Horse owners, stable managers and equine enthusiasts will have the opportunity to learn management strategies and ask questions during a webinar series North Dakota State University Extension is hosting at noon on March 12, 19 and 26. Topics will include breeding management of mares in Northern climates, foaling and foal management in Northern climates and managing horses on small acreages in North Dakota.
“The goal of these webinars is to empower our equine owners in North Dakota to confidently apply what we share to their breeding and foaling experience as well as management of facilities and small land bases,” says Mary Keena, Extension livestock environmental management specialist at NDSU’s Carrington Research Extension Center.
PRODUCTION SALES
Mar 17, Whistling Winds Angus, Inc, Hingham MT A3
Mar 18, O’Hara Land & Cattle Maine-Anjou, Maine Angus & Maine Tainer, Online A5
Mar 20, Rough Country Breeders, Martin Red Angus & Koss Angus, Glasgow MT A6
Mar 25, Open Gate Ranch, Black, Red, Simmental, SimAngus, Augusta MT A9
Mar 26, Westphal Registered Red Angus, Grass Range MT A11
Mar 26, Peterson Grain & Cattle, Angus, Havre MT A39
Mar 27, Gibbs Red Angus, Glasgow MT A16
Mar 27 - 29, Danell Diamond Six Ranch, Gelbvieh & Angus, Online A32
Mar 31, Sidwell Ranch & Frank Herefords, Columbus MT A14
Apr 2 , Nissen Angus, Chinook MT A13
Apr 3, Arntzen Angus Ranch, Lewistown MT A12
Apr 16, Milk River Angus, Chinook MT A18
Apr 26, Eayrs Ranch, Glasgow MT A21
May 8, Koenig Ranch Reds, Glasgow MT A20
May 30-31, Roundup Horse Sale, Roundup MT A16 CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
Private Applicator Course
By Colleen Pegar, MSU Extension, Hill County Agent Hill County will host an Initial Private Applicator Course for those who wish to obtain their Private Pesticide Applicator License. The course will be held on April 16, 2025 at the 4-H Chuckwagon on the Great Northern Fairgrounds in Havre MT. The day will start at 8am with registration and will wrap up at 5pm. There will be a $20.00 Registration Fee and lunch will be provided. Topics that will be covered include; Private Applicator License, Pesticide Law, Reading the Product Label, Calibration of Spray Equipment, Integrated Pest Management, Pesticides in the Environment, and Pesticide Safety. Presenters will be local MSU Extension Agents and Montana Department of Agriculture personnel.
AUCTIONS
Registration open for suicide prevention webinars
Addressing the wellness needs of those working in agriculture or related areas will be the focus of two upcoming Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention webinars sponsored by North Dakota State University Extension. The 90-minute webinars will address concerns about high stress levels in agriculture-related jobs and the toll on mental and emotional well-being. The sessions will be offered on March 25 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and May 13 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Research indicates that the suicide rate is significantly higher for those working in agriculture. The QPR training will provide participants with skills to recognize and respond to warning signs of a mental health crisis or suicidal thinking and how to respond in an appropriate and supportive way.
“Ongoing farm and ranch stress takes a toll on health, including mental and emotional well-being,” says Sean Brotherson, NDSU Extension family science specialist. “We say,
PRIVATE TREATY
‘Sometimes you need help and sometimes you are help.’”
The webinars will be facilitated by NDSU Extension agents Katie Henry from Cavalier County and Jill Sokness from Cass County as well as Extension pesticide specialist Madeleine Smith.
Though the webinars are focused on people working in and around agriculture, anyone interested can register. There is no cost for the training, which is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Registration is limited to the first 30 participants per webinar. To learn more or to register for the March training, visit ndsu.ag/ qprmarch25. To register for the May training, visit ndsu.ag/qprmay25.
If you have questions or want additional information, contact Adriana Drusini at adriana.drusini@ndsu.edu or Brotherson at sean. brotherson@ndsu.edu.
Chemigation training rescheduled
A Nebraska Chemigation Training will be held on Tuesday, March 18, at the South Platte NRD in Sidney. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m.
The chemigation training was scheduled for February 19 but was postponed due to inclement weather. For more information or to register, contact the Cheyenne County Extension office in Sidney at 308-254-4455.
Hotsy of Billings and Great Falls, Montana received the BEST OF SHOW ribbon at the MATE Show in Billings, Montana the weekend of February 19-21.
~ ~ Private Treaty ~ ~
Black and Red Angus Bulls - Yearling and 2-year-olds
These cattle are bred for long lasting maternal traits and moderate birth weights since 1981.
Fertility tested and delivered.
Contact Browning Angus (406) 486-5040 or (406) 429-7371, Fallon, MT
NDSU Extension Calving School
North Dakota State University Extension will host a calving school on Thursday, March 20 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the North Central Research Extension Center near Minot, North Dakota.
Topics will include calving preparations, such as assembling calving supply kits, recognizing the stages of calving and understanding normal delivery expectations. The program will also cover managing abnormal births, optimizing nutrition during late gestation and early lactation, caring for newborn calves and maintaining effective record-keeping practices.
New this year, a cow and calf model will allow participants to practice assisting with abnormal deliveries, providing participants with hands-on opportunities to learn to navigate various calving complication scenarios.
The calving school will be led by NDSU Extension livestock management specialist Lacey Quail, Kelly Schaefer of Schaefer Veterinary Service and NDSU Extension agents Paige Brummund in Ward County and Kathryn Slavick in McHenry County.
“Whether you are well seasoned or new to calving cows, this workshop will provide you with tips, tools and hands-on activities to be better prepared for the upcoming calving season,” says Brummund.
The school is free to attend. Lunch will be provided, but registration is requested for meal count and materials.
To register, visit ndsu.ag/calvingschool25 or call 701-8576444.
For more information, contact Brummund at 701-857-6444 or Slavick at 701-537-5405.
Horse management webinar
CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
“Northern climates present unique management situations for our animals, land and facilities,” says Paige Brummund, NDSU Extension’s agriculture and natural resources agent in Ward County. “We experience extreme cold, mud, freeze-thaw cycles, high winds, drought and sometimes a lack of available land. Understanding various animal and facility management strategies when it comes needs and comforts of our horses can lead to a more pleasurable ownership experience.”
The webinar presenters are Keena and Brummund. Visit ndsu.ag/horsewebinar25 to register for the webinars.
Private Applicator Course
CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
Region 3’s recertification cycle will come to a close on December 31, 2025. Applicators who still need recertification credits are encouraged to attend as this course has been submitted for points, however recertification points are pending. Applicators in Region 3 need six credits by the close of the year to be able to renew their Private Applicator License for the next 5 years.
To register, please contact MSU Extension – Hill County by April 8th at 406-400-2333 or email Colleen at colleen. pegar@montana.edu
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is excited to announce a powerful, ecofriendly solution for soil disinfection with the revolutionary propane-powered soil steamer. This groundbreaking technology is designed to address one of farmers’ biggest challenges in modern agriculture: how to effectively eliminate weeds, soilborne pathogens, and nematodes without relying on chemical pesticides.
The soil steamer’s banded steam design tar-
gets the top one-to-two inches of soil, the critical zone where weed seeds germinate, providing an 80 percent weed control rate for both conventional and organic crops. The innovative propane-powered system cuts weeding labor costs in half, increases yields, and reduces the dependency on harmful fumigants and herbicides.
“Steaming has long been a proven method for soil disinfection, but it has traditionally been too costly and time-consuming for large-scale operations,” said Michael Newland, director of agriculture business development at PERC. “The propane-powered soil steamer changes that by making soil steaming commercially viable and sustainable, helping farmers grow healthier food while cutting costs.”
The soil steamer offers a host of advantages for agricultural producers, including:
Increased Yield and Profitability: By controlling disease pressure, the soil steamer increases the size of crops such as lettuce and carrots and enables shorter crop rotation intervals, allowing for more frequent planting of high-value fruits and vegetables.
Environmental Sustainability: Farmers can significantly reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides, protecting soil health and meeting organic certification standards.
Labor Efficiency: The technology provides a 73 percent reduction in weeding time compared to traditional herbicides, offering substantial labor savings.
Recent studies demonstrate that the propane-powered soil steamer manages 90 to 95 percent of annual weeds, such as purslane and pigweed, and controls major soilborne diseases, including fusarium, pythium, and verticillium.
When used for lettuce cultivation, it has been shown to increase yield by 25 percent in fields affected by lettuce drop.
With the ability to begin planting crops mere hours after treatment, the soil steamer offers unprecedented efficiency and flexibility for farmers looking to maximize their growing seasons.
To discover how the propane-powered soil steamer can transform your agricultural operations, visit propane.com/soilsteamer.
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How to find the right trusted tax pro
By Cameron Nakashima, Media Engagement Manager,
Better Business Bureau Great West + Pacific
CLAY CREEK ANGUS
We’re in the middle of tax season. As you gather forms from employers, banks, and other sources, you’re faced with a crucial decision: should you file your taxes yourself or hire a professional? If you’re filing on your own, will you use the IRS’s free filing software or opt for a commercial tax preparation service with added features? And if you’re considering hiring a professional, how do you know what kind of expert is right for your situation?
No matter the choice, one factor is paramount: trust. Whether you’re using a website or a local business, you need confidence that your tax preparer will not only deliver accurate results but also safeguard your money and personal information. Here’s what you need to know about the types of tax preparation services available, the benefits they offer, and how Better Business Bureau can help you find one you can trust.
Types of Tax Professionals
Not all tax professionals are the same. Understanding the differences between them can help you choose the right fit for your needs:
Tax Preparers: These individuals hold a valid IRS-issued Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). Their qualifications can vary by state, so verifying their credentials is essential.
Enrolled Agents (EAs): Authorized by the IRS, these professionals pass rigorous exams or meet experience requirements. They specialize in complex tax situations and financial planning.
Certified Public Accountants (CPAs): CPAs are licensed accounting experts who excel in detailed tax planning and preparation. They must meet state-specific requirements and continue education to stay updated on tax laws.
Tax Attorneys: These legal specialists handle tax-related legal issues, represent clients in tax court, and draft relevant legal documents. They are best for complex tax disputes and high-stakes legal matters.
What to Watch Out For
While most tax professionals are reputable, some red flags can indicate potential scams or unethical practices. Keep these in mind:
Unrealistic Promises: Avoid tax preparers who guarantee large refunds or base their fees on a percentage of your refund. These are often warning signs of unethical behavior.
Vague Credentials: Be wary of preparers who cannot verify their qualifications or are evasive about their certifications.
Tips for Choosing a Trustworthy Tax Professional
Finding the right tax preparer doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Follow these tips to ensure you’re making a safe and informed choice:
Do Your Research: Start with BBB.org to find BBB Accredited Businesses that are vetted and trusted. When you find a professional that interests you, check ratings, reviews, and complaint histories of tax professionals in your area. It’s also smart to consult referrals from trusted sources and review websites and verify credentials with your state’s licensing board.
Ask Questions: Before committing, have a detailed conversation with the preparer. Ask about their experience, services, and security measures for protecting your information. A reputable professional will be transparent.
Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off, it probably is. Don’t hesitate to walk away if a preparer cannot answer your questions or provide verification of their qualifications.
Verify Fees: Understand the fee structure upfront. Avoid services that charge based on your refund amount or have hidden costs.
Check for Year-Round Availability: Choose a professional who will be available to assist with any questions or issues that may arise after tax season.
Make Informed Decisions
This tax season, let trust and preparation guide your decisions. Whether you’re filing online or partnering with a local expert, a little due diligence can make all the difference. By choosing the right tax professional, you’ll not only save time and stress but also ensure your finances and personal information are in safe hands.
#####
Little Johnny, why does your little sister cry?
Because I helped her.
But that is a good thing! What did you help her with? I helped her eat her gummy bears.
Frost seeding or interseeding legumes
By Jerry Volesky, UNL
Are you looking to increase production from pastures or hay fields? Frost seeding or interseeding legumes might just work in your operation.
Nitrogen is one of the key ingredients for productive pastures. A way to get more nitrogen in a pasture is to plant legumes. Alfalfa, red or white clovers, birdsfoot trefoil, and other legumes all fix atmospheric nitrogen and can reduce nitrogen costs. These legumes are also very high in forage quality.
Not all pastures are good candidates for adding legumes, however. First, legumes need adequate phosphorus and a pH usually above 6 while some prefer a pH closer to 7. Frost seeding is a method where legume seed is simply broadcast in winter to allow the natural freezing and thawing of the ground to plant the seed for you. Because frost seeding requires seed to be close to the soil surface after broadcasting, snow-free or very little snow is preferred. Frost seeding success can vary and while frost seeding is easier to do, drilling is almost always a better option if the pasture conditions allow it. Interseeding with a no-till drill better ensures seed placement and seed to soil contact.
Lastly, heavy flash grazing several times in the spring will reduce the competition from existing grasses and help establishment of legume seedlings. Once the grass is 3 to 4 inches taller than the seedlings, graze quickly until the grass is grazed down to the height of the legume seedlings.
Legumes can help reduce fertilizer cost and create higher quality pastures and hay. Frost seeding or no-till drill interseeding are two approaches that might work to establish legumes in your operation. #####
One early use of peanut butter was as a meat substitute for patients with chewing difficulties in the late 1800s.
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#####
“So what did you do at school today, Johnny?”
“I don’t really want to talk about it mom. You’ll see it later on the news, anyways.”
#####
An iguana can stay under water for up to 28 minutes.
Planning for the calving season
By Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Livestock Educator
Preparing for the calving season can help minimize calf loss and reduce stress on those caring for the cowherd. The following are reminders of things that are helpful to address before starting the calving season.
First off, pay attention to the nutritional needs of bred heifers and cows prior to calving. Adequate body condition at calving is important as it impacts cow stamina during delivery of the calf, colostrum quality, calf vigor, and impacts subsequent rebreeding.
Review your herd health plan with your veterinarian. Discuss where management could reduce risk and improve herd health. Address ways to prevent health problems that have been an issue in the past.
Examine calving facilities to make sure they are in good working order. Check gates, pens, alleys, and head catches, fixing or replacing broken items. Also, check the lights and have replacement bulbs on hand.
Check your calving supplies. Inventory plastic sleeves, obstetrical lube, obstetrical chains or straps, esophageal feeders, and calf feeding bottles. Check halters, ropes, and other tools that will be needed. Make sure the calf puller is clean and working properly.
Review the stages of parturition (calving) and know when assistance is needed. Nebraska Extension has resources available to help identify and understand the stages of calving. See “Assisting the Beef Cow at Calving Time” at beef.unl. edu for more information. As calving approaches have colostrum or colostrum replacement products on hand. The calf’s ability to absorb immunoglobulin antibodies across the intestine decreases rapidly 6-12 hours after birth. It is critical the calf receives colostrum during this time. If the quality or quantity of the colostrum is a concern, consult your veterinarian as to which replacement products are recommended.
Be prepared with a plan and equipment for warming calves during cold weather. Calves born during cold, wet conditions can quickly succumb to hypothermia. For mild hypothermia (body temperature between 94 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit), giving a calf warm, body temperature colostrum or colostrum replacement products and drying the calf off with towels and warm air can quickly bring a calf’s temperature back to normal. A rectal thermometer is a good tool to know the state of a calf’s body temperature. Finally, wind protection and a clean, dry environment for the new calf should be provided. Wet, muddy conditions are stressful both for cows and calves and provide a situation where disease is likely to occur.
Preparing for the calving season can help minimize calf loss and reduce stress on those caring for the cowherd. Nebraska Extension has a number of resources for producers to review to assist the cow and calf at beef.unl.edu.
Hay feeding strategy
By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service
To help reduce waste and stretch the food dollar, many people look for ways to use items in the refrigerator before they spoil.
Beef producers with old hay stored on their operation often look for appropriate ways to incorporate that into the forage feeding strategy. This was the topic that Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts addressed on a recent Cattle Chat podcast.
In this case, a listener runs spring and fall-calving cows in the same pasture and is trying to determine how to best meet the varied nutritional requirements with hay that is 2-3 years old.
“Depending on the type of hay, when it was cut, and how it was stored, there could be a lot of variability in the quality of that forage,” K-State nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said.
To help determine the quality of the hay, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson recommended producers keep track of the harvest date.
“If we know the harvest date and are familiar with the maturity pattern in the area, we will have a pretty good idea about the nutrient quality of that hay,” Larson said.
Lancaster said the highest quality hay needs to be fed to lactating cows that have high maintenance energy requirements. He said producers can use older hay, but they will likely need to offer a vitamin and mineral supplement as well.
“In 2-3-year-old hay that is stored outside, the beta carotene in those bales deteriorate rapidly, so it is important to offer them a vitamin A supplement,” Lancaster said, adding that the minerals need to be fresh.
In some herds, producers can separate the fall and spring calving cow herds, allowing them to offer the older hay to cows with lower maintenance requirements, such as cows in mid-gestation. But in this case, the cows are maintained together and that leads to a different strategy, the experts said.
“With the fall-calving cows just coming out of the breeding season and the spring-calving cows in their last trimester, I recommend primarily offering them hay cut this year, but every once in a while, you could throw them a bale of the older hay to try to use it up and that should allow them to keep from getting too thin,” Lancaster said. #####
The melting point for cocoa butter is just below 98.6ºF. That’s why it melts in your mouth.
AUCTION
Winter storms improve snowpack conditions across most of Montana
“Following a relatively warm and dry start to the snow accumulation season across most of Montana, the weather took a timely turn during the last week of December. Since then, much of Montana has received significant snowfall, however gains were not equivalent across the state,” said Eric Larson, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Hydrologist. Northwest Montana was an exception, receiving near normal precipitation mid-October through early December. Aside from several storms early in January, last month was relatively dry in that area. The region extending from the Sun-Teton-Marias to the Kootenai only received 30-50% of normal January precipitation. In contrast, central Montana and the Bighorn Mountains were impacted much more by recent weather receiving over 190% of normal January precipitation. Southwest Montana and southcentral Montana received about 80-110% of normal January precipitation, with some higher elevation SNOTEL sites receiving slightly more than that. The snowpack is making gains during the first week of February
across all of Montana as active weather continues to impact the region.
As of February 7, 2025, the mountain snowpack across most of Montana remains slightly below normal at around 80-90% of median, but there are exceptions. The Smith-Judith-Musselshell basin is reporting a 120% of normal snowpack with most of that snow arriving since the last week in December. Several SNOTEL sites in the Little Belt and Big Snowy mountains received their largest January snow accumulation in 20 years. In contrast, the SunTeton-Marias and St. Mary currently have a 65-75% of normal snowpack. Snow water equivalent deficits in that region are 2-7 inches; however, that could be recovered in a couple upslope storms aimed in the correct direction. Snowpack percentages in the Gallatin, Bighorn, and Tongue River basins are currently about 100% of normal and additional snow is forecasted over the next couple days. All other basins are reporting a snowpack about 80-90% of normal, except the Bears Paw near Havre. “Don’t forget, last year was one of the lowest snow years on record. While recent snow conditions have been excellent for recreating, lack of early season snowfall left most of Montana with a deficit. Most mountain ranges are still recovering from that deficit,” said Larson.
Two to three months remain in the normal snow accumulation season and deficits that exist in many locations could be eliminated by several weeks of active weather. “Given the major weather pattern change experienced over the last month and half, the outlook that snowpack conditions will continue to improve throughout the next month is good. However, if drier weather returns during February, part of Montana might be left with mountain snowpack deficits that will be difficult to overcome as spring approaches. The Rocky Mountain Front is one of those regions,” said Larson. During a typical year, 60-70% of the seasonal snowpack has accumulated by February 1. March 1 conditions will give a better indication of what spring runoff might bring.
A full report of conditions on February 1 can be found in the monthly Water Supply Outlook Report available on the Montana Snow Survey website. In addition, realtime snow survey data can be found at nrcs.usda.gov/ montana/snow-survey. #####
Little Johnny comes home and tells his daddy, “Dad, tomorrow there’s a special ‘Adults’ evening’ at school.
Daddy is surprised, “Really? Special?”
“Yes,” nods Johnny, “it will be just you, the teacher, the headmaster and two police officers.”
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How to incorporate older hay into the diet
By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service
To help reduce waste and stretch the food dollar, many people look for ways to use items in the refrigerator before they spoil.
Beef producers with old hay stored on their operation often look for appropriate ways to incorporate that into the forage feeding strategy. This was the topic that Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts addressed on a recent Cattle Chat podcast.
In this case, a listener runs spring and fall-calving cows in the same pasture and is trying to determine how to best meet the varied nutritional requirements with hay that is 2-3 years old.
“Depending on the type of hay, when it was cut, and how it was stored, there could be a lot of variability in the quality of that forage,” K-State nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said.
To help determine the quality of the hay, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson recommended producers keep track of the harvest date.
“If we know the harvest date and are familiar with the maturity pattern in the area, we will have a pretty good idea about the nutrient quality of that hay,” Larson said.
Lancaster said the highest quality hay needs to be fed to lactating cows that have high maintenance energy requirements. He said producers can use older hay, but they will likely need to offer a vitamin and mineral supplement as well.
“In 2-3-year-old hay that is stored outside, the beta carotene in those bales deteriorate rapidly, so it is important to offer them a vitamin A supplement,” Lancaster said, adding that the minerals need to be fresh.
In some herds, producers can separate the fall and spring calving cow herds, allowing them to offer the older hay to cows with lower maintenance requirements, such as cows in mid-gestation. But in this case, the cows are maintained together and that leads to a different strategy, the experts said.
“With the fall-calving cows just coming out of the breeding season and the spring-calving cows in their last trimester, I recommend primarily offering them hay cut this year, but every once in a while, you could throw them a bale of the older hay to try to use it up and that should allow them to keep from getting too thin,” Lancaster said.
#####
In the Philippines, peanut butter has been part of local traditions for years, and it’s enjoyed in everything from bread spreads to desserts.
Multi-session Midwest FEEDS Program
equips cattle producers for success
Nebraska Extension is providing a handson, multi-session educational program designed to equip participants with essential skills for success in the cattle industry. The Midwest FEEDS (Forage, Education, and Efficiency in Diversified Systems) is a unique program that leverages the competitive advantages of the Midwest, including access to perennial pastures, annual forages, cover crops, crop residues, and harvested feeds.
Program Highlights:
Hands-on learning across the production season: Experience a combination of practical, in-field training and in-depth discussions that promote knowledge exchange among participants, instructors, and facilitators.
Networking and idea exchange: Build camaraderie and share ideas with industry peers and experts in a supportive, interactive environment.
High-quality resources: Receive software, notebooks, and a curated collection of University of Nebraska–Lincoln publications to support this learning journey.
Skills Participants will Develop:
Decision-making with advanced tools: Learn to use decision support tools to analyze nutritional management and seasonal mineral supplementation options. Use National Research Council (NRC) software to analyze diet samples, matching forage availability with animal requirements for optimized beef production.
Forage and grazing strategy: Formulate effective grazing and pasture management plans, including weed control and fertility management, tailored to each participant’s operation’s resources and goals.
Breeding, calving, and weaning management: Explore best practices for breeding, calving, and weaning, along with cattle handling and facility design.
Evaluating cattle performance: Master techniques to assess cow and calf performance in varied management systems, estimate cow condition scores, and determine nutritional needs throughout the reproductive cycle.
University cutting-edge research:
Witness innovative research in action at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center and learn firsthand about integrating cropland for forage and cow/calf systems.
Program Details
2025 Dates:
April 24–25: Forage Systems and Breeding
June 19–20: Facilities and Pasture Management
September 4–5: Weaning, Culling, and Winter Feeding
December 4–5: Stalk Grazing and Preparing for
Calving
Location: Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead, NE (1071 County Road G, Ithaca, NE)
Cost: $750 per individual; $1,300 for two; $500 for each additional participant.
Registration
Ready to elevate your expertise and position your operation for success? Details and registration at: https://go.unl.edu/ midwestfeeds
For more information, contact Connor Biehler, Nebraska Extension beef systems assistant extension educator, cbiehler2@ unl.edu or 402-624-8030.
#####
Police officer: “Your car is too heavily overloaded. I simply cannot let you continue like that. I’m going to have to take away your driver’s license.”
Driver: “You’re kidding me, right? The license can only weigh one ounce tops!”
#####
Why did the Beatles break up? They started to bug each other.
By Karla Wilke Cow-calf & Stocker Management Specialist UNL
Most veterinarians recommend vaccinating nursing calves against clostridial, respiratory, and digestive pathogens at two months of age to bolster immunity against those pathogens until the calf can be given another round of vaccinations just prior to weaning, often referred to as preconditioning. Veterinarians, industry consultants, and university personnel often emphasize the importance of proper vaccine handling and administration as being paramount to benefitting from the long proven efficacy of a good vaccination program. However, what is less often emphasized, is setting up the calf to have a good response to that vaccination schedule. It Starts with the Cow Immunoglobulins
Unlike humans, cattle do not get immunity across the placental wall. All immunity calves receive from the dam has to come through the colostrum, which is the first milk the cow produces. Cows need to have adequate nutrition during the third trimester of pregnancy to produce high quality colostrum. Research has shown that calves born to cows in a body condition score 5 or 6 (1-9 scale) have more immunoglobulin G in their blood serum after consuming colostrum than calves from cows in a 4 or less. Immunoglobulins are critically important for the calf to mount a defense against pathogens.
Nutrients
A lot of emphasis has been placed on immunoglobulins in colostrum, and rightly so. However, colostrum has also been shown to have greater concentrations of protein, fat, both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, and both macro- and micro-minerals than milk taken 3 days post-calving. Proper nutrition plays a large role in the health and well-being of calves, and since the calf was once receiving nutrition through the umbilical cord and must now develop a digestive system, it stands to reason the first meal must be very nutrient dense. While cows can pull some nutrients from tissue storage, some nutrients must come from her feed to produce adequate colostrum, making the nutrition in her diet critical for the success of the calf. A vigorous calf at birth gets up and consumes that very important first meal within the first hour of life. Cows who are thin and have not been able to properly partition nutrients to fetal development often give birth to calves who are weak and slow to get up and nurse. Coupled with poor colostrum quality, this calf is not being set up well for success.
Managing the Environment
Simonson Stryker 942
In many regions where spring calving occurs, the weather can be cold and wet. These conditions can encourage pathogen growth, and in confined areas such as calving lots, pathogen loads can increase rapidly. When a calf is stressed because of the weather and muddy lot conditions, their immune system is challenged. Pathogen loads can be minimized by cleaning pens before calving, moving pairs away from pregnant cows, keeping pairs in groups by calf age in two-week age intervals, and providing a place for calves to rest away from cows. Calf sheds can also be a very beneficial place for calves to stay as dry and warm as possible during storms and cold snaps.
Vaccines are not a Substitute for Proper Nutrition and Management
Vaccines are designed to give the calf a small dose of a pathogen to challenge their immune system to mount a defense against that pathogen so they can stay healthy as they get older. A calf who has an already challenged immune system due to poor environmental conditions or an underdeveloped immune system due to poor nutrition will not benefit much from a vaccine.
Getting the Most out of Vaccine Protocols
Calves born to healthy dams in a moderate (5 or 6) body condition score (on a 1-9 scale) have a better chance of consuming high quality colostrum soon after birth which improves their chances of developing a strong immune system.
Calves in cleaned, well maintained calving areas or pens with age appropriate herd mates and shelter from the elements have less stress on their immune system than calves in wet cold pens with no place to get out of storms.
Properly stored and administered vaccines work best in healthy calves whose immune systems are strong and prepared to respond to the vaccinations.
Gift leaseback
By Jessica Groskopf, Nebraska Extension ag economist
For many farm and ranch families, bringing children or grandchildren into the operation is the ultimate goal. Successfully bringing additional family members into the operation may require some creativity, as all parties need to maintain a viable standard of living. This series of articles will highlight ideas and tactics for bringing another family member into the operation. If this is the first article you are seeing in this series, I would encourage you to go back to the previous articles for background and additional guidance. In a previous article, we discussed gifting as a tactic to transfer wealth between generations. Simply gifting assets helps reduce estate value and potential taxes for the owners, and increase the wealth of the heirs. However, some families are hesitant to engage in gifting strategies because the farm or the ranch needs access to those assets to remain viable. This article expands on gifting strategies by combining gifts with a lease agreement.
Remember, the person gifting assets is called the donor, usually a parent, and the person receiving the gift is the donee, usually a child.
In the scenario below, the donor will be gifting farmland to the donee. If it is a true gift, the donee could do anything with the farmland they want. If the donee wants to, they could lease the farmland back to the donor at fair market value.
This scenario greatly benefits the donor. First, the donor would continue to farm the land allowing them to maintain their standard of living. Second, the asset would be removed from their estate and if completed outside of the applicable lookback periods could reduce the assets counted toward long-term care, and/or estate tax. Depending on the nature of the asset, removal of the asset may also decrease the donor’s property taxes. Finally, like with other leases, the donor would be able to deduct the rent as a business expense, potentially lowering their income tax liability. However, the donor also has the risk of the lease being terminated.
The donee benefits by receiving the asset as a gift, and the income from the lease. Additionally, they may also be able to depreciate the asset, if it is depreciable and there is value to depreciate. If the terms of the lease are not followed, the donee has the flexibility to terminate the lease.
Land is not the only asset that could be used in this scenario. Any physical asset used on your farm or ranch could be employed in a gift leaseback. However, land, machinery, and equipment are the most logical as they are often leased by farm and ranch operations.
The IRS is very critical of these types of transactions. Work with your financial team to make sure it is handled correctly. There needs to be a written lease agreement in a gift leaseback scenario, and the agreement needs to be followed.
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By Jerry Volesky, UNL
Last fall and this winter has been dry leaving most parts of the state in some level of drought. We are a few weeks away from another growing season and who knows how much moisture lies ahead. Today I’ll suggest some ways you can limit the forage problems drought could cause.
Drought is likely to be a problem again this summer, at least somewhere. Because hay can be costly when pastures are short, we need to consider ways to minimize damages if we receive less than average rainfall. Fortunately, early spring is a time you can take action that can minimize some of drought’s problems.
For starters, prepare a strategy for using any remaining hay. One of the better options is to feed hay a bit longer into spring before turning cows out to permanent pasture. I know this action is exactly opposite of my usual recommendation to graze more and feed less hay. But, allowing pastures to accumulate a bit more growth before grazing begins will provide more total grazable forage if drought prevents much regrowth later on. Leftover hay also can be used later during the grazing season to give pastures more time to recover between grazings.
Another strategy is planting annual forages for pasture or hay. Some excellent choices are oats planted as early as possible or summer annual grasses like sudangrass, sorghumsudan hybrids, and pearl millet planted once soils are good and warm. Late May or early June usually is best for these grasses. So, reserve some ground now for these droughtinsurance grasses, before you plant everything to corn, beans, and other crops. And don’t forget about possibly planting these grasses or even some fall cover crop forages into wheat stubble as a double crop after harvest.
If the rains don’t come, planning and acting now to reduce potential forage losses from drought will pay big dividends.
Taking stock
By Ben Beckman, UNL
In Nebraska, February is typically the half way mark through winter. As we move toward the later half of the season, now may be a good time to take stock of feed resources.
How is your hay stockpile looking at this point in the winter? We really want to avoid having to purchase more this late in the game to make it to spring, but if that is the case, how can we avoid it next year? If we decide to raise our own, annual forages can provide a quick yield. If this problem keeps occurring, maybe expanding grass or alfalfa acres is worth consideration. Of course we need to keep an eye on the forecast. If irrigation isn’t an option, forage plans require adequate precipitation to happen.
Speaking of perennial fields, how did they yield last year? Is it time to renovate grass or alfalfa hayground? If we need to tear out an old alfalfa stand to give a year’s rest before a new seeding, we need to start planning now. Even planning to interseeding a grass field with legumes should happen quickly.
Maybe a full renovation isn’t needed, but some fertilization to boost yield would help. Plan for soil sampling if it hasn’t already been done in the fall and figure out timing of applications now. Remember not all plants grow at the same time of year, so the timing of fertilizer needs to be matched with your predominant species.
Finally, it’s worth looking at the overall financial standing of your forage operation. Is new equipment needed? Can the costs be justified? We might even weigh the pros and cons of producing hay ourselves vs. buying it or having it custom harvested. This isn’t limited to the balance sheet, but labor, scheduling, and quality of forage all need to be considered. While we might not appreciate the hardships, winter brings time to take stock of our current operations and plan for the future. Looking at current hay stocks, last year’s yields, and weighing out all options available may not be a task we look forward too, but it can make a huge difference in success for the upcoming year.
Mail-order catalogs
In September 1871, a British major named F. B. McCrea founded the Army & Navy Cooperative in London to supply goods to military personnel at the lowest possible prices. Its first catalog was issued in February 1872…six months before an American named Aaron Montgomery Ward put his first catalog in the mail.
Estate of Darren NIEHAUS
March 29 - April 1 Stettler, AB
Jamie & Amy MCPHEE
-
CHERAM FARMS LTD.
April 6 - 9 Sedgewick, AB
MATTINSON FARMS
April 8 - 11 Viking, AB
CW MOWAT ENTERPRISES INC. Mar 31 - April 3 New Norway, AB
5 - 8
Estate of Dwight MACKAY
April 7 - 10 Kinsella, AB
Ron & Mary WIDEMAN
April 11 - 14 Tofield, AB LYONS FAMILY FARMS
Marvin & Chad WEBER
April 12 - 15 Ryley, AB Bill & Loretta ZAMULINSKI
April 13 - 16 Tofield, AB
April 25 - 28 Unity, SK
Rachel JACKSON April
Andrew, AB
Yearling bull management and herd value
By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service
Many thriving business owners agree that a key component to their success begins with selecting quality products. For cow-calf operations, selecting the right bull to bring into the herd has an impact on their ranch’s bottom line, said the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast.
Setting a bull budget
The first step in the selection process is to establish a budget, K-State agricultural economist Dustin Pendell said. uld be asking themselves what value will that bull bring to my herd in terms of future calf sales,” Pendell said, adding that producers also need to see how the qualities of the prospective herd sires match with the goals of the operation and the environmental resources available.
In herds where the bulls will be siring replacement heifers, K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said the value will also include what types of genetic change can that bull bring.
“Buying a bull is a long-term decision regarding the genetic change; it’s not just estimating how many pounds of weaning weight is he going to add to the calves in the next two years,” Lancaster said.
One exception to this is if the bull is used as a terminal sire, added K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.
“With a terminal sire, all the calves leave the ranch at weaning or shortly after, so he doesn’t impact the long-term genetics of the herd,” Larson said.
Yearling bull selection and management
Once producers have a dollar value in mind, they can begin to evaluate the bull prospects. One important health evaluation is to make sure they’ve passed their breeding soundness exam, Larson said.
He added those exams are often first done between 11 and 15 months of age when the bulls reach puberty.
“The most common reason a young bull fails a BSE is because he hasn’t reached puberty; I am going to interpret those results based on how old he was at the time of the test,” Larson said. “For example, if he is 11 months of age and fails, he needs to be retested; but a bull that fails at 15 months of age I am prejudiced against.”
Once the bull gets home, it is important to give him time to transition to the new ration before turning him out with the cows because yearling bulls sold through an auction are often carrying extra body condition, the experts said.
To help the bull adjust, Lancaster said it is important to step him down from a grain-based diet and move him to a forage-based diet.
“If bulls go from the sale to the pasture without that time of transition, they will lose body condition because the rumen hasn’t been able to adapt to digesting forage and he’s not getting the nutrition that he needs,” Lancaster said.
Also, the experts offer advice on how many cows a yearling bull can be expected to breed.
“A rule of thumb is that a bull can breed one female per month of age, so if he is a 15-month-old bull, he can be in a pasture with 15 cows,” Larson said. “A mature bull can handle quite a bit more breeding pressure, but we have to be conservative with the yearling bulls on how many cows to put them with.”
National Potato Chip Day
Date When Celebrated: Always held on March 14
National Potato Chip Day celebrates the ever popular potato chip. Potato Chips are America's #1 snack food. But, its not just a snack food. Its the potato of choice for many lunchtime and dinner meals. Regular (or plain) potato chips are by far the most popular. Other popular flavors are barbecue, sour cream & onion, oil & vinegar, and ranch.
Potato chips were first made by Chef George Crum in Saratoga Springs, NY on August 24, 1853. Americans have been in love with them ever since.
History and Origin of “National Potato Chip Day”: This day was most likely created by the snack food industry.
How to celebrate Potato Chip Day
Make your own potato chips! Its easy to do. The kids will love it, and so will you. Eat potato chips during meals and snacks. Oh, and don't forget the dip!
AUCTION
annual spring auction
FINAL BIDDING STARTS TO CLOSE APRIL 22nd
Consign your Farm, Ranch, Construction Equipment, Tools, ATV/UTV’s, Titled Vehicles & Trailers.
@ 6PM
COMPACT EXCAVATORS (AGT Model #)
TRACTOR ATTACHMENTS & MISC
Core Aerator: 2 Available
Tractor Blade Attachments: 2 Available
Compact Tractor Manure Fork Grapple: 1 Avai
Skid Mtd Screener: 2 Available
Seeder: 2 Available
HITCHES & QUICK ATTACHMENTS
3-Point Quick Tach: 5 Available
Tractor Class 2 Quick Hitch: 6 Available
3/8" Thick Quick Tach Cut Out Mount Plate: 2
CARPORTS & SHEDS
11’x19FT All-Steel Carport: 2 Available
11ft x 19ft Metal Garage Shed: 2 Available
20’x20FT All-Steel Carport: 2 Available
30FT X 40FT Peak Ceiling: 1 Available
30FT X 85FT Peak Ceiling: 1 Available
6ft x 8ft Galvanized Apex Roof Metal Shed: 5
8ft x 10ft Galvanized Apex Roof Metal Shed: 5
SMALL & LARGE GAS, ELECTRIC & AIR-POWERED EQUIPMENT
Air Impact Wrench 1”: 1 Available
Diamond Dry Core Drill Set: 1 Available
Hydraulic Winch 15000Lb: 3 Available
Manual Tile Cutter: 5 Available
Plasma Cutter: 1 Available
Diesel Fuel Transfer Pump: 3 Available
Portable Sawmill: 1 Available Water Pump (3”): 6 Available
40-Gallon 2-Stage Truck Mounted Air Compressor: 2 Available Heavy Duty Plate Compactor: 8
HEAVY LIFTING EQUIPMENT
Gantry Crane 2200-LB adjustable height: 1
Gantry Crane 4400-LB adjustable height: 1
Hydraulic Lift Table Cart: 3 Available
Pallet Truck Dolly Lift: 5 Available
10,000LB Two Post Base Plater Auto Lift Hyd: 2
LOAD SECURING & ANCHORING
4.75-12T Anchor Shackle G209: 2 Available
Ratchet Binders 5400 LB & G70: 3 Available
Ratchet Binders 9200LB G70: 4 Available
Ratchet Tie Down & Flatpack: 3 Available
7 ft Double Legs Lifting Chain Sling: 4
Webbing Sling (Total QTY of 22): 2 Avail
Cast Iron Anvil: 400 LBS: 2 Available
OUTDOOR LIVING & UTILITY
Metal Fire Pit Ring, Round 36” : 5 Available
Propane Patio Heater: 5 Available
Mobile Toilet:1 Available
COMPACT EXCAVATOR ATTACHMENTS
FULL-SIZED EXCAVATOR ATTACHMENTS
Universal Bucket Pins: 10 Di erent Sizes Available
COMPACT SKID STEER LOADERS
CRT23: 1 Avail
MX-CRT23: 1 Av
MX-MRT14: 1 Av
MX-MRW14: 1 Av
LDH-T380: 2 Av
LDH-T460: 2 Av
HR230: 1 Avail
KRW232: 1 Avail
LRT23: 2 Avail
TK35R: 1 Available
YF2-380: 1 Avail
YSRT14: 1 Avail
KRW23: 3 Avail
SDA-140W: 1 Av
5 Available
Mimi Combination Bucket: 2 Available
Mini Stump Grapple: 4 Available FENCING MATERIALS
Barbed Wire: 5 Available Galvanized Farm Fence: 5 Available
LIVESTOCK HANDLING EQUIPMENT
Cattle Squeeze Chute 7’ : 1 Available
Cattle Squeeze Chute 10’ : 1 Available
April 17, 18, 19 21 & 22
FULL-SIZED SKID STEER ATTACHMENTS
GROUND PREP & EARTHWORK
Big Arm Backhoe: 2 Available
Hydraulic Rotary Tillers: 4 Available
Rippers: 2 Available
Trencher: 5 Available
6-Way Dozer Blades: 3 Available
Grader: 1 Available
Land Levelers: 2 Available
Vibratory Plate Compactor: 1
Vibratory Roller: 1 Available
Rock Buckets: 4 Available
Track Duty Buckets: 8 Available
Screening Buckets: 3 Available
Rock Screening Buckets: 1 Available
MATERIAL & LAND MGMT
Root Rake: 1 Available
Rotating Grapple Hydraulic: 1
Tree Pullers: 4 Available
Stump Grinder: 4 Available
Tree Digger: 3 Available
Grapple Buckets: 3 Available
Hay Accumulator Grapple: 2
Power Rake: 3 Available
Rock Rake: 1 Available
Rock Picker: 2 Available
X-treme Manure Fork: 2 Available
FORKS & LOAD ASSISTANCE
Bale Spears: 5 Available
Bale Squeeze Hydraulic Adjustable: 1 Forks: Several Available
Fork Grapple: 1 Available
Pallet Fork Extensions: 15 Available
Pallet Forks: 6 Available
Hydraulic Adjustable Pallet Forks: 8
BRUSH & VEGETATION
Articulating Brush Cutters: 2
Brush Cutters: 10 Available
Drum Mulcher: 1 Available
Heavy-Duty Brush Cutters: 1
Sickle Bar Mowers: 4 Available
3-Blades Mower: 1 Available
CONCRETE PROCESSING
Concrete Breaker: 1 Available
Concrete Crusher: 1 Available
Concrete Chuter: 1 Available
Breaker: 4 Available
Concrete Post Driver: 2 Available
Double Discharge Concrete Mixer: 3
CALLUS FORPRICING!
Can pine needles cause abortions in cows?
By Bethany Johnston, Nebraska Extension Educator
Can pine needles cause abortions in cows? The short answer is “yes.”
Pine needle abortion can cause significant losses for producers, but simple strategies can reduce the risk. Check and repair fences around ponderosa pine trees to prevent losses in your herd, especially during the second and third trimesters. By excluding pregnant cows, you can avoid devastating losses.
Here are two real-life examples of producers who experienced premature calf losses.
Example 1: The Prairie Blizzard. The four lone pine trees were all that remained from the pioneers who tried to settle on the prairie. During a recent blizzard that dropped over a foot of snow, it took several days for ranchers to reach their pregnant cows with hay. With drifts underfoot, the cows were tall enough to reach up and eat the pine needles out of the trees during the blizzard. A week later, half the cows prematurely lost their calves.
Example 2: The Old Farmstead. A neighbor purchased an old farmstead, which included a pasture where a shelterbelt of trees surrounded the buildingspine and cottonwood trees. The buildings and wire fence that kept the cows out of the old shelterbelt had fallen down in disrepair, so the neighbor pulled the fence. His bred heifers ran there that winter, and more out of curiosity, nibbled on the pine needles. Several heifers aborted that winter. Both producers lost calves to pine needle abortions, as the cows and heifers “slinked” or calved too early, and the fetuses died. Why do pine needles cause abortions in cows?
Since the 1920’s, cattlemen wondered if ponderosa pine needles were causing abortions in their herds. In the 1980’s to 1990’s, researchers were able to determine that ponderosa pine needles did indeed cause abortions in pregnant beef cows.
Compounds in the Pinus ponderosa (or ponderosa pine tree) needles interferes with blood flow to the uterus and fetus, leading to premature births or fetal death.
Can pine needles cause abortions in cows?
CONTINUED
Both green or dried needles from ponderosa pine trees, if ingested by pregnant cows, can be harmful. Cows would need to eat 3-5 pounds of needles for several days to trigger an abortion. The later the trimester, the more susceptible cows are to “pine needle abortions.” The third trimester, especially the last 30-60 days, can cause more abortions than early in the pregnancy. Low temperatures also seemed to increase pine needle consumption.
What animals are not affected by eating pine needles?
Cows that are not pregnant, steers, and bulls are not affected if needles are ingested, as well as pregnant elk, sheep, or goats.
How to prevent pine needle abortions
What are solutions to avoid pine needle abortion? The simplest solution is to fence out ponderosa pine trees so that cattle cannot reach the needles to ingest them.
Another strategy is to adjust the calving season, so cows are calving in the summer or late fall, when they are less likely to eat pine needles in their second or third trimester.
Jacob’s swatter
In the 2007 AL division baseball series, the Yankees were playing in Cleveland, down by one game but clinging to a 1-0 lead in the eighth inning. Coming in to hold the lead was 22-year-old Yankee reliever Joba Chamberlain, who hadn’t blown a save all year. Also entering the game: a giant swarm of tiny gnatlike insects called midges (they are attracted to the stadium lights). As they enveloped the mound, Chamberlain tried swatting them with his cap, but that didn’t work so catcher Jorge Posasda ran out and sprayed the pitcher with insect repellent. That didn’t work, either. So, with tiny midges crawling all over his face and neck, Chamberlain kept pitching. Result: he gave up two walks, threw two wild pitches, and hit a batter, allowing the tying run to score. The Indians, who were used to the bugs won the game in the 12th inning. Afterwards, Chamberlain blamed himself: “Bugs are bugs. It’s not the first time I had a bug near me.” But Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter disagreed: “I guess that’s home-field advantage for them – just let the bugs out.”
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Why fermenting chicken feed is better for your flock
From Freedom Ranger blog
If you own chickens—whether in your backyard or on a farm—you want to provide the best possible care for them. They have a safe place to roam freely, fresh water daily, and a clean chicken coop and run. All in all, you’re doing a great job at caring for your flock. But one way to help your chickens further is by fermenting chicken feed.
Much like humans consume fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha for their taste and health benefits, fermented grains for chickens provide a plethora of good, healthy probiotics that aid in digestion and produce better egg quality. The healthier your chickens are, the healthier the eggs or meat will be for you, your family, or your customers.
Learn more about how easy it is to make a batch of fermented feed, all the health benefits it will bring to your flock, and how it can help save you money. At Freedom Ranger Hatchery, we believe that healthy chickens are happy chickens, which is why our free-range birds produce exceptional baby chicks for families and businesses alike. Get started today by ordering baby chicks of your own!
Should You Ferment Chicken Feed?
Yes, fermenting chicken feed is a great idea to add additional nutrients and reduce the number of grains needed to feed your flock. Our family of hatcheries believes fermented chicken feed is better for your birds. Here are some of the benefits of fermented grains for chickens:
Improved Nutrition: Fermenting chicken feed helps improve digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall health by adding natural probiotics. The lactic acid produced by the fermentation process blooms many beneficial bacteria for your chickens, promoting good gut health. It also helps form a natural barrier against disease-causing microorganisms, such as e-Coli and salmonella, and adds extra B vitamins, such as folic acid. With this healthy bacteria aiding digestion, fermenting your chicken feed improves the feed consumption to production ratio of your flock.
Reduces the Amount of Feed Needed: Dry feed is soaked in water during the fermenting process, naturally expanding as it absorbs the liquid. This process makes the food softer and easier on the stomach, and because it’s grown in size, the birds remain satisfied for longer. In addition, it can also help increase the feed’s protein content, so your chickens can get more beneficial protein without consuming more feed (and saving you money).
Better Egg Quality: Chickens who eat fermented feeds will produce heavier eggs and have a thicker shell. Grains, seeds, nuts, and other legumes in the food you feed chickens contain phytic acid, a nutrient blocker. Fermentation causes the grains to sprout and release some of that acid through the soaking process, so chickens can better absorb the nutrition. The better food your birds have, the bigger and better-quality eggs and meat they produce.
Cost Savings: Since chickens can absorb fermented chicken feed more easily, they’ll consume less of it than dry feed. With food being a chicken grower’s most expensive input cost, buying less of it results in cost savings for you. In addition, the beneficial bacteria, yeasts, and probiotics help your flock build up a strong immune system, so you’ll spend less money on medical care for sick chickens.
What Kind of Feed Do You Ferment for Chickens?
Chickens love fermented crumble, pellets, whole grains, and seeds, including chicken starter feed. Fermenting grains gives them a new flavor profile, like when you ferment cabbage to make sauerkraut. The best grains to ferment for chickens include whole oats, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. It’s also great to ferment layer feeds to get those healthy, strong eggs you want. However, rather than concoct a homemade grain mix, it’s best to stick with fermenting chicken ration because it already has the vitamins and minerals that your chickens need. You’ll miss out on these valuable nutrients if you try to create your own blend of fermented chicken feed. Plus, more fermented feed is utilized for energy and nutrition, so you want to ensure it’s chock-full of the healthy vitamins your chickens need. A bonus is that with more food going toward energy in your chicken, less waste is produced.
You’ll also want to make sure you use dechlorinated water for the fermentation process because chlorine kills both good and bad bacteria. Filtered water is preferred, but you can leave tap water to sit out for 24 hours at room temperature to let the chlorine evaporate.
How Do You Make Fermented Chicken Feed?
Fermenting chicken feed is surprisingly simple, with only two ingredients and three tools needed. With this process as easy as it is, it makes sense to ferment chicken feed regularly for your flock to improve their nutrition and immune system and decrease your feed costs. Here is a step-by-step approach to making fermented chicken feed: Mix Feed and Water: Choose a large glass jar, ceramic container, or BPA-free plastic tub because the feed is slightly acidic and can break down other types of containers. The container should be big enough to hold about two days’ worth of grains, plus extra room for water, expansion, and stirring. Add the dry chicken feed to the bottom of the clean container. Pour your dechlorinated or filtered water into the jar until the grains are fully submerged.
The Fermenting Process Begins: Cover your container with a loose-fitting lid to keep out other contaminants and bacteria but allow gasses to escape. Let it sit at moderate temperature for three to four days, stirring it each day and adding additional water, if necessary, to keep the water level consistent and the grains covered.
Drain and Feed: Drain off the excess water when the feed is ready for your chickens. You can either save the water to kick-start a new batch of fermented feed or discard it. Then, simply feed your chickens the fermented grains.
How Long Do You Ferment Grains for Chickens?
Fermenting chicken feed takes about three to four days. You’ll see tiny bubbles begin to appear on the surface by day two or three. That’s a sign that the fermentation process has started.
The mixture should smell slightly sweet, tangy, or sour—like yogurt, yeast, or sourdough bread. The water may look cloudy or foamy. However, if you notice mold developing or putrid odors, throw out the whole batch and start over.
How Long Can Fermented Feed Last?
The fermented feed gets sour the longer it sits, so your chickens may not like it past four or five days. In addition, the feed will spoil faster when it’s no longer in the brine,
CRYSTALYX® Blueprint® 30
Supplement for beef cattle on pasture to improve forage utilization
• Contains
ingredients, as well as non-protein nitrogen (NPN)
• Designed to be fed to beef cattle on medium- to lower-quality forages to help improve forage utilization
• Uniquely fortified with all highly bioavailable organic trace minerals; contains no inorganic trace mineral forms
Maintain gut health and stability for profitability. In Crystalyx & Dry Mineral
Bio-Mos® is derived from a specific strain of yeast and helps promote animal performance.
Gastrointestinal (GI) health and integrity are essential for animal performance and Bio-Mos 'feeds the GI tract' and thus plays a critical role in animal nutrition and production.
required. In situations where additional nutrients are needed, contact your feed representative for specific recommendations.
U of I to host conference focused on adding value to animal waste
The University of Idaho and the Idaho Sustainable Agriculture Initiative for Dairy (ISAID) will host a national conference April 7-11 focused on finding creative and valuable ways to make use of animal waste.
The Waste to Worth Conference will be hosted at The Grove Hotel, 245 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise. Organizers expect 100 to 150 participants representing Cooperative Extension, other research entities, producers, regulators, conservation groups and industry to attend.
The Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community (LPELC), which is a network of professionals from the U.S. and Canada involved in animal agriculture and environmental stewardship, hosts the conference every few years in a different region. Assistant Professor Linda Schott, a UI Extension specialist of nutrient and waste management, and Professor Mario de Haro-Martí, a UI Extension educator based in Gooding County specializing in agricultural nutrient and waste management, are co-chairing the 2025 conference, along with Professor Rhonda Miller, Utah State University’s agricultural environmental quality Extension specialist.
ISAID is funded with a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and involves 78 U of I faculty, Extension educators and students, with the goal of converting excess nutrients from dairy production into valuable bioproducts including commercial fertilizers and bioplastics.
The conference encompasses all aspects of animal agriculture including management of swine, poultry and cattle feedlot waste. It represents an opportunity to showcase the diversity of Idaho agriculture and the scope of the state’s dairy industry. Idaho is the nation’s third largest dairy producing state, and the dairy industry will be emphasized at the forthcoming conference.
“Idaho is a really unique location and climate for dairy production, which is different from other dairy states in the U.S.,” Schott said. “The sizes of our dairies are large, and they’re irrigated, which is a different production system. We also have small agricultural producers and lots of diversity in Idaho agriculture in general that folks coming in from other parts of the country
may never have experienced before.”
Schott envisions attendees from other states will benefit by learning about Idaho’s unique approach to dairy production. In turn, Idaho participants will glean fresh ideas through their interactions with participants from other states facing different challenges.
“By hosting folks from elsewhere, we can hear feedback of, ‘Oh, we did this in Wisconsin, or we did this in Texas or New York,’ and get the ball rolling for collaboration,” Schott said.
On the night of April 9, faculty, graduate students and undergraduates will present about 40 posters featuring relevant research. Every student involved in ISAID will present a poster. Student researchers will be eligible to win cash prizes for their presentations.
Michael Parrella, J.R. Simplot Endowed Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, will speak during the conference about the university’s forthcoming Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE), which will include the nation’s largest research dairy in Rupert. Mark McGuire, a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences who leads the ISAID grant, will discuss accomplishments of the ISAID research team. Other speakers will address water issues and the rise of the bio-circular economy that involves converting waste into useful products. A panel of industry officials will discuss the increasing emphasis on sustainability, and a panel of producers will address how they’re approaching increasing demands to incorporate sustainability practices into their production.
The conference will include three tours highlighting Idaho agriculture on April 8. One tour will visit dairies spanning from Boise through the Magic Valley. A second tour of the Treasure Valley will highlight water and wastewater management, both from urban and agricultural land. A third tour will visit Lucky Peak Dam, emphasizing how irrigation water is supplied in the Treasure Valley, and will also make stops at small agricultural operations to highlight how they’re upcycling manure, as well as the diversity of Idaho cropping rotations.
Why fermenting chicken feed is better for your flock
CONTINUED FROM PAGE A22
so be sure only to put enough food out that your chickens will eat in one sitting. If they finish eating and there’s fermented feed left, discard it or return it to the brine. You can also refrigerate the unused portion to halt the fermenting process and preserve it for an extra day or two, stretching your food dollar even further.
Start Fermenting Chicken Feed for Healthier, Happier Birds
When you have chickens, you want the absolute best for them. We recommend fermenting chicken feed. Not only will your chickens love this version of their favorite food, but it will also improve their nutrient
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The class is having a guessing game and the teacher asks, “OK, what do you call someone who keeps on talking even though nobody else is interested anymore?”
Little Johnny shouts eagerly, “A teacher!”
absorption, aid digestion, create bigger, stronger eggs, and create significant cost savings for you.
Now that you know more about the fermentation process and how to select the best grains to ferment for chickens, you can start trying this process for your flock. Remember that the best grains to ferment are chicken starter feeds and chicken rations because they already have the necessary vitamins and nutrients. Some chickens are more particular than others when it comes to their food, so try feeding them fermented feed at various stages in the fermentation process to see when they like it best.
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English is funny: The announcement was made by a nameless official. Just about everyone has a name, even officials. Surely what is meant is “The announcement was made by an unnamed official.”
NDSU Soybean Symposium
Scientists of all disciplines are invited to participate in accelerating soybean innovation during the fifth annual NDSU Soybean Symposium on March 20, at the NDSU Memorial Union in Fargo, North Dakota. The symposium begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at 6 p.m.
Supported by the North Dakota Soybean Council, the symposium strategically bridges multiple disciplines: soybean pathology, production and agronomy, breeding and new-uses research to foster collaboration. Participants can expect to build exchanges and develop new networks for cutting-edge research.
“The main goal of the symposium is to bring a mix of specializations together, including new research and end-use partnerships,” says Ana Carcedo, NDSU Extension broadleaf crops agronomist and symposium organizer.
The symposium features keynote speakers Daryl Ritchison, North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network director and North Dakota State Climatologist, and Barry McGraw, Airable Research Lab founder and chief lab officer.
The day will conclude with an engaging farmer panel, where North Dakota farmers will share insights into soybean production and discuss the future of the crop.
There is no fee to participate, but registration is required. To register for the symposium and submit an abstract, visit ndsu.ag/soybeansymposium.
For more information, please contact Ana Carcedo at 701-831-5796 or a.carcedo@ndsu.edu, or Richard “Wade” Webster at richard.webster@ndsu.edu.
#####
A recent scientific study showed that out of 2,293,618,367 people, 94% are too lazy to actually read that number.
######
An honorable defeat is better than a dishonorable victory.
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Fifth graders explore and learn at Incredible STEM Day
By Chabella Guzman, PREEC Communications
With an overwhelming response of more than 240 participants for the Incredible Stem Day in the fall of 2024, 4-H educa-
tors split the event into two days. On Jan. 23, more than 90 fifth-graders attended the second day for the event at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff.
“We have a great day with four sessions developed by our panhandle educators to help give kids an opportunity to see STEM as they haven’t before,” said Nathan Rice, 4-H Extension Educator and one of the coordinators for the event. “The hope is that they can get a spark from STEM. It can be a lot of fun, building with your hands, doing active things, and using technology.”
The four stations included a micro-bits program, where the fifth-graders programmed and built an animal out of cardboard with moving parts and lights. The drone station had codable drones, where students could program the drones how to move through an obstacle course. The fifthgraders also tried their hand at laparoscopic surgery, designing tools and performing surgery inside the body with only a camera.
“It’s showing them different opportunities for their future and things they can pursue,” said Sarah McCabe, Morrill Elementary fifth-grader teacher. “They really loved the laparoscopic session and the drones. These are very hands-on experiences, which the kids really enjoy.”
Rice said they purposely pick STEM projects the students don’t necessarily do in school. However, the mineral properties station has information the students are familiar with from their classroom instruction.
“We have a mineral activity where we learn about minerals. So, I’m excited to
St. Agnes fifth-graders from left, Zoe Calvert, Ruby Schiff, and Matilda Kosman, start programming their animal robot before building it with materials that include a circuit board and cardboard. Photo by Chabella Guzman
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New ‘Matchless’ grass variety yields high seed count without need for field burning
By Scott Weybright, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences
A new variety of Kentucky bluegrass has been commercially released by researchers at Washington State University.
“Matchless,” developed from another bluegrass variety called “Kenblue,” offers seed growers higher yields without the harmful air quality impacts of field burning that had been commonplace among growers for years. It also provides consumers with the option of a more environmentally friendly grass.
For several decades in the 1900s, Kentucky bluegrass growers burned fields to remove stubble after harvest, reduce thatch buildup, prevent disease, and for a number of other benefits. In 1998, Washington state banned the practice due to air quality and safety concerns.
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For several decades in the 1900s, Kentucky bluegrass growers burned fields to remove stubble after harvest, reduce thatch buildup, prevent disease, and for a number of other benefits. In 1998, Washington state banned the practice due to air quality and safety concerns. Washington produces around 80% of the world’s Kentucky bluegrass seed.
“The ban had a huge impact on an important crop,” said Michael Neff, WSU professor and director of WSU’s turfgrass research program. “The ban didn’t kill the dryland bluegrass seed production industry, but it limited the varieties that could be grown and increased costs for those that could. Matchless adds yield and profit for growers.”
Burning was once widespread in the Pacific Northwest, but now is banned in Washington and Oregon and heavily regulated in Idaho, allowed only under very specific circumstances. Eliminating the practice has environmental benefits that can be marketed to end-users as well.
“Many people care a lot about the environmental impact of the products they use,” Neff said. “Matchless can be marketed as a ‘cleaner’ variety. It’s also cheaper than burning.”
Matchless was bred by Neff’s predecessor, former WSU Professor Bill Johnston. Johnston named the variety as a double play on words: No matches are needed to start fires and there’s no match for the yield.
Neff and his lab took the selection Johnston spent years producing and did the required additional years of work to get the plant protected as a new variety. Producing new varieties of Kentucky bluegrass isn’t as simple as traditional plant breeding, where people take pollen from one plant, apply it to the flowers of another, and look at the varying results in future generations.
Due to bluegrass reproduction complications, only a few plants in a large sample of offspring may be different; most are clones. Spotting the differences takes skill and patience.
“As a plant breeder, it’s nice to have a clone of the mom for production because it makes the variety very uniform,” said Jonathan Schnore, a PhD student in Neff’s lab. “But when developing new material, you want genetic recombination, so the offspring have different traits. As a breeder, you’re looking at a field of clones for that one plant that looks different: a needle in a haystack of clones.”
Neff said the challenge is worth the effort. Kentucky bluegrass is very popular for sports fields, golf courses, home lawns, and a variety of other uses.
“It provides a gorgeous, uniform color and feels really great to walk or lie down on,” Neff said. “And it’s very resilient to damage, repairing itself quickly.”
Consumers won’t notice Matchless when buying seed or sod because it looks and performs like other Kentucky bluegrass varieties. Varieties and species are often blended in seed bags purchased at home improvement stores, so consumers mostly don’t see the individual grasses in the bags.
Matchless is owned by WSU and protected in the United States with a Plant Variety Protection Certificate, issued by the USDA. Currently, two companies, Fusion Seed Company and Clearwater Seed Inc., are working to increase their production of Matchless seeds. The goal is to include the variety in future seed mixes.
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Fragrance Day
This holiday is always celebrated on March 21. The olfactory nerves in your nose will enjoy the aroma of this special day. Ladies, in particular, will enjoy today because they just love perfumes. And guys, you’ve gotta admit that your gal’s perfume attracts you to her.
Perfumes have been in use for hundreds of years. In ancient times, they were used to hide body odors. At the time, baths were infrequent. After a few days, things began to smell less than ideal. Perfumes played an important role in making the atmosphere more palatable. Today, the daily shower eliminates the bad odors. But, we still like the smell and attraction of perfume. There are several methods of dispensing fragrances, including Dab-on, roll-on, and sprays.
Top sign you’ve put on too much cologne or perfume: Your dog, who has a great nose for scents, runs when you enter the room.
Fifth graders explore and learn at Incredible STEM Day
CONTINUED FROM PAGE A26
see how it’ll connect with what we’ve been learning,” said Lynsey Ayers, St. Agnes fifth-grade teacher. She added it was a great experience for her students, as they don’t teach a lot of STEM activities. “They are excited about the science and engineering parts. They want to buy drones and build robots now.”
The popular event had four schools, Geil Elementary, Minatare Elementary, Morrill Elementary, and St. Agnes Catholic School, participating in the day’s events. “This is the only activity that I have teachers sign up with me before I even send out invitations. We have kids and teachers really excited for it,” Rice said.
Noxious Weed Management Advisory
Council Meeting
The Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council will meet beginning on Monday, March 10, 2025, for the fall business meeting at the Delta Hotel in Helena, Montana. The council will review applications for the 2025 Noxious Weed Trust Fund grants through a series of hearings March 10-12, 2025. Funding deliberations will take place at 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
Meetings will be conducted in-person with the option to join online through Zoom. An agenda is available on the Montana Department of Agriculture website at agr.mt.gov. To request information to join the meeting virtually, please contact Greta Dige, Noxious Weed Trust Fund Coordinator, by email at greta.dige@mt.gov.
The Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund (NWTF) Grant Program was established by the 1985 Montana Legislature to provide funding for the noxious weed research projects, state and community education/development projects, and local cooperatives.
To view all current public meeting notices and find more information on the Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund, visit agr.mt.gov.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is serving Montana Agriculture and growing prosperity under the Big Sky. For more information on department programs and services, visit agr.mt.gov.
The princess on the Indian Head penny was neither a Native American nor a princess. She was, in fact, the sculptor’s daughter, Sarah Longacre.
##### Did you know that smiling was considered idiotic and a lower-class action from the 1800s to the 1900s?
Tips on controlling early-emerging kochia
By Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service
A Kansas State University weed specialist says farmers should be on the lookout for early-emergence of a troublesome weed that competes with farm crops for nutrients, water and light.
Sarah Lancaster said kochia is among the first summer annual weeds to emerge in the spring. In 2024, kochia was found as early as Feb. 7, following a snowstorm in late January, and temperatures that hit the 50s and 60s in early February – conditions that were very similar to what much of Kansas experienced this year, as well.
“Early-emerging kochia seedlings use the limited spring soil moisture in dryland production fields,” said Lancaster, noting that good control of the first dense flush of kochia is essential for obtaining a good crop yield later in the season.
Lancaster said that kochia seedlings emerge in dense populations, which makes adequate herbicide coverage difficult. In addition, glyphosate-resistant kochia is prevalent across western Kansas.
“For these reasons, it is important to apply pre-emergence herbicides in late winter or early spring to control kochia before it emerges,” Lancaster said.
According to Lancaster, an herbicide program needs two components in order to successfully manage kochia: A very soluble and effective herbicide that can be incorporated with very little precipitation, such as dicamba.
A herbicide that has longer residual activity, which will require perhaps ¾ inches or more precipitation for adequate incorporation, such as atrazine.
“Precipitation events during late winter are often too small to activate longer-lasting residual herbicides, but dicamba may control kochia for 4-6 weeks until atrazine is incorporate,” Lancaster said.
For those reasons, the best time to apply herbicides is generally January through the first week of March, according to Lancaster.
Other herbicides with good pre-emergence kochia activity include mesotrione, metribuzin, saflufenacil (Sharpen) and sulfentrazone. Lancaster urges farmers and herbicide applicators to check product labels for crop-specific planting intervals.
More information on controlling kochia and many other weeds is available in a recently released publication from the K-State Research and Extension bookstore, Chemical Weed Control for Field Crops, Pastures, Rangeland and Noncropland.
The polka
The Bohemian version of the polka originated in 1834 when a young peasant girl named Anna Slezak was bored one Sunday and decided to make up a new dance. She choreographed a hop-step-close-step pattern while singing a Czech folk song (“Uncle Nimra Brought a White Horse”). A local schoolmaster walked by and asked Anna to show it to him; he wrote down the steps and then introduced the polka (from the Czech work pulka, meaning “half-step”) in ballrooms in nearby Prague. The Polish version is similar: In the 1830s, a Bohemian man was visiting Poland when he saw a little girl dancing the polka (which may actually date as far back as the 1600s) and took the dance back home to Prague, where it was christened polka, meaning “Polish woman.”
Either way, thanks to the Bohemian army, the dance spread from dance hall to dance hall all over Europe, making it a huge fad in the mid-19th century. Much like rock ‘n’ roll would be 100 years later, the polka was embraced by the youth culture and vilified by grown-ups, who had only recently accepted the much slower waltz as their dance of choice.
Elderberry juice benefits for weight management, metabolic health
By Elizabeth Chambers, WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Communications and Marketing
Elderberry juice may be a potent tool for weight management and enhancing metabolic health, according to a recent Washington State University-led study.
A clinical trial published in the journal Nutrients found that drinking 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week causes positive changes in the gut microbiome and improves glucose tolerance and fat oxidation.
Elderberry, a small dark purple berry found on elder trees native to Europe, is commonly used as a medicinal plant and supplement to promote immune function. Its other potential health benefits are poorly understood, however.
“Elderberry is an underappreciated berry, commercially and nutritionally,” said corresponding author Patrick Solverson, an assistant professor in the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. “We’re now starting to recognize its value for human health, and the results are very exciting.”
The researchers tested the effects of elderberry on metabolic health in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 18 overweight adults. Participants consumed either elderberry juice or a placebo with similar coloring and taste, specially designed by North Carolina State University’s Food Innovation Lab, while maintaining a standardized diet.
Clinical testing following the intervention showed that participants who consumed elderberry juice had significantly increased amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, including firmicutes and actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as bacteroidetes. A healthy gut microbiome is essential for nutrient absorption and supports physical and mental health.
In addition to positive microbiota changes, the elderberry intervention resulted in improved metabolism. Results showed that the elderberry juice reduced participants’ blood glucose levels by an average of 24%, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugars following carbohydrate consumption. Results also showed a 9% decrease in insulin levels.
Additionally, results suggested that elderberry juice can enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Participants who received the elderberry juice showed significantly increased fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high carbohydrate meal and during exercise.
The researchers attribute these positive effects to elderberry’s high concentration of anthocyanins, plant-based bioactive compounds that have a variety of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antimicrobial effects.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom,” Solverson said. “This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health.”
Other berries contain anthocyanins, but typically in lower concentrations. A person would have to consume four cups of blackberries a day to achieve the same anthocyanin dose contained in 6 ounces of elderberry juice, Solverson said.
Although elderberry products are less popular in the U.S. than in Europe, demand exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic and elderberry continues to be a growing market.
The researchers have filed for a provisional patent for using the bioactive components of American black elderberry for weight management and gut health through supplements or other applications. The WSU Office of Commercialization is assisting with commercialization opportunities with more information available at commercialization@wsu.edu.
This research was supported by a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under award number 202067018-30851. The research team included collaborators at Colorado State University, North Carolina State University and the University of Vermont.
With an additional $600,000 in NIFA funding, the researchers plan to explore other applications of elderberry juice, including whether it can help individuals who have discontinued weight loss medications maintain their weight. They note that further studies are needed to both confirm their initial findings and to determine the long-term effects of elderberry in various populations.
Preparation is key to prevent potential swine disease outbreaks
In livestock production, there are many unforeseen stressful circumstances. One major disruption to a swine operation is a disease outbreak.
The swine industry and allied partners have developed tools and initiatives to aid producers, state health officials and regulatory agencies in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak. Taw Scaff, North Dakota State University Extension swine specialist, details how producers can mitigate the spread of swine disease.
Scaff recommends first contacting the North Dakota Board of Animal Health to establish a farm’s premises identification number (PIN). A form is available on their website at https://www.ndda.nd.gov/update-premises-identificationnumber-information.
Tracking disease statuses with AgView, a free tool from the National Pork Board, will help trace pig movement. This tool can assist state health and regulatory officials in case of a foreign animal disease outbreak and promote business continuity. A producer can share AgView data with state animal health officials when requested.
Scaff recommends becoming a certified swine sample collector (CSSC) to correctly collect, package and submit samples to aid in monitoring foreign animal diseases before and during an outbreak. A Category 2 U.S. Department of Agriculture-accredited veterinarian conducts training for certified swine sample collectors.
It’s important to develop a secure pork supply (SPS) plan, according to Scaff. A secure pork supply plan is needed in the case of a foreign animal disease outbreak, with the main components being enhanced biosecurity, traceability, disease monitoring and personnel training. Each plan is site-specific.
Finally, Scaff says to enroll in the United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP). US SHIP is an initiative sponsored by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service with support from state and industry partners. This initiative established a playbook of standards for foreign animal diseases (such as African swine fever and classical swine fever) in the swine industry derived from current programs such as AgView, CSSC and SPS.
For more information or to help enroll in any of these programs, contact Taw Scaff at 701-231-4292 or taw.scaff@ndsu.edu or the North Dakota State Veterinarian’s Office at https:// www.ndda.nd.gov/divisions/animal-health/stateveterinarians-office.
#####
Another reason you see people looking serious in old photos could be the Victorian tradition of taking photos of the deceased. Cameras made the ability to take photos more accessible and more manageable. In Victorian times, it became increasingly popular to photograph the dead. This is because, unlike today, photos were seen as a way to capture a ‘frozen presentation’ of a person.
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Shire foal saved from deadly infection
By Devin Rokyta, College of Veterinary Medicine
Now back home in Montana, Vienna received round-the-clock intensive care and the most advanced treatments at the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital as she battled a dangerous bloodstream infection known as septicemia.
After a frantic, five-hour drive through the night from her home in Montana to Washington State University in Pullman, Rena Shockey braced for the worst as the doors of her horse trailer swung open.
Inside, a 24-hour-old Shire filly lay limp, barely clinging to life.
“Opening the back door was one of the scariest moments in my life,” Shockey said. “We honestly didn’t think she was going to make the drive to Pullman.”
In the days that followed, the filly, since named Vienna, received round-theclock intensive care and the most advanced treatments at the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital as she battled a condition known as septicemia, a dangerous bloodstream infection. Two weeks later, surprising even her veterinarians, Vienna was finally healthy enough to return home.
“We really didn’t have high hopes when she arrived,” equine surgery resident Dr. Sebastian Larriva said. “She was in really rough shape, but she pulled through.”
Shortly after Vienna was born, it became clear something wasn’t quite right. A test revealed Vienna had not absorbed any of the crucial antibodies from her mother’s colostrum, leaving her with zero immunity.
Without specialized care, Vienna’s chances of survival were slim. After discussing their options with a local veterinarian and her husband, Shockey decided to make the long drive to WSU for help.
A test revealed Vienna had not absorbed any of the crucial antibodies from her mother’s colostrum, leaving her with zero immunity.
Upon arrival, WSU’s veterinary team quickly diagnosed Vienna with septicemia, a severe infection that occurs when bacteria enter
the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning. The condition can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection that causes tissue damage and organ failure. Foals younger than four weeks old are particularly susceptible to septicemia, as they are born with weak immune systems and rely heavily on the colostrum they receive from their mothers to gain immunity.
“Foals are born immunodeficient, so they can’t really fight against pathogens on their own,” Larriva said. “That’s why they need colostrum from the mare. The main concern was that the bacteria would spread throughout her body and into her organs, creating a more severe case from there.”
Vienna was treated with intravenous antibiotics, which helped her battle the infection. While the treatments appeared to be working, Vienna’s weakened state was preventing her from standing or walking properly, leading to what is known as severe tendon laxity. Fortunately, physical therapy — or play in Vienna’s eyes — alleviated that issue. Daily, veterinary students would move the filly from her stall in the hospital to an area outside where she could get exercise.
“She learned that every time she went into the gurney, she’d get a ride across to the park where she could be free for a second,” Larriva said. “She really started to enjoy that.”
The Shockeys normally take the first few weeks of a
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foal’s life to get to know its personality before choosing a name, but since they couldn’t be with Vienna, they asked the hospital staff for suggestions.
“One of the names was Vienna, and that struck a chord with us because her mother’s name is Midnight in Paris and we have a gelding named Midnight Star over Rome,” Shockey said. “So, Vienna became Moonlight over Vienna.”
While Vienna fought for her life, her mother, Paris, also was not thriving as expected. Veterinarians soon discovered she had atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm likely triggered by an underlying infection or inflammatory process. The cardiology team started Paris on antibiotics to manage the condition, but she will need further treatment once Vienna is weaned.
Now back home in Montana, Vienna is thriving, her personality beginning to shine through. Like many Shires, she’s calm and easygoing but has a curious streak that sometimes leads her to explore beyond the boundaries of her fences, to her owners’ dismay.
Shockey, though, is grateful to have both Paris and Vienna back home.
√ Will produce AT LEAST 80% of crop with 50% of water
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“I’ve never had staff treat us with such care and respect while taking care of our animals before. Both Paris and Vienna are still alive because of WSU,” Shockey said. “They outweigh me by a lot, but they are still my babies. That’s just what they are to us.”
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Montana Department of Agriculture 2025 Pesticide Disposal Program
If you have any old pesticides - insecticides, herbicides, rodent poison or fungicides - laying around unused, the Montana Department of Agriculture will take them off your hands. The agency will hold waste pesticide collections in Western Montana in April, June & July. The collections are scheduled in Kalispell on April 1; Plains on April 2; Drummond on April 3; Polson on June 30; Hamilton on July 1; and Butte on July 2. The disposal program is a non-regulatory, service progam that offers pesticide users the opportunity to dispose of unwanted and unusable pesticides in a safe and legal way that is economical and convenient. Disposal costs are free for the first 200 pounds and $1.00/ lb. per pound for additional amounts over 200 pounds. Disposal by other services can cost 5 to 10 times more. Additional information and the required pre-registration forms are available by contacting Carli Davis in Richland at (406) 465-0531; mail to Dept. of Agriculture, Pesticide Disposal Program, 508 Prairie Dell Rd, Richland, MT 59260; email Carli.Davis@mt.gov; website http://agr.mt.gov/pesticidewaste-disposal-program
Food Recalls
By Curtis Braun, SDSU Extension Food Safety Field Specialist
It’s not always frequent, but periodically we hear of some of our favorite foods being recalled or a food company issuing a recall. Recalls can be surprising, as the consumer generally believes that foods are always manufactured with controls in place to prevent such an event. However, there are unplanned issues or events that can take place at a manufacturing plant where the manufacturer is no longer in possession or control of the product and the product becomes adulterated or contains a defect. Sometimes the defect with the product can be hazardous to the consumer, and sometimes it may be non-hazardous. In this article, we’ll discuss the difference between a market withdrawal and a recall and then discuss how a consumer can use this information to stay safe.
Market Withdrawals
A market withdrawal is a formal process of retrieving product from customers for performance or quality reasons. Regulatory agencies are not involved in a quality withdrawal. When a product has a minor violation or quality defect that is non-hazardous, it would not be subject to FDA legal action.
An example of a market withdrawal turning into a recall is the Chobani case of 2013. In the initial assessment, it showed that the mold found in the yogurt was a “common mold,” which was a quality issue, but not a food safety issue and did not violate any food safety regulations, which would re-
reversible adverse health consequences, or the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.
Class III: Use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.
As mentioned above, there are three different classes of recalls, with Class I being the most hazardous. A recall is initiated when the firm has identified that a product that may cause injury or illness and is out of the firm’s control and into commerce. Once a firm has identified that a recall needs to be initiated, they will notify the FDA, and the FDA will send out a release of the details and will also visit the firm. An example of a recall is Kellogg issuing a notice on their Honey Smacks Cereal due to Salmonella concerns FDA Kellogg Honey Smacks Recall. The press release for the recall will include the product that is being recalled, the reason the product is being recalled, information on the hazard and health implications on exposure to the hazard, and how to identify the recalled product. If you are ever concerned that you have purchased a product that may be implicated in the recall, it is important to check the following information: UPC code, Best If Used By Date (or BIUB), and Product Description (see Table 1 below).
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
In this instance, the firm is saying that product with a BIUB date from June 14,
TABLE 1. PRODUCT INFORMATION FOR THE 2019 HONEY SMACKS RECALL
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
quire a recall. However, more people who consumed the yogurt were reporting illness, which escalated the severity and eventually was classified by FDA as a Class II recall. In this specific instance, it’s important to consider that the firm’s risk assessment needs to be ongoing as more information is gathered and analyzed.
2018 through June 14, 2019 and with UPC codes 3800039103 and 3800014810 may be unsafe and potentially contaminated with Salmonella. The FDA will also post pictures to assist the consumers in positively identifying the product (see Figure 1 and Figure 2)
Another example of a market withdrawal could be a snack bar that was stored in very warm conditions where the confectionary coating melted, the quality characteristics of the product were lost, and consumers began to report the defect. Another example could be a popsicle having an off taste or odor but not having any food safety risk and subsequently begins to melt creating a quality issue. As you can see by these examples, market withdrawals are typically associated with non-hazardous defects with products. However, as in the Chobani case, it is also important to note that market withdrawals can change to recalls as more information is gathered and analyzed.
Product Recalls
In Summary
Recalls may be conducted on a firm’s own initiative, by a regulatory agency’s request, or by the order of a regulatory agency under statutory authority. A recall is a set of actions taken by a firm to remove a product from the marketplace. Regulatory agencies are involved in a recall. The recall is intended to remove food products from commerce when there is reason to believe the products may be adulterated or misbranded. There are three classes of recall, which are as follows:
Class I: There is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
Class II: Use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically
In summary, it is important to know the difference between a market withdrawal and a recall, along with the potential implications to your health for each. A market withdrawal is used to withdraw product from the market that is non-hazardous and has some sort of a quality defect, while a recall is a process used to retrieve product from the market that may be potentially hazardous. If you are ever concerned that the product you’ve bought may be implicated, check the FDA Recall Website. The website allows you to search for the product and provides you with the product description, UPC code, and BIUB so you can positively identify potentially implicated product and keep yourself safe from consuming potentially hazardous and adulterated product.
Figure 1. “Best if Used By” information is printed in pink the box in the top left corner. (Courtesy: U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
Figure 2. UPC codes used to identify recalled Kellog’s Honey Smacks. (Courtesy: U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
Producers should make ARC-PLC election decisions by April 15
Producers can elect coverage and enroll in crop-by-crop Agricultural Risk Coverage-County (ARC-CO) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs within each Farm Service Agency (FSA) farm unit, or ARC-Individual for the entire farm, for the 2025 crop year, says Ron Haugen, North Dakota State University Extension farm management specialist.
With the second extension of the farm bill, the election is in play again this year, Haugen says. The effective reference price formula has kicked in for major crops. The soybean reference price increased from $9.26 to $9.66, the corn reference price increased from $4.01 to $4.26, and the wheat reference price increased from $5.50 to $5.56. This makes the ARC-PLC decision a more important choice.
The election deadline has been moved from March 15 to April 15.
ARC provides income support payments on historical base acres when actual crop revenue declines below a specified guaranteed level. PLC provides income support payments on historical base acres when the national marketing year average price for a covered commodity falls below its effective reference price.
Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, longgrain rice, medium- and short-grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
NDSU Extension has developed online tools to aid producers in making this decision. The tools can be found at ndsu.ag/farm-management.
Contact your local FSA office to make this election.
For more information on ARC and PLC, producers can go to the FSA website at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc or contact their local FSA office.
The deadline for advertising in the April 2025 issue of the Trader's Dispatch will be April 2nd. Phone (406) 271-5533 or email: advertising @tradersdispatch.com
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No performance loss with varying distillers grains in cattle finishing diets
The seasonal variability of distillers grains, a byproduct of ethanol production, has been one drawback of using it in a cattle finishing ration. New research from the University of Nebraska — Lincoln is indicating that may not be the drawback the industry thinks it is.
Feeders and researchers have assumed disruptions in the supply of distillers’ grains would affect the performance of feeder cattle accustomed to the feed source. An ongoing study at UNL looks to quantify how much.
According to the research so far, it doesn’t.
“Ever since COVID, the supply and deliveries of distillers grains has been inconsistent,” said Paige Madison, a master’s student in the UNL ruminant nutrition department who worked on this research project. “We wanted to see what it would do to the cattle if producers ran out of distillers and had to pull it out of the diet and then a week later, they got a delivery and could put the full inclusion back into the diet.”
When the diet is not consistent, cattle can experience ruminal acidosis, which is when the pH of the rumen becomes low, said Jim MacDonald, UNL professor of animal science and principal investigator on this research project.
“Acidosis may cause cattle to go off feed, reducing intakes and subsequently causing a reduction in average daily gain and hot carcass weight,” MacDonald said. “Rumen acidosis contributes to economic losses from reduced hot carcass weight, increased liver abscesses, and increased death loss. The economic impact of liver abscesses alone is estimated to be $41.6 million, annually.”
Distillers grains are used in feedlot diets as a source of energy and protein. Distillers can be wet, dry or modified based on the moisture of the byproduct. This research project used modified distillers grains, which have a moisture level of about 48%.
Research on variable amounts of distillers grains included in the feedlot diet can help producers manage feedlot diets for maximum efficiency and cattle health. “The current strategy to manage variable supply is to limit the inclusion of distillers grains,” MacDonald said. “We have seen the inclusion of distillers grains reduced significantly over the past decade due to an increase in the price relative to corn, a perceived reduction in the feeding value of the distillers grains, and variable supply.”
Phase one of the study looked at a ration that included distillers only at 25% of the ration. In this study the distillers grains were replaced with a blend of high-moisture corn and dry-rolled corn. Since the distillers grains also provide protein, urea was added to the control diet so the study was evaluating only the feed source to ensure cattle were not deficient in protein when the distillers grains were removed. The results of this study showed no significant differences in the performance—intake, average daily gain, and feed efficiency—between the constant versus variable inclusion groups of cattle.
Phase two focused on constant versus variable distillers at 10% and 25% of the diet, with a control of corn with no distillers. The researchers were surprised to find there was still no significant difference between the constant versus variable inclusion groups.
The research was conducted at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead, Nebraska and is funded by the Nebraska Corn Board.
This winter UNL researchers started a third phase of the variable distillers grains research at UNL’s recently-opened at ENREEC’s Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center using Hokofarm RIC2Discover technology feed bunks, which measure the pattern and amount of feed consumption by individual animals.
Instead of using just cattle performance to determine if there are differences between the constant and variable groups, phase three is also using pH probes in the rumen to detect rumen acidosis that may not result in visible symptoms.
“While we would never recommend that anyone should make sudden dramatic changes to their finishing diets, these data do provide some peace of mind that if supply disruptions or sudden changes in price occur, there is flexibility in making diet changes without negatively impacting animal performance,” MacDonald said.
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Manufactured & Modular Homes
How duck eggs vs. chicken eggs compare in nutrition, taste, and allergy sensitivity
From Freedom Ranger
The egg has been a staple of the human diet since ancient times. It’s popular even today and is especially important in highprotein diets. While most people likely think of chicken eggs when we talk about eating eggs, duck eggs are an exceptionally nutritious option. They have a richer, creamier taste than chicken eggs, and some people find that duck eggs make for a better omelet!
In the case of duck eggs vs. chicken eggs, which is better? The answer to that question depends on the person’s unique taste, dietary needs, and overall health. Since most individuals aren’t as familiar with duck eggs, we thought we’d cover the differences between the eggs and let you decide for yourself which is better for you and your family.
Can You Tell the Difference Between Duck and Chicken Eggs?
eggs—they can come in various colors. Other colors include pale gray, green, blue, and black.
When you crack open the egg, you’ll notice the yolks are a deeper shade of golden orange and nearly twice as large as the egg yolk from a chicken. Duck egg whites are also much clearer than chicken egg whites.
Do Duck Eggs Taste Different?
If you’re wondering whether duck eggs are better than chicken eggs, it depends on who you ask. When it comes to duck eggs vs. chicken eggs, those from a duck have a richer flavor than those from a chicken. The taste is more intense, almost as if you added an extra chicken yolk to your omelet. They are also creamier than chicken eggs, thanks to the larger yolks.
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Yes, duck eggs are larger than your average chicken egg—anywhere from 50 to 100% larger. Duck eggs also have a thicker shell than eggs from chicken, making them slightly more difficult to break open, but it also gives them a longer shelf life. While some duck eggs are white—just like chicken
Because duck eggs are bigger, they have more vitamins and minerals than chicken eggs and more calories, fat, and cholesterol. Just look at this chart detailing the nutritional differences in cooked duck eggs vs. chicken eggs:
Nutritional information provided by Healthline and The Spruce Eats
As you can see from the chart, both are packed with many nutrients. However, they both contain lots of fat and cholesterol, so if you eat a lot of eggs, it may contribute to an increased risk of high cholesterol, which could lead to heart disease. One of the main differences between duck and chicken eggs is that duck eggs contain three times as much cholesterol as a chicken egg, despite only being 1.5 to two times larger.
It is interesting to note that duck eggs have slightly fewer carbohydrates than chicken eggs, even though they are larger. So, the type of egg that’s healthier for you depends on your overall health and your health goals. If you practice a low-carb lifestyle, duck eggs give you more egg to eat with fewer carbs, so you’ll be fuller quicker and longer. If you are concerned about fat in your diet, chicken eggs may be a better option to consume in moderation.
What Is the Best Way to Use Duck Eggs?
Eat them! Prepare duck eggs in any way that you prepare chicken eggs. Remember that since duck eggs are larger, using two can be equivalent to three to four chicken eggs.
Because of their size, one duck egg can take longer to cook than one chicken egg. Overcooking duck eggs can give them a rubbery texture, thanks to their low water content—especially if you hard boil them—so just be sure to watch your duck eggs carefully.
You’ll want to account for their larger size and higher fat content when baking with duck eggs. Since recipes generally use chicken eggs, you likely only want to use one duck egg if the recipe calls for two chicken eggs. Your baked goods may not turn out the same. However, if you reduce other liquids and fats in the recipe, for instance, reduce ½ cup oil to ¼ cup oil, you may have better results. Experimentation might be helpful here if you want to develop a recipe yourself!
Because of their larger egg yolks and increased albumen (egg white), duck eggs will make your cakes fluffier, breads and cookies lighter, and meringues and souffles higher.
I’m Allergic to Chicken Eggs. Can I Eat Duck Eggs?
Some people with chicken egg allergies can safely consume duck eggs. However, before trying duck eggs, consult with your physician. There isn’t sufficient clinical evidence to support this claim. It has been noted in some studies that people who are allergic to chicken eggs can eat duck eggs and vice versa.
The reason for this phenomenon is the difference in proteins between duck eggs and chicken eggs. Chicken eggs contain more proteins like ovalbumin, conalbumin, and lysozyme than duck eggs. Since there are fewer of these proteins in duck eggs, you may be able to consume them, depending on your sensitivity. If your body is sensitive to these proteins, you may develop a food allergy to chicken eggs and possibly duck eggs.
Duck Eggs vs. Chicken Eggs—The Choice Is Up to You!
Now that you understand the differences between duck eggs vs. chicken eggs, you may be interested in trying duck eggs for the first time. If so, and if it’s safe for you to consume, please do so! They are a delicious alternative to chicken eggs and may even inspire you to begin raising ducks of your own!
Suppose you decide to begin selling duck eggs. You can generally get more money per dozen than chicken eggs in that case. Thanks to their excellent foraging capabilities, it also costs less feed for a duck to produce an egg than a chicken.
Ducks generally lay eggs year-round, while chickens stop during the winter months. Adding ducks to your farm or backyard is a fantastic addition for you, your business, and your family.
The cat’s meow
In May 1990, A’s manager Tony La Russa was sitting in the dugout during an Oakland home game when a stray cat ran out onto the field. The players tried to catch it, but the frightened cat made a beeline for the dugout, where L Russa – a self-described “cat person” – was able to corral it. The crowd cheered, and the cat spent the rest of the game clinging to La Russa. (He kept the cat and named her Evie.) Inspired, La Russa and his wife Elaine founded ARF, the Animal Rescue Foundation, which auctions off baseball memorabilia and uses the funds to find homes for stray animals (so far, tens of thousands of them). La Russa, who owns three dogs and nine cats, says his animals help him keep things in perspective. “I get home, feeling like hell after we get beat, and then see the faces of my pets telling me that, really, everything’s okay.”
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PREEC feedlot closes temporarily to align with Panhandle beef industry needs
By Nebraska Extension
The feedlot at the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center (PREEC) in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, has temporarily closed its gates as of mid-January. This closure, prompted by a recent faculty departure, provides an opportunity to reassess and retool the facility to better meet the evolving needs of cattle producers in the region.
“The feedlot has been a cornerstone of our research, teaching, and extension mission for decades,” said John Westra, director of PREEC. “It’s critical to our mission that this facility continues to support the Panhandle beef industry and provide valuable insights for producers in western Nebraska.”
Operational since the 1950s, the feedlot expanded significantly in 2007, adding 61 new pens to accommodate more than 900 head of cattle. It has been integral to PREEC’s efforts to develop and share feedlot management practices tailored to the region’s unique conditions. Western Nebraska’s higher elevation, drier climate, and reliance on alternative feedstuffs distin-
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guish its cattle industry from that of Eastern Nebraska, presenting both challenges and opportunities for producers and researchers alike.
The beef industry is a major economic driver for Nebraska, contributing more than $1 billion to the western region’s economy alone. While the feedlot has long played a central role in advancing the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) beef-related research, teaching, and extension missions, PREEC also supports other critical programs, such as Nebraska’s Beef Quality Assurance initiative and cow-calf nutrition research.
In response to the closure, PREEC leaders, along with representatives from UNL’s Agricultural Research Division (ARD), Nebraska Extension, and the UNL Animal Science Department, have held three listening sessions with stakeholders, including cattle producers, feedlot owners, and community members. These conversations aim to identify how the feedlot can better serve the Panhandle beef industry going forward.
Plans are already underway to explore partnerships with producers, industry leaders, and regional institutions, including the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA). These collaborations could foster innovation, enhance feedlot management practices, and create a pipeline of talent to support the Panhandle’s cattle industry.
“We are actively listening to stakeholders and working on strategies to ensure the feedlot remains a vital resource for the industry and the region,” Westra said.
UNL leaders anticipate that cattle could return to the feedlot in the coming months as new partnerships and programs take shape. Stakeholders are encouraged to share ideas with PREEC and stay engaged with the ongoing efforts to align the facility with the needs of western Nebraska’s beef producers.
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David and Michael are playing a delightful round of golf when Michael’s errant shot goes deep down into a ravine and lands in some of the thickest rough either player has ever seen. Undeterred, Michael grabs an eight iron and goes searching for his ball. Incredibly, Michael finds a skeleton in the thick rough, holding onto an eight iron, with a ball right next to him. Michael, obviously shaken, yells to David to assist him. “Is everything okay?” David inquires. “It’s fine,” Michael responds. “But please get me my nine iron. Apparently you can’t hit out of this with an eight.
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Chobani Scholars program awards $80K to support agricultural innovation
The Chobani Scholars program has awarded a total of $80,000 in scholarships to four University of Idaho students who are pursuing careers in agriculture, including its first two recipients from the College of Engineering.
Chobani Scholars awards $20,000 scholarships distributed over four years, granting priority to students from the Magic Valley who intend to pursue a career in food production and the dairy industry and may not have the financial means to attend college on their own.
Chobani, the maker of America’s No. 1 yogurt brand, operates one of the largest yogurt manufacturing facilities in the country, located in Twin Falls, and has offered the scholarships to U of I students from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) since 2018. This year’s cohort has been expanded to include students from a variety of degree fields connected to agriculture and food production, including students from the College of Engineering.
“Kudos to Chobani for stepping up and working with us to develop this impactful program that lifts gifted students, Idaho agriculture and the state’s important dairy sector,” CALS Dean Michael Parrella said. “This is an ideal partnership between academia and industry that’s established a pipeline of creative minds to fill in-demand positions in agribusiness while expanding opportunities for Idahoans.”
Of the students in the first Chobani Scholars cohort, who earned their bachelor’s degrees in the spring of 2023, two are currently in their second year of veterinary school at Washington State University, one is selling John Deere farming equipment, one is a reproductive specialist for a dairy genetics company and one is a U of I graduate student studying dairy science.
“Chobani’s recognition of the collaboration between agriculture and engineering is a testament to the industry’s leadership in food production, sustainability and resource management,” said Suzie Long, dean of the College of Engineering. “These scholarships maximize our students’ ability to contribute to innovations that will change the way we think about our food, our health and our world.”
The new cohort brings the total number of U of I Chobani Scholarships to 25.
About the 2024 Chobani Scholars
• Jack DeJong of Wendell is an agricultural economics major with an emphasis on agribusiness. “Agriculture and the food industry are extremely important to the economy of Idaho. The agricultural and food industries of Idaho are large contributors to the economy in the form of jobs, revenue, taxes and exports. I hope that by earning my degree in agricultural economics I can help sustain the agricultural industry in our area. There are so many avenues that my degree could lead me toward. Farming, dairy, banking, commodity sales and risk management are just a few of them. I want to explore all my options, and I believe attending University of Idaho will be the best place to prepare me for my future in agriculture.”
• Megan Taber of Shoshone is a mechanical engineering major with a minor in animal science. “The Chobani Scholarship enables me to prioritize my time in favor of my education. Growing up on my family’s dairy and crop farm, the intimate realities of farming are an intrinsic aspect of my life.
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I was drawn to engineering through experiences with heavy equipment on the farm. I want to be a part of the new era of advancement in ag machinery and the automotive industry. I am a member of the U of I Clean Snowmobile Challenge Team and am currently leading a project for implementing a vehicle emissions control strategy on our competition sled to ultimately reduce the emissions output of our machine.”
• Tori Albritton of Filer is a mechanical engineering major. “Before joining a robotics team and competing in the global nonprofit robotics program FIRST Robotics, I did not believe that I had a place within agriculture. I grew up on a small farm. I know the life. But I’d never successfully kept a garden alive and have always been too queasy to go into veterinary medicine. Robotics might not be the typical route for agriculture, but it’s what sparked my interest in mechanical engineering to pave the way for innovation in agriculture and to continue allowing agriculturalists to feed the rest of the population. As a first-generation college student, the only way for me to attend college has been through sheer grit and determination. Every late night I’ve worked and opportunities like the Chobani Scholarship have allowed me to continue to pave a pathway for not just my own future, CONTINUED ON PAGE A47
Chobani Scholars program awards $80K to support agricultural innovation
but also for my younger siblings. As I continue my education, my driving force is knowing that I will one day get to join the 2% that feeds the other 98% of the nation, but from an engineering perspective.”
• Kaycie Theurer of Buhl is majoring in agricultural education. “Watching my ag teacher throughout the years, I discovered that I have a passion for advocating for agriculture. I finalized my decision when I got the opportunity to do an ag in the classroom lesson with my local third graders. There were about 100 kids and watching the way they asked questions and got involved made me realize I want to do this for the rest of my life. Honestly, it’s sort of scary going into this field, but I know that’s why I need to do it. Now more than ever, our society needs to be reminded where their food comes from, and that’s why ag education is so important. I hope to continue bringing agriculture into society one student at a time.”
I can explain
In January 2013, Richard Blake was on trial in Ottawa, accused of breaking into a home and assaulting two people that lived there. The prosecution had some pretty daunting physical evidence against him, including a knit cap left at the scene of the crime with blood on it that matched Blake’s. He was also picked out of a lineup by an eyewitness and the victims. On the witness stand, Blake offered this bizarre explanation for all of it. The reason he had the keys to the victims’ car at the time of his arrent was because “a stranger” gave them to him, along with a bloody knife, gloves, and hat, which he put on after he took off his own. And the reason he ran from the scene and hid in a tree, Blake said, was to hide from the swarm of flies. Blake was found guilty of all charges.
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and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University; Susan M. Tallman, CPAg, State Agronomist; USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Montana; Tyler J. Lane, Montana State University Extension, Chouteau County Overview
The wheat stem sawfly (Cephus cinctus Norton) is the dominant pest of dryland wheat production in Montana and across much of the Northern Great Plains (Figure 1). Based on empirical models, it is estimated the average farm can lose 13.5 percent of the winter wheat yield and 11.5 percent of the spring wheat yield in areas with large, damaging populations of the pest, making successful management a top priority for Montana farmers.
In addition to decreasing grain crop yield and farm income, wheat stem sawfly (WSS) also increases conservation resource concerns in cropland. Frequent stem cutting by WSS larvae below or near the soil surface reduces standing residue height, making the soil more prone to wind erosion. According to the NRCS National Agronomy Manual, “Standing residue is at least three times more effective at controlling wind erosion than flat residue” (USDA-NRCS, 2011). Likewise, shorter stubble reduces the potential for over-winter snow catch and increases soil temperature and evaporative water loss, making cropland less resilient to drought and climate warming. As a result, the challenges from WSS extend beyond decreased crop yield and contribute to a reduction in sustainability and soil health in wheat cropping regions with large pest populations (Figure 2).
Currently, no insecticides provide successful control of wheat stem sawfly. As a result, cultural methods such as variety selection, crop rotation, and harvest management, are the only successful methods of suppression for this pest. The purpose of this bulletin is to provide producers, crop advisors, and conservationists with practical and effective best management practices (BMP) for wheat stem sawfly management to promote greater economic and ecological
Figure 1. States (purple) with known populations of wheat stem sawfly in the Northern Great Plains. Distribution adapted from and first created by Achhami et al. 2020
Figure 2. Wheat stem sawfly (bottom left) can reduce stubble height and structure causing reduced snow retention and increased erosion. Photo and graphics: M. Hofland and M. Hager, MSU.
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First American to fly in a hot air balloon: Edward Warren (1784).
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Electric eels must surface to breathe every five minutes or they will drown.
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First Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader: went to press in 1988.
In a small bowl, combine the salt, lemon pepper, paprika and dried thyme. Season both sides of the chicken breasts all over with the spice mixture.
Set your Instant Pot to the sauté setting and let the insert heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the base of the pot, then two of the chicken breasts. Sear until lightly golden on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip and sear the other side, about 2 more minutes. Remove the breasts to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and repeat with the remaining two breasts, then transfer to the plate. Turn off the Instant Pot.
Add the chicken stock and scrape the brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Place the trivet into the Instant Pot and arrange all 4 breasts over top.
Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and lock into place. Seal the steam release handle. Select high pressure and set the timer for 4 minutes. When timer is up, let the pressure naturally for 4 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate.
Remove the trivet from the Instant Pot and return it to the sauté function. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Add this to the pot and cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil. Let simmer, whisking frequently, for 1 minute, until thickened.
Serve the chicken with a drizzle of the sauce.
Baked Chicken Breasts
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Brine the chicken. (Check the label of your chicken breasts. If they have already been pre-brined in a sodium solution, please skip this step.) Fill a large mixing bowl with 2 cups of lukewarm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed. Add 2 cups of cold water (or a few ice cubes) to lower the temperature of the water so that it is cool to the touch. Add the chicken breasts and let them sit in the mixture to brine for 15 minutes, or you can also also cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with paper towels. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
Season the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large baking dish*. Brush on both sides (turning once) evenly with the melted butter or olive oil. In a separate small bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika until combined. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the chicken on both sides.
Bake for 15-18* minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts, so I recommend using a cooking thermometer to know exactly when the chicken is fully cooked. The thickest part of the breast should measure 165°F. (If you want the chicken to be a little bit browned and crispier on top, you can turn the broiler on high for the final 3-5 minutes of the cooking time and broil the chicken until it is cooked through and golden on top. Keep a close eye on the chicken, however, so that it does not overcook and/or burn.)
Rest the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the oven, transfer the chicken to a clean plate, and loosely tent the plate with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
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On average, cats have 24 cheek whiskers - 12 on each side of their face - that are arranged in four horizontal rows.
Converting toxic heavy metal to harmless form
By Brian Owens, Canadian Light Source
Researchers from the University of Waterloo have discovered that a special form of charcoal is highly effective at absorbing toxic chromium and transforming it into its safer form.
Chromium is a heavy metal that exists in two forms. One form, chromium(III), is a safe micronutrient that our body needs. The other, chromium(VI), is a dangerous carcinogen linked to ovarian, lung, and liver cancer, and reproductive problems. The dangerous form is usually created during industrial processes such as leather tanning, stainless steel production, and mining, but it can also occur naturally in the presence of manganese minerals.
Biochar, a form of charcoal produced by heating agricultural waste without oxygen, is being studied as a potential tool for cleaning up chromium pollution at industrial sites, using the natural filtering ability of organic carbon.
Filip Budimir, a PhD candidate in earth and environmental sciences at the University of Waterloo, wanted to know what happens when water contaminated with chromium(VI) is mixed with an oak-based biochar. His research is published in the journal Chemosphere.
Using the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan, Budimir probed the biochar to see where the chromium was being deposited on the grains, and which version of the metal was there. He found that, while the solution initially contained only Cr(VI), after sitting for 120 hours (5 days), most of the chromium (~85%) had become Cr(III). So not only was the biochar absorbing the toxic chromium, it was also converting it to its safer form.
“We were happy to see that the majority of what we were finding on the biochar grains was chromium-3 and not chromium-6,” says Budimir.
The researcher also found that the chromium isotopes changed (or fractionated) during removal of Cr(VI) from the water; the lighter chromium isotopes were removed faster and converted from Cr(VI) to Cr(III) more readily than the heavier isotopes. This could potentially be used as a tool to monitor groundwater remediation efforts using biochar, he says. “Things are happening underground, but we’re not sure what,” says Budimir. “Testing the isotopes can give us an idea of what is happening and if the process is working.”
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Everybody knows 40 is the new 30, right? But the police officer giving me a speeding ticket couldn’t be persuaded.
Wheat Stem Sawfly: Best Management Practices
this document are based on research conducted over the last three decades, both on-farm and in the laboratory, by Montana State University WSS Laboratory staff, graduate, and undergraduate students. Research funding was provided by multiple sources and organizations, with many suggestions and on-farm participation from wheat and barley producers across Montana.
Wheat Stem Sawfly Lifecycle
WSS is a native pest to North America that inhabited the prairie before agricultural settlement (Figure 3). Locally adapted WSS populations gradually adapted from using native plants to the cultivated crops of spring wheat (1900s), winter wheat and triticale (1980s), and barley (2010s). WSS continues to use native plants and as a result, there is always a background population of WSS on the local landscape. Successful management of WSS requires an awareness of the constant local population with the goal of keeping the populations in cultivated crops as small as possible. Complete eradication of the pest is not a realistic management goal.
The wheat stem sawfly has only one generation per year. Adults normally emerge between mid-May and early July and live five to eight days. During this time, the females lay 30-50 eggs into the interior pith, or lumen, of wheat stems. Adults typically do not have to travel long distances to reach a suitable host stem and have a limited flight range of a few miles from their emergence location. Purposeful longer flights are rarely necessary. The period of adult emergence and flight lasts 3-6 weeks.
The egg stage lasts 5-7 days, followed by a larval stage of about one month. The larvae feed up and down the interior of the stem, descending toward the base of the plant, breaching the stem nodes, and almost completely cutting through the stem horizontally (“girdling”). This girdling point can be from about 0.75 inches below the soil surface to about 1.5 inches above the soil surface. Girdling causes the stem to sever and lodge on the soil surface, causing crop yield loss and requiring special harvesting techniques to pick up the lodged grain heads (Figure 4). These lodged grain heads have lower yield than non-lodged heads due to the decreased water and nutrients from the damaged stem.
Pest activity that eventually leads to stem girdling is difficult to detect during the vegetative green phase of crop development, as the plant looks normal and pest activity is hidden within the stem interior. The first visual indication of pest damage from grain lodging occurs as the plant dries
Figure 3. Adult female (top) and fully grown larva (bottom) of wheat stem sawfly. Photos: RKD Peterson, MSU.
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English is funny: Put your best foot forward. Now let’s see…. We have a good foot and a better foot — but we don’t have a third — and best — foot. It’s our better foot we want to put forward. This grammar atrocity is akin to “May the best team win”. Usually there are only two teams in the contest. Similarly, in any list of bestsellers, only the most popular book is genuinely a bestseller. All the rest are bettersellers.
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Wheat Stem Sawfly: Best Management Practices
down, just before harvest, when it is too late to make any management changes for the given crop year. Likewise, it is very difficult to visually estimate WSS crop yield loss, as the human eye cannot easily detect a difference between 30 to 60 percent damage in a robust wheat stand. Both factors make field monitoring and annual adaptation of harvest management an insufficient strategy for limiting WSS-caused losses. Rather, successful management of WSS focuses on prevention and the continuous use of best management practices with cultural methods.
After girdling the stem, the larvae create a plug of frass, or excreted, digested plant material, inside the stem and below the girdling point (Figure 5D). The larvae then overwinter inside the stem below the plug, in sealed chambers (hibernaculae) typically 1-1.5 inches below the soil surface. After winter, metamorphosis begins with spring warming and eventually the pupa transforms into an adult, chews through the plugged tip of the cut stem, and emerges to begin flight as part of the subsequent year’s generation. (See Montana State University MontGuide MT201107AG Wheat Stem Sawfly Biology for more information on the wheat stem sawfly lifecycle.)
Wheat stem sawfly life cycle: A) May - June, a pupal wheat stem sawfly inside a cut wheat stem, adults emerging through frass plugs at top of cut wheat stems, B) June - July, wheat stem sawflies flying to green wheat stems, with mating and oviposting adults on stems, C) July - August, interior of wheat stem with whitish wheat stem sawfly eggs and small
Figure 4. Wheat stem lodging (displacement of stem shoot from the upright position) with approximately 80 percent stem cutting by larval WSS. Photo: L. Ermatinger and D. Weaver, MSU.
Figure 5. A) Overwintering in wheat stem with metamorphosis in late spring. B) Adults mate immediately after emergence. C) Eggs are deposited in the wheat stem, and larvae feed on the stem interior. D) Surviving larvae migrate within the wheat stem to base at senescence and ripening. Life cycle adapted from Robertson et al. (2018) with image created by M. Hofland and N. Irish, MSU.
Wheat Stem Sawfly: Best Management Practices
larvae with powdery frass causing stem to ripen faster, D) August - May, golden ripe stems that have been cut by wheat stem sawfly larvae, with neat brownish frass plus at the top providing protection for larva within.
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Wheat Stem Sawfly: Best Management Practices
Parasitoid
Wasp Lifecycle
Insect natural enemies of WSS are also native to North America and are present across the Northern Great Plains landscape (Figure 6). Two species (Bracon cephi and Bracon lissogaster) are parasitic wasps that have two generations per year (compared with only one generation per year of WSS). The adult females paralyze the larvae of WSS, and their offspring consume the immobile larvae. WSS larvae are their only known host. A female wasp deposits one or more eggs near the paralyzed WSS larvae, and when these hatch, the grub-like parasitoid larva feeds on the WSS larva, eventually killing it (killing the host makes these parasitoids rather than parasites).
In early summer, the adults of these bivoltine parasitoids emerge and live for 30-45 days. During this time, the adults lay eggs into stems infested with WSS larvae. After about one week, parasitoid eggs develop into larvae. These larvae feed on the WSS larvae for a week to 10 days, after which they spin a cocoon for metamorphosis. Inside this cocoon, development into adults takes about one week. The new adults exit the cocoons within the stem and chew a small hole in the side of the stem to emerge from the plant. This generation of parasitoids will mate before harvest and then find a second group of WSS larvae to parasitize and kill. However, these remain in the larval stage within overwintering cocoons inside the wheat stems for 9-10 months, surviving both harvest and winter and emerging as adults early the following summer. Most of these overwintering larval cocoons of the parasitoids are in the lower third of the stem, but they can be found at various heights along the stem length, wherever they initially paralyze and kill the WSS larval host. As a result, conserving standing stubble and maximizing stubble height is very important for WSS suppression, as it protects crucial overwintering habitat for the beneficial parasitoids.
Best Management Practices
Agricultural producers can suppress WSS by using best management practices such as resistant variety selection and proper residue management. Often, the best management practices for WSS control are the same as those for increasing soil health; maintaining adequate soil cover and residue, minimizing soil disturbance, increasing biological diversity, and keeping a living root in the soil (Figure 7).
Best management practices for WSS control include:
1. Plant solid-stem wheat varieties. This is the most foundational and critical management practice for WSS management. Solid-stem varieties kill about 40 percent of WSS larvae as they feed in the pith of the stem in the spring (Figures 8 and 9). Producers often do not choose solid-stem varieties, as the yields of these varieties can be slightly lower (3-5 percent) than hollow-stem varieties. However, infested hollow-stem varieties may yield 1525 percent less than uninfested hollow-stem varieties, greatly outweighing the slight yield decrease of solidstem varieties. Note that solid-stem varieties should only be grown in fields with significant WSS pressure to minimize the potential for the pest to develop resistance to the solid-stem trait. Lists of solid-stem winter and spring wheat varieties can be found at plantsciences. montana.edu/foundationseed/quickfacts/.
CONTINUED ON PAGE B14
Figure 7. NRCS soil health principles are also beneficial for control of wheat stem sawfly.
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Wheat Stem Sawfly:
2. Conserve parasitoid wasp residue habitat by leaving wheat, barley, and triticale stubble as tall as possible. Parasitoid wasp larvae require tall, standing stubble as a habitat to survive through harvest and the winter. They will not survive inside residue that passes through the combine chopper or is compressed into straw bales.
for
3. Conserve tall, standing residue by cutting wheat, barley, and triticale above at least one-third of the total plant height. For example, if the wheat crop is 27 inches tall, set the combine or swather cutting level at nine inches or greater (Figure 10). Header or swather height should be increased as harvest progresses from the field edge towards the field interior, and farmers can gauge when to do this by visually assessing stem cutting while driving around the field, progressing from the edge to the interior. After several passes, the worst of the typical WSS edge-effect infestation has often already been cut, and there is more to gain from parasitoid conservation via a raised header than the occasional loss of some WSS-cut stems. Likewise, cut stems farther into a field are more likely to be held up by the surrounding stubble than the stems along the field edge where WSS cutting is much worse, making harvest recovery of the stem in the crop interior more likely.
Figure 8. Solid-stem wheat variety (top) compared with a hollow-stem wheat variety (Yellowstone, bottom). Solid-stem varieties should be used only in areas with wheat stem sawfly infestations. Photos: USDA-NRCS.
Figure 9. Dead wheat stem sawfly larvae; newly hatched from eggs inside solid stem wheat pith (top, Photo: E. Nichols, MSU) and larval feeding trail ending (i.e., a dead, larger larva) when solid stem wheat pith dries and hardens to become impenetrable (bottom, Photo: W. Morrill, MSU).
Figure 10. A stripper header leaves tall stubble which provides habitat
parasitoids of the wheat stem sawfly. Photo: USDA-NRCS.
Wheat Stem Sawfly: Best Management Practices
The combination of solid-stem varieties and tall, standing residue is complementarily beneficial. Several years of these practices together should greatly reduce the damaging WSS population size.
4. Use a no-till management system. No-till systems preserve the standing stubble and maintaining 70 percent residue cover is needed for parasitoid habitat (Figure 11). Heavy tillage buries residue and kills parasitoids while minimally affecting WSS as the adults are large enough to dig through the soil after metamorphosis. In general, singleor double-disc drills are best for WSS management rather than hoe drills, as they have a greater ability to seed into tall, standing, no-till stubble (Figure 12). Hoe drills can plug when seeding into tall, standing stubble because the residue is captured on the shank and does not readily dislodge.
However, hoe drills may achieve better seed-to-soil contact in specific situations, including seeding into lodged, horizontal stems from WSS damage and in drought conditions on heavy clay soils. If using a tilled system, use light tillage methods that leave more than 70 percent residue cover on the soil surface to conserve parasitoids and their habitat.
5. Do not burn residue. Burning of standing residue, either intentionally, or from natural (lightning) or accidental (sparks from equipment on rocky ground) causes, is devastating to parasitoids. All WSS larvae in standing residue are contained in sealed hibernation chambers within the stems below the soil surface. The fleeting heat from a residue fire is neither intense nor long-lasting enough to kill WSS larvae, but it will kill all parasitoid larvae in the standing straw.
6. Do not re-crop wheat, barley, or triticale in a field with an existing WSS infestation. Planting wheat after wheat or barley optimizes WSS population growth and should be avoided in areas with damaging levels of WSS.
CONTINUED ON PAGE B20
Thomas Jefferson is responsible for bringing the first macaroni machine over to the U.S. after spending time in France. He was also the one who introduced mac and cheese to Americans!
Figure 11. Approximately 70 percent stubble cover on a field. Leave this much or more small grain residue to provide adequate parasitoid habitat. Photo: USDA-NRCS.
Figure 12. A single-disc (top) or double-disc (bottom) drill is often needed to implement a high-residue, no-till management system, and to successfully seed into tall, standing residue. Photos: USDA-NRCS.
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Wheat Stem Sawfly: Best Management Practices
7. Grow oats, a lethal trap crop for WSS. Oats (Avena sativa) have long been known to be a viable trap crop for WSS (Figure 13). Adult female WSS readily lay eggs in oats, and 100 percent of the feeding larvae eventually die. Consider planting oats at least once in the crop rotation in WSS-infested areas and leave tall, standing oat stubble to increase snow-holding capacity and reduce the risk of wind erosion. Time the planting of the oats early enough to provide sufficient vegetation (stem elongation) during WSS flight and egg-laying activity, typically a 6-week time window from late May to early July.
Use one of the following methods to include oats in the crop rotation:
• Oats grown as a grain cash crop.
• Oat trap crop planted around the perimeter of a wheat, barley, or triticale crop. The oat trap crop should be a minimum width of one seeder pass around the field perimeter, or approximately five percent of the total field acreage. Plant the trap crop within 2-3 days of the wheat or barley crop (preferably before) and use the same crop season type for the trap crop as the attractant crop. For example, plant spring oats with spring wheat and winter oats with winter wheat. In northern latitudes with no winter-hardy oat varieties, spring oats can be planted as a trap crop with winter wheat if the spring oat is planted as early in the spring as possible.
• Cover crop or forage crop with a minimum 15 percent oats as a portion of the total seed mix. Timing of cover crops with oats is crucial for successful WSS suppression. Cover crops with oats planted later in the summer or fall after the 6-week May to July WSS flight window will not be effective. Plant the cover crop at a time when the oat growth stage will match the growth stage of adjacent wheat or barley cash crops.
7. Replace fallow years with a non-host crop. Adult WSS emerging in a fallow field exert minimal effort to f ind an adjacent wheat crop to infest. They simply fly upwind and land at the nearest host crop (wheat, barley, or triticale). In contrast, adult WSS emerging in a nonhost crop field (pea, lentil, canola, or safflower) will lose time and energy foraging in the non-host crop before eventually leaving to find a host crop. Because adult WSS are short-lived (5-8 days), any lost time and energy f inding a host crop results in fewer eggs being deposited when they do find it.
8. Plant a more attractive wheat variety on the outside field border of a less attractive wheat variety. Wheat varieties differ in their attractiveness to adult female WSS by producing different amounts of volatile compounds. Using a more attractive variety on the exterior border will limit WSS damage to the field interior. Informed wheat breeders should have records of which varieties are more cut by mature WSS larvae. Typically, lines that are more WSS-cut are also more attractive because they receive more eggs. Do not plant less attractive wheat around a more attractive crop, the females forage through the unattractive crop exterior to find the attractive crop in the interior.
9. Plant a solid-stem winter wheat variety on the outside field border of a spring wheat crop. As in the previous point, adult WSS are more attracted to stems with greater development and growth. Wheat at a later development stage will be more attractive to WSS than wheat at an earlier development stage and can help protect the younger crop.
10. Follow pollinator conservation practices to preserve parasitoid populations. There are no current insecticides that can adequately suppress WSS. However, CONTINUED ON PAGE B21
Figure 13. Oats (Avena sativa) are a lethal trap crop for wheat stem sawfly. Photo: USDA-NRCS.
Wheat Stem Sawfly: Best
WSS adults are susceptible to some insecticides that may be applied for other insect pests, such as grasshoppers or cutworms. At times, the numbers of dead adults from such treatments can appear impressive, but the benefit is negligible. In addition, the more long-lived parasitoids of WSS are very susceptible to insecticides, with impacts on parasitoids more severe than on the WSS. Avoid the use of insecticides such as pyrethroids, carbamates, or organophosphates to preserve parasitoid populations. It is believed that the use of benzoylphenylurea insecticides, such as diflubenzuron, will not harm adult parasitoids f lying in fields because the mode of action targets immature stages such as nymphal grasshoppers and caterpillars. Therefore, larval WSS, and the developing immature parasitoids feeding on them are protected because they are in the stem interior.
11. Provide nectar on the landscape for parasitoids. The original prairie habitat for WSS and its parasitoids included flowering species interspersed among grasses. Recently, Montana State University research has shown that adult parasitoids surviving only on nutrient reserves carried over from eating immature WSS larvae do not live as long as those that also feed on supplemental nutrition, like floral nectar. However, it can be challenging to provide supplemental nutrition sources in fieldgrown crops, since parasitoids are quite small and have difficulty accessing nectar from many commonly planted f lowering cash crop species such as pea, lentil, canola, and camelina. Alternatively, buckwheat is an excellent nectar source for parasitoids, but care should be taken to not plant buckwheat in areas where it could potentially contaminate a wheat crop at harvest (Figure 14). Avoid planting buckwheat immediately adjacent to a wheat crop. USDA-NRCS provides guidance for excluding buckwheat in conservation plantings and crop rotations with, or adjacent to, commodity wheat fields that have a scheduled rotation
CONTINUED ON PAGE B22
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and abiotic, may be severly impacting crop yield and quality. PentaGro is used as a foliar application to supplement normal soil fertility during plant physiologiocal peak demand periods.
Wheat Stem Sawfly: Best Management Practices
to wheat within the next two calendar years to avoid potential contamination of the wheat crop for export to Japan. See USDA-NRCS National Bulletin 190-23-14 for more information (USDA-NRCS, 2023).
Many flowering species will benefit a diverse array of native pollinators, and some will benefit parasitoids, such as safflower, deerhorn clarkia, native sunflowers (not commercial sunflowers), fava bean, and cowpea. Pollinator plantings adjacent to wheat fields will benefit parasitoid populations by
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providing supplemental nutrition, potentially increasing parasitoid lifespans from as many as 50 days or more and giving greater opportunity for these parasitoids to locate more WSS larvae to parasitize. This is an ongoing research area, and more beneficial plant species may be identified in the future.
12. Extend latest wheat harvest dates by planting spring wheat near winter wheat. WSS produces only one generation per season and can easily survive in droughtstressed crops. Parasitoids produce two generations per season and both generations require nutrients they acquire from WSS larvae that are still active in ripening wheat stems. Placing spring wheat near winter wheat will provide additional larval food sources for parasitoids due to the later ripening of spring wheat. Early harvest of wheat due to drought collapses parasitoid populations without directly impacting WSS, resulting in more damaging WSS numbers in crops that follow one or more years of drought.
13. Conserve smooth brome near wheat fields for parasitoid habitat . Before 1920, smooth brome was identified as a potential trap crop for WSS due to many larvae dying while feeding in the stems. Smooth brome is often seen in areas adjacent to wheat fields due to historic use in pastures or for erosion control after disturbance. Due to its late ripening and relatively high levels of immature WSS mortality, it serves as a sink that limits WSS populations while providing some active WSS larvae for second-generation parasitoids to consume long after wheat harvest. Conserve existing smooth brome areas to serve as parasitoid reservoirs, especially when summer rainfall is limited (Figure 15). Other grasses like western wheatgrass could also serve as reservoirs for parasitoids but are also highly susceptible to WSS and could thus also be considered pest reservoirs.
14. Do not rely on swathing to control WSS. In areas with severe WSS stem cutting, serious crop loss can be avoided by using a swather to windrow the wheat before combining. However, swathing will not kill even some of the WSS larvae inside the stem unless the standing wheat is quite unripe, which results in loss of grain quality. WSS larvae are located higher in the stems when the wheat is unripe. In contrast, when the wheat is mature, the WSS larvae have migrated down the stem to at or below the soil surface and are located below the swather cutting height. Swathing mature wheat only serves to destroy parasitoid habitat. If swathing, cut as high as possible (minimum of one-third of the total plant height) to maintain parasitoid habitat. Swathing alone will also not protect from yield loss. In addition, because swathing is harmful to parasitoids, this practice results in larger WSS populations and increased crop loss over time.
15. Know the cost of WSS damage and swathing. Producers are encouraged to do a partial-budget analysis of the ownership and operating costs of swathing equipment. Producers in areas with high WSS infestation who continue to plant the highest-yielding hollow-stem wheat variety with the intent to swath are likely seeing decreasing profitability due to the costs of owning both a swather and a combine and the potential need for two machinery passes at harvest. When these costs are added together with decreased wheat yield due to WSS, the long-term effect of swathing results in a protracted loss to the bottom line. A good partial budget comparison helps make this loss more visible to the producer. Producers may only be looking at the acceptable yields in these imperfect swathing approaches, not realizing their profitability could be much greater by following a complete package of best management practices.
Figure 15. Conserve smooth brome (Bromus inermis) stands adjacent to wheat fields to serve as parasitoid reservoirs. Photo: M. Lavin, MSU.
Figure 14. Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) plants in early bloom stage. Photo: USDA-NRCS.
March is National Nutrition Month
Although many people like to set resolutions and try turning over a new leaf around the New Year, March is also a great time for a healthy focus, after the long winter is almost over. At the beginning of springtime, this month is often a time when people feel that the winter is ending, the sun is beginning to shine and hope is beginning to rise.
How to Celebrate National Nutrition Month
• Visit Nutrition Websites
• Eat More Fresh Foods
• Avoid Fast Food
• Plant a Garden
• Choose Whole Grains
• Learn Fun Facts About Foods
History of National Nutrition Month
National Nutrition Month is celebrated every March and is sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the United States. National Nutrition Month focuses on helping people to make correct food choices as well as developing good eating and exercising habits.
1973 saw the launch of Nutrition Week by presidential proclamation (from Richard Nixon), and by 1980 it had been transformed to cover the entire month of March. Federal and state governments as well as the American Dietetic Association (as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was then known) enthusiastically embraced National Nutrition Month as an excellent vehicle to promote healthy eating and also as a way to educate the public.
National Nutrition Month is centered around a different theme each year, and during the years 1977 to 1980, Nutribird, who had a bright green cabbage for his head and a bold orange carrot beak, was the character who acted as the sponsor for the month!
Themes for National Nutrition Month have included:
1973: Invest in Yourself—Buy Nutrition
1978: Nutribird Says: Eat a Balanced Diet Every Day
1989: A Lifetime Decision—Choose Good Nutrition
2002: Start Today for a Healthy Tomorrow
2014: Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right
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Diverse crop rotations reduce risk of crop loss under poor growing conditions
By Autumn Canaday, ARS
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are responding to the increasingly uncertain climate. The warmer and more unpredictable weather has been a source of instability on U.S. farms. ARS agroecologists turned to history for a solution to this challenge, which inspired them to better understand the benefits of crop rotations.
Growing a sequence of different crops in rotation has been practiced for millennia. Crop rotations can rebuild soil health, fight pests and diseases, and spread-out risk of various pests and crop disease. Crop rotation also increases the sustainability of agricultural systems and reduces risk from increasingly adverse weather. However, widespread adoption of diverse crop rotations is limited by economic uncertainty, lack of incentives, and inadequate information about long-term outcomes.
ARS researchers compiled data from 20 long-term experiments spanning up to six decades to compare outcomes from different crop rotations across North America. Their aim was to assess changes in outcomes under different growing conditions for individual crops, like corn or soybean, in the crop rotations. They also looked at the outcomes of the complete rotation as a whole—not just the components. By examining both, they could quantify the benefits and trade-offs of crop rotations. Outcomes tended to be better for individual crops when grown in more diverse crop rotations across all growing conditions. Outcomes of complete rotation depended on which crops were grown in the crop rotation. This
shows that the composition of crop rotations was a bigger factor than individual crop performance. Diverse rotations improved outcomes of complete rotations under poor growing conditions. This illustrates how diverse rotations can reduce the risk of crop loss in a changing climate.
“Our results add to the growing body of evidence that is essential to removing the barriers that prevent adoption of sustainable farming practices,” said ARS Ecologist Dr. Katherine Muller. “To our knowledge, no long-term, multi-site studies have attempted to understand the effect of changing the rotation on the performance of both the complete rotation and its component crops simultaneously.”
Many farmers face steep hurdles to diversify their crop rotations. More diverse rotations may make management more complex and may require new equipment. Farmers may also need to learn how to grow new crops and develop an understanding of how the crops fit in their operation. Farmers can benefit since more diverse rotations can reduce the amount of fertilizer or pesticides needed to maintain productivity. This is welcome news for farmers facing another source of instability: price swings for nitrogen fertilizer.
Though effective, more diverse rotations may take years to show results, which is why long-term agricultural field experiments are a valuable source of evidence.
The DRIVES Network (Diverse Rotations Improve Valuable Ecosystem Services) has combined data from 20 long-term experiments to investigate the impacts of crop diversity across multiple regions and production systems.
The DRIVES Network is expanding the number of experiments in their database, which will help farmers by providing estimates of the benefits and costs of managing more diverse rotations. In addition to economic performance, the DRIVES Network will also provide evidence of how diverse rotations can reduce the vulnerability of cropping systems to adverse weather. By pairing long-term yield data with weather variables, like vapor pressure deficit or heat stress, researchers will be able to show how and when vulnerability is being reduced.
“Long-term field experiments are national treasures for capturing dynamics in slow-moving variables like soil characteristics, or responses under erratic conditions, like droughts. Both of these variables are critical to understanding how agricultural systems can adapt to climate change,” said North Carolina State University Agroecology Professor Dr. Ann Bybee-Finley, who began this research while completing her post-doctoral studies at ARS. “The DRIVES Network aims to connect data from long-term experiments with crop rota-
sion.
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Diverse crop rotations reduce risk of crop loss under poor growing conditions
tions across North America and make it available to the public.”
This research, highlighted in this month’s One Earth journal, will continue within ARS and with research partners at North Carolina State University, University of California Berkeley, Rice University, The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, University of California Davis, Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, The Pennsylvania State University, The Ohio State University, University of Tennessee, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Michigan State University, and University of Guelph.
Wood-burning stoves
If you wanted to heat your home in the mid-18th century, there was only one way: your fireplace. But because they were usually built into an exterior wall, fireplaced were inefficient – much of the heat was lost to the outside air. In 1742 Benjamin Franklin invented a freestanding metal stove that could be placed in the middle of the room, so all the heat radiated into the room. The “Franklin stove,” as it came to be known, remains one of Benjamin Franklin’s most famous inventions. One problem: it didn’t work. Smoke rises, which means you have to put the chimney outlet at the top of the stove. Franklin connected his at the base, and because of that the fire would not stay lit. His stove didn’t become practical until another inventor, David Rittenhouse, connected the chimney above the fire.
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A young man who is an avid golfer was driving home from a work trip when he passed a course he had never played before. The golfer checked his watch and surmised that if he played quickly, he could squeeze in nine holes before dark. However, as he was about to get started, an old man shuffled toward the tee box and asked if he could join. Although the younger golfer was worried that the older player would slow him down, he reluctantly said, “Of course.” To the young man’s surprise, the older golfer played quickly. Although he didn’t hit the ball very far, the senior player hit it straight and didn’t waste any time. On the last hole, the junior player faced a tough shot when his ball landed behind a tree. The older golfer, who noticed the perilous predicament, said, “When I was your age, I would hit the ball right over that tree. The young man thanked him for the advice and gripped and ripped his shot, but unfortunately he watched in dismay as his ball rattled around in the branches and fell listlessly three feet away from where it started. The experienced golfer couldn’t suppress a smile and stated, “You realize, of course, when I was your age that tree was only four feet tall.”
Anonymous gift elevates veterinary oncology care at WSU
By Keith Powell, WSU Foundation
For Dr. Rance Sellon, a professor and veterinary oncologist, it began with a simple consultation. He had no way of knowing this routine request would lead to one of the most significant gifts in the history of Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
A couple from western Washington brought their dog to WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) to learn about treatment options for their dog’s tumor. However, given the dog’s medical history and some increased respiratory effort and noise, Sellon suspected something more was wrong.
“I said we need to put the tumor on the back burner and figure out why your dog is having trouble breathing,” Sellon said.
With the help of Dr. Bonnie Campbell, a VTH veterinary surgeon, the diagnosis was clear: laryngeal paralysis, a condition that prevents the muscles controlling a dog’s or cat’s larynx from properly letting air into the windpipe. If left untreated, for some dogs, the condition can lead to suffocation. When the dog did, in fact, experience a respiratory crisis shortly after its visit to the VTH, the owners knew what their dog needed and sought the necessary emergency care. For Sellon and the team at WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, it was just another day on the job. Or so he thought. Several months later, he received an unexpected message.
Deeply grateful for their experience with Sellon and the rest of WSU’s VTH team, the couple, who wish to remain anonymous, wanted to make a lasting impact. To ensure WSU veterinary oncologists could continue providing cancer care while also training the next generation of practitioners, they decided to establish a faculty chair in his name — the Dr. Rance Sellon Endowed Chair in Veterinary Clinical Oncology.
Offering new hope in critical times
At $6 million, the anonymous gift is the largest in support
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Anonymous gift elevates veterinary oncology
CONTINUED FROM PAGE B27 of a faculty chair in the university’s history.
“I was completely surprised,” said Sellon. “It’s overwhelming, to be honest. It wasn’t something I expected at all.”
Sellon began his veterinary career in small animal internal medicine, but his path took a pivotal turn in 1997 when he arrived at WSU Pullman. At the time, the College of Veterinary Medicine had no dedicated medical oncologist, and he quickly came to appreciate both the growing interest in veterinary oncology and its unique challenges. What inspired him most were the people who came to the hospital believing there was no hope for their tumor-bearing pets, only to discover that they had options.
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“If you have to wait 2–3 weeks before seeing an oncologist, that can be time you don’t have,” Sellon said. “Time can be critical.”
More than an honor, a gift with rippling impact
“The Dr. Rance Sellon Endowed Chair in Veterinary Clinical Oncology is a tremendous investment that will help us recruit top talent and drive forward innovative cancer research and treatment at Washington State University,” said WSU President Kirk Schulz. “This gift not only honors Dr. Sellon’s career but will also shape the future of veterinary medicine, improving the lives of countless animals and their families. We are profoundly grateful for this generous gift and all the good it will make possible.”
An endowed faculty chair is one of academia’s highest honors, offering permanent funding that enables universities to recruit and retain exceptional faculty. The Dr. Rance Sellon Endowed Chair in Veterinary Clinical Oncology will not only supplement the chairholder’s salary but support salaries for research assistants and cover research-related expenses. This essential funding will allow future chairholders to focus on research, mentorship, and clinical care with fewer concerns associated with obtaining such funding from other, often limited, resources.
Additionally, it could allow the college to direct resources toward community outreach, classroom
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National Agriculture Day
National Agriculture Day is celebrated on March 19th National Agriculture Day is a salute to American agriculture and everyone who plays a role in it. According to the Agricultural Day website and sponsors of this holiday, the purpose of National Agriculture Day is to “celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture”.
Agriculture has been around since the caveman first learned how to plant seeds and grow food. The industry has evolved from simple tools for growing and harvesting crops, to horse or ox-drawn plows, and now employs modern tractors and harvesting equipment.
Note: National Agriculture Day, is sometimes referred to as World Agriculture Day. Agriculture is a vital industry to feed the billions of hungry people on the planet.
History and Origin of National Agriculture Day
On February 29, 2012, Agriculture secretary Thomas J. Vilsack proclaimed March 8, 2012, to be National Agriculture Day. This proclamation stated a specific date and year. It can vary each year. The Agricultural Secretary annually proclaims the date of National Agriculture Day. In 2022, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. made the proclamation.
This special day originated in 1973. It is organized and promoted by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA).
Thought for Today “Agriculture not only gives riches to a nation, but the only riches she can call her own.” – – Samuel Johnson
A tip o’ the cap
It’s always tough to return to the home park of your former team, but Casey Stengel came prepared when he and his fellow Pirates showed up at Ebbets Field to play the Dodgers (who’d recently traded him) in 1919. The Dodger fans booed mercilessly as Stengel walked up to the plate, when he suddenly paused and turned to the hecklers. Then, to everyone’s astonishment, he tipped his cap and out came…a sparrow. It fluttered a few circles around the plate and then flew off into the sky. The fans roared and – at least temporarily – were in love with Casey again.
oncology care at WSU
instruction, and clinical support.
“These donors exemplify philanthropy through their deep-rooted appreciation for education and animal welfare. Their commitment stems from their gratitude for the support they received during their educational journeys. It instilled in them a strong belief in reciprocating that generosity,” said Dori Borjesson, dean of WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “Their gift recognizes and values the institution’s tireless efforts in training compassionate, knowledgeable veterinarians and providing exemplary care to their beloved four-legged companions.”
Sellon, who describes himself as “a grunt in the trenches,” remains humbled by the gift and its lasting potential: “They’re going to get the best I have,” he said. “I’m going to do what I can to make sure this is used wisely and do as much good as possible.”
National Joe Day
Always celebrated on March 27 National Joe Day is a chance to change your name, if only for today. Or on this March 27 holiday, you can celebrate people named “Joe”. The creator of this special holiday did not leave us with any real definition of the reason for this day. So, let’s expand on the purpose of this day. Let’s celebrate today with a “cup of joe”.
Many people do not like their given name. They wish they could change it. A few actually do. On National Joe Day, it is perfectly okay to have everyone call you “Joe”. Why Joe, and not Bob or Mike or Radcliffe? Simply, because everyone likes the name, Joe. If you are called Joe today, we know that you’re “Joe cool”!
This works well for the men out there. What about the ladies? We suggest you choose Josephine or Jody.
After Washington, DC, the most dangerous cities to drive in are Baltimore, Maryland; Providence, Rhode Island; Hialeah, Florida and Glendale, California.
availability of ‘Vaquero’ forage barley. ‘Vaquero’ is a hooded, spring-planted barley to produce forage for livestock.
‘Vaquero’
Vaquero is
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Glacier County 4-Hers Alec Morrisett, Miles Geer, Sammie McCauley, and Colt Laverdure along with leader, Hapi Seewald, had the honor of being introduced on the Senate floor January 21 by local Senator Susan Webber. Miles Geer noted, “We learned to talk with legislators,” through the event and now has personal political aspirations! Photo courtesy of Hapi Seewald.
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Cellulose is a food additive used to make ice cream creamier and keep shredded cheese from separating. It is made of wood pulp and shavings.
March is National Caffeine Awareness Month
Do you start your day with a cup of coffee? Need that candy bar in the middle of the day? It could be that you are using caffeine as an energy boost. National Caffeine Awareness Month is a great time to get the low down on exactly how much caffeine you are consuming in a day and if that is having any harmful effects on your body.
History of National Caffeine Awareness Month
In 2003 the Caffeine Awareness Alliance was formed to advocate for a caffeine-free industry. Their goal is to provide information and resources for everyone in the industry from executives, retailers, and media. It is this organization that has sponsored the creation of National Caffeine Awareness Month. The stated goal for the month is to be a health awareness campaign that can help people to make informed decisions about the consumption of caffeinated products.
There are some facts about caffeine that may come as a surprise to you. There are about 60 different plants that have caffeine in them including cocoa, coffee beans, tea leaves, and kola. This means that you may not always know if there is caffeine in a product because, in the United States, the Federal Food and Drug Administration does not require companies to list the amount of caffeine in the nutritional information.
Some sodas that you would think did not have caffeine in them, actually, do. Sunkist’s Orange, A&W Cream Soda, and most diet drinks. Chocolate is another food that has caffeine in it. Because of this, ice cream that has either chocolate of coffee as a flavor can rack up the amount of caffeine you consume as well. Most surprisingly, you will get caffeine from pain relievers and weight loss pills as well!
How to celebrate National Caffeine Awareness Month
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Norman Borlaug developed new strains of crops which yielded 4 times as much food. He is said to have saved the lives of over a billion people!
Learning about what products contain caffeine allows you to make better choices when shopping. For some people, the effects of caffeine are prominent and troublesome. Some of the effects are trouble sleeping, nervousness, shaking and increased heart rate. The amount of caffeine needed to cause this differs from person to person. The commonly held safe amount of caffeine consumed in a day is 400mg. That is equal to about 10 cans of soda, 5 cups of coffee or 2 energy drinks. It is possible to use the internet to find charts of what products contain caffeine and the estimated amounts. This can be helpful in tracking the amount of caffeine that you consume and help you stay away from some products if needed. Activities such as brisk walking, running or other forms of working out will let the body release chemicals that can lift your mood and increase energy. Changing what drinks you have during the day can help alleviate the effects of caffeine.
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Pufferfish is a delicacy in Japan, but if it’s prepared wrong, it can kill the person eating it.
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Although Hawaii consumed the most Spam per capita than any other state, it was invented in Minnesota. There’s even a spam museum in Minnesota!
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Dogs can be allergic to humans – specifically, their dander. While being treated for this allergy, it can take up to 12 months for a dog to recover.
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In ancient Egyptian days, radishes, onions, and garlic were given to workers as wages. Radishes specifically were given because they helped with infectious diseases!
Montana State’s Brent Roeder featured in Time magazine
By Reagan Cotton, MSU News Service
Montana State University’s leading wool and sheep expert was featured recently in Time magazine, highlighting ongoing work to explore novel uses for wool.
Brent Roeder, MSU Extension sheep specialist and a faculty member in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Animal and Range Sciences, appeared in the article, “Farmers are Using Wool to Save Water in the Drought-Ridden West,” published Dec. 23. The story highlights wool producers and scientists who are advancing knowledge and developing products that capitalize on wool’s ability to retain water and its high nitrogen content.
Nitrogen is a key nutrient in many commercial fertilizers and without supplementation, crop production often strips soil of its natural nitrogen stores. By using waste wool – material from the belly and hindquarters of sheep that is often not accepted by processors and ends up being thrown away –producers may be able to repurpose a waste product, reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers and save water, writes Lindsey King in the article. King notes that wool
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can hold up to 35% of its weight in water, so incorporating it into soil via products like wool pellets or mats can keep water in the soil longer and reduce the need for irrigation.
“We’ve really just scratched the surface of wool’s uses,” said Roeder in the piece.
In Montana’s cold, dry climate, finding new ways to reduce synthetic inputs and use wool that would likely otherwise end up in a landfill could be beneficial for both growers and sheep producers, the story notes. Research across the nation is exploring the best ways to use wool as both fertilizer and irrigation catalyst, including projects at MSU.
The Time story highlighted one MSU project that will aim to quantify the impact of wool pellets on crop production and water retention on large Montana farms. As new wool products aimed at boosting agricultural efficiency emerge, the aim for scientists is to increase both knowledge and awareness of the fiber’s potential.
More information about MSU sheep and wool research can be found at http://www. montana.edu/woollab.
2429 W HOLLY STREET SIDNEY, MT 59270
New Haying Equipment
Case IH Maxxum 150 New Tillage Case IH 475 Speed Tiller, 27ft Case IH 475 Speed Tiller, 21ft Used Tractors
2012 Case IH Puma 185 CVT with loader, 3072 hrs, $138,000 2020 Case IH Puma 165 with loader, 1075 hrs, $165,000
2019 John Deere 1023E, 117 hrs, loader, Back Blade, $15,500 New Harvest Case IH 8250 AFS MacDon FD2-40
New Misc AG
• Parma 30ft Mulcher
• Unverferth 1020 Seed Tender
• Grasshopper Mowers
• Twin Star G3-7 Rake
• Westfield 8-36 Auger
• Morris Hayhiker 1400
• Great Plains 1006 NT Drill
Case IH RB 565 Premium New Coming Soon Farmall 75L, 40C & 25C
Case IH WD 1505 Windrowers Used Harvest
2014 Case IH 9230 1750 sep hrs, $125,000
2020 MacDon FD 145, case adapter $95,000 Freeform Plastics Canola Roller, MAcDon M150 $2,500 2015 FD75-45, $75,000 (2) 2023 FD245, $135,000 Used Ag
2010 Haybuster 2650 Processor, $15,000
Consigned AG
• 2011 Case IH 1210 3-pt 123R22, $35,000
• H&S 14 Wheel Rake, $15,000
• 2007 Case IH SRX 100, 90ft Booms, $15,000
• 2012 Case IH RB 564, 20,000 Bales, $12,000
• Case IH 1200 Planter 12R30, $50,000
• 2007 Drago 1230 Cornhead Case Adapter
New Track Loaders Wacker Neuson ST45 Wacker Neuson SM120
• Danuser Pallet Forks (48ft, 4000lb), Hydraulic Post Hole Digger & Augers, Hammer Post Pounder, T3, T7, & T8 Hornet Post Pounder, Intimidator Tree & Post Puller, Mega Mixer
- One row of insulated glass per door - One heavy duty opener per door - Two remotes per door
• (4) – 4’0 x 4’0 windows
• (4) 3070 Entry Doors
• 5” Concrete Monolithic Slab with radiant heat
• #4 rebar on 24” centers
• 2” foam insulation under the slab
• Electric or propane boiler
• R36 insulation in the roof, R25 insulation in the walls
• Includes all labor to pour slab, complete heated floor, and erect the building
From Freedom Ranger
You want to create a comfortable environment for your chickens for maximum egg production—but you also wish to have a coop and egg boxes that are easy to clean and stay fresh for as long as possible. Is straw for your chicken coop the answer? Or is the best chicken coop bedding another material, like pine shavings, hemp bedding, or wood chips?
The Purpose of Bedding for Chickens
If you’re new to raising chickens, you might wonder why you need bedding. Bedding provides several benefits to you and your flock, including:
Litter Absorbency
Odor Control
Cushioning
Warmth/Cooling
Egg Protection
Your chicken coop needs bedding to maintain cleanliness, make your chickens comfortable, and keep eggs from cracking on hard surfaces.
Now that you know why you’ll need some type of bedding for chickens, let’s talk about what kinds of bedding you should never use for new chicks and how you can choose the best chicken coop bedding for your growing flock.
Avoid These Types of Chicken Bedding When Raising Baby Chicks
Before we get into the best chicken coop bedding options, we want to take a moment to warn you about the types of bedding that can be harmful to day-old chicks. These babies are more sensitive than grown chickens, so it’s essential to avoid the kinds of bedding that could cause problems. In general, we suggest not using fine sawdust, cedar shavings, newspaper, sand, or wet bedding.
The Five Most Popular Types of Bedding for Chickens
There are many chicken-bedding options, but we’ve narrowed them down to the five most popular. We’re not suggesting one type over another. Instead, we’d like you to choose from these bedding options based on what’s most important to you: cost, renewability, sustainability, safety, labor, and more.
1. Straw for Chicken Coops
Straw has been a staple on farms for centuries. However, even though this material provides a comfortable barrier between cattle or pigs and the ground, it’s not ideal for chickens. One of the main reasons we use chicken bedding is its absorbency. We also use bedding that dries quickly, so it won’t grow the mold that can harm chickens’ respiratory systems. Straw does not have either of these qualities. Furthermore, straw does nothing to hold heat in the winter or dispense it in the summer. Plus, hens will scratch straw out of the way before laying their eggs—defeating the purpose of lining nesting boxes with it.
2. Pine Shavings or Cedar Shavings for Chicken Coops
Wood shavings are one of the most popular bedding materials for chickens. They are relatively inexpensive, but they also drink up moisture, dry quickly, are resistant to mold, cushion eggs nicely, and help keep coops warm in the winter. A drawback of using cedar shavings and pine shavings is that the dust from these products can have carcinogenic qualities, damage chickens’ livers, and cause respiratory disease. Young chicks may mistake the shavings for food, and chickens of any age can experience health problems when they breathe the dust.
As an alternative to shavings, you might choose to use wood chips. There will be little or no dust, and they will counteract the nitrogen in waste that causes odor. You can still use wood chips in the deep litter method, which involves placing eight to 12” of material on the floor and in nesting boxes to allow waste and bedding to compost in the coop.
3. Hemp Bedding for Chicken Coops
Hemp bedding for chickens is made from the hemp plant’s inner stalk or hurd. It has excellent odor-control qualities, is highly absorbent, is compostable, produces very little dust, and retains heat. Because it clumps when soiled, it’s accessible to spot-clean and will last longer than most any other type of bedding for chickens, putting it at the top of the list for its sustainability.
4. Grass Clippings for Chicken Coops
Grass clippings can be an enticing bedding option because they’re free and chickens will enjoy snacking on them—but you should take caution.
Grass clippings must be entirely dry before adding to the chicken coop. Otherwise, they could cause respiratory disease when they grow mold. They are not very absorbent
CONTINUED FROM PAGE C2
and will pack down and become slippery when they decompose. All of this means you should not use them as a sole bedding option, but instead, add them to shavings, chips, or hemp bedding as part of the deep litter method.
5. Sand for Chicken Coops
Finally, we should mention the use of sand in coops. It is highly absorbent, and you’ll find that it’s easy to remove clumped waste from a bed of sand. Coarse sand will help keep your chickens’ beaks and claws from becoming too sharp but beware of fine playground sand—if your chickens overeat it, it could cause digestive-tract impactions.
The Best Chicken Coop Bedding: The Choice is Yours We hope that the information provided here will help you decide on the best chicken coop bedding for your birds. Whether you use hemp, sand, wood shavings, wood chips, or straw for chicken coops, know that each comes with advantages and disadvantages. Give a few methods a try to see which one works best for you. And if you would like specific advice for your unique chicken coop, be sure to contact us. #####
Little Johnny walks a cow through the village square. The mayor sees him and asks, “Hey Johnny, where are you going with the cow?”
“I’m taking her to the bulls so she would get pregnant,” answers Johnny.
The mayor is shocked, “Surely your father had better be doing that?”
Little Johnny thinks about it for a bit and shakes his head, “Nah, I think it’s really best left with the bulls.”
#####
Little Johnny was late for school. The teacher asked him why, and Little Johnny explained it was because he met a man who had lost his wallet on the street.
“Ah,” nodded the teacher, “you were helping him find it!”
“Um, not really,” said Johnny, “but I had to keep standing on it until he would give up and go away.”
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Seven countries claim to own parts of the continent: Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
#####
What race is knows as “The most exciting two minutes in sports?” The Kentucky Derby.
Methane mitigation strategies in animal agriculture
By Maribel.Alonso@usda.gov
A new study from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Iowa State University (ISU) reveals that generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help expedite the search for solutions to reduce enteric methane emissions caused by cows in animal agriculture, which accounts for about 33 percent of U.S. agriculture and 3 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
“Developing solutions to address methane emissions from animal agriculture is a critical priority. Our scientists continue to use innovative and data-driven strategies to help cattle producers achieve emission reduction goals that will safeguard the environment and promote a more sustainable future for agriculture,” said ARS Administrator Simon Liu.
One of these innovative solutions starts in the cow’s stomach, where microorganisms contribute to enteric fermentation and cause cows to belch methane as part of normal digestion processes. The team of scientists found a group of compound molecules ca-
pable of inhibiting methane production in the largest of the cow’s four stomach compartments, the rumen, which can be tested to help mitigate methane emissions.
One molecule in particular, bromoform, which is naturally found in seaweed, has been identified by the scientific community to demonstrate properties that can result in reducing cattle enteric methane production by 80-98 percent when fed to cattle. Unfortunately, bromoform is known to be a carcinogen, limiting its potential use in cattle for food safety reasons. Therefore, scientists continue to search for molecules with similar potential to inhibit enteric methane. However, this type of research presents challenges of being especially time-consuming and expensive.
In response to these challenges, a team of scientists at the ARS Livestock Nutrient Management Research Unit and ISU’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering combined generative AI with large computational models to jumpstart the quest for bromoform-like molecules that can do the same job without toxicity.
“We are using advanced molecular simulations and AI to identify novel methane inhibitors based on the properties of previously investigated inhibitors [like bromoform], but that are safe, scalable, and have a large potential to inhibit methane emissions,” said Matthew Beck, a research animal scientist working with ARS at the time the study was completed and is now with Texas A&M University’s Department of Animal Science. “Iowa State University is lead -
ing the computer simulation and AI work, while ARS is taking the lead in identifying compounds and truth testing them using a combination of in vitro [laboratory] and in vivo [live cattle] studies.”
Publicly available databases that contained scientific data collected from previous studies on the cows’ rumen were used to build large computational models. AI, along with these models, was used to predict the behavior of molecules and to identify those that can be further tested in a laboratory. The results from the laboratory tests feed the computer models for AI to make more accurate predictions, creating a feedback loop process known as a graph neural network.
“Our graph neural network is a machine learning model, which learns the properties of molecules, including details of the atoms and the chemical bonds that hold them, while retaining useful information about the molecules’ properties to help us study how they are likely to behave in the cow’s
Montana Holster & Shoulder Rig
Methane mitigation strategies in animal agriculture
CONTINUED FROM PAGE C4
stomach,” said ISU Assistant Professor Ratul Chowdhury. “We studied their biochemical fingerprint to identify what makes them do the job successfully as opposed to the other fifty thousand molecules that are lurking around in the cow’s rumen but don’t actively stop the production of methane.”
“This study successfully demonstrated that fifteen molecules cluster very close to each other in what we call a ‘functional methanogenesis inhibition space,’ meaning they seem to contain the same enteric methane inhibition potential, chemical similarity, and cell permeability as bromoform,” added Chowdhury.
Scientists believe AI can play a significant role in understanding how known molecules interact with both proteins and the microbial community of the rumen and thereby discover novel molecules and potentially key interactions within the rumen microbiome. This type of predictive modeling can be particularly helpful for animal nutritionists.
“There are other promising strategies currently available to mitigate enteric methane emissions, but the available solutions are relatively limited,” said USDA-ARS Research Leader Jacek Koziel. “This is why combining AI with laboratory research, through iterative refinement, is a valuable scientific tool. AI can fast-forward the research and accelerate these several pathways that animal nutritionists, researchers, and companies can pursue to get us closer to a very ambitious goal of limiting greenhouse gas emissions and helping mitigate climate change.”
The study also presents a total computational and monetary cost breakdown to conduct this research on a per molecule basis. This analysis was conducted to show an estimate of potential costs and foreseeable pitfalls of this research. This estimate can be used to guide decision-making on investments for this type of research to be done entirely in a laboratory.
Chowdhury, Beck, and Koziel are co-authors in the paper published in Animal Frontiers, along with Nathan Frazier (ARS) and Logan Thompson (Kansas State University). Mohammed Sakib Noor, an ISU graduate student, is working with Chowdhury to develop the graph neural networks.
#####
Question: How did the Egyptians transport massive stones across the desert?
We run out of creek water about June 1, and Macbeth still kicked out the tons. We had to raise the swather to get through it!
Of the five meadow bromes on the market, Macbeth is the only one that excels on dryland or low water. A meadow brome will always be your highest yielding grass! Macbeth will have leaves about as wide as barley.
The Macbeth did extremely well! We take only one cutting and graze the rest, but it always cuts 31/2 ton which is excellent for 6200 ft-elev. We normally put 2 windrows together for bailing, but could only bale one windrow on the Macbeth.
Willis: Willis Ranch Cokeville, WY
Answer: “The ancient Egyptians tranported their rocky cargo across the desert sands, from quarry to monument site, on large sleds with uturned edges. Now, when you try to pull a sled carrying a 2.5-ton load, it tends to dig into the sand ahead of it, building up a berm that must be cleared regularly or become an even bigger obstacle. Wet sand doesn’t do this. With just the right amount of dampness, capillary bridges - essemtoially miocrodroplets of water that bind grains of sand to one another through capillary action - form across the grains, doubling the material’s relative stiffness. This prevents the sand from berming in front of the sled and cut the force required to drag the sled in half. Artwork in the tomb of Djehurihotep depicts a sense of slaves hauling a colossal statue, and a guy at the front of the sled is shown pouring liquid into the sand.” (Daniel Engber, Gizmodo.com)
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Which is bigger: Juneau (Alaska) or Los Angelos? Juneau at 3,108 square miles. L.A. is 458 square miles.
#####
It’s illegal to use a firearm to open a can of food in Indiana.
Hoagland, Seven High Ranch, Reynolds Creek, Owyhee Co, Idaho
by Kathryn Markham, ARS Office of Communications
When it comes to irrigation, one of the greatest dangers is salt – the tiny molecule that can wreak havoc on the plants’ ability to function. Yet some plants, in all their complexity, have developed tools that can help them resist even this challenge. Now, ARS scientists are looking to build on these tools to create new varieties of crop plants that have even greater ability to withstand salinity. In doing so, they may dramatically expand the type and amount of land and irrigation that can support agriculture.
Devinder Sandhu is a research geneticist in the Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit in Riverside, CA. His most recent work includes developing more salt-tolerant varieties of alfalfa. His focus on this key forage crop is no accident: the crop plays a critical role as a high-protein food source for dairy cattle, and as a legume, it can fix atmospheric nitrogen, thereby improving soil quality. With enhanced salinity tolerance too, the new alfalfa varieties can thrive on degraded lands or with recycled water, reducing competition with high-value crops for premium agricultural resources.
That ability to make use of less-than-ideal conditions has significant implications: Recurring droughts and increased demand for surface water have led to greater reliance on groundwater, often of lower quality. In addition, factors like groundwater aquifer subsidence and reduced snowpack are further reducing the availability of high-quality irrigation water.
As a result, growers are increasingly looking to alternative or degraded water sources, such as treated sewage, runoff from greenhouse operations, and saline groundwater. However, these water sources often have high salt concentrations. Developing salt-tolerant crops like alfalfa can help farmers use these degraded water sources in a sustainable way.
In developing the new lines, Sandhu used traditional plant breeding approaches. Beginning with a germplasm collection of 2,700 alfalfa lines, he and his colleagues chose 12 lines with superior performance, then propagated and evaluated them in trials with various salinity levels. Two lines stood out, showing no biomass reduction under salinity levels equivalent to 1/3 seawater. Interestingly, while both lines performed well, their gene expression profiles revealed that they did so using different mechanisms for salinity tolerance.
Devinder Sandhu checking alfalfa plants in a greenhouse. Researchers achieved rapid advances in salinity tolerance by crossing diverse genotypes with traits related to their salttolerance mechanism.
To enhance salinity tolerance further, the researchers combined component traits from these lines through breeding and continued to test resulting generations against water with higher and higher salt levels. Ultimately, they tested the resulting new alfalfa lines using real seawater from the Pacific Ocean, and they demonstrated the ability to survive – a result that impressed and astonished colleagues in the field.
The team is already thinking about how to get their results into the hands of growers.
“Right now, we are focused on producing sufficient seed for broader testing and potential distribution,” said Sandhu. “We anticipate completing this phase within the next year or two, paving the way to introduce it to the market. What’s really important to us is to ensure that these salt-tolerant alfalfa lines are accessible to farmers, providing a sustainable solution for agriculture in saline environments.”
Importantly, Sandhu’s research on salt tolerance may extend to a wide range of other crops, including cereal crops like wheat and maize; vegetable crops such as tomato, pepper, eggplant, and spinach; legume crops like soybean; and fruit crops like strawberries, grapes, and almonds.
“The basic mechanisms of salt tolerance are often conserved across plant species, allowing insights from one species to inform research in others,” he said. “For closelyrelated species, the genes and pathways involved in salinity stress are likely to be similar, enhancing the potential for cross-species application. However, certain plants may also exhibit unique mechanisms of salt tolerance, requiring species-specific studies. We think that by leveraging these shared and unique mechanisms, we can extend the impact of our results across diverse agricultural systems.”
Fraser’s Oil Inc.
Montana State scientists study how wild oats become resistant to herbicides
By Reagan Cotton, MSU News Service
With new funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, scientists in Montana State University’s Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology will seek to fill knowledge gaps surrounding an agricultural weed that has caused problems for Montana producers for decades.
• Increased early season vigor
• Phosphorus and Zinc to drive rooting & cold start the crop.
• Zinc to help with early season hormone production, ie. Auxin for root and shoot growth.
• Convey Technology to help with early season stresses, such as cool soils and excess moisture. It also improves nutrient use efficiency.
• Other essential nutrients target at each specific crop, ie. Boron for cell wall strength; Manganese for efficient photosynthesis.
• Second chance for a starter fertilizer
• Formulations are targeted at early season root growth (more root = more efficient moisture and nutrient uptake).
• Proactive way of managing the crops nutritional requirement.
• Convey Technology helps with early season stresses such as cool soils, excess moisture, and drought. Also improves nutrient use efficiency.
• Speeds up recovery from herbicide hangover - the correct supply of nutrients helps the crop metabolize the herbicide more quickly.
• Contains novel Phosphorus nutrition, providing increased nutrient uptake and movement within the plant.
• Targeted at the reproductive phse of the plant.
• Proactive way of managing the crops utritional requirement
• Contains other essential nutrients targeted for each specific crop, ie. Boron to aid pollen tube growth, Zinc to help produce Auxin, to ensure healthy pollen tube growth.
Jennifer Lachowiec, an associate professor in MSU’s College of Agriculture, received two grants from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture totaling more than $900,000 to study how wild oats develop herbicide resistance and to explore management techniques for the weed.
Lachowiec’s work blends several disciplines including plant genetics, remote sensing and molecular biology. The project, which includes collaborators William Dyer and Barbara Keith in the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology and Tim Seipel and Paul Nugent in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, aims to give agricultural producers recommendations for either precise herbicide applications or alternative management practices.
“Wild oats are a major weed pest in Montana,” said Lachowiec. “It’s a problem not just for our local farmers, but also for the people they serve. They don’t want to lose some of their productivity due to wild oats.”
Wild oats can be a large problem when in competition with barley, a commodity in which Montana is the national leader, making the research particularly applicable closest to home. Approximately 920,000 acres of barley were planted in Montana in 2024, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which releases annual reports for major crops. Montana has been the top barley-producing state in the nation for several years, and approximately a quarter of the state’s total barley acreage in 2024 was planted with MSU-developed varieties of barley used for malting, forage and feed.
Lachowiec and the other MSU scientists are examining a variety of qualities in wild oats. Past research in Dyer’s lab revealed that the pigments in leaves of herbicide-resistant plants make them appear darker green in color than those susceptible to herbicides. Upon that discovery, the researchers began using drones to take images of fields, looking to see if the same color pattern would emerge in fields that they observed in the lab.
“If we observe plants in the field that we know are resistant or not, can we see that difference?” said Lachowiec. “A second big aspect is working with farmers to have them take pictures of the wild oats that they see in the field, to also analyze the color of the weeds and get a perspective of what people are encountering.”
With continued precision research involving drone imagery and plant color data collected at different wavelengths, Lachowiec said the ultimate hope is to develop a tool which farmers could use to more easily identify resistant weeds without having to collect their seeds and send samples to a lab for testing. Producers can aid in the research themselves by sending images of wild oats on their own land, which the scientists can then analyze. MSU Extension specialist Tim Seipel has worked to communicate with farmers around the state to learn more about the issues they are facing with wild oats. Interested farmers can find resources and information on research collaborations on the website for Seipel’s Cropland Weed Ecology Lab.
“We hand out color calibration cards to deal with whether you take a picture on a cloudy day versus a sunny day, since those plants will look different,” Lachowiec said. “If you put the color card in the background, we can calibrate the pictures. And then with those calibrations, we’ll be able to compare the color of plants directly between the different locations and different farms. And that will enable us to have a better perception of what the wild oats look like across the state.”
Further scientific studies will explore the effectiveness of herbicides in different environments. While many herbicides are better at controlling weeds in warmer conditions, Lachowiec said wild oats show the opposite trend, becoming more resistant in hotter weather. The MSU team will aim to identify how wild oats become more herbicide resistant in warmer climates, using genetic mapping and gene transcription to identify cellular mechanisms for resistance and potentially testing new tools that may target those mechanisms.
Lachowiec said that wild oats have been a concern in Montana since farmers have been growing small grains, and CONTINUED
Montana State scientists study how wild oats become resistant to herbicides
CONTINUED FROM PAGE C8
that their degree of resistance to herbicides has changed significantly in recent years. Because resistant wild oats are now found
said Lachowiec. “This will contribute to better environmental health and economic outcomes for agricultural markets.” more widely in Montana and are frequently resistant to all common agricultural herbicides, applying those products where they won’t work costs producers unnecessary money and can cause further herbicide resistance to develop, as well as potentially harming other, beneficial plants nearby.
“By understanding how herbicide resistance can be induced by stressful environments, like high temperatures, we can inform the development of new tools and strategies to overcome weeds and prevent ineffectual use of herbicides,”
#####
Question: What was in the mysterious glowing briefcase in Pulp Fiction?
Answer: “After many Answer Man discussions on the briefcase, I received the following from Roger Avary, who co-wrote the film with Quentin Tarantino. ‘Originally the briefcase contained diamonds. But that just deemed too boring and predictable. So it was decided that the contents were never to be seen. That way each audience member will fill in the “blank” with their own ultimate contents. All you were supposed to know is that it was “so beautiful.” No prop master can come up with something better than each individual’s imagination. Then somebody had the bright idea (which I think was a mistake) of putting an orange light bulb in there. Didn’t need to push the effect.’” (From Questions for the Movie Answer Man, by Roger Ebert).
#####
Question: If heat rises, why is it colder on a mountain peak then in a valley!
Answer: :“Heat doesn’t rise. Low density air rises if surrounded by air of higher density. Air that’s heated by contact with the warm ground becomes less dense and therefore rises. As it rises, it mixes with cooler air above and cools to a point where it stops rising. Air at the top of the mountain makes little contact with the ground and is therefore cold. Air in the valley below makes a great deal of contact and is therefore warm.” (From The Last Word, published by New Scientist magazine)
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The Boston police department purchased America’s first cop car in 1903.
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Neal Hay Sales
Alfalfa, grass, hay barley, grass alfalfa mix 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cutting dairy quality alfalfa. Test available. Delivery available. Located at Augusta, Montana Phone or text (406) 590-8916
The largest non-migratory land animal in Antarctica is the belgica, a wingless midge (dnat) less than half an inch long. They don’t fly (the winds would blow them away); they hop like fleas and live in penguin colonies.
##### Antarctic ice accounts for 70% of the world’s fresh water.
CAMPER FOR SALE
2010 Nash by Northwood 21-5R 5th wheel, GVW 7000#. Can sleep 2-6 people. New tires, new batteries, awning good, 40-gallon fresh water tank, A/C, heat, stove, microwave, and fridge. Everything works Phone (406) 450-8200 Conrad, MT
March is Frozen Food Month
Frozen Food Month celebrates the convenience and nutrition found in frozen meals, making it an exciting time to rediscover this section of the grocery store.
What makes frozen foods particularly appealing is how freezing locks in nutrients, preserving the goodness from the moment they’re harvested or cooked. Many fruits and vegetables are frozen at their peak, keeping them just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, if not more so
The long shelf life of frozen foods helps cut down on waste and saves money by allowing you to stock up on ingredients when they’re in season. Plus, with so many options, from lean proteins to whole grains, frozen foods can be part of balanced, healthy meals all year round.
How to Celebrate Frozen Food Month
• Host a Frozen Feast
• Try New Frozen Foods
• Stock Up for the Future
• Create a Freezer Inventory
• Share the Frozen Love
History of Frozen Food Month
Frozen Food Month started in 1984, spearheaded by Murray Lender, the founder of Lender’s Bagels. He recognized March as a slow time for frozen food sales and wanted to boost interest. His idea caught on, and soon, frozen food companies began to promote their products more heavily during this month. It became an annual tradition, offering consumers the chance to explore the convenience and benefits of frozen foods.
The National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) has supported this initiative from the start. They organize promotions and help spread awareness about how frozen foods can be nutritious, affordable, and time-saving.
View our FULL inventory at www.FrontlineAgSolutions.com
Now is the best time to upgrade your equipment. Don’t wait until you’re in the thick of the busy season to realize that your equipment isn’t going to get the job done! Call or stop in today
DRILLS & SEEDERS
Spring seeding is coming soon. See our lineup of good used seeders to get that crop seeded quickly. Many others in stock - please call.
2015 John Deere 1890 60-ft. with 10” spacing, 90 Series openers, mix of spoked and unspoked gauge wheels, mix of smooth and serrated closing wheels, All Run Blockage (JD), 430 tow between cart with Intelligent Ag section control, 12” conveyor with standard hopper. Stock #88790 $198,000 (14)
2024 John Deere N560F 60-ft. width, 10” spacing, double shoot, All Run Blockage, cast serrated closing wheel, spoked narrow gauge wheels, dry fertilizer delivery tube, tow behind C850 cart with section command, (4) IF850/75R42 tires, (2) IF900/75R32 tires, tank scales C850. SN1A8C850HCRK805198. Stock #92736
$698,000 (1)
2023 John Deere N560F 60-ft. 10” spacing, single shoot, All Run Blockage, 90 Series opener with narrow spoked gauge wheel, 650 bushel tow between cart, 12” conveyor with KSI, tank scales, hydraulic drive with section command. Stock #89143
$562,500 (14)
2022 John Deere N560 no till drill, 60-ft., 7.5” spacing, Pro Series openers, Truset down pressure, narrow spoked gauge wheels, crumbler closing wheels, JD All Run Blockage, 430 tow between cart with 12” conveyor (KSI flip over hopper), no section control. Stock #90471 $383,000 (4)
2021 John Deere 542C 42-ft. air drill, 7.5” spacing, single shoot, Pro Series spoked gauge wheels, All Run Blockage, 340/60R15 single wing tires, tow behind 1910 cart, SN1A81910HCNF795479. Stock #87427 $258,000 (4)
2012 John Deere 1890 60-ft. no till drill, 10” spacing, single shoot air package for tow between cart, All Run Blockage system for seed, 430 bushel cart, Uniforce down pressure system. Stock #86592 $168,000 (12)
2010 John Deere 1835 50-ft. drill with 12.5” spacing, 550# trips, 3” rubber press wheels, DBL shoot, drill with midrow banders, rock guards and scrapers, dual wing wheels, primary blockage on seed, no blockage on fertilizer, 430 bushel tow between cart, double shoot, 6 runs, 10” auger, 710/70R38, SN A01910T735486. Stock #89162
2002 New Holland SD440 45-ft. 10:” spacing hoe drill, single shoot, 3” spread tip, capped steel press wheels, no blockage, has Flexi-Coil 3450 cart, 450 bushels, 3 tank cart, auger cart SNG50-108422-02. Stock #91713
$39,000 (1)
2008 Bourgault 5710 Series 2 59-ft. drill, 12” spacing, 5.5” pneumatic press wheels, 2007 tow behind 6550ST 550 bushel 4 tank cart. Currently has 14” sweeps with 6” spreader boots. Set up for organic. Stock #88896 $45,000 (12)
2015 John Deere 1890 60-ft. no-till drill, 7.5” spacing, SS, All Run Blockage, solid gauge wheel, 430 bushel tow behind cart, 3 tank, 8 run, hydraulic drive (section command), 10” fill auger. Stock #90868
$178,000 (12)
2006 John Deere 1890 36-ft. drill with 7.5” spacing, single shoot, All Run Blockage, solid gauge wheels, 270 bushel tow between cart, 8” fill auger. Stock #85261 $140,000 (11)
2018 John Deere 9520RX with cab, 18/6 PowerShift, 30” DuraBuilt 6500 (with poly mid rollers), 5 SCVs, no 3-point, 1000 PTO, premium radio, premium CVIII cab with suspension, hi-flo hydraulics, Cat 5 drawbar, electric mirrors, premium lighting, 4600 command center with activation, no SF6000. Stock #89083
$373,000 (12)
2012 Case IH Steiger 500 quadtrac with 30” track, 1000 PTO, 16/2 speed Power Shift, guidance ready with receiver and display, luxury cab, 6 SCVs. Stock #91610
$190,000 (15)
2018 Versatile 610DT with 605 hp, 16 speed Power Shift transmission, 36” track, deluxe cab, LED lights, guidance ready with receiver and 10” display, differential lock, 6 SCVs, 2 sets of low pressure couplers. Stock #91193
$400,000 (12)
2023 John Deere 8R 310 with IVT transmission, RH reverser, guidance less receiver, Ultimate Comfort cab, dual hydraulic pump with 6 SCVs, 1000 PTO, 3-point hitch, ILS, 480/80R50 rear tires with duals, 420/85R34 front tires with duals, cold weather package, front and rear weights. Stock #90255
$373,000 (15)
$187,500 (14)
2008 John Deere 9530 with 800/70R38 duals (80%+), Power Shift transmission, 4 rear SCVs, premium cab with active seat, front and rear weights, Case drain, AutoTrac ready, 3000 receiver (SF1), 2630 display (SF2 unlocked). Stock #92107
1997 Case IH 9390 4 WD tractor, 450 hp, Trimble guidance, 24 speed synchro shift transmission, air ride seats, LED lighting, 4 SCVs, case drain, front and rear weights, 20.8R42 triples. Stock #92146
$82,500 (14)
2023 John Deere 8R310 with 40K IVT with Command Pro, Ultimate cab, Active Seat II, Signature edition, Ultimate visibility, 4600 with Automation 4.0 activation, 6000 receiver, 84 GPM hydraulics with 6 remotes, Intelligent power management (IPM), 13/4” 1000 PTO, ILS suspension, 380/90R54 R1 rear duals (rear fender extensions), 380/80R38 R1W front duals (pivoting front fenders), 22 front weights, 1600# rear inner dual weight, 1/2” power beyond. Stock #90468
$403,000 (2)
2023 John Deere 8R340 row crop tractor, with Signature edition, 340 hp, IVT with right hand reverser, guidance less receiver, 6 SCVs, 1000 PTO, 3-point hitch, 480/80R50 rear tires with duals, ILS, 420/85R34 front tires with duals, cold weather package, front and rear weights. Stock #90253 $412,500 (15)
SELF PROPELLED SPREADERS & SPRAYERS
Several used John Deere and competitive self-propelled sprayers and applicators in stock! Variety of boom and widths available. Several units are ready to roll with turnkey GPS!
2024 John Deere 616R with See-N-Spray, 120-ft. steel, 20”, auto solution control, hi-flow pump, front fill, 5 sensorboom level, boom air purge, eductor, ultimate comfort package, active seat II, fence row nozzles, VF420/95R50 tires, Gen4 4600 and extended monitor with 4.0 activation integrated receiver with SF-RTK capable. Stock #91439
$705,000 (1)
2023 John Deere 616R with 120-ft. steel, 20”, CVIII cab, Exact Apply, auto solution control, hi-flow pump, front fill, 5 sensor boom level, boom air purge, Ultimate visibility lights, eductor, Ultimate Comfort package, Cat 1 cab filtration, pressure recirc and reclaim, fence row nozzles, 420 skinny tires. Stock #91133
$570,000 (14)
2021 John Deere 616R with 132-ft. carbon fiber, 20”, CVIII cab, Exact Apply, premium radio, AutoSolution control, hiflow pump, 5 sensor boom level, boom air purge, ultimate vis lights, eductor, Ultimate Comfort package, Cat I cab filtration, fence row nozzles, skinny tires. Includes 4.0 AT activation, 4600 armrest display, section control, SF6000. Stock #89240 $489,900 (1)
2024 John Deere 412R with 120-ft. SS boom on 20” spacing with Exact Apply solution control with recirculationand reclaim, ultimate cab, ultimate lighting, 380R46 tires, stainless chemical eductor, integrated receiver (SF1) 4600 display with extended monitor, premium 3.0 activation, boom trac Pro 2, boom air purge, fence row nozzles. Stock #91115 $530,000 (14)
2022 John Deere 412R 120-ft. 20”, CVIII cab, premium radio, high flow solution pump, AutoSolution control, no Exact Apply, eductor, boom level, boom air purge, ultimate visibility lights, fence row nozzles, 380/90R46, Includes 4600 with AT activation, SF6000. Stock #89332 $433,000 (15)
2015 John Deere R4045 with Command View II Plus cab, guidance, section control, 120-ft. boom with auto boom leveling, stainless steel tank, foam markers, RH and LH fence row nozzles, no eductor, 420/95R50 tires. Stock #86591 $169,000 (12)
2012 John Deere 4940 with 120-ft. boom, 15” spacing, 380/105R50 tires, Hi-Flo solution pump, stainless steel plumbing, BoomTrac Pro 5 leveling, SF3000 receiver, AutoTrac and section control activations. Stock #88812......$118,000 (1)
$79,500
2018 John Deere R4045 with 132-ft. carbon fiber, 20” CVIII cab, premium radio, AutoSolution control, Exact Apply, front fill, 5 sensor boom level, boom air purge, LED lights, eductor, leather, fence row nozzles, 800 float tires (75%) and VF480/80R50s (75%) includes 4600 with Command Center premium activation, SF6000. Stock #86870
2017 John Deere R4045 with 120-ft. steel boom, 20” spacing, No Exact Apply, 5 tip nozzle body, manual solution control, large eductor, 5 sensor BoomTrac, premium cab/radio, wheel slip, LED lights, L/R end nozzles radar, boom air purge, 480/80R50 tires with fenders, 2630 display with AutoTrac and section control and receiver. Stock #91898
$195,000 (14)
$338,000 (1)
2014 John Deere R4038 with 100-ft. boom, 20” spacing, 1000 gallon tank, SS, BoomTrac 5, CVII cab, manual solution control, boom air purge, LED lights, 380 tires (65%) includes SF3000, AT activation, section control. Tag #89239 $165,000 (1)
2017 John Deere 4038 with 120-ft. boom, 20” spacing, 1000 gallon tank, 5 sensor BH, boom air purge, VF380/90R46 tires, high flow pump with dual flow meter, premium cab/radio, R/L end nozzles, LED lights, 6000 receiver, 2630 display with AutoTrac and section control and receiver. Stock #91139 $259,500 (14)
2014 Case IH Patriot 4430 with AIM Command and Weed-It, 120-ft. 20” spacing, 1200 gallon SS, autoboom height control, AccuBoom section control, active hydraulic suspension, front fill, leather seat, 620/70R38 float tires. Stock #92157
2014 Case IH Patriot 3340 120-ft. boom, 20” spacing, 1000 gallon SS tank, Aim Command Pro, boom height, section control, 650/65R38 Viper 4 control, Nav II controller, section command. Stock #89336 $147,500 (2)
2014 Case IH Patriot 2240 with 90-ft., 20” spacing, 600 gallon, SS, Aim Command, 420/85R38 (80%), manual solution, eductor, front fill, AccuBoom height. Stock #84805 $97,500 (2)
$270,000 (1)
#89240
#86870
#89337
2012 Versatile SX275 with 120-ft. boom with boom leveling, stainless steel tank, narrow tires, hydraulic tread adjustment, guidance ready with receiver and display, 20 inch spacing. Tag #86825
(14)
We’d appreciate it if you tell an advertiser you read his ad in the Trader’s Dispatch.
MACHINERY FOR SALE
Melroe 24-ft. chisel plow with Noble harrow
$2400
Gysler 24-ft. chisel plow with Noble harrow, no wing lift
International 810 24-ft. header
International 810 13.5-ft. header with Sund pickup
International pull-type V-ditcher
International 1480 combine. Salvage parts. International 1440 combine. Salvage parts.
International draper header, 24-ft., fits 4000/5000
$1200
$750
$500
$1300
$250
Know the signs of impending calving in cows or heifers
By Rick Rasby, Nebraska Extension Specialist
As calving season approaches, the cows will show typical signs that will indicate parturition is imminent. Changes that are gradually seen are udder development, or making bag, and the relaxation and swelling of the vulva or springing. These indicate the cow is due to calve in the near future.
that the calving season is here.
Signs within 24 hours of calving
International 19.5-ft.draper header, pickup reel, fits 4000/5000
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Friggstad Force V air cart, ground drive, deep banding
Farmhand F226 loader
Farmhand F236 loader
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2) John Deere 500 rod weeders, 14-ft. with Zunit hitch
$400
Edwards 30-ft. rod weeder
Wagner loader
There are many differences between individuals in the development of these signs and certainly age is a factor. The first calf heifer, particularly in the milking breeds, develops udder for a very long time, sometimes for two or three months before parturition. The springing can be highly variable too.
The immediate signs that usually occur within 24 hours of calving would be relaxation of the pelvic ligaments and strutting of the teats. These can be fairly dependable for the owner that watches his cows several times a day during the calving season. The casual observer who is knowledgeable of the signs but sees the herd infrequently cannot accurately predict calving time from these signs.
$200
$150
3) International 150 10-ft. x 10” drills with fertilizer, high speed, hitch
10:00x22 10-hole wheels and tires.
John Deere 50A 40-ft. sprayer, well maintained
John Deere oneway. Cool antique
Meyers 8-bale sweep
2) Farmhand 10-bale clamps
International #30 7-wheel rake.
New Holland BR780 baler. Salvage parts. Phone (406) 870-9003
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Typically, in the immediate two weeks preceding calving, springing becomes more evident, the udder is filling, and one of the things that might be seen is the loss of the cervical plug. This is a very thick tenacious, mucous material hanging from the vulva. It may be seen pooling behind the cow when she is lying down. Some people mistakenly think this happens immediately before calving, but in fact this can be seen weeks before parturition and therefore is only another sign
The relaxation of the pelvic ligaments really can not be observed in fat cows, (body condition score 7 or greater). However, relaxation of the ligaments can be seen very clearly in thin or moderate body condition cows and can be a clue of parturition within the next 12 - 24 hours. These changes are signs the producer or herdsman can use to more closely pinpoint calving time.
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Strutting of the teats is not really very dependable. Some heavy-milking cows will have strutting of the teats as much as two or three days before calving. On the other hand, a thin poor-milking cow may calve without strutting of the teats. Another thing that might be seen in the immediate 12 hours before calving would be variable behavior such as a cow that does not come up to eat, or a cow that isolates herself into a particular corner of the pasture. However, most of them have few behavioral changes until the parturition process starts.
Tea for Two Tuesday
Date When Celebrated: Third Tuesday in March (3/18/25)
Tea for Two Tuesday is established for two or more people to enjoy a cup of tea together. Tea is a very relaxing beverage. And, how much more pleasant it is, when it is enjoyed with others. While the name of this very special day, is Tea for Two Tuesday, we encourage you to have “a spot of tea” with any number of people. Go ahead.... make it a Tea party. The more, the merrier! Call yourself a “Teetotaler” if you like. But, drinking tea does not make you a Teetotaler. (Sometimes spelled Teatotaler, Tee Totaler and other variations) By definition, a Teetotaler is someone who has sworn off alcohol, often turning to tea as a substitute. They say variety is the spice of life. We encourage you to try different types of tea today. There is no shortage of tea flavors, some have caffeine, some are caffeinefree.
Please drink responsibly! If your drink tea, you can still drive. And, it is good for you.
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Call for pricing and hours
AIR DRILL
$213,000
2024 John Deere W235M windrower with R500 16-ft. header, steel conditioner, 3 hours. Stock #91838.
$186,000
2024 John Deere W200M windrower with R400 13-ft. header, steel conditioner, 4 hours. Stock #91836.
$177,500
2024 John Deere W200M windrower with R400 13-ft. header, steel conditioner, 547 hours. Stock #91837.
2023 John Deere 8R 340 Signature Edition, IVT with RHR, ILS, full GPS, 6 SCVs, 380/90R54 rear tires with duals, 380/80R38 front tires with duals, 270 hours. 6 year/4000 hour extended PowrGard Warranty. Stock #90254 $433,000
2022 John Deere 8R 340 IVT with RHR, ILS, 6 SCVs, 480/80R50 dual rears, 480/70R34 front duals, full GPS, 439 hours. Extended warranty til 8-2028 Stock #90437 $393,000
2023 John Deere 8R 310 MFWD, IVT, air seat, cab suspension, right hand reverser, 60 gallon per minute hydraulic pump, 6 SCVs, 480/80R 50 rear duals, 420/85R 34 front duals, 22 front weights, 1500 lb. rear weights, 590 hours. PowrQuad Warranty till 3-2029 or 4000 hours. Stock #89857.
$398,000
2022 John Deere 8R 310 IVT with RHR, ILS, full GPS, 6 SCVs, 480/80R50 rear tires with duals, 420/85R34 front tire with duals, 897 hours. 6 year/4000 hour extended PowrGard Warranty. Stock #90255.
$373,000
2021 John Deere 8R 230 Signature Edition, IVT with RHR, ILS, 6 SCVs, 380/90R54 duals, 320/80R42 front singles, full GPS, 1023 hours. Extended warranty till 7-2027. Stock #90440...$275,000
2022 John Deere 7R 290 cab tractor, MFWD, IVT transmission, Command Pro, air seat & cab suspension, triple link suspension, front & rear fenders, Ultimate Visibility package. PowrGard Warranty good till 10-23-2029 or 5000 hours. Which ever comes first. 446 hours. Stock #91693
$328,000
2023 John Deere 6R 195 cab tractor, MFWD, IVT transmission, triple link suspension, 5 rear SCVs, cab suspension, front weight bracket with 10 suitcase weights, GPS with Gen 5. Approximately 700 hours.
$258,900
2017 John Deere 8245R IVT with RHR, ILS, 6 SCVs, 480/80R50 dual rears, 420/85R34 front dual, full GPS, 3200 hours. Stock #90799........
$188,000
2019 John Deere 8345R 2000 hours, IVT transmission, ILS, full GPS, 6 SCVs, front duals 480/70R34, rear duals 480/80R50. Stock #88843
$278,000
2013 John Deere 7230R tractor, 3250 hours, IVT, TLS, 4 SCVs, 480/70R34 fronts with 480/80R50 rears, No GPS. Stock #92101.
$135,000
2018 New Holland T6.170 cab, MFD, 16 speed, Dual Command transmission, 845TL loader & grapple, 888 hours. Stock #86681.
$126,000
New Holland T6.165 cab tractor, MFD, 16 speed Powershift transmission, 3 selective control valves, 855LA 2 function loader 1220 hours. Stock #92103.
$99,000
$120,000
2015 New Holland T7.210 T4A MFD, 165 hp, Powershift, 3 SCVs, 2380 hours. Stock #91852.
2009 John Deere 8330 cab tractor, MFWD, IVT with right hand reverser, 3 SCVs, deluxe cab with Instructional seat, 480/80/46 rear duals, front & rear weights, 7384 hours. Stock #90320. $108,000
2005 John Deere 6715 cab, MFWD, 16 speed PowrQuad, left hand reverser, 3 SCVs, front tires 320/90/42, rear tires 320/90/54, 3789 hours. Stock #87936.
$65,000
2024 John Deere 6155M cab tractor with 640R loader and grapple, 20 speed PowrQuad with left hand reverser, MFWD, 3 SCVs, triple link suspension, 2-450# weights each side, ballast in rear tires, 524 hours Factory warranty till 2-2026 or 2000 hours, PowrGard warranty good till 2-2030 or 4000 hours. Stock #92176
$204,900
2024 John Deere 6155M cab tractor with 640R loader and grapple, 20 speed PowrQuad with left hand reverser, MFWD, 3 SCVs, triple link suspension, 2-450# weights each side, ballast in rear tires., 96 hours. Factory warranty good till 2-2026 or 2000 hours, PowrGard warranty good till 2-2030 or 4000 hours. Stock #92175.
$210,000 (3) 2023 John Deere 5090E cab tractors, MFWD, 12/12 transmission with left hand reverser, loader ready, air seat, 3 SCVs, approximately 700 hours. Factory warranty good till 10-2025, Powertrain good till 10-2028 or 3500 hours. Stock #91750, #91751 and #91752.
Each $68,500
2022 John Deere 4066R cab tractor with 440 R loader, air seat, 2 rear selective control valves, Beacon light and rear work lights. 8 hours.
$65,000
2019 John Deere 4066R tractor, open station, John Deere 485A backhoe with mechanical thumb, pallet forks and 89” Frontier rear blade. Stock #91127.
$69,000
2018 John Deere 2025R tractor with 120R loader, hydrostratic transmission, mechanical front wheel drive, 3 point, 540 PTO, 110 hours. Stock #92368.
Stock #91242. $19,500
$20,000
(2) 2018 New Holland 216 hydraulic rake. Stock #88660 & Stock #91171. Each. $19,500
2013 TwinStar 24-ft rake. $13,000
2014 Morris 900 Hay Hiker, 8 bale retriever. Stock #91605.$25,000
ROUND BALERS
$102,000
2023 John Deere 333G skidsteer, cab, heat & A/C, 2 speed with high flow, air ride seat, rear view camera, 3 sets of counter weights, Anti Vibration under carriage, 84” construction bucket, 260 hours. Stock #90879.
Frontier AF11E 72” front blade with John Deere 300/400/500 mounts, never used. $2800
Frontier AP12F 42” pallet forks with John Deere 300/400/500 mounts, never used. $1000
Many beef cows and calves may not be getting enough vitamin A in their diets
From Applied Animal Science
Unlike cows maintained on pasture or fresh green forages, cows in confinement systems cannot get enough vitamin A from their diets without supplementation. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recommends 31,000 IU/day of vitamin A, but a new study published in Applied Animal Science finds that beef cows being managed on nongreen stored forages and concentrates for long periods of time have inadequate amounts of retinol--an indicator of vitamin A status--in their livers.
David K. Beede, PhD, editor in chief of the journal, noted, “This research demonstrates the effects of supplementation of vitamin A to beef cows from mid-gestation through early lactation and subsequent liver retinol concentrations of their calves. The study highlights that current recommendations are likely not adequate compared with typical reference ranges. Greater supplementation of vitamin A is needed when diets consist mainly of concentrates and brown forages fed in a confinement system.”
As lead author Mary Drewnoski, PhD (Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA) explained, “Liver retinol concentration was selected as the indicator of cow and calf vitamin A status because it is a more sensitive measure of status compared with blood plasma retinol concentrations. Approximately 90% of total-body vitamin A is stored in the liver and will increase as dietary vitamin A intake increases--but not in a linear fashion.”
Drewnoski continued, “The objective of this study was to determine the effects of 3 different supplemental vitamin A amounts on liver retinol concentrations of gestating beef cows and their calves in a production system where cows were fed stored forages and concentrates year-round. Our hypothesis was that current NASEM recommendations for supplemental vitamin A would not be sufficient to meet the vitamin A needs of confined gestating cows and their calves as indicated by liver retinol concentrations.”
Accordingly, cows were divided into three groups; these groups received either the NASEM-recommended vitamin A supplementation of 31,000 IU/day (1X) or three (3X) or five (5X) times that amount. The cows’ mean initial liver retinol concentration was 186 μg/g of dry matter (DM), and that concentration was maintained between 172 and 192 μg/g of DM throughout the study, well below the target liver retinol concentration of 300 to 700 μg/g of DM, despite receiving the recommended supplementation in addition to the 14,433 IU/day of vitamin A that was provided by their diets.
Effects of cow supplemental vitamin A level (1X = 31,000 IU/day; 3X = 93,000 IU/day; 5X = 155,000 IU/day) on calf liver retinol concentration at 32 days of age. The dashed line indicates the liver retinol concentration considered adequate for calves at that age (100 μg/g of dry matter [DM]). (Image and caption credit: M. E. Drewnoski)
A newborn calf is at greater risk of vitamin A deficiency than the cow, especially if the cow experiences low vitamin A during pregnancy. According to Drewnoski, “Liver retinol concentrations of 100 to 350 μg/g of DM are considered adequate for calves at 32 days of age,” but the researchers observed values of only 51 μg/g of DM in calves of dams fed the NASEM-recommended supplemental amount. However, calves from cows fed the 3X and 5X supplemental
amounts of vitamin A had retinol concentrations of 119 and 165 μg/g of DM, respectively. “Despite cows on the 3X and 5X treatment reaching adequate liver retinol status by day 81, only 60% of the 3X calves and 80% of the 5X calves reached liver retinol concentrations greater than 100 μg/g of DM,” added Drewnoski.
Drewnoski concluded by noting, “Overall, our results demonstrate that for cows fed primarily brown forages and concentrates long term, supplementing gestating cows with the current NASEM recommendation for vitamin A will not result in their calves’ liver vitamin A concentrations being within the adequate reference range. It is important to note that both cow liver concentrations and dietary vitamin A intake will affect calf vitamin A status, because 60% and 40% of vitamin A contributions to colostrum come from diet and cow liver stores, respectively. Thus, while feeding 93,000 IU/day resulted in a continued increase in cow liver stores, feeding less than 93,000 IU/day to cows who are of adequate status may not result in sufficient vitamin A concentrations in colostrum for the calf, given that dietary vitamin A contributes slightly more to colostrum than cow liver stores.”
Squeeze box
For most of the 19th century, polkas were usually written for violins. But as Polish immigrants moved to America in the 20th century, they brought along their accordions (invented around the same time the polka became popular), a much more versatile instrument that allowed a single musician to play melody, harmony, rhythm, and bass – perfect for polka parties. The polka’s second golden age took full swing in the Midwest after World War II, where millions of European refugees settled and brought their culture with them. Polka legends such as Frank Yankovic and Lawrence Welk helped legitimize the lively music for adults – many of whom were appalled by rock ‘n’ roll.
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IRRIGATION ITEMS FOR SALE
Traps by Lee’s TrapWorks
American Black Angus
Written by Alex Maina, cowcaretaker.com
The Black Angus cow breed is America’s most popular beef breed with strong and ever-increasing demand as consumers seek beef with good marbling and rich flavor and texture.
Here’s an overview of the Black Angus cattle breed to help you decide if it’s right for your farm.
Where Does The Black Angus Cow Breed Come From?
The Black Angus cattle share a similar history with the Red Angus cattle as descendants of cattle brought by Vikings from Europe to Scotland, where they bred with black Celtic cattle to produce solid black cattle called Aberdeen Angus.
Balewagons & Retrievers
Also called black Aberdeen Angus cattle, black Angus bulls and cows borrow their name from the shires of Aberdeen, Banff, Kincardine, and Angus, where they were locally called the Doddies or the Hummlies.
The Angus cattle were first recognized in 1835 as a breed, although they were formerly registered together with their close relatives, the Galloways, as polled cattle. The first herd book for the Scottish Aberdeenshire cattle was started in 1862, recording both Red and Black Angus cattle.
Among the earliest and most prominent black Angus herds were the cattle of breeders such as George Grant of Victoria, Kansas, Hugh Watson of Scotland, and William McCombie.
From their origin in northeastern Scotland, Black Angus cows and bulls were imported to Canada, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Brazil, Denmark, and Spain.
In the US, the first black Angus cattle arrived as George Grant’s herd, which he crossed with Texas Longhorn cattle. The spread of the breed after this led to the formation of the American Angus Association to oversee its development.
Black Angus are medium to large, with a short-stature and compact, low-profile body. They are solid black but some have white udders.
Both bulls and cows are hornless (naturally polled.
Calves weigh between 68 and 77 pounds. The mature cows weighs 1,210 pounds and the mature bull weighs 1,870 pounds.
Black Angus are ready to breed at around 12 months of age with a 9 month gestation period.
The best time to slaughter is at 2 years with a carcass weight of up to 1,050 pounds. The expected lifespan is 14 to 25 years and are productive for at least 14 years.
They are known for high carcass yield
and ease of caring and handling.
They have fairly good milk yield, grow fast with large muscles and mature early.
They are extreme fertile and are easy calving because the calves are small. They are good-natured, generally, and relative calm’
The only weakness is the bulls can be angry and aggressive making it challenging for ranchers or farmers to handle singlehandedly.
Black Angus cows and bulls are famous for their natural marbling, which makes the beef stay moist for a long time during cooking. It also makes the meat have a rich texture and flavor.
Angus beef scores Choice or Prime grades from the USDA, which requires Certified Angus beef to have medium to fine marbling texture, a ribeye area of 10 to 16 inches, superior muscling, and a fat thickness below 1 inch.
Black Angus cows are excellent natural mothers with great mothering abilities.
The Black Angus breed has a remarkably high tolerance to cold climates, making it the cattle of choice for beef production in areas where temperatures drop to snow levels.
High-quality Angus beef is highly demanded because of its natural marbling.
The black Angus breed is less prone to sun- or snow-burned udders and eye cancer because of their black skin pigmentation. This makes black Angus cows and bulls low-maintenance and slashes vet bills.
Black Angus crosses are sought for improved carcass quality, enhanced milking ability, and propagation of the polled gene (passed as a dominant gene for genetic dehorning in other breeds of cattle).
Purebred Black Angus bulls are used for crossbreeding with Brahman to produce Brangus cattle and Hereford heifers to produce Black Baldy.
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If you ever travel back to the medieval age, don’t take a sip from the rivers. They served as public bathrooms.Without water closet toilets or running water, people had limited options. Some high-income households had latrines, while others relieved themselves in nearby bodies of water. As you would imagine, water hygiene became a problem pretty quickly. Most surrounding water bodies were too dirty for drinking.
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You can’t use pennies to pay at tollbooths–unless you’re in Illinois. Lincoln’s home state has a soft spot for pennies
Finance Used Ag Equipment with REDHEAD EQUIPMENT!
Hyd Covers, Automation, 50’ Unload auger, Duals, Hopper top, Guidance, Air comp
$799,000 cad stk: 052574
Covers.
$255,000
CASE IH STEIGER 620 QUADTRAC TRACTOR 2022 CASE IH
Accuboom, Autoboom, Nav 2, Omnistar, Aim Pro, Viper Pro, Luxury cab, 3” fill, Active suspension, Tridekon dividers
$275,000 cad stk: 053824
120 ft, 1200 Gal, 710’s/380’s, 5 ways, AIM Flex, Pro 700, NAVIII, 372, Luxury cab, Deluxe lights reverse fan, Front fill
$385,000 cad stk: 054075
bus class II
$839,000 cad stk: 055383
L105 front end loader, Joystick, Grapple, 3 Point hitch, Cab
$245,000 cad stk: 056134
120’, Two sets of tires, AIM Pro, Auto Boom, Pro 700, 372 Receiver, Front fill, Luxury cab $279,500 cad stk: 052962 Aim Command, 120’, Viper Pro, Phoenix 300 Antenna, 1600 gal, 2 sets of tires, Tridekons, Reversing fan
$230,000 cad stk: 057334
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YELLOW PEAS CHICKPEAS
• AAC CARVER
• CDC FRONTIER
Substitutes for recently banned cherry dye are limited, says food scientist
By Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent ban on the use of a popular food dye will create a new challenge for home bakers aiming for a signature cherry red color in candy, cakes, icings and other food products.
Kansas State University food scientist Karen Blakeslee said there are foods that can substitute for FD&C Red No. 3 – such as beets, cranberries, raspberries and more – “but these may also add flavors to food that may not be wanted.”
• A C™ AGASSIZ
• CDC LEADER
• AAC CARVER
• A C™ EARLYSTAR
• A C™ AGASSIZ
• CDC INCA
• A C™ EARLYSTAR
• CDC SAFFRON
• CDC INCA
• CDC SPECTRUM
• CDC SAFFRON
• JETSET
• CDC SPECTRUM
• JETSET
• BLACK • CRANBERRY
• CDC FRONTIER
• CDC LEADER
• CDC ORION
• CDC ORION
• CDC PALMER GREEN PEAS
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• BLACK • CRANBERRY
She added that food manufacturers and researchers will look at how these new colors react with other ingredients or temperature changes.
• DARK RED KIDNEY
• LIGHT RED KIDNEY
• DARK RED KIDNEY
• LIGHT RED KIDNEY
• NAVY
• AAC COMFORT
• CDC PALMER GREEN PEAS
• CDC GREENWATER
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The FDA announced on Jan. 15 that it is banning the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in any food product or drugs that are ingested. The government agency cited two studies indicating cancer in laboratory male rats that were exposed to high levels of the dye, due to a rat-specific hormonal mechanism.
To date, there are no scientific studies that have shown a connection between consuming FD&C Red No. 3 and cancer in humans, but a provision within the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (called the Delaney Clause) prohibits the use of food or color additives if they are proven to cause cancer in humans or animals.
The FDA will require manufacturers using FD&C Red No. 3 to reformulate their products by January 15, 2027 or January 18, 2028, depending on the size of the business. Imported foods may not contain this ingredient.
If shopping for food colors, consumers can avoid products containing FD&C Red No. 3 by reading the ingredient statement on the packaging, according to Blakeslee.
“Look for FD&C Red No. 3, Red 3, or if the product is imported, it may be called erythrosine,” she said. “FD&C Red No. 3 is a certified color additive and it must be specified in the ingredient statement if it is included in the product.”
Other examples of color substitutes for FD&C Red No. 3 include red beet extract or paprika extract. Blakeslee said future decisions on food additives by the FDA will be based on the best science available. The agency shares information regarding recalls, outbreaks and more on its website.
More food safety tips are available online from KState’s Rapid Response Center for Food Science. Blakeslee publishes a monthly newsletter, called You Asked It!, with timely tips for safe food in and out of the home.
Core Master Gardener
classes in April and May ‘25
By Rose Malisani, MSU Extension, Cascade County Classes will be held on Monday and Thursday evenings at the Cascade County Extension office at 3300 Third Street NE in Great Falls, Montana.
The core classes will cover soils, nutrients, and fertilizers, plant growth development, vegetables, herbaceous ornamentals, landscape design, planting and maintaining trees and shrubs, turfgrass, irrigation, small fruit, tree fruit, composting, and integrated pest management.
Teachers are Jenn Swanson with MSU Extension-Teton County, Sidney Stratton with MSU Extension-Judith Basin County, Sarah Eilers with MSU Extension, Jesse Fullbright with MSU Extension-Liberty County, Kim Woodring with MSU Extension-Toole County, Tyler Lane with MSU Extension-Chouteau County and Rose Malisani with MSU Extension-Cascade County.
The cost of the class is $100 which includes the Montana Master Gardener Handbook, class materials, and dinner. Call Rose at the Cascade County Extension office at (406) 454-6980 for more information or to register. The class size is limited to 25 students.
The ball’s in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn; it’s up to you.
Origin: “This term comes from tennis, where it signifies that it is the opponent’s turn to serve or play the ball. A British equivalent is ‘the ball’s at your feet,’ which comes from football (soccer), and has been in use much longer. How much longer? Lord Auckland used it figuratively in a letter written in about 1800: ‘We have the ball at our feet.’”
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Certain hay feeders improve profitability
By Jacob Klaudt, K-State Research and Extension news service
It’s inevitable; winter weather always leads to cattle producers feeding their livestock supplemental forage, something that can be quite costly depending on the hay’s quality and availability.
Kansas State University beef production specialist Emma Briggs said choosing the right hay feeder will help reduce the waste of this valuable input and improve an operation’s efficiency and profitability, “especially in Kansas.”
“Everyone has different needs,” she said. “But how you feed your hay can significantly impact how much forage you feed during the winter, as well as how much can get wasted due to trampling or other environmental factors.”
Briggs sees many ranchers using open-bottom hay rings, which are typically light and easy to move around from place to place. However, their circular design and unobstructed foundation contribute to a large portion of hay never making it past an animal’s mouth.
“Open-bottom feeders make it easy for cattle to pull the hay out and increase waste,” she said. “Research shows that 16-21% of that original bale weight can get wasted with them due to cattle trampling the hay. This type of waste can add up very quickly.”
The ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler makes quick work of a field while offering an unprecedented level of comfort and maneuverability. Automating parts of the baling process, the ZR5-1200 aims to reduce the number of steps needed to make a bale. This zero-turn machine is built tough and specifically designed for one job – baling hay, forage and even cornstalks – unlike tractor-baler combinations. Get ready to let the ZR5-1200 change the way you put up hay.
Yet, this does not mean an entirely new hay ring has to be purchased. Ranchers can modify their existing ones to become sheet-bottom feeders by welding a 16-18 inch tall piece of sheet metal to the base of their open feeders.
“These help in the later stages of feeding when that bale starts to collapse, and it helps maintain the feeding area by keeping it clean and making sure that the loose hay stays within reach of the cattle and in the feeders,” Briggs said.
She added: “Researchers have seen about a 39% reduction in hay squandering compared to the open-bottom design. Some studies say that only around 12% of the original bale weight gets misused.”
If the cost of a new feed container is not an issue, purchasing a cone or basket feeder may be the best choice to minimize unnecessary hay loss.
“Those (feeders) either keep the bale suspended or help keep the upper third of the bale restricted in more of an upright position, so it doesn’t explode and go everywhere within the feeder,” Briggs said. “It holds it more tightly, and so we’ve seen hay waste as little as 2-5% of the total weight in some cases.”
Unfortunately, cone and basket feeders weigh a lot, which makes it difficult for producers to transport them. Additionally, freshly weaned calves may have issues reaching into these feeders, leaving the bale’s core unused.
According to Briggs, it may be more beneficial for some ranchers to unroll their bales instead of using a hay ring. This feeding strategy doesn’t afford continual access to feed like sheet-bottom feeders.
“If you have the land and the resources to do so, unrolling hay can be a good option,” she said. “But you need to ensure that you’re only unrolling enough to where the cattle can clean up everything that you provide within the first 12 hours, or else that will likely get converted to bedding.”
Incredible Kid Day
This holiday is celebrated on the third Thursday in March
Are your kids incredible and wonderful!? Sure, they are! Use this special holiday to let your kids know just how wonderful they are. And, today is an opportunity for you to brag about them, too.
Did you Know? “Kids” are baby goats. Does that mean this day is really about incredible goats!? …….Nah!
How to Celebrate Incredible Kid Day
• Let Your kids know how good they are, and how much you love them.
• Recognize recent accomplishments or good behavior.
• Encourage your kids to excel in whatever they do.
• Write a handwritten letter of praise to your child.
History and Origin of Incredible Kid Day
Campfire USA created Incredible Kid Day in 1997. The objective is to show kids they are loved and cared for. Among other things, they suggest you write a letter of encouragement to your children today.
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Montana MIWW State Contest and National Event
Following several MIWW District contests held in October 2024, the Montana Make It With Wool state contest was held on December 6-7, 2024 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center in Billings, Montana, in conjunction with the 141st Annual Montana Woolgrowers Convention. There were 6 sewists competing in three categories at this year’s State contest - Junior, Senior, and Adult. The Junior category for those ages 13 to 16 as of January 1st of the contest year had one very worthy contestant in Ella Grainey of Polson. The Senior Division for those ages 17 to 24 show cased two contestants, namely Rose Baeten of Billings, and Kiara Sherman of Ronan. Our largest category this year with three contestants was the Adults for those 25 years of age and older – Claudia Andrade of Ronan, Briana Baeten of Billings, and Judy Smith of Ronan.
After several hours of modeling and construction judging, Joan Hansen of Big Timber, and Leslie McMillen and Sara McMillen both from Sidney, came away with the final placings. Winners and awards were announced during the Woolgrowers’ banquet on Saturday night which featured the MIWW Style Show presented to the theme of “The Nutcracker”. The style show featured ballet dancers from The School of Classical Ballet Company of Billings who danced several pieces from “The Nutcracker”. It was a huge hit! First place finishers at the Montana MIWW contest were Junior – Ella Grainey, Senior – Kiara Sherman, and Adult – Briana Baeten.
Montana MIWW also had 4 PreTeen contestants this year – lots of up and coming talent with Kayla Grainey, Caleb Wallace, and Naomi Wallace all of Polson, along with Esther Jensen of St. Ignatius.
Jasmine Powell of Havre crocheted another wool afghan this year for the Afghan contest. The afghan is crocheted with 100% pure wool yarn from Plymouth Galway. Her color choices were Bubblegum, Palest Pink, Medium Grey Heather, Bleach, Black, and Glacier Grey. Jasmine calls her afghan “Sheep Patchwork Adventure” and it features a variety of blocks – solid granny square, circular granny square, and the sheep granny square block. Some of the blocks are the same with color variations. Others are just a variety. And there are several sheep granny square blocks wandering sporadically around the patchwork and carefully placed looking in all directions so there is not necessarily a top or bottom to the piece. Jasmine taught herself how to crochet about 6 years ago from watching You tube videos. She does a lot of trial and error, but it looks like she is getting the hang of it with this year’s beautiful afghan.
Ella and Kiara represented Montana to the theme of “Natures Threads: Celebrating the Great Outdoors!”” during the 77th annual National Make It With Wool competition as part of the 2025 American Sheep Industry (ASI) Convention held January 16-19, 2025, at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Briana competed in the National contest by mailing in her garment along with a video and photos. In the National MIWW contest there were 24 Junior contestants, 20 Senior contestants, and 17 Adult contestants representing 26 states.
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Hay Barley: Haymaker, Lavina
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Lentils: Avondale Mustard
Durum: Raska and others available Grass Seed Alfalfa Sorghum Sudan Grass Millet
Junior contestant, Ella Grainey constructed a dress out of a blue denim lightweight wool fabric. The asymmetrical skirt line is Ella’s favorite feature of her dress as she loves the flowy look it gives to the dress. Ella learned several new skills this year that she can put in her arsenal for new patterns in the years to come. Ella has been sewing for 7 years however this is her first year entering the Make It With Wool contest. We hope to see Ella back again next year with another great outfit that markets wool in its best way.
Kiara Sherman designed a three-piece ensemble to wear to work at the local bank for her 2024 Senior category entry. Animal print is trending in the fashion world, so Kiara hopped on the train with her self-styled zebra print suit. Kiara hand-stitched a black bling trim to her jacket and skirt which gives the outfit some extra sparkle. This bling dresses up the suit so Kiara can wear it to holiday parties if she chooses. The edges of the jacket and skirt are fringed for another great accent to her outfit. To complete the look, Kiara added a caramel colored top accented with tulip sleeves. This is Kiara’s 10th year participating in the Make It With Wool program and she continues to enjoy exploring the many uses of wool.
Montana’s Adult winner, Briana Baeten constructed a Jedi cloak along with a Rebel Legion skirt and a kimono style top to complete her Star Wars costume. Briana will wear her outfit to charity events, Star Wars gatherings, and to church. Briana adds pockets to all of her outfits and this CONTINUED ON PAGE C24
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Montana MIWW State Contest and National Event
CONTINUED FROM C22
year she used a new slim pocket in her skirt. Briana has participated in the MIWW contest for five years and enjoys creating wool clothing that fits her style.
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Montana’s representatives had a memorable time in Scottsdale where they traveled in the warm weather to Old Town Scottsdale to listen to the Pendleton store manager while she gave a tour and shared some history on the Pendleton wear designs. Ella and Kiara enjoyed a treat at the Sugar Bowl Ice Cream Parlor, visited museums, and did some shopping. The National contestants also took in a couple of workshops where they learned several hand embroidery stitches along with an overview of machine embroidery skills.
When the judging results came in, Kiara placed 3rd runner up in the Senior division. Congratulations Kiara on a job well done representing Montana. Ella did not place in the top 10 Junior group, but enjoyed her experience, met new friends, and is excited to sew again next year. Briana did not place in the top 6 Adult placings this year.
Ethan Barner of Missouri won the Junior Division, Henry Lemke of Minnesota won the Senior Division, and Marcia Mankin of Alaska in the At-Large Contest because Alaska does not have a contest won the Adult Division. New this year was the RE Synergy Sweater contest and the winner was Rebekah Salazar of New Mexico. The Fashion Apparel Design winner was Ann Moorman from the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design in Lakewood, Colorado. Pictures of the National winners can be seen on the National MIWW website and Facebook page.
Some interesting statistics collected from the 2024 MIWW year are that participation is on the rise with a total of 404 contestants across the nation and split by category with 74 Adult contestants, 48 Seniors, 94 Juniors, 154 PreTeens, and 23 Made for Other entrants. There was a total of 1,215 yards of wool fabric and 206 skeins of wool yarn used to construct the MIWW garment entries for the 2024 year. Montana dipped a bit in the participation ranking this year to 15th out of 27 participating states.
There are lot of new things coming up in 2025 for the MIWW program. There will be updated information for the sweater contest and other revisions to the contests coming out soon. To keep up to date on the changes and the contests themselves, please visit and like our Montana Make It With Wool facebook page, Montana Wool Growers Association facebook page or website at mtsheep.org, or email Montana MIWW Director Amanda Powell at aspowell11@hotmail. com.
Winner Photo – left to right – Jasmine Powell – 1st Place Afghan; Briana Baeten – 1st Place Adult; Kiara Sherman – 1st Place Senior; Ella Grainey – 1st Place Junior
Adult Winners – Left to right – Briana Baeten – 1st; Claudia Andrade –3rd; and Judy Smith – 2nd
Montana MIWW State Contest and National Event
Junior Winner – Ella Grainey – 1st
The ballet dancers from The School of Classical Ballet Company of Billings.
This Day in History
March 25 - The First Easter celebration is held. (31)
• RCA manufactures the first color television. (1954)
• The Concorde jet makes its maiden supersonic flight. (1970)
March 26 - Greek Astrologer and mathematician Ptolemy begins his observations of the heavens. (127)
• Ludwig von Beethoven dies in Vienna, Austria. (1827)
• The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York. (1830)
• The Eastman Dry Plate and Chemical Company manufactures the first motion picture film. (1885)
• U.S. Marines raise the American flag at Iwo Jima. (1945)
March 27 - Abraham Gesner receives a patent for kerosene. (1855)
• Fingerprints are used as evidence in a murder trial for the first time. (1909)
• The biggest earthquake ever recorded strikes Anchorage, Alaska. It measured 8.3 on the Richter scale. (1964)
March 28 - Nathaniel Briggs patents the washing machine. (1797)
• The first ambulance goes into service. (1866)
• The AFL’s NY Titans become the NY Jets. (1963)
• Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident occurs in Middletown, Pa. (1979)
March 29 - At age 24, Ludwig von Beethoven debuts as a pianist in Venice (1795)
• Ice jams stop the flow of water over Niagara Falls. (1848)
• The Knights of Columbus is founded. (1882)
• Coca Cola is invented. (1886)
March 30 - First recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet. (240 B.C.)
• Ether is used as an anesthesia for the first time by Doctor Crawford Long in Georgia. See Doctor’s Day. (1842)
• A pencil with an attached eraser is patented by Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia, PA. (1858)
• The United States buys Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. (1867)
• The 15th Amendment goes into effect, giving black men the right to vote. (1870)
• Jeopardy debuts on television. (1964)
• The International Olympic Committee announces the postponement of the 2020 summer games until 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. (2020)
March 31 - Wabash, Indiana claims to be the first town to be illuminated 100% by electricity. (1880)
• The Eiffel Tower opens in Paris, France. (1889)
• Daylight Savings Time goes into effect for the first time in the U.S. (1918)
Earmuff Day
Always celebrated on March 13th
This holiday celebrates a warm invention…the earmuff! People in cold climates can really appreciate this day. And they are ever so thankful to the person who created them. If you live in Florida, you might not even know what an earmuff is. Earmuffs keep your ears warm and protect you from ear infections and earaches resulting from icy cold wind and weather. Manufacturers have responded to their popularity with a variety of designs and colors, making one fit almost anyone’s personality.
How to Celebrate Earmuff Day
It is really easy to celebrate Earmuff Day…. just wear your earmuffs today!
You can also use your earmuffs to reduce loud noises. Your ears will thank you.
History and Origin of Earmuff Day
Big-eared Chester Greenwood is the father of the Earmuff. Greenwood patented the “Champion Ear Protector” on March 13, 1877. It later became known as “ear mufflers”, and was eventually shortened to “earmuffs”. While easily recognize why this date was selected, our research has not yet uncovered who created this special holiday. Perhaps, it was a descendant of Chester Greenwood!?
We recognize that this date was selected to celebrate the date they were invented. But, wouldn’t it be more logical to celebrate Earmuff Day in January or February, during the coldest days of the winter!?
In 1969, the first astronauts to land on the moon carried Tootsie Rolls with them on their journey.
March is Mad for Plaid Month
Mad for Plaid Month is a lively celebration dedicated to the timeless pattern known as plaid. This monthlong event invites everyone to embrace the vibrant and diverse designs that plaid offers. It’s a great time to showcase your favorite plaid outfits, explore new styles, and enjoy the cultural significance of this pattern. From fashion runways to everyday wear, plaid remains a beloved part of our wardrobes. During this month, plaid enthusiasts have the perfect excuse to indulge in their love for this classic design, making it a fun and engaging time for all.
Reasons for Celebrating Mad for Plaid Month
First, it highlights plaid’s iconic status in fashion, giving people a chance to appreciate its versatility and timeless appeal. Wearing plaid connects us to various cultural histories, especially Scottish traditions.
Secondly, it encourages creativity, whether through fashion, crafts, or home decor. People love incorporating plaid into their lives, and this month gives them a special reason to do so. Finally, the celebration provides an opportunity to learn about the pattern’s rich history, making it both educational and enjoyable.
History of Mad for Plaid Month
Mad for Plaid Month started in 2008. The celebration was created to honor the iconic plaid pattern, which has a rich history and cultural significance. The idea originated from the growing popularity of plaid in fashion and everyday life.
Plaid patterns have been a staple in various cultures, especially in Scotland where tartans represent different clans.
The roots of plaid go back centuries. In Scotland, tartans were used to signify different regions and clans. The pattern became more widespread and popularized in the 19th century in America. Woolrich Woolen Mills, a company in Pennsylvania, played a significant role by producing the famous Buffalo Check Plaid shirt.
Over time, plaid has become a symbol in fashion, from high-fashion runways to everyday clothing and even pop culture.
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Tootsie Rolls originally sold for a penny.
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Tootsie Pops were introduced in 1935.
ARS develops long-term roadmap for PFAS in U.S. agriculture
Designs include pipeline hydraulics, pump recommendations, pipeline size, and pressure rating. Completed designs include a set of drawings that meet your needs. All projects are completed within approximately 30 days from the initial field visit.
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By Autumn Canaday, ARS
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announced several key outcomes from a workshop to develop a research roadmap that would lead to short and longterm science-based solutions to meet the emerging challenges posed by the discovery of Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural soils and waters. PFAS have become increasingly found in the environment, posing significant challenges for producers, and farming communities, highlighting the need for agricultural researchers to develop innovative and practical solutions.
ARS, its Center of Excellence for Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation, and the University Maine, collaborated recently during a three-day workshop to bring together more than 150 interagency researchers, state partners, university partners and other subject matter experts to engage in discussion and identify key research and innovative solutions that address the top challenges PFAS poses to agriculture, agroecosystems, food systems, and farming communities.
Many within the agricultural community are facing new challenges when PFAS chemicals are detected within their farms, resulting in this being a new challenge to farmers’ continued capacity to sustain healthy soil and water on their farms, as well as continued capacity to provide safe and dependable food and fiber supplies to our nation and the world. The suggested long-term roadmap solutions for improving these circumstances include finding new means of detecting when PFAS contamination is a problem, better understanding of how it moves through the agricultural system, and innovating new ways to interrupt that movement or remove the chemicals before they can do harm.
Other topics of discussion at the workshop included a strategy for data standardization and integration, how to develop scientific solutions to management of municipal biosolids, and ways of effectively removing existing PFAS chemicals from the production environment.
“The meeting’s focus on the gap between PFAS challenges and solutions has empowered and offered hope to ARS, its partners and sister agencies - to address and resolve agriculture-centric problems arising from the use of PFAS in our communities and everyday consumer products,” said ARS Senior Management Advisor, Dr. David Knaebel. “The workshop’s overarching impact will assist the U.S. agricultural research community and stakeholders to find creative and innovative ways to mitigate
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Question: Why do superheroes wear their underwear on the outside?
Answer: “According to Julius Schwartz (fames editor of DC Comics from 1944 to 1986, who edited the most famous of all external-underwear superheroes, Superman), this is modeled after the garb of aerial circus performers and wrestlers of the era. It should be noted that wrestlers, circus performers, and superheroes weren’t actually wearing underpants over their leggings, but rather tight underwear-like shorts. As superheroes are generally incredibly athletic and perform amazing acrobatic stunts while crime-fighting, it was natural enough for the earliest superhero artists to adopt this style of dress for their characters.”
(From the Wise Book of Whys).
and remediate a rapidly growing PFAS challenge in U.S. agriculture and food systems.”
PFAS is a class of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States, since the 1940s. The chemical has been placed in the category of “forever chemicals’ because they bioaccumulate in animals and plants and do not breakdown naturally in the animals or plants or in the environment. These chemicals in agricultural landscapes can cause food producers numerous challenges that require innovative scientific solutions from agriculture research, research and developments, and strategic partnerships.
“Currently, our data shows that PFAS is an environmental hazard that does not come from agriculture,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Marlen Eve. “But, producers need efficient, cost-effective ways to deal with the challenges when it is detected in our agricultural soils and waters.”
Federal and stakeholder workshop attendees plan to move forward with next steps by crafting documents that will communicate solutions to the ag research community – especially in locations where PFAS has critical impacts on agriculture – and to engage in partnerships to realize those research solutions into impactful tools and practices for producers and the agricultural community.
“The University of Maine is pleased to expand our partnership with USDA ARS to find solutions to this national environmental crisis. With our collective expertise — supported by the ingenuity and resolve of our researchers and students — we can accelerate breakthroughs in basic and applied science that will result in new tools and strategies for protecting food systems in Maine and beyond.” said Joan FerriniMundy, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation for the University of Maine System and President of the University of Maine. “Together, we will also expand each other’s research capacities, grant funding efforts and infrastructure, all of which will be essential for mitigating the spread of PFAS and other toxic compounds like it. Thank you to U.S. Senator Susan Collins for securing funding for the Center and for her ongoing support of research informing practical solutions for rural farmers and communities.”
ARS will continue to expand its PFAS research to address its impact on U.S. agriculture. Future research will ensure that the nation maintains a safe and abundant high quality food supply that is undergirded by sustainable natural resources.
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Question:Why is the computer cursor slanted and not straight up and down!
Answer: “Today, there’s no longer a good reason for the mouse cursor to be slanted. But in the infancy of digital displays, angling the cursor solved a real design problem. According to software developer Bart Gijssens, the mouse was first invented back in 1963 by Douglas Engelbart. The cursor was originally an arrow pointing up, but on the low-resolution displays of the day, it was often difficult to make out a tiny vertical line on a screen. So Engelbart decided to tilt the arrow to the left at an angle of about 45 degrees. The angle made the pointer easier to pickout against the pixelated background. Soon, Steve Jobs adopted the left leaning pointer software from Engelbart, and then Bill Gates snagged it.” (Carey Dunne, FastCoDesign. com)
Fly to your tomorrow, seagull
To this day, Dave Winfield swears he didn’t do it on purpose. Between innings of a game in Toronto on August 4, 1983, the Yankee outfielder caught one last warm-up toss and then threw it to the ball boy sitting along the foul line. Perched on the field between Winfield and the boy, however, was a small white gull. After taking a short hop, the baseball hit the bird hard…and killed it. As the groundskeepers quickly came in and took it away, Winfield raised his cap. Stunned Toronto fans saw this as disrespectful and threw things the Yankee slugger for the rest of the game. And after the game, a group of Mounties arrested Winfield (in the visitor clubhouse) for “willfully causing unnecessary cruelty to an animal.” Winfield denied it was willful, but cooperated and paid the $500 bail. The charges were later dropped, but Winfield’s reputation in Canada was severely damaged. (When the Blue Jays later brought in a falcon to try to curb the ballpark’s gull population, they named it “Winfield.”) Ironically, Winfield (the player, not the falcon) was later traded to the Blue Jays and helped win the 1992 World Series with a spectacular game-winning double in Game 6… earning him the nickname “Mr. Jay”.
Pole position
In 2012, the city of Johnville, Quebec, opened a rebuilt Highway 252 – a brand new, two-lane affair. Part of the new road ran through an area where the municipal water company had a utility pole. The water company didn’t bother to take down the pole until two months after the highway was open to traffic – meaning that for two months, a large pole sat in the middle of the road. (Amazingly, nobody ran into it.)
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Maximizing egg-laying production for a more prosperous business
From Freedom Ranger
If you run a large poultry farm, have chickens in your back yard, or anything in between, your wellbeing depends on the number of eggs your chickens produce. So, it can be frustrating when your chickens’ egg production decreases or fails to meet your expectations. You may wonder why some hens lay more eggs than others or why egg size and quality vary among breeds. Understanding the factors that impact egg laying is crucial for achieving maximum egg production. Decreased egg production can result from various factors such as inadequate nutrition, heat stress, or the natural cycle of laying hens. It can be challenging to navigate through these obstacles without proper guidance and knowledge.
Our comprehensive guide will provide you with expert insights, practical tips, and proven strategies to optimize the egg-laying process in your flock. From ensuring adequate nutrition and calcium supplementation to managing environmental factors, our tips will help you achieve consistent and abundant egg production. Remember, happy and healthy chickens lead to exceptional egg-laying results.
What Is Involved in the Egg-Laying Process?
Understanding the intricacies of the egg-laying process is essential for maximizing production in your flock. It all starts with the physiology of laying hens. These remarkable birds have a complex reproductive system regulated by hormonal factors that influence egg production. On average, hens begin laying eggs around 6 months of age, although this can vary among breeds. The process begins with the development of an egg within the hen’s reproductive tract.
Once a mature egg enters the reproductive system, it undergoes a remarkable journey. The yolk travels through the oviduct, where it is enveloped by albumen (egg white) and then finally encased in a shell. This entire process takes several hours, and after that, the hen prepares to lay the egg. Understanding the physiological aspects of egg-laying can help you identify any potential issues that may affect production and take appropriate measures to optimize the process.
Will Hens Exhibit Certain Behaviors When They Are Ready to Lay Eggs?
Hens exhibit specific behaviors that indicate they are ready to lay eggs. One significant behavior is nesting. As hens approach the laying cycle, they instinctively seek out suitable nesting areas in their environment. These spaces provide a sense of security and privacy for the hen to lay her eggs comfortably. Providing appropriate nesting boxes or secluded areas with soft bedding materials can encourage hens to exhibit their natural nesting behavior.
Another behavior associated with the laying cycle is broodiness. Some hens may become broody, which means they develop a strong desire to incubate eggs and raise chicks. While broodiness disrupts egg production, it is a natural aspect of the reproductive cycle.
Recognizing and managing broodiness can help maintain consistent egg laying in your flock. Factors such as breed, environmental conditions, and individual hen characteristics can influence both nesting and broodiness behaviors. By understanding these behaviors, you can create an environment that supports the natural instincts of your hens and promotes optimal egg production.
What Factors Impact Egg Laying Production?
Several factors play a crucial role in determining the productivity of your flock when it comes to egg-laying. By addressing these various factors, such as breed selection, nutrition, housing, and biosecurity, you can create an optimized environment for your hens, leading to maximum egg-laying production.
Breed of Chicken
One influential factor is the breed of chicken you choose. Certain breeds, such as Rhode Island Reds, are known for their excellent egg-laying capabilities. Conducting thorough research on different breeds and selecting those specifically bred for egg production can significantly impact the overall productivity of your flock.
Novogen Browns are also known for their consistent and prolific egg production. They will typically lay nearly 400 eggs during their first 72 weeks of egg-laying.
Nutrition
Another critical factor is nutrition. Providing hens with a well-balanced diet is essential for optimal egg production. Nutrients, including amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and protein, are needed to support the reproductive system and CONTINUED ON PAGE C32
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE C30
Sainfoin leaves naturally contain tannins, allowing the protein ed instead of excreted.
ensure healthy egg formation. A high-quality fortified layer feed that is 18% protein is often what is recommended. Supplementing with additional protein sources, such as sunflower seeds or nuts is optional.
Sanfoin’s palability and digestibility provides more return per to Alfalfa. Sanfoin’s ability to be grazed or hayed gives produ to best utilize it’s benefits in your operation.
Growing best practices:
Additionally, calcium is crucial for the development of strong eggshells. Supplying oyster shells as a calcium supplement can greatly contribute to successful egg laying. You can also consider supplementing their diet with fresh greens, vegetables, and even table scraps to contribute to a well-rounded and nutritious feed.
• Sainfoin establishes itself without a cover crop.
Housing and Environment
• Best if not mixed with other plants such as barley or 30 pounds per acre for dryland or 1 cutting, 40 pounds for irrigated or multi-cuts.
• Seed in fall or spring when moisture will be held to the
• Seed 3/4 of an inch deep or less.
Livestock, wildlife, and even honey bees prefer Sainfoin over other forages. Highly digestible and a higher sugar content gives Sainfoin the edge over Alfalfa.
Creating a suitable housing environment is essential for encouraging optimal egg-laying. Hens require comfortable and clean living spaces with sufficient nesting areas. Designing and maintaining appropriate nesting boxes, ensuring proper ventilation, and providing adequate space per hen are critical factors to consider. It is also important to ensure that the coop is predator-proof to protect the flock and minimize stress levels.
• Hay/graze when near full bloom.
Sainfoin leaves naturally contain condensed tannins, allowing the protein to be digested instead of excreted.
Growing best practices:
• Seeding rate: 30 pounds per acre for dryland or 1 cutting, 40 pounds per acre for irrigated or multi-cuts.
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The housing and environment in which your hens live also have a significant impact on egg production. Adequate lighting, proper temperature control, ventilation, and sufficient space are all essential factors to consider. Providing a comfortable and stress-free environment allows hens to lay eggs more efficiently.
Biosecurity
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Furthermore, practicing good biosecurity measures is vital to prevent disease outbreaks and maintain a healthy flock. Regularly monitoring their health, observing for any signs of illness or distress, and promptly addressing any issues that arise are key responsibilities. Implementing good hygiene practices, such as regular cleaning of the coop and nesting areas, also contributes to a healthier environment.
How Can I Stimulate Egg Laying in Chickens? By incorporating these practical tips and techniques into your egg-laying operations, you can optimize the process and increase efficiency and yield. Remember, each flock is unique, so it’s important to experiment, observe, and adapt strategies to best suit the needs of your own feathered friends.
Feeding Strategies
Feeding strategies play a crucial role in increasing egg production in hens. Here are some key strategies to consider: Balanced Diet: Providing hens with a well-balanced diet is essential. It should include high-quality protein sources, such as soybean meal, and a variety of grains and greens to ensure optimal nutrition.
Calcium Supplements: Hens require calcium for strong eggshells. Including calcium supplements like oyster shells or limestone in their feed can help ensure they have an adequate supply of this essential mineral.
Probiotics: Adding probiotics to the hens’ feed can improve digestion and nutrient absorption, leading to better overall health and increased egg production.
Fresh Water: Clean and fresh drinking water should always be available to hens. Dehydration can negatively impact egg production, so regular water changes and proper hydration are vital.
Feeding Schedule: Establishing a regular feeding schedule helps maintain consistency and encourages hens to consume the necessary nutrients for optimal egg production.
Create the Right Environment
Environmental factors also come into play. Creating the right environment through appropriate lighting conditions and temperature control can influence egg-laying patterns. For instance, during the winter months, when daylight hours are shorter, supplemental light can be used to stimulate egg production. In the cold months you will also want to make sure they have fresh water available. If your water freezes and your chicken cannot drink, this will directly impact their production. By carefully managing these feeding and environmental factors, you can create an environment that encourages consistent and abundant egg laying from your flock.
Use Herbs and Supplements
Some herbs and supplements are believed to have beneficial effects on egg production. For instance, adding herbs like oregano or garlic to their diet may promote general health and immune function. Calcium supplements, such as crushed eggshells or oyster shells, can also aid in shell formation. While the effectiveness of these additives may vary, exploring natural remedies can be an interesting avenue to explore. Other herbs that some believe aid in egg production include moringa, mint, and ginger.
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This Day in History
March 10 - The U.S. government issues paper money for the first time. (1862)
• Alexander Graham Bell places the world’s first telephone call, to his assistant in the next room. (1876)
March 11 - The Blizzard of 1888, the most famous storm in American history begins. (1888)
• The ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry are launched into space. (1997)
• Paul McCartney is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. (1997)
March 12 - Coca Cola is sold in bottles for the first time in a candy store in Vicksburg, Mississippi. (1894)
• Girl Scouts of USA were founded by Juliette Low of Savannah, GA. (1912)
• Baseball great Joe DiMaggio agrees to a new contract with the NY Yankees and gets a $6,250 raise. (1942)
• The song “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and Pharaohs is released as a single. (1965)
March 13 - Harvard University is named after clergyman John Harvard. (1939)
• The Senate begins the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. (1868)
• Greenwood patented earmuffs, originally called the “Champion Ear Protector”. (1887)
• Work on the Boulder Dam is completed. (1936)
• Disney releases the movie “The Love Bug”. (1969)
• Encyclopedia Britannica announces it will no longer produce a printed version of its encyclopedia. (2012)
March 14 - Eli Whitney patents the Cotton Gin. (1794)
• German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin receives a U.S. patent for a “navigable balloon”. (1899)
• George Eastman, the founder of Eastman Kodak Company, commits suicide rather than facing the ravages of cancer. (1932)
March 15 - “The Ides of March” Julius Caesar is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus. (44 B.C.)
• Inventor Jesse W. Reno receives a patent for the world’s first escalator. (1892)
• TGI Friday’s opens their first restaurant, in NYC. (1965)
• After filing for bankruptcy, Toys R Us announces it will close all of its toy stores. (2018)
March 16 - Professor Robert Goddard launches the first liquidfuel rocket. (1926)
• General Motors produces their 100 millionth automobile, an Oldsmobile Tornonado. (1968)
March 17 - First Saint Patrick’s Day parade in NYC. (1762)
• The rubber band was invented by Stephen Perry in London. (1845)
• Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel. (1969)
March 18 - The U.S. government approves the first pensions for government service. (1818)
• Shick introduces the first electric shaver to the marketplace (1931).
• Soviet Union cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to take a space walk. (1965)
March 19 - First International Women’s Day, over 1 million men and women attend rallies around the world. (1911)
• Congress approves Daylight Savings Time. (1918)
March 20 - Harriet Beacher Stowe publishes the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin. (1852)
• The U.S. Navy commissions the first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley. (1922)
• “Colonel” Harlan Sanders creates the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in in North Corbin, KY. It proves to be “finger-lickin’ good!” (1930)
• General Douglas McArthur escapes Japanese-occupied Philippines, vowing “I shall return!” (1941)
March 21 - Persia is formally renamed Iran. (1935)
• The infamous Alcatraz prison is closed. (1963)
• Twitter is created. (2006)
March 22 - The first patent for a laser is issued to Arthur Schlow and Charles Townes. (1960)
• The Beatle’s first album “Please, Please Me” is released in England. (1963)
March 23 - Patrick Henry declares “Give me liberty, or give me death!” (1775)
Elisha Otis installs the first elevator at 488 Broadway in New York City. (1857)
March 24 - German scientist Robert Koch announces he has discovered the bacillus that causes Tuberculosis. (1882)
• Elvis Presley joins the U.S. Army. (1958)
• The Kennedy half dollar is put into circulation. (1964)
• The supertanker Exxon Valdez runs aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound and ruptures, spilling millions of gallons of oil. (1989)
NDSU crop budget projections
The North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension projected crop budgets for 2025 are available for the state’s farmers, says Ron Haugen, NDSU Extension farm management specialist.
The projected profits vary by region and crop.
“In general terms, these budgets are guides for large multicounty regions,” says Haugen. “Returns and costs can vary considerably between producers within a region. Also, the budgets estimate returns to labor and management with no consideration of price and yield variability or risk. A perfect comparison of crops is not achieved because different levels of labor, management and risk exist.”
“Regarding the 2025 budgets, soil fertility levels for the state are lower than average,” says Haugen. “The heavy rains and good crop yield last year contributed to this. The fertilizer prices are flat to down slightly, but the application rate will be higher because of the lower fertility. Thus, the overall fertilizer cost will be somewhat higher than 2024.”
“This year in most regions and for most crops the projected profitability is low or negative,” Haugen shares. “Costs, as a total, are somewhat higher, but lower commodity prices are the main contributor to the lower profitability.”
“Chemical expenses are generally flat. Fuel costs, interest costs and crop insurance premiums are down. Ownership costs and repairs are up. Some specialty crops may show a positive return, but usually have limited contracts and acreages, and also may have higher risk.”
These budgets are intended to be used as a guide. Each individual is encouraged to develop their own budgets with their specific estimates.
The NDSU Extension budgets are available online at ndsu.ag/cropbudgets, or by searching online for NDSU Crop Budgets. Online, a PDF version is available as well as Excel spreadsheets for producers to fill in their own estimates.
Hard copies are available at NDSU Extension county offices.
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Get a jump on spring: Livestock Management:
Headed west: Swift fox moves into unconventional habitat
By Brooke Ortel
In Wyoming, a feisty five-pound canid known as the swift fox is expanding into new territory.
A native of the Great Plains, the swift fox can be found in shortgrass prairie habitats from Texas to Canada. In Wyoming, this prairie-dog-consuming critter typically wasn’t found west of Shirley Basin—until recently. Swift fox populations have now been observed in shrubland habitats as far west as Riverton.
Currently, it’s unclear why swift foxes are moving into less favorable habitats, or how this shift might affect their diet and behavior. A group of researchers in the UW Department of Zoology and Physiology, including graduate student Kelsie Buxbaum, aims to learn more.
Breaking convention
As small canids, swift fox prefer landscapes where they can spot predators from a distance and quickly dive into the safety of a burrow. With relatively flat topography and plentiful food sources, shortgrass prairie provides an ideal habitat. But in locations like Riverton, swift fox populations have settled in areas with tall sagebrush and significant variation in topography, both of which reduce visibility.
To find out how this habitat change affects swift fox populations, Buxbaum is comparing habitat use and diet in three different study areas: Laramie, the Shirley Basin, and Riverton. The Laramie site is classified as conventional habitat, while the Shirley Basin site is a mosaic of shortgrass prairie and shrubland. The Riverton site represents a completely unconventional habitat consisting mostly of tall sagebrush.
are currently undergoing DNA analysis at the U.S. Forest Service National Genomics Center. This analysis will indicate what types of food—insects, plant matter, or different types of mammals—swift fox consume in different habitats and seasons.
Buxbaum predicts that in unconventional
habitat types, swift fox are likely consuming other rodents, such as kangaroo rats and wood rats, as well as members of the rabbit family.
Counting kits
In spring 2022, Buxbaum began tracking kit populations at each study site, using GPS collars and VHF (very high frequency) technology to locate individual dens. She installed game cameras at each den to monitor the number of kits observed and when those kits came aboveground. The latter will allow researchers to estimate when the kits were born.
“The reproductive aspect is an important metric that will be used by Bureau of Land Management1 biologists to help reduce impacts on swift fox,” says Buxbaum. “It’s also a metric that can be used to assess the general fitness of an individual and population.”
Management implications
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“We’re looking at how swift fox utilize landscape features similarly or differently in each habitat type—which features they potentially select or avoid,” Buxbaum explains. Her group uses GPS collars to track swift fox movement and then uses remote sensing data to pair locations with vegetation types.
Diet analysis
Buxbaum also seeks to better understand how habitat changes affect the swift fox’s diet. In both the Laramie and Shirley Basin study sites, researchers have observed sizable prairie dog colonies, an important food source for swift fox. In contrast, the Riverton site appears absent of prairie dog activity.
Starting in August 2021, Buxbaum’s group collected 250 scat samples, which
The Bureau of Land Management considers the swift fox a sensitive species, and Buxbaum’s project is part of a larger effort to understand how swift fox populations respond to habitat changes. Her research may ultimately have implications for swift fox management in areas experiencing ground disturbance associated with energy development.
“It’s a great opportunity because not only are we learning more about the fundamentals of swift fox ecology and life history, but we’re also working hand in hand with the Bureau of Land Management to better manage landscapes for swift fox,” Buxbaum comments.
To learn more, contact faculty advisor Joe Holbrook at joe.holbrook@uwyo.edu.
This article was originally published in the 2024 issue of Reflections, the annual research magazine published by the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.
1Note: The Bureau of Land Management provided the majority of funding for this project.
An adult swift fox fitted with a GPS collar that allows researchers to track its movements. Photo by Joe Holbrook.
Swift fox kits at the study site near Laramie, Wyoming. Photo by Kelsie Buxbaum.
Researchers deploy parasitoid wasps in battle with wheat stem sawfly
By Chabella Guzman - Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center Communications Specialist
One UNL research team is exploring a unique tactic for combatting Nebraska’s wheat stem sawfly woes.
A native to Nebraska, the wheat stem sawfly has become a big problem for wheat growers in the Panhandle. The High Plains Ag Lab (HPAL) has spent many years and extensive research on the sawfly, conducted by Team Sawfly and Vinicius Zuppa, a graduate student.
“One of the bigger findings we’re seeing under sawfly infestation is smaller wheat heads,” said Amanda Easterly, Nebraska Extension dryland cropping specialist. “So, not only are we losing yield to lodging and the inability to harvest, we’re also seeing that it’s actually taking a toll on photosynthate going up to the grain.”
During extension’s January 8 Crop Production Clinic at the UNL Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff, growers learned of an exciting new development in the battle against wheat stem sawfly.
The bright spot in HPAL’s ongoing research is the increase in Bracon spp. — a parasitoid wasp and natural predator of the sawfly — which is beginning to make a dent in the infestation problem. In the Sidney area and southern Panhandle, the wasp has begun to show a measurable impact on protecting the grain yield.
Figure 1. Wheat stem sawfly adult (left) and the two species of Bracon parasitoids (middle and right) that are commonly found parasitizing wheat stem sawfly larvae in Nebraska. (Photo by Jeff Bradshaw | Nebraska Extension)
“The (wasp) is able to paralyze and incapacitate the sawfly larvae early enough to reduce damage,” Easterly said.
Team Sawfly is investigating a new project that involves transporting the wasps in bales of straw to areas with sawfly infestations. The straw bales will come from HPAL, which Team Sawfly considers a parasitoid wasp nursery.
“It’s a big project that involves a lot of collaboration and expertise,” said Pin-Chu Lai, Nebraska Extension entomologist. “So, we’re excited and we’ll be doing a lot of monitoring and moving straw around this coming season.”
The European corn borer was another insect pest discussed at the Crop Production Clinic. This pest has not been a problem since 1996, when BT crops — including corn — were introduced, and the borer’s populations decreased. However, the insect is back on the extension radar, as it has developed some resistance to BT crops in Canada and the northeastern U.S.
“The European corn borer is a small, light-colored moth with small whitish larvae who have shiny black heads and some dark spots on them,” said Julie Peterson, Nebraska Extension entomologist. “There are two generations a year, so for the
first generation, you’re going to be looking around June in your vegetative stage corn.”
The borer caterpillar has a distinct feeding pattern that looks like small hole punches in a line across the corn leaves. As the caterpillar eats, it tunnels into the corn plant. The second generation appears at tasseling or just past tasseling, burrows into the cornstalk or the ear, and feeds, damaging the stalk or ear and decreasing yield.
Peterson said that while BT resistance by the European corn borer has not been detected in Nebraska, growers should be aware of it and be on the lookout for the pest.
Figure 1. Wheat stem sawfly adult (left) and the two species of Bracon parasitoids (middle and right) that are commonly found parasitizing wheat stem sawfly larvae in Nebraska. (Photo by Jeff Bradshaw | Nebraska Extension)
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Managing mud
By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service
As rising temperatures melt the snow, what often follows are areas of mud. Just as it is hard for people to walk through a muddy path, it is also a challenge for livestock, say experts in the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute, speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast.
“Mud management is important because it can negatively impact the health and performance of cattle — particularly young cattle,” K-State veterinarian Bob Larson said.
K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said when cattle walk through mud, there is a decrease in their performance and an increase in their maintenance requirements.
He added: “When cattle have mud caked on their haircoat and it is damp and cold, cattle lose a lot of body heat, and so cattle have to burn a lot more energy to maintain their body temperature.”
Along with changes in performance, cattle standing in mud can also have hoof issues, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers said, adding that these issues can develop even if cattle are standing in mud as shallow as their pasterns.
“Hairy heel wart and foot rot are two of the conditions that cattle maintained in a muddy environment can develop,” Lubbers said. “If cattle stand in a wet spot for extended periods, the hoof wall can lose its integrity and become soft and that can lead to other hoof issues such as sole abscesses.”
Mud isn’t always the result of too much rain or snow melt, Lubbers said.
“If cattle are densely stocked in a pasture, the urine can also create a muddy environment,” he said.
To manage the mud, the experts suggest that producers fill the muddy areas with rocks or gravel to provide more solid footing. In some cases, it might make sense to pour concrete, Larson said.
K-State veterinarian Brad White suggests producers look at moving hay to different areas of the pasture to keep mud from accumulating around the feeder.
“It is also important to feed hay in a place where there is good drainage to reduce the amount of mud that the cattle have to deal with,” White said.
Understanding a hay test: ADF & NDF
By Ben Beckman, UNL
Acid Detergent Fiber or ADF and Neutral Detergent Fiber or NDF both show up on forage tests, but measure different aspects of digestibility. Today, let’s look at the difference.
Both ADF and NDF are part of the detergent analysis system used to analyze forages. NDF provides us with a measure of the forage sample’s cell wall, basically the total fiber. This includes the cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and silica portions of the forage which are the primary structural components for all plants. ADF, on the other hand, measures only the least digestible parts of the plant; cellulose, lignin, and silica.
NDF measurements correspond with voluntary intake and rumen fill, how much and how fast an animal can eat. They also are a measure of how much energy is available to the animal. Usually, a low NDF reading means more energy available to the animal. The more mature a plant becomes, the more structural components it accumulates resulting in higher NDF readings and poorer quality feed. NDF levels can vary from 80% in straw to less than 40% in early blooming alfalfa.
ADF is directly related to the digestibility of the feed, measuring the indigestible portion of the plant. As ADF increases, digestibility decreases. This means that high ADF forages are low in energy. Alfalfa at early bloom has an ADF of 30-35% while a late bloom alfalfa has an ADF usually above 40%. Straw will have an ADF nearer to 50%.
ADF and NDF measure the sample’s fiber content, affecting digestibility and forage intake which help predict animal performance. Understanding these values set us up for next week’s discussion as we look at a measure of energy, TDN.
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High quality hay after calving
By Ben Beckman
Good cow nutrition is crucial following calving to get cows rebred. Today, let’s look at the reason for using our top tier hay after calves hit the ground.
Because cows experience a lot of stress after calving, they needs good feed. Not only is the cow producing milk for her calf, she is also preparing her reproductive system to rebreed. As a result, nutrient demands are high. Energy requirements increase about 30 percent and protein needs nearly double after calving. Underfeeding reduces the amount of milk a cow provides her calf, and it can delay or even prevent rebreeding. If it gets cold, wet, or icy again, nutrient demands can sky-rocket.
If animals can get to them, winter grass, corn stalks, and other crop residues are low quality right now as these feeds have weathered and are well picked over. It is critical that the hay or silage you feed will provide the extra nutrients your cows need.
Because of this, not just any hay or silage will do. Your cow needs 10 to 12 percent crude protein and 60 to 65 percent TDN in her total diet. If she is grazing poor quality feeds or eating grass hay, your other forages and supplements must make up any deficiencies.
Make sure your forage has adequate nutrients; if you haven’t done so yet, get it tested now for protein and energy content. Compare this to the nutrient requirements of your cows. Then feed your cows a ration that will meet their requirements. Use supplements if needed. But don’t overfeed, either. That is wasteful and expensive.
Calving and the months after are a stressful time for cows. If we underfeed, it can delay rebreeding and slow down calf growth. Use your best quality forages with any needed supplements to provide adequate nutrition. By meeting nutrient requirements, your cows will milk well, rebreed on time, and produce healthy calves year after year. #####
In 1840 Rose Davis creates modern peanut butter. A resident of New York, Rose Davis was rumored to have gotten the idea for peanut butter from her son, who had traveled to Cuba. So she started making it in her own kitchen.
In 1927, an application for a patent was made for “fried food on a stick”. The U.S. Patent Office issued the patent in 1929
Current egg prices scramble omelet costs
By Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU Extension food and nutrition
“What is the surcharge on eggs?” I asked our server as she poured us cups of coffee.
I was perusing the somewhat apologetic sign on the restaurant table. The increase in egg prices had caused them to charge customers a little extra for eggs.
“It’s $30 per egg,” she said.
“$30?” I asked with a wide-eyed grin. I figured she misspoke.
“Oh, I meant 30 cents an egg,” she laughed.
“I think I need a cup of coffee, too,” she said. “I’m already tired.”
I could handle the extra 60 cents for my egg dish, but $60 would have paid for some groceries for the week.
When I stopped at the grocery store later, I noticed the egg case was not full of cartons. The price for eggs was $6.50 per carton.
In some areas of the U.S., that price would be considered a bargain.
Let’s do some “egg math.” A large egg weighs about 2 ounces. At $6.50 per carton, the dozen eggs I bought were 54 cents per egg, or 27 cents per ounce. That includes the weight of the shell, by the way.
I placed a dozen eggs in my cart. I can do without a fancy coffee drink for a dozen eggs. I usually make my own coffee at home, anyway.
Many of us have experienced sticker shock in the egg aisle these days. Unfortunately, avian flu (or “bird flu”) has spread through the chicken population, causing widespread slaughter of chickens to stop the spread. Fewer chickens mean fewer eggs.
Eggs are in somewhat short supply, and prices have jumped 50% or more in many locations.
I have great appreciation for the role of eggs in food preparation and nutrition. Eggs help bind ingredients together, thicken mixtures and contribute rich flavor. Eggs trap air so baked goods can rise.
Years ago, eggs had a bad reputation in nutrition, but researchers have shown that most healthy people can have an egg a day without consequences. Yes, eggs contain cholesterol, but the type of cholesterol in eggs is not the same as the type of cholesterol in the body.
An egg has 70 calories, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, some vitamin D, calcium and potassium. Egg protein is a gold standard in nutrition because our bodies can digest it readily.
For safety, be sure to avoid cross-contamination of raw eggs with ready-to-eat foods. Restaurants that serve sunnyside-up eggs usually have a warning label on their menus to inform the public.
What if these egg prices are too high to manage? You might have a friend with a flock of chickens willing to share. Many cities allow people to keep a few backyard chickens. Check out NDSU Extension’s “Beginners Guide to Raising Chickens” to learn more.
In many locations, people who raise chickens can sell eggs directly to the consumer without going through a retail store. If you raise chickens and have a surplus to sell, check on the local regulations.
Eggs last up to five weeks in your refrigerator but lose their quality with time. If you have too many eggs to use, be aware that you can remove the eggs from their shells and freeze them.
Egg whites can be frozen “as is” in ice cube trays and then placed in freezer bags. Egg yolks need a little special treatment, or they could become gummy in texture. For every four yolks, beat in 1/8 teaspoon salt or 1 ½ teaspoons sugar, then freeze. Be sure to label the freezer container with the contents, date and amount.
Some egg substitutes may be tried in baked goods. Some recipes include ¼ cup applesauce, ¼ cup mashed banana or ¼ cup vegetable oil for one egg. This requires a little experimentation.
Other substitutes for one egg include 1 tablespoon ground flax flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water in baked goods. A combination of 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon oil and 2 teaspoons baking soda is another mixture to substitute for one egg in baked goods. Others have used “aquafaba” or the liquid remaining after cooking lentils or dry beans.
If you are attempting to curtail your use of eggs during the present pricing, consider egg-free recipes formulated to be tasty. This recipe is from a publication in the NDSU Extension series “All About Food Allergens.”
Not all hay feeders are created equal
By Brock Ortner, Nebraska Extension Livestock Educato
While many are enjoying the upturn in the cattle cycle, there is no better time to practice diligence and frugality to keep revenues in the business. As you are aware, feed costs constitute up to 70 percent of an operation’s yearly operating costs. The bulk of the feed costs are tied into the base feedstuffs: pasture and stored forages. Stored forages are often more costly than grazed forages, but for many, they are necessary to fill in the nutrient “gaps” when pasture or residues are unavailable.
Depending on access to grazed forages, many producers in a dry lot scenario opt to feed hay in ring feeders. While bunk feeding is the “gold standard” for waste minimization, there is significant capital associated with purchasing a feed wagon and bunks. Therefore, ring feeders present a convenient alternative. In a study comparing various designs of hay feeders, the classic ring feeder, constructed with steel or polyethylene, had the greatest waste, approximately 20 percent. Ring feeders with steel sheeting around the bottom are typically more expensive but result in less wasted feed, at around 13 percent. Over the course of a season of hay feeding, cost savings upfront on cheaper bale rings are likely recouped quickly through less wasted feed in the more expensive options. The most expensive options available are cone and basket hay feeders, with waste reported as low as 2-5 percent. Depending on the length of time spent feeding hay in a dry lot, opting for a more expensive feeder may be a better option in the long run to mitigate waste.
Additionally, research has shown that restricting access to hay results in less waste with a slight impact on cow performance. While only slightly more labor intensive, producers can separate cows from feeders and only allow access for 5-12 hours. Research has shown that when cows were allowed access for varied periods, less time allowed at the feeder resulted in lower waste but slightly less body weight gain. Producers should determine if gain is desired, especially in the case of thin cows, which may impact their decision to implement this practice. Adequate space should be allowed around hay feeders so that cows have equal opportunity to consume feed.
To summarize, not all hay feeders are created equal, and research suggests that some of the more expensive options are more effective at reducing waste compared to their counterparts. Additionally, if cow condition is adequate, limiting access to hay feeders is another tool available to better utilize stored feed resources. In conclusion, producers should assess their current hay feeding in the dry lot to determine if there are lost efficiencies that can be captured using alternative hay feeders and hay feeding strategies.
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InsectNet technology identifies insects around the world and around the farm
A farmer notices an unfamiliar insect on a leaf.
Is this a pollinator? Or a pest? Good news at harvest time? Or bad? Need to be controlled? Or not?
That farmer can snap a picture, use a smartphone or computer to feed the photo into a web-based application called InsectNet and, with the help of machine learning technology, get back real-time information.
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“The app identifies the insect and returns a prediction of its taxonomic classification and role in the ecosystem as a pest, predator, pollinator, parasitoid, decomposer, herbivore, indicator and invasive species,” said a scientific paper describing InsectNet recently published by the journal PNAS Nexus. Iowa State University’s Baskar Ganapathysubramanian and Arti Singh are the corresponding authors. (See sidebar for a complete list of authors.)
InsectNet – which is backed by a dataset of 12 million insect images, including many collected by citizen-scientists – provides identification and predictions for more than 2,500 insect species at more than 96 percent accuracy. When the application isn’t sure about an insect, it says it is uncertain, giving users more confidence when it does provide answers.
And, because the application was built as a global-to-local model, it can be geographically fine-tuned using expert-verified local and regional datasets. That makes it useful to farmers everywhere.
So, beware, armyworms, cutworms, grasshoppers, stink bugs and all the other harmful insects. And, hello, butterflies, bees and all the other pollinators. Good to see you, lady beetles, mantises and all the other pest predators.
“We envision InsectNet to complement existing approaches, and be part of a growing suite of AI technologies for addressing agricultural challenges,” the authors wrote.
A village of researchers
InsectNet’s ability to be fine-tuned for specific regions or countries make it particularly useful, said Singh, an associate professor of agronomy.
In Iowa, for example, Singh said there are about 50 insect species particularly important to the state’s agricultural production. To identify and provide predictions about those insects, Singh said the project used about 500,000 insect images.
That could happen for farmers all over the globe. And wherever there isn’t sufficient data – these sophisticated models often require millions of images – for local fine-tuning, the global dataset is still available for farmers.
InsectNet isn’t just for farmers, though. Singh said it could also help agents at ports or border crossings identify invasive species. Or it could help researchers working on ecological studies.
InsectNet makes an identification. it works with diverse image qualities and orientations.
The bottom line for any user is basic information about an insect: “Is this a pest?” Singh said. “Or is it a friend?”
Developers demonstrated the app during last August’s Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. And now the research paper is introducing it to a broader, scientific audience.
But aren’t there already apps that help identify insects?
Yes, said Ganapathysubramanian, but they’re not to the scale of InsectNet and aren’t capable of global-to-local applications. And they’re also not open-source applications with technology that can be shared.
“Making InsectNet open source can encourage broader scientific efforts,” he said. “The scientific community can build on these efforts, rather than starting from scratch.”
The project also answered a lot of technical questions that could be applied to other projects, he said.
How much data is enough? Where can we get that much data? What can we do with noisy data? How much computer power is necessary? How do we deal with so much data?
“Lastly, it takes a village of expertise to get to this point, right?” said Ganapathysubramanian.
So, the app is usable and flexible. But is it accessible?
You can’t go to an app store and download a version just yet, said Ganapathysubramanian, the Joseph and Elizabeth Anderlik Professor in Engineering and director of the AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture based at Iowa State. But the app is running on a server at Iowa State. With a QR code (see sidebar) or this URL, users can upload insect pictures and get an identification and prediction.
This works throughout the stages of an insect’s life: from egg to larva to pupa to adult. It works with look-alike species. And
It took agronomists and computer engineers and statisticians and data scientists and artificial intelligence specialists about two years to put InsectNet together and make it work.
“What we learned working with insects can be expanded to include weeds and plant diseases or any
other related identification and classification problem in agriculture,” Singh said. “We’re very close to a one-stop shop for identifying all of these.”
Keep the cow herd rumen healthy during winter drylot
By James Rogers, Forage crops production specialist, NDSU Extension
Over the holiday season, humans may experience stomach churning caused by a change in diet to rich holiday food. Stomach churning is not enjoyable for humans to experience and calls for a bottle of antacid. Stomach churning is a good thing, however, for cows. A cow’s stomach churning indicates a healthy rumen system, which is the movement of the rumen and reticulum to mix all the ingested food with rumen fluid and microbes. Additional indicators of a healthy rumen are a balance of fiber- and starch-digesting bacteria and a neutral pH. Cow herds across the Northern Plains spend the grazing season out on a pasture and range consuming forages with rumen fiber-digesting microbes. Once the grazing season is over, many cow herds spend the winter months in a drylot. Moving from pasture and range to a drylot is a major diet change and, if done incorrectly, can damage the rumen in a way that a bottle of antacids can’t fix.
A management goal for the cow herd during the drylot period should be to maintain a healthy rumen environment. Once grass returns in the spring and the cow herd is returned to grazing, the rumen is churning and a re-adjustment period back to grazing is not required.
This diet shift can mean changing from forages containing 80% moisture to dry hay with 15% moisture. Depending on the nutrient content of the hay, a supplement may compensate for any nutrient deficiencies. There is no way of knowing forage nutrient content without forage testing. This means that the cow herd must adjust to the type of forage being consumed and the supplement type, grain (which has high starch content) or co-product (which has high digestible fiber content).
Moving from a high forage to a high concentrate (starch) diet can cause rapid changes in the rumen environment. If a change in diet occurs too quickly, the rumen walls can get damaged. This causes a decrease in rumen pH, a shift in the type of rumen bacteria and a decrease in stomach churning, which can lead to bloat, acidosis or founder. This can happen when a starch supplement is fed beyond 0.5% of body weight daily. This effect can be avoided if a cow is fed highly digestible fiber such as in soybean hulls, corn gluten feed or dried distillers grain.
Another management strategy to control drops in rumen pH is to ensure adequate fiber in the diet. Fiber stimulates cud chewing and saliva production, which buffers a drop in rumen pH. Fiber that supports rumen health is related to particle size and is referred to as “effective fiber” or scratch factor. Many producers will grind or chop hay that has low nutrient content and
blend it with a supplement that is fed together as a mixed ration. Effective fiber is reduced, however, if the hay is ground too finely. To maintain effective fiber, a half-inch chop is recommended.
A huge part of maintaining a healthy cow herd is maintaining a healthy rumen. Cows are stressed when their diet is changed. Once the cow herd has transitioned to a drylot, maintain a steady, consistent dry matter feed intake. Ensure there is adequate fiber in the diet to stimulate rumen-churning and cud-chewing and always have ample water supplies available.
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Ellen and Mary are playing a round when they come to the 5th tee, which is overlooking a lake. Ellen proceeds to hit her drive right into the middle of the drink. She then realizes that she was out of balls and asks Mary for one. Mary obliges, and Ellen then hits her next shot into the water as well. Mary then gives her friend one, two, three more golf balls, but the outcome is the same. Finally, when Ellen asks for yet another ball, Mary says, “Ellen, these balls are expensive.” To which Ellen responds, “If you can’t afford to play golf, then you should pick up a less expensive sport.”
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In the 14th Century A.D. Peanut butter is invented. The Incan peoples of Peru are believed to have been the first to mash up peanuts into paste and use it for food. It was more coarse than modern peanut butter (and was likely unsweetened) but was the predecessor to today’s smoother, sweeter version.
Insect frass can improve soil fertility
By Jessica.Ryan, USDA
Insect droppings, commonly known as insect frass, may seem useless and downright disgusting, but scientists found that this waste can improve soil health when added as a fertilizer in farming.
Insect frass is a mixture of excreta, feed, and molted skins. These droppings are a by-product of farming insects like yellow mealworms, banded crickets, and black soldier flies. Farmers raise and breed insects, also known as “minilivestock,” to be an alternative protein source for animals and be a more sustainable practice in agriculture.
Insect frass may also be used as fertilizer. Previous studies by this team led by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) show insect frass can have higher carbon and nitrogen content than fossil fuel-based fertilizers and fewer pathogens than other animal manures.
These researchers, along with collaborators from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, also studied insect frass’ potential as an organic fertilizer source when used as a soil amendment in farming.
A pile of insect frassInsect frass. (Photo by Taylor Adams, ARS)
In a two-year field study, researchers found that frass from yellow mealworm increased the amount of carbon by two times and nitrogen by three times in soils than other sources like poultry litter and ammonium nitrate. Furthermore, soils with frass addition produced crop yields and carbon dioxide emission rates similar to soils amended with poultry litter and ammonium nitrate.
“Insect frass substantially improved soil fertility which showed its ability to be used as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers,” Amanda Ashworth, a soil scientist at the ARS Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit in Fayetteville, Arkansas, said.
“This is important since insect farming is on the rise and circular agricultural systems (agricultural by-products that are recycled back into production systems) can be sustainable avenues for growing foods in the future.”
According to Meticulous Research’s Global Edible Insects Market Forecast to 2030 report, the insect farming industry is expanding in response to increasing demands for sustainable protein sources for animal feed. The industry is projected to grow 28% annually and have an estimated market value of $8 billion U.S. dollars by 2030.
The study was recently published in Scientific Reports and done in collaboration with crop, soil and environmental science researchers with the Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and the ARS Biological Control of Pests Research Unit in Stoneville, Mississippi.
Fangs for the memories
During the fourth inning of a 2007 spring training game between the Indians and the Mets in Winter Haven, Florida, play was briefly halted when several reporters started screaming and running out of the press box. The culprit: a three-foot-long black snake that had slithered over their notebooks and computers. While fans (Floridians, who are accustomed to snakes) laughed at the reporters, a member of the grounds crew caught the snake and let it go in some woods near the parking lot.
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Mustard is the only officially approved condiment for corn dogs. Ketchup is frowned upon.
Hello essential oils
By Jacob Klaudt, K-State Research and Extension news service
Negative public perception and increasing governmental regulations have researchers seeking alternatives to antibiotic use in livestock. Ionophores – an antibiotic that alters rumen microbial populations to increase efficiency – have been temporarily banned in some countries.
If this occurs in the U.S., Kansas State University beef systems specialist Jaymelynn Farney said other feed supplements need to be evaluated to maintain current production levels.
In response to this change in animal husbandry, Farney and her team at the Southeast Agricultural Research Center in Parsons have started examining whether essential oils make a satisfactory substitute for ionophores.
“Some essential oils have similar ruminal effects as ionophores and impacts on feed efficiency, volatile fatty acid production and other efficiency areas,” she said. “We were interested in looking at this in stocker cattle because most of the work has been in feedlots or in vitro.”
Farney used 281 head of blackhided steers split into eight pastures. Four groups received free-choice mineral infused with essential oils, and the others infused with ionophores.
“We found that they performed essentially the same,” she said. “We had a 2.15 lb. average daily gain for ionophores and a 2.13 lb. average daily gain for essential oils over 90 days.”
She added: “The cattle fed ionophores gained 204 pounds total, and the essential oils group put on 203 pounds. Also, both groups had a very similar intake of mineral.”
While metrics like mineral consumption were comparable, the actual cost of the two supplements differed. Farney said the price of Solus – the brand of essential oil examined – calculated to $13.09 per unit while the ionophores cost $14.34.
“We fed a garlic oil product plus the Solus – a proprietary blend of ingredients,” Farney said. “When you open the mineral bag, you smell cinnamon, oregano, lemongrass and capsaicin.”
Outside of determining differences in performance, Farney has also set out to observe changes in functional behavior through GPS ear tags. Researchers noted no differences in the amount of time eating, resting, walking and ruminating. Yet, they saw a trend in slightly elevated heart rates in the animals fed essential oils.
“This was intriguing because many essential oils have been identified and marketed as vasodilators, or substances that allow for easier blood flow,” Farney said. “We’re not sure yet if that means anything to performance, but it was cool to see.”
This study will be conducted annually for four more years as a part of an overarching research project, said Farney. After her team collects the data and comes to conclusions, she hopes their results open a natural marketing avenue for producers.
“One of the big downsides of natural and organic systems is that ranchers have to get paid a significant premium because cattle do not gain as well as without antibiotics (ionophores),” she said. “If you can increase gain and feed a product like an essential oil that could be certified through those marketing schemes, you might get the best of both worlds.”
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##### What did the average person living in the medieval age drink? Well, they definitely didn’t drink from the lakes or ponds – that would make them sick. Instead, they mainly chugged alcoholic beverages. Some writers in the 15th century encouraged pregnant women to drink wine over water.
U of I cereals pathologist concerned about Idaho stripe rust outlook
A University of Idaho cereals pathologist is advising the state’s grain farmers that conditions appear optimal for pressure from a fungal disease that can devastate crop yields, known as stripe rust.
Initial symptoms of stripe rust include small chlorotic lesions on leaves, followed by the emergence of light-orange pustules from these lesions, each containing thousands of spores. Pustules develop parallel to leaf veins forming stripes.
Professor Juliet Marshall, associate director of the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station, offered an outlook for stripe rust and other diseases affecting wheat and barley during the East Idaho Cereals Conference, which University of Idaho Extension hosted Feb. 5 at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event Center in Fort Hall.
Marshall explained prevailing winds can carry stripe rust spores originating in northern California into southern and eastern Idaho. Extremely wet recent weather in northern California portends trouble with late-season stripe rust infections for Idaho grain growers from the Magic Valley through north of Idaho Falls.
“When northern California has plenty of moisture then they usually have good growth of cereals down there, and that means the stripe rust is going to be a problem,” Marshall said.
Stripe rust surfaced in wheat and barley fields throughout southern and eastern Idaho beginning in early June last season. On high-elevation dryland farms, Marshall worries fall-planted wheat that’s insulated throughout winter by snow cover could carry stripe rust spores into the spring, causing much earlier and more serious infestations.
“I think there was some significant inoculum that could potentially have infected some of our fall grain. If that is the case and we have early season infections we will have significant impact from stripe rust next spring,” Marshall said. “For dryland producers in upper-elevation areas, wheat should still be under snow and could potentially be protecting stripe rust. They need to be scouting early in spring when wheat plants are greening up.”
Most irrigated farms are located at lower elevations, where Marshall believes the weather has been warm enough this season to melt the snow cover, exposing stripe rust spores to hard freezes, which should kill any inoculum.
Growers can effectively protect themselves from stripe rust by applying fungicides or planting resistant wheat or barley varieties.
A few high-yielding wheat varieties that are commonly raised in the region — including the hard white spring wheat UI Gold, the hard white spring wheat WB7696 and the hard red spring wheat WB9707 — performed worse than expected against stripe rust last season. Options that continue to exhibit strong resistance include Dayn, Hale, WB9668, WB9636, WB9623, Seahawk and Ryan, among others.
“A lot of people weren’t spraying fungicides because stripe rust came in so late and it significantly affected the yield of some varieties,” Marshall said, adding that one field planted with a susceptible hard white spring wheat sustained yield losses of more than 50%.
Marshall encourages farmers to report stripe rust immediately upon spotting it to help warn other area farmers. UI Extension manages a pest alert website that provides farmers with advanced warning when diseases such as stripe rust are poised to move into their area. The site, https://pnwpestalert.net/, also offers management guidance.
“Stripe rust is a community and a communicable disease,” Marshall said. “It’s a community disease because if your neighbor has it, it’s likely to spread very quickly into your production.”
Northern Idaho farmers also appear to be in store for a challenging year with stripe rust, according to a 2025 stripe rust forecast recently issued by Xianming Chen, a research plant pathologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service in Pullman, Washington.
Chen is predicting potentially severe stripe rust infections in northern Idaho during the upcoming season, with yield losses of up to 57% possible. Chen wrote that warm weather last November and December has been conducive to stripe rust survival. Chen advises farmers who plant winter wheat varieties ranging from susceptible to moderately susceptible to stripe rust should consider an early fungicide application at the time of herbicide application.
A U of I researcher is concerned stripe rust could be a problem statewide during the coming season.
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Released by Montana State University in 2023 its high grainfield potential, MT Carlson also has moderate wheat stem sawfly resistance and tolerance to aluminum in soils. MT Carlson is resistant to common races of stem rust. MT Carlson also has good end-use quality making it an excellent variety for Montana producers!
MT 457 is a semi-dwarf green cotyledon pea with tendrilled leaf morphology. I attains a plant height of between 60 and 110 cm depending on the growing condition environment. Plant morphology is primarily a single stem, however, branches from the lower stems may appear under good growing conditions. MT 457 has white flowers with 2 flowers borne at each reporoductive node. Three flowers at a single node is possible, but rare. A single plant produces flowers and pods at between 3 and 6 nodes depending on growing conditions. MT 457 is a higher protein variety.
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