U.S. farmers are running away from wheat, planting the fewest acres in a century, but not Montana farmers who see an opportunity in the mass exit to make some dough.
GLENDIVE, Mont. – Spring calves are everywhere at the beautiful Lassle Ranch Simmentals in eastern Montana.New calves start a new year for Clay and Marianne Lassle, who run the LRS seedstock operation with their daughter, Sarah Thorson and her husband Ryan, along with their two young daughte…
LAMBERT, Mont. – Spring is bringing new life to the Klasna farm/ranch, where Hereford and Black Baldy heifers and soon, cows, will be calving their young.“Spring is finally here - I heard a meadowlark this morning. And we have two new calves, a heifer and a bull,” said Whitney Klasna who far…
The National Ag Statistics Service released state stories on March 28, and a mixed picture was found in Montana.Topsoil moisture 1% very short, 25% last year; 6% short, 28% last year; 82% adequate, 47% last year; 11% surplus, 0% last year.Subsoil moisture 4% very short, 23% last year; 9% sho…
Traders had expected mostly sideways trading in the last few days before the Prospective Plantings report was released by USDA on March 31. That didn’t hold true for the canola market as rumors swirled about on March 23.“There was a huge hammering of the canola market. It was hammered lower …
Each year, calf crops are the lifeblood of cow/calf operations. In the cyclical nature the livestock industry operates under, high survival rates for newly born calves is a key component to a healthy bottom line.Unfortunately, there are calves who don’t make it – statistically anywhere from …
The durum market remained relatively unchanged while waiting for the USDA’s March 31 Prospective Plantings report.“We’ve not seen a whole lot of change in the durum market,” said Jim Peterson, marketing director for the North Dakota Wheat Commission. “Top end prices continue to run from $6.1…
5 Keys to Crop Insurances SuccessSkin in the Game. Farmers design their own protection and pay for it through deductibles and premiums. In other words, farmers usually get a bill, not a check.Private-Sector Success. Private insurers and agents — not the government — sell and service policies…
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 28, 2017 – A federal judge yesterday approved a settlement agreement between the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, limiting EPA’s release of information on livestock farmers.Under the …
Setting a stocking rate is one of the most important decisions that ranchers or land managers make.Stocking rate refers to the number of specific kinds and classes of animals grazing or using a unit of land for a specific timeframe."Regardless of which grazing management system is employed, …
LENNEP, MT – Ranchers Kari Marks and Rick Berg have a tried and true strategy when attending the Green Mountain Red Angus bull sale in Three Forks to select cow bulls for the Berg Ranch herd.“We bid on what we think we can afford,” Kari said. “Usually the top five bulls are right at the begi…
THREE FORKS, MT – There’s nothing like a great sale day to make a guy optimistic.“I’m positive about the cattle market right now,” said rancher Bob Morton of Green Mountain Red Angus. “There are a lot of indicators that feeder calves will be worth more money this summer and fall.”Bob and Jul…
One step forward and one step back, or one step back and one step forward. In either case, you end up in the same place where you started. That’s a look at the spring wheat market in recent weeks.“The Minneapolis futures saw some upside this last week, but that followed a week of downward pr…
We are all waiting for the return of warmer weather, but that brings out those pesky and potentially profit-robbing horn flies. However, early season planning can help keep the horn fly population under control all season long, according to Ted Perry, cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal N…
LAMBERT, MT – Preparations for the big annual event – calving – are underway at the Klasna farm/ranch on the northwestern North Dakota/northeastern Montana border.“We’re making sure everything is ready for calving, double checking our supplies and ensuring we have everything on hand that we …
LINGLE, WY - At the University of Wyoming, work with unsaturated fats and grass-fed beef has led to new research, which could benefit heifer-breeding success.“The unknown fertility of replacement heifers is a serious concern of beef cattle producers,” said Dan Rule, UW professor of animal sc…
Dennis and Sarah Roe and their family are doing what they can to make a difference for farmers affected by severe wildfires in southern Kansas. Armed with the knowledge they are doing something good and needed, the Roes headed Monday morning to Ashland, Kansas, with supplies and plenty of sm…
Syngenta brings its knowledge of weed control in corn to wheat with its new Talinor cereals herbicide.“Syngenta has brought a brand new active ingredient into the wheat herbicide market with Talinor,” said Nathan Popiel, Syngenta agronomic service representative in North Dakota. “We’re reall…
DICKINSON, ND – The new dicamba formulations registered for dicamba resistant soybean technologies for 2017 require careful studying of labels, but provide an excellent weed control tool for growers.“The new dicamba-resistant soybean technology will bring another very effective tool to the s…
GREAT FALLS, MT – There aren’t a lot of celebrities in agriculture. Most farmers and ranchers work their whole lives without a whole lot of recognition outside their small communities – and they like it that way.Riley Slivka is different.He has 123,000 views and counting on his YouTube chann…
Ag technologies have changed the world – we all know that.But do you know how an evolving new medical technology in facial reconstruction – is changing the world – and especially the world of a rural man, as well?A man from a mostly-ranching community in northeastern Wyoming was given a new …
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BILLINGS, MT – Any farmer or rancher will tell you there’s nothing like a trusty little ATV to haul wire, lumber and fertilizer, but man, do you feel it the next day. Plus, you can’t haul that much.Now an increasing number of them are saying “no thanks,” and investing in the luxury sedan of …
As the heavy snow from winter melts, freezes and re-melts, hay bales stored out in the field or in the yard can suffer from excess moisture.“It is always a good idea to test hay before feeding it to your livestock, especially if it has been stored outside,” said Emily Glunk, Montana State Un…
Those following the canola markets were excited to hear the news at the end of February that the White House was thinking of issuing a bio-fuels executive order that would have increased the demand for U.S. produced bio-fuels from both canola and soybeans, as well as ethanol, according to Ba…
HELENA, MT – Once a year, Donna Griffin’s father would load up the family at 5 a.m. to go to Glacier Park, stopping at Lake McDonald Lodge, where she and her siblings would be cautioned not to order ketchup in case it spilled. After dinner, they’d load back up and drive the nearly 200 miles …
Will prices for pulses go the way wheat, corn and soybeans have gone?That is just one of the pulse webinars the Dry Pea and Lentil Council is hosting for producers and others interested.Registration is still open at https://www.usapulses.org, and more pulse education webinars are set.Called …
GLENDIVE, MT – New calves mean spring is here at Lassle Ranch Simmentals in eastern Montana.“Calving is going very well so far,” said Sarah Thorson, who operates LRS with her husband, Ryan, daughters, Grace and Harper, and parents, Clay and Marianne Lassle.About 30 calves were on the ground …
DICKINSON, ND – Last spring, high levels of wireworm damaged winter wheat, hard red spring wheat, field pea and sugarbeet crops, according to the NDSU Extension Service.“There are several species of wireworms in North Dakota,” said Dr. Janet Knodel, NDSU Extension entomologist, at the Best o…