative tillage, highspeed planting and in-season cropping practices, with information also available online. “The Crop Tour is all about explaining the interaction between equipment, plants and soil — a systems approach,” said Darren Goebel, director of global commercial crop care at AGCO. “With these plots, we’re demonstrating how variation in soil, equipment

and technology impact plant emergence, health, productivity and yield. Our goal is to help growers better understand how the equipment impacts the soil and the outcome of different practices on the crop.” Evaluating the impact of speed Planting done on 2016 Crop Tour plots highlighted the agronomic benefits of accurate downforce, seed singulation and depth control, using the White Planters 9800VE Series planters. The planter series features advanced seed metering, electronic drive, automated downforce, plus monitoring and data management technologies from Precision Planting. In 2017, the 9800VE Series planters feature the addition of the Precision Planting SpeedTube seed

delivery system that allows accurate planting at nearly double traditional operating speeds. Plots in 2017 are evaluating how planting speed affects the same agronomic issues studied in Crop Tour 2016. Each of the 10-acre demonstration fields includes strips comparing plant emergence, season-long plant progress and yield impact due to variables such as: • Tillage and seedbed quality, including residue management and seed-to-soil contact, with some locations demonstrating the new Sunflower SF6830 high-speed rotary finisher for seedbed preparation • Seeding depth, with six comparisons, ranging from 1 inch to 3.5 inches • Down-pressure variability, light, ideal and heavy, across the width of the planter

• Plant spacing, including the impact of skips and doubles • Compaction, created in a strip that will allow comparison across all treatments “Higher operating speeds allow producers to till and plant more acres per day, so a greater percentage of their crop can be planted within the ideal time frame for optimum yields,” Goebel said. “By establishing these demonstrations and gathering data about the different variables that growers face every year, we will help growers get a better understanding of which factors have the greatest impact on yield.” —— See videos, articles and photos of the Crop Tour project at http://www.AGCOCropCare. com.

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Cowboy Hall of Fame lists inductees Faber, Stukers among inductees

From Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame Editor’s note: See pages 6 and 7 for biographies of local inductees. The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center has announced the tenth class of inductions into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame, including from District 4 in north-central Montana. The inductees were chosen from a field of candidates nominated by the general public. Inductees are honored for their notable contributions to the history and culture of Montana. “Our volunteer trustees around Montana vote on nominations that come from the district in which they reside,” Jeff Bolstad, president, said. “It gives the local communities a strong voice in who will represent them in the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame exists to honor those who have made an impact in their part of the state and represent Montana’s authentic heritage for future generations.” The MCHF and WHC board of directors has designated 12 trustee districts across the state from which up to 20 trustees may be appointed. Nomination criteria established by the board for the Class of 2017 inductions

allowed the election of up to one Living Inductee and two Legacy Inductees from each of the 12 districts.

The 2017 inducteesinto the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame are: District 1 (Daniels, Phillips, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Valley counties): Living Award – Mary Louise (Hovendick) Helland, Glasgow. Legacy Award – B. M. Bower, Glasgow, and Eugene Joseph “Gene” Martin, Wolf Point. District 2 (Dawson, Garfield, McCone, Prairie, Richland and Wibaux counties): Living Award – Jim Baisch, Glendive. Legacy Award – Lorin Abarr Sr., Fallon, and Orlando Shepard “Doc” Drake, Wibaux. District 3 (Carter, Custer, Fallon, Powder River, Rosebud and Treasure counties): Living Award – John L. “Jack” Bailey, Forsyth. Legacy Award – Jersey Lilly Bar and Café, Ingomar, and Bob and Helen (Fulton) Askin, Ismay. District 4 (Blaine, Chouteau, Hill and Liberty counties): Living Award – Nicholas Bernard “Nick” Faber, Chinook. Legacy Award – John and Fay (Vercruyssen) Stuker, Chinook, and Ed and Orah (Young) Massie, Great Falls (formerly of Chouteau County). District 5 (Cascade, Glacier, Pondera, Teton and Toole counties): Living Award – Norma Ashby, Great Falls. Legacy Award – Brian F. Connolly, Browning, and Daniel

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Charles “Dan” Boggs, Heart Butte. District 6 (Fergus, Golden Valley, Judith Basin, Musselshell, Petroleum and Wheatland counties): Living Award – Edgar E. Lewis, Lavina. Legacy Award – Melvin L. Cheney, Stanford, and White Wolf of the Judith Basin, Stanford. District 7 (Big Horn, Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet Grass and Yellowstone counties): Living Award – David Herman Branger, Roscoe. Legacy Award – Saint Paul Case, Hardin, and John Otis “Jack” Hash, Roscoe. District 8 (Broadwater, Jefferson, and Lewis and Clark counties): Living Award – Governor Judy (Morstein) Martz, Helena. Legacy Award – Robert F. “Bob” Cooney, Helena, and James J. “Jim” McLucas, Helena. District 9 (Gallatin, Meagher and Park counties): Living Award – Ernest “Ernie” Briggs, Clyde Park. Legacy Award – John Leonard “Jack” Short, White Sulphur Springs, and Montana FFA Association, Bozeman. District 10 (Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, and Sanders Counties): Living Award – Ray and Shirley Jacobs, Eureka. Legacy Award – Roy B. King, Arlee, and Billy Schall, Arlee. District 11 (Mineral, Missoula and Ravalli counties): Living Award – Jack Keith Ward, Hamilton. Legacy Award – Father Antonio “Anthony” Ravalli, S.J., Stevensville. District 12 (Deer Lodge, Beaverhead,

Silver Bow, Granite, Madison and Powell counties): Living Award – Bobbie Jean (Meine) Mussard, Dillon. Legacy Award – Maurice G. “Bud” Weaver, Drummond, and Hitched Horsehair and Braided Horsehair, Deer Lodge.

The MCHF and WHC will honor these inductees during the annual Circle the Wagons gathering Feb. 2-3 in Great Falls at the Best Western Heritage Inn. More information on this event will come later in the year. Since the initial round of inductions to the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2008, including this year’s inductions, 310 inductees have been honored. Full biographies for past inductees are available on the MCHF and WHC’s website at http://www.montanacowboyfame.org. This year’s inductees will be added to the website soon. —— The mission of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center is to “honor our cowboy way of life, American Indian cultures and collective Montana Western heritage.” We exist to serve as a resource to all who wish to see this way of life passed forward to the next generation. Our vision is “to be the state’s premier destination attraction that celebrates and passes forward Montana’s unique western culture and heritage.”

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FARM & RANCH

Montana teacher shares passion for agriculture with students By HILARY MATHESON Daily Inter Lake KALISPELL (AP) — Justin Heupel has stuck with plan A for more than two decades as he’s moved from eastern to western Montana teaching agriculture. “Plan A was to be an ag education teacher,” Heupel said during an interview in a classroom at the H.E. Robinson Vocational Agricultural Center. “And if plan A didn’t work out, plan B was something in ag industry to be able to utilize my degree.” This school year marks his 22nd year teaching and his 14th year with Kalispell Public Schools at the vo-ag center, where he teaches seniors and a sophomore class. Heupel, 43, started out teaching five students in his first job prior to joining the largest school district in Flathead County. “I just really felt like I wanted people to understand agriculture. Where their food comes from. How it’s produced and why it’s produced that way,” Heupel said. “And that continues to be a passion today.” G row i n g u p i n t h e s m a l l tow n o f Culbertson, Heupel’s mother was an elementary teacher and his father managed the town’s grain elevator. Together, the family raised horses and pigs. “So I was surrounded by agriculture,” Heupel said, whether it was feeding animals, cleaning pens, hauling hay, fixing fence, or working a summer job selling John Deere equipment at a dealership as a high schooler. When it came to college, Heupel said he knew that by getting a degree in ag educa-

tion he could comprehensively learn about agriculture from plants and animals to mechanical and business aspects. “Agriculture doesn’t end with farming. That’s where it begins. That’s one I say a lot,” Heupel said with a smile. “One thing I’m really interested in is the business and economics of agriculture,” he said. Why economics? “(It) is easy to forget, especially at a time where the service sector of the economy is doing better, or more healthy, and we forget about our basic industries that add value to the economy. We talk about dollars circulating and economic growth — but where does the dollar start in the economy — it’s with our basic industries and ag is one of those.” Heupel appears to have a personality attuned to being in the classroom or on the farm — approachable, even-tempered, organized and ready to problem solve or instruct at any moment. His approach to teaching is creating a structured environment that is both interesting, relevant and practical whether in the classroom, the shop, the greenhouse or on the farm. “Like when we’re teaching about fertilizer. You might not ever raise a field of wheat, but you’re going to have a lawn and when you go to your hardware store to buy your sack of fertilizer that fertilizer analysis, the three numbers on the bag, is the same,” Heupel said. As one of the ag teachers on a working farm, there is still work to be done over the summer. Each teacher clocks in 20 days over

the summer and two high school students are employed to help keep things running smoothly. “We’ll be harvesting barley soon,” Heupel said. Outside, the center is surrounded by a working farm of hay, barley and livestock. It’s busy on a daily basis with students tending to their animals or helping out in other ways. The center is in the midst of calving season. In one pasture, cattle grazed and calves hunkered down, hiding behind tall grasses. Heupel, his wife Vicki, who is a science teacher at Bigfork High School, and two sons live in Kalispell, but not on a farm — similar to most of the ag students. “This is kind of it,” Heupel said about the vo-ag center. “We do have animals. My own kids have animals and they house them here at the ag center.” In a nearby pen, his youngest son, Evan, who will be a seventh-grader at Kalispell Middle School was training his pig for show by leading it around a pen while it nosed the ground more interested in looking for food. Heupel noted that Evan was a grand champion last year. His oldest son Luke has a steer. “This is Luke’s first year to have a steer, so it’s really fun to work for him,” Heupel said, but said he would be remiss if he didn’t mention that Luke is also a band student and a “rock-star trumpet player.” When not teaching, Heupel said, he enjoys camping, fishing, hunting and is “a DIYer and home improver.”

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The Rural Sisterhood: 'My View' ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD FOR FARM & RANCH The brown of dying and extreme drought stricken ďŹ elds extends from the header of my swather, past the occasional green weed and even more rare evergreen tree, to the horizon. The brown is then exchanged for grey from the remnants of a multitude of ďŹ res here in our state and across Canada. I’ve begun measuring the intensity of the smoke by whether or not I can see Tower hill, to the south, out my kitchen window. On days where the grey of smoke is intense, the only blue left in the expansive Big Sky is right above me. Everyday I hear of another ďŹ re. Some put out quickly by fast responding neighbors. Others rage and lap up ďŹ elds, pastures, livestock, and homes and remain out of control. Livestock in pastures away from the raging and uncontrolled ďŹ res need to be moved to different pastures as they are quickly eating up what’s there. Pastures that were once thick with knee to waisthigh grass are dead and bare. Vehicles with ďŹ lled water tanks in the back, dot the thirsty landscape. No one is taking unnecessary risks. But taking risks is inherent in the lifestyle many have chosen on this side of the state. Each farmer and rancher tries to minimize the risk in his or her operation. This year we’ll make huge, pocketbook affecting cuts so that we have food enough for our livestock. Jobs in town will be procured. Fervent prayers, for the drought to end, will continue. We will live out our faith that “joy comes in the morning," God has not forgotten us, the expansive blue Big Sky will return, brown and dead grasses and native plants will return green and lush, and rain will nourish our land. You can follow Elizabeth Shipstead's writing and photography at theruralsisterhood.com.

YOU’RE READING HILINE FARM & RANCH THE AG MONTHLY FOR NORTHEAST & NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA

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Burkes Put Acreage Into Conservation BEBE CROUSE, NATURE CONSERVANCY FOR FARM & RANCH Kelly and Tami Burke provide for more than cattle on their ranch south of Glasgow. Their land is also used by pronghorn, Greater Sage-grouse, mule deer and a variety of wildlife that depend on its diverse mix of habitat. Wildlife like sage-grouse thrive where good grazing practices are combined with keeping good habitat intact. The Burkes are doing both. That’s why it made sense for them to place 3,792 acres into a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy. For Kelly Burke, the easement made sense. “It just looked like the beneďŹ ts we were getting were higher than what we’d be giving up.â€? They’ve even gone a step further by restoring about one square mile of former cropland. The 640 acres have now been seeded for native vegetation. “Restoring natural vegetation on soils better suited as rangeland than crops ensures continuity of habitat that is critical for healthy sage-grouse populations," says Brian

Martin, Grasslands Conservation Director for The Nature Conservancy in Montana. The easement bridges a gap between it and the remaining habitat which ranges from grasslands in the Missouri River Breaks to sagebrush grassland. The easement purchase was a cooperative effort with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provided a portion of the funds for the acquisition through their Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) program. The ALE program was created by Congress to support the conservation of family farms and ranches. In addition to the easement, the Burkes have worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and Bureau of Land Management to improve the management of the range on their private land and BLM leases. Their goal is to enhance habitat for sage-grouse while improving forage for livestock. The easement allows for these continued grazing practices as part of a sustainable ranch operation. To learn more about conservation easements, call 406-579-8559 or write to bcrouse@tnc.org.

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

September & October 2017 Schedule

September 2017 All Class Cattle Auction

ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD / FOR FARM & RANCH

SEAN R. HEAVEY / FOR FARM & RANCH

Glasgow-based photographer Sean R. Heavey took these detail shots at a rodeo event during the Northeast Montana Fair in August.

MONTANA FSA FOR FARM & RANCH FSA's Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land, or ďŹ re on federally managed land. Livestock producers in 24 Montana counties are eligible to apply for 2017 LFP benefits on small grain, native pasture, improved pasture, annual ryegrass, forage sorghum that is produced on dryland acres and used for grazing. Irrigated acres used for grazing or aftermath grazing are not eligible under this program. Eligible livestock include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, reindeer or sheep that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland during the normal grazing period. County committees can only accept LFP applications after notiďŹ cation is received by the National OfďŹ ce of a qualifying drought or if a federal agency prohibits producers from grazing normal permitted livestock on federally managed lands due to qualifying ďŹ re. As of Aug. 24, 2017, the following 24 Montana counties met the drought criteria

on the U.S. Drought Monitor and are eligible for the 2017 LFP Program: Blaine, Carter, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, GarďŹ eld, Hill, McCone, Musselshell, Petroleum, Phillips, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Treasure, Valley and Wibaux and Yellowstone. Producers with grazing land physically located in one of the 24 eligible LFP counties should contact their local FSA ofďŹ ce to schedule an appointment to begin the application process. Eligible livestock producers must complete a CCC-853 and the required supporting documentation no later than Jan. 30, 2018, for 2017 losses. Note that 2017 acreage reports are required to be ďŹ led for all eligible land no later than the ďŹ nal reporting date of Nov. 15, 2017. Acreage reports ďŹ led after that date will not be accepted which will result in ineligibility for the 2017 LFP program. Required supporting documents may include information related to grazing leases or federal grazing permits, contract grower agreements, documentation to support livestock inventory and more. Additional Information about LFP, including eligible livestock and ďŹ re criteria, is available at your local FSA ofďŹ ce or online at www.fsa.usda.gov.

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CRP, Livestock Forage Programs Expanded Cattle make the most of drought stricken pastures on the Shipstead family ranch in Valley County.

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ROUBIE YOUNKIN, MSU EXTENSION FOR FARM & RANCH “Keep your eyes on the Judge," 4-H parents like to say. “Always keep your animal between yourself and the judge,â€? and “always push him away from you never toward," and "smile, like you are having fun.â€? 4-H/FFA livestock showmen hear this every year (every show) in the way of coaching from their well-meaning parents. Well, they had had enough! At the Northeast Montana Fair this year, the tables were turned after the round robin showmanship, which tests the skills of all showmen with one member rising to the top showing all species. Brooke Westby, CJ Nelson, John McColly and Cache Younkin moved into the judges’ positions and parents positioned themselves to reveal their showmanship talents and moved to receiving end of their own advice. Two animals of each species, Beef, Sheep, Swine and Horse, entered the arena and the adults took the “reinsâ€? or the show stick if that was the case, and the competition began. The judges asked the contestants questions speciďŹ c to each species in terms of markets, feed, and reproduction. Judging sheets revealed the perspective of

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these young evaluators as the “Classâ€? was filled in with a politically correct, “Senior Citizens,â€? or a respectful “Adults,â€? an honest, “Geezers,â€? and ďŹ nally the cold hard reality of “old people.â€? As the rotations between the species began, those rusty skills were dusted off and long-ago instilled techniques worked their way to the surface. "Walk, Trot, Turn;" "square up those legs;" "lift up his head," and "eyes on the judge" became silent mantras as the competition became intense. Meanwhile, the crowd was enthralled. All ages enjoyed watching parents and peers. Eyes were trained on the show ring as each watched carefully for a slight error in style or technique. These showmen didn’t have just four judges, they were making an impression on the entire crowd. There was much seriousness and much laughter as the rotations came to an end and the competitors lined up for the judging results. Alum and 4-H Leader Sheena Hubbard came out the champion with each participant being recognized for a special skill or talent. However, the trophy was awarded to Paul Siefert for the most creative answers to the judges questions. Funny, because this contest was inspired by Siefert.

ROUBIE YOUNKIN / FOR FARM & RANCH

Cache Younkin (r) grades entries from Larry Ross Simpson (l) and Paul Siefert (center) at the fairgrounds in Glasgow.

MONA DOEBLER / FOR FARM & RANCH

Thanks to a tip from a friend, photographer Mona Doebler caught a picture of this moose near the Beaver Creek Bridge northwest of Hinsdale on Aug. 16.

The Month in Weather BRANDON BIGELBACH FOR FARM & RANCH Warm and dry conditions persisted throughout northeast Montana again this past month. August will mark the fifth straight month in which the region experienced below-normal precipitation. Winds this month were calmer on average than in the past few months. For August, 23 days of the month saw maximum wind speeds less than 25 mph. Aug. 24, saw the greatest winds with 49 mph sustained winds and gusts to 63 mph, due to the passage of a dry thunderstorm during the evening hours. As for ďŹ re restrictions, conditions for the northeast portion of the state remains mostly unchanged. Most counties in the region are under Stage 1 ďŹ re restrictions, with Daniels County still in a burn ban for private lands. As of press date, per the National Weather Service in Glasgow, the highest observed temperature for the month was 97 degrees on Aug. 30, and the lowest was 46 degrees on Aug. 20. The total liquid precipitation

reported at Glasgow was 0.27�, which was approximately 1� below normal. Over a 24-hour period, the greatest precipitation total was 0.21�, which occurred on Aug. 2. The overall mean temperature for the month was approximately 69 degrees, which is approximately 1 degree below normal. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor was released on Aug. 22. Conditions have deteriorated over this summer to the point that over 97 percent of the state is now considered at least Abnormally Dry. From there it gets more severe when narrowing down to the northeast region. The entirety of northeast Montana is listed as being in an Extreme Drought, which is the penultimate drought category. Of the almost 12 percent of the state listed in the ultimate drought category, Exceptional Drought, nearly all of that area exists in the northeast. Smaller portions of Petroleum, Prairie and McCone counties are covered in Exceptional Drought, while a majority of Phillips, Valley, Garfield, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Daniels counties are in this ultimate drought severity category.

ROUBIE YOUNKIN / FOR FARM & RANCH

4-H parents pictured (l-r): Ky Idler, Sheena Hubbard, Billy Allestad, Emilee Redfield, Justin Fuhrmann, Larry Ross Simpson and Paul Siefert. Not pictured: Cindy Fouhy and Stacy Harris.

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AUDRA ORTEGA / FOR FARM & RANCH

Glasgow's Audra Ortega (photos above and below) was featured in an Aug. 9 article in The Glasgow Courier titled "Photographer Aims at What She Loves." For more info about her work, write to courier@nemont.net.

The Photography of Audra Ortega - Page 12

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