Wetter than wet

As far as seeding is concerned in Richland County, we are in a holding pattern. For much of April and now into May, our fields have been either covered in snow or extremely saturated. There was some planting and tillage that took place around Easter and we had a few days since that provided more opportunities, but, for the most part equipment has been parked. There are several stories of people trying to push the envelope a little too much and winding up with tractors and equipment stuck in fields.

The wet weather and snow has been somewhat detrimental to our cattle herds as well. A blizzard that occurred on April 30 lead to the loss of several calves by several ranchers.

Voles and Pocket Gophers running rampant

Now that the snow has melted and grass can actually be seen, many people are reporting damage to their pastures and home lawns from both voles and pocket gophers. For options regarding control of both of these pests, here are some good sources.

When it comes to controlling voles (a.k.a. field mouse, meadow mouse), here is some great information.


For pocket gopher identification and control, click here.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION-Due to the products being improperly used and causing illness and death in some instances, fumigants (Fumitoxin, Phostoxin) are no longer labeled for use in residential areas. Use of these products in residential settings is not only potentially very dangerous but is now illegal.

Since you can't get in the field anyway...................

And it appears as though things are not going to change for the next couple of weeks either, now is as good of a time as any to be thinking about your private pesticide applicators license. If you are currently licensed in Eastern Montana, your license is due to expire on December 31 of 2011. In order to make sure that you are eligible to receive a new license after this one expires, you must have 6 continuing education credits.

If you are not sure how many credits you have, there is an easy way to check.

• Go to https://app.mt.gov/pest/index?_flowExecutionKey=_c503DAE2E-EE7F-4B6B-B0B9-5888FB43E7F4_k447DF3C9-4199-BC19-6C90-928E4F80B89E enter your pesticide license number and the next screen that pops up will be a screen with your name at the top and a listing of how many credits you have.

If you do not know what your license number is, you can go to http://services.agr.mt.gov/Pesticide_Applicators/, enter your name, and it will tell you what your number is.

If you have 6 credits or more, there is nothing that you need to do at this time. If you have not accumulated your 6 credits, there are a couple of options that you have.

1. If you are only 1 or 2 credits short, you have the option of getting credits online by passing a quiz or two. For complete details on how to do this, visit http://www.pesticides.montana.edu/PAT/OnlineCredits/index.html

2. If you need more than 2 credits visit
http://www.pesticides.montana.edu/PAT/2011/Region4.html for a list of programs
that are being offered in Eastern Montana where pesticide points will be given. You will
want to check this site and the Northeastern Montana Ag Crops blog site periodically
throughout the year for upcoming programs.

The last thing that I would say is don't panic. As the year progresses, there should be ample opportunities for those much sought after pesticide points.

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)

With the recent weather conditions and flooding risks that are predicted, livestock producers will want to make sure and keep accurate records of death losses, and, if there are losses due to extreme weather conditions (extreme cold, floods, and diseases caused by weather issues are just a few), make sure that the deaths are verified by a third party.

The reason for this is that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) office can provide a Livestock Indemnity payment for losses that occurred due to these events. Losses must be in excess of normal death loss rates and, as I mentioned above and cannot stress enough, must be verified by a third party not associated with the operation (a veterinarian, or someone from the FSA Office are your best bets).

To be eligible for a payment, losses must be reported to the FSA office within 30 days of the day the loss occurred and a request for payment must be made within 30 days of the end of the calendar year. I am sure that this post raises more questions than it provides answers so I would encourage you to contact your local FSA office for more details.

Ag Risk Management Seminar and Pulse Day

Winter season is meeting season for many agricultural producers. Unfortunately it is also cold/snowy season (especially this year) and sometimes limits the ability to attend meetings. Hopefully, though, these two meetings coming up will see more favorable conditions for travel.

AG RISK MANAGEMENT SEMINAR-Sidney, February 16 & Glasgow February 18
Duane Griffith who is MSU Extension's farm management specialist has been helping local agents across Montana conduct seminars for both farmers and ranchers. The Ag Risk Management Seminar will provide information, tips, and strategies to allow farmers and ranchers to make educated decisions when it comes to managing risks on their operations.

The focus of this seminar is to explain what options producers have, whether it be insurance, government programs, marketing, or combinations of each, to help alleviate some of the risk involved in producing crops and livestock. Both programs will consist of a morning session geared towards crop producers and an afternoon session that will focus on options for livestock producers.

For more information about the seminar in Sidney, contact the Richland County Extension Office. To find out details regarding the meeting in Glasgow, contact the Valley County Extension Office.

11TH ANNUAL MON-DAK PULSE DAY- February 17, Williston
The 11th annual Mon-Dak Pulse Day will be held Thursday, February 17 at the Airport International Inn in Williston, ND. There is a full day of presentations all related to helping producers grow pulse crops. A complete schedule and poster can be found by clicking here.

For producers who need them, 3 Private Pesticide Applicator points and/or 2 Commercial Pesticide Applicator points can be obtained for Montana licensed applicators.

Sorry for the hiatus

With the winter season definitely upon us and snow piled in every knook and cranny available, there is not much happening in the agronomic sector of Richland County these days. While looking at the piles of snow everywhere is not my idea of entertainment, some comfort can be taken in the fact that, eventually it will melt and hopefully most of that moisture will be absorbed by the ground and available in the early spring when needed.

To help take our minds off of snow and replace those thoughts with good agricultural-related information, producers should plan on attending the MonDak Ag Days and Trade Show. Ag Days will take place on January 13 and 14 at the Richland County Event Center located on the Richland County Fairgrounds. Thursday's lineup of speakers will be geared more towards our ranching friends while Friday's topics will focus on crop production, soil health, and weather.

I will not go into great detail regarding the schedule, but encourage you to check out the web site above. Ag Days will surely be a great event with a vast array of products and services displayed in the trade show area and great information disseminated during the educational sessions.

For more information and details regarding Ag Days, give the Richland County Extension Office a call at 406-433-1206.

The grain may be in the bin, but you're not out of the woods yet

There may be a field of corn or two here and there that may need to come off yet, but for the most part, all of the crops grown in Richland County are either in the bin, in the bunker, or delivered to their final destination. If you have grain that you are storing on your farm, I would encourage you not to forget about it. You may consider periodic checks on your grain just to make sure that everything is exactly as it was when you first put the grain in there. More than likely, you will not have issues if the grain was properly dried an aerated but it is better to find out now rather than wait until you start to unload it for delivery.

Speaking of grain bins, I would encourage you to come and check out the trade show at the MonDak Ag Days and Trade Show on January 13 and 14. Not only will there be quite the line up of agricultural products displayed, but there will also be some excellent agricultural and livestock talks given over the two day period. For more information, click on the link above, or give me a call at 406-433-1206 or send me an email.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the headlining entertainment for this year's event. If you are planning on coming to Ag Days, make sure and get your tickets for the Thursday evening banquet. A delicious beef dinner will be served and you will be entertained by none other than Baxter Black. Tickets are on sale now but quantities are limited.