Ag Digest

Page 2 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011

THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011 Page 3

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Agriculture

MontanaBY PAT HANSEN

for The Montana Standard

Agriculture remains Montana’s number one industry, generating $2.8 billionannually, plus associated benefits, for rural communities and the state.According to the latest USDA statistics, the total value of agricultural

products sold in 2009 was $2.8 billion. Livestock, poultry and their products generated $1.5 billion while crops, including nursery and greenhouse sales were $1.3 billion.

In 2010, there were 29,400 farms and ranches in Montana with 60.8 million acresproducing food and fiber, second only to Texas. The average farm size is 2,068 acres.

Land use on farms and ranches includes 65.2 percent pasture and range,29.7 percent cropland, 3.7 percent woodland and 1.4 percent other.

It should be noted that pastures, range and cropland provide the wide openspaces and wildlife habitat that attract visitors to Montana, making tourism the second largest industry in the state. Visitors to Montana in 2009 spent $2.3 billionwhich is new money for Montana’s economy.

in

See AGRICULTURE, Page 4

One in five Montana workers is employed in agriculture or a related field. Theaverage age of the principal operator is 58 years.

Half of Montana’s operators make their living from the farm or ranch while othersearn their primary revenue from off-farm jobs. This is likely attributed to the 13,100 small landowners who have less than 200 acres and generate less than$10,000 farm revenue, as well as some of the 9,300 producers who generate $10,000 to $99,999 in farm revenue from farms and ranches that average 1,200 acres in size.

PRIMARY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS Montana’s top five agricultural products are wheat, cattle and calves, barley, hay

and sugar beets. However, farming and ranching have become more diverse.Although wheat and beef account for three-fourths of the state’s agricultural


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THERE ARE 23,000 BREEDING SOWS in Montana, according to the latest USDA

statistics. They produce an average of 10 pigs per litter.

Agriculture ...Continued from Page 3


receipts, crops such as peas and lentils are gaining significance. Montana is rankedsecond in the nation for production of barley for grain, dry edible peas and lentils.

According to the latest USDA report, the value of Montana’s agricultural com-modities exported during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2009 totaled $928.7 mil-lion. Wheat and wheat products remain the state’s leading export making up 60 percent of the state’s agricultural exports and ranking Montana third in thenation for wheat production and export.

According to the latest USDA inventor of Jan. 28, 2011, there are 2.5 million headof cattle in Montana. Cattle and calves are the leading livestock export.

Feeds and fodders were the second leading crop export accounting for 19.7 per-cent of the total, while vegetables and preparations that include dry beans, dry peas,lentils and fall potatoes were third.

Wind energy has become a new major source of income in some rural areas. InJanuary 2005 there was only one megawatt of wind power on-line, but by July 2010,wind capacity was more than 386 megawatts.

SOUTHWEST MONTANA AND AGRICULTURE According to USDA statistics, the counties of Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Gallatin,

Granite, Jefferson, Madison, Powell and Silver Bow account for 11 percent of thetotal state agricultural income or $310 million from livestock, crops and other farmincome.

Beaverhead County is the leading producer of cattle and calves in Montana. InJanuary they had an inventory of 113,000 head. The eight counties had a total of333,800 head in January, down from 376,200 in 2008, and 340,600 in 2009.

Cattle numbers in Montana and the United States are the lowest they have beensince the 1950s. Nevertheless, better genetics and management have resulted in thehighest amount of beef production, experts say.

Sheep production in Montana continues a steady decline with 230,000 head ofsheep and lambs on hand on January 28, down from 245,000 last year. According to

the USDA report, the numbers ofsheep in 2011 are two-thirds thenumber of 10 years ago when there were360,000 head in the state.

Valued at $119 a head in 2010, theprice was significantly higher thanthe low of $80 a head in 2002, butlower than the high of 2006 whenthey were valued at $147 a head.

Wool production averages 9.3 lbs.per head, pretty consistent for the


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THE EIGHT COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA had a total of 333,800 head of

cattle in January, down from 376,200 in 2008, and 340,600 in 2009.


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past 10 years but prices have increased dramatically from 45 cents per pound in 2001to $1.60/lb. in 2010.

The greatest challenge to sheep production is the percent of loss. According tothe USDA report, 49,000 head, or 10 percent of the inventory, died last year. Causesof death included predators, illness and other factors. The number of sheep killed bypredators was 17,800; the number one predator is the coyote, followed by fox, bears and dogs. Wolves and unknown predators were fourth, and mountain lions werefifth causes of predator loss. Lambing complications, weather, disease and othercauses accounted for the death of 31,200 head.

The number of hogs and pigs is 180,000 head in Montana according to the USDA report of Dec. 27, 2010, up about 5,000 head from the previous year. Of thatnumber, 157,000 are market hogs, 5,000 more than last year, and 23,000 breedingpigs.

Hay production in these eight counties is significant. In 2010 Gallatin countyranked second in the state in the production of 152,000 tons of alfalfa hay, Jeffersonwas third with 144,000 tons and Madison was sixth with 124,000 tons.

The average price of all hay decreased $14 per ton, from the 2009 price of $81.50.Statewide, alfalfa hay sold for an average of $81 a ton, down $15, and the averageprice of all other hay was $84 a ton, down $12.

A total of 537,000 tons of other hay was produced in the eight counties.Beaverhead led the state with 113,000 tons harvested from 51,000 acres. Powellcounty was 3rd in production with 45,000 tons followed by Madison county with36,500 tons.

Potato production in Montana continues steady with 11,500,000 planted lastyear, yielding an average of 325 hundred-weight (cwt) per acre. In 2009,2.7 million cwt were sold and 250,000 cwt were used for seed.

Gallatin County leads the state in potato production, harvesting 3,700 acres

producing 1.2 million hundred weight (cwt), a slight reduction in yield probablyattributed to the wet, cold spring in 2010.

Dry edible pea production for 2010 in Montana was 4.12 million cwt, up 38 per-cent from a year ago. Growers harvested 226,000 acres of dry peas with yields averaging 20 cwt per acre, compared to 13.3 cwt in 2009.

According to the USDA report, Gallatin county farmers planted 1,900 acres ofpeas that yielded 2,000 lbs/acre for a total production of 38,000,000 lbs.


PAT HANSEN PHOTO

HAY PRODUCTION in the eight counties covered in this report totaled 775,550 tons in

2009. Powell County ranks third in the state in other types of hay, including native grass

hay shown being stacked above with a beaverslide north of Avon.


Range Days coming to Deer Lodge in JuneFirst time for the event in western Montana

BY PAT HANSEN

for The Montana Standard

The 35th Annual Montana Range Days will be held in Deer Lodge June 13-15 at St. Mary’s Center with field activities at local ranches.

John Hollenback, chair of the local committee said this is the first time RangeDays has been held in western Montana. Organizers are expecting folks from acrossthe state to attend the family-oriented event.

“Our range is different from that of eastern Montana and a lot of people are really excited about coming,” Hollenback said.

During Range Days there is something for everyone from age four to adult includ-ing workshops, tours and competition. Kids are divided by ages with activitiesappropriate for each group. Workshops will include:

n Basic plant anatomy, identification of common rangeland vegetation andgrowth characteristics.

n Geology, climate, vegetation and animal life associated with local rangelands.n How vegetation and forage production on range sites change over time with

different grazing management, with a comparison of present day forage productionto historic plant communities.

n Calculate stocking rates and how to measure utilization of key forage speciesand discuss how grazing use affects range plants.

n Do some range planning by considering a real-life ranch scenario and the rangemanagement decisions that maintain resources to keep the ranch in business.

Tours being offered are:

Monday — Montana Correctional Enterprises

Tuesday a.m. — Integrative Vegetation Management (sheep grazing/helicopter

operation)

Tuesday p.m. — Old Prison and Montana Auto Museum

COURTESY PHOTO

ELEMENTARY-AGED STUDENTS, the Superstarter group, listen to presentations at

Montana Range Days in Miles City in June 2010.

See RANGE DAYS, Page 8


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BUCKAROO TO WRANGLER ACTIVITIESn Buckaroos, age 4-6, will have fun and learn about rangeland environment while

their parents attend workshops and contests.n The 7-8 year-old Ecosystem Explorers will be introduced to rangeland

components through fun games and activities.n Superstarters, age 9-11, will learn rangeland ecology and basic plant identification.n Wranglers, age 12-13, will have hands-on activities related to plant anatomy,

ID, and range management.

YOUTH AND ADULT ACTIVITIES High school students can register as FFA or Open Youth, 4-Hers compete as

Open Youth. They may enter as teams, but FFA Chapters may enter only one team,with all members from that chapter.

The youth will rotate through workshops with instruction from specialists ineach topic. Top Greenhand (age 14) and Top Range Hand (15-19 years) will receiveMontana Silversmith belt buckles based on scores from their contests.

Adults will rotate through workshops along with the youth. Adults may choose toattend tours any of the three days and still participate in workshops or contests.

CONTESTS, SCHOLARSHIPSContests include range exhibits and/or illustrated talks by kids age 4-19 years.

Top range collections that include noxious weeds will receive cash prizes.Other contests include a written test on range plant anatomy and identification

of plant specimens, a more detailed range plant identification of 20 to 30 flaggedrange plants and range management identifying three range sites and a quiz on

stocking rate and utilization.Three $1,000 scholarships will be

awarded. Applications are due April 30,by registering at www.montanarange-days.org. Continuing education creditswill also be offered.

The Deer Lodge Valley ConservationDistrict, Natural Resource ConservationService, and Northern Ag Network arehosting the event in 2011 and again in2012.

“It takes a lot of work to put RangeDays on,” said committee chair JohnHollenback, “and we really encouragepeople to participate.”

RegistrationBefore June 1: Individuals $35,

family $85.After June 1: Individuals $40, family $90 The registration fee includes workshop

materials and six meals.There are a number of camping and

motel lodging facilities in the area.Camping will also be available at SchoolDistrict No.1.

Registration forms and more informationare available on the website:www.montanarangedays.org.

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Wily wolf causes stressBY PAT HANSEN

of The Montana Standard

Cattle stressed by the presence of wolves may loseweight. And, a 20 to 40 pound weight loss per animalcan make the difference between profit and loss on a

bunch of calves or yearlings at market time.Joe Rambler, a UM graduate student, is gathering data

from producers and extension agents in a scientific study of impacts from wolves on livestock besides direct depredation. He is currently working with 21 producers, butneeds 30 to 40 for the study and would especially like tovisit with producers who have had depredation or presumed depredation.

Area ranchers recently participated in Deer Lodge inpanel discussion on wolf issues. The panel included TracyManley, a fourth generation rancher from Helmville, LizBradley, FWP wolf management specialist, Ovando rancherWayne Slaght, Montana Stockgrowers’ Natural ResourceDirector Jay Bodner, and George Edwards, Deptartment ofLivestock Loss Mitigation Coordinator.

Tracy Manley said activity of the “wily wolf” near his200 cow herd resulted in 77 not being bred or aborting theircalves. He added that management of cattle with wolf pressure is more challenging “because the cattle don’t wantto stay where we want them.”

“Wolves came through an elk herd and intothe yard and killed calves,” he said. “Wildgame in the area doesn’t mean they will eatwild meat.”

Liz Bradley said the FWP is trying to dealwith very real conflicts on the ground.

“The wolf recovery goal was reached in2002 and our goal is to try to get themdelisted so we have more tools to workwith,” she said. “Keeping a good count is abig part of it, so it’s important that peoplecall when they see a wolf. In the meantimewe are still managing the wolf issue by targeting offending wolves who return tothe kill.”

Preventive measures including range rid-ers and human presence help deter wolves andare good for early detection she said.

Wayne Slaght is resigned to the fact that“wolves are not going to leave and we need to learn tolive with them.”

He compared the wolf issue with concern about noxious weeds a few years ago and how the formation ofweed boards is helping mitigate that problem. Slaght

See WOLF, Page 10


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believes that predator boards working together would be helpful in dealing with wolf,lion and bear issues.

“Joe’s study is a start, but it isn’t the answer,” Slaght said. “We need to look at thewhole picture. Getting wolves delisted is important, with wildlife groups and stockgrowers working together to encourage Congressional action.”

Wolf populations are above the sustainable numbers in Montana, Idaho, Minnesota,Wisconsin and Arizona.

Jay Bodner said, “Around the country environmental groups want them to bedebated within the endangered species act, but from a landowner standpoint, unlesswe can get Congressional action, delisting will not happen. In the short term, Montanais under dual classification with two different sets of rules to manage them, and that’snot fair for landowners or FWP.”

Established in 2008, the Montana Department of Livestock Loss Reduction andMitigation Board (LLRM) works to minimize losses by reimbursing producers for confirmed or probable losses as determined by USDA-Wildlife Services.

LLRM coordinator George Edwards said, “The key is getting to the animal as quickly as possible. If you suspect a livestock loss due to wolf predation, call theUSDA-Wildlife Services to investigate the kill.”

Edwards said, “For every one kill reported there may be as many as eight not confirmed. We know you are suffering, but the board is only authorized to pay on wolf loss, not lion or bear, and cannot pay unless the investigation verifies a wolf kill.”

A claim is processed the same day it is received. Last year LLRM paid $145,000 for the loss of 370 animals.

“The board is trying to help as best as we can,” Edwards said.For more information call (406) 444-5609.

Wolf ...Continued from Page 9

FFA hosts open houseBY PAT HANSEN


The Deer Lodge FFA recently hosted anopen house potluck dinner and award ceremony at the Vo-Ag building.

Agriculture is the nation’s largestemployer, with more than 24 million peopleworking in some phase. FFA prepares members for more than 300 careers in thescience, business and technology of agriculture.

During the FFA program, star creedspeaker Daniel Beck talked of his faith in thefuture of agriculture, born not of words, but of deeds.

Beck works with his parents and sisterson the family ranch along the LittleBlackfoot River west of Avon. He said that tolive and work on a good farm, or to beengaged in other agricultural pursuits, ispleasant as well as challenging. Beck said heknows the joys and discomforts of agricul-tural life, yet holds a fondness for it, evenduring times of discouragement.

The FFA creed emphasizes leadership,

DANIEL BECK, left, is star creed

speaker for the Deer Lodge FFA.

See FFA, Page 11

respect, the ability to work efficientlyand to think clearly as progressive agri-culturists for individual benefit and thepublic in producing and marketingproducts of their toil.

For 25 years Advisor Bill Lombardi hasinspired and encouraged students atPCHS while providing them an opportu-nity to learn about agriculture throughscience-based classroom instruction andhands-on experiences.

His goal is to prepare students to beproductive members of society and toinstill in them a strong sense of theimportance of the need to have a qualified workforce in the agricultural industries.

Lombardi says, “I can motivate andteach my students best when they can see theapplication of the agricultural principalswe cover.”

The Greenhand FFA degree is given tostudents who have learned basics aboutthe FFA program and are enrolled in agri-culture education and have made plansfor their supervised agricultural experi-ence (SAE).

The Star Greenhand award was pre-sented to Aaron Heggelund who hasshown proficiency in sheep productionand mechanics. He earned the HaywoodSheep Award in 2010. Greenhand degreeswere also presented to Daniel Beck andJake Logan.

The Chapter FFA Degree is given to the


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DEER LODGE FFA president Theresa Lombardi, above right, presents the Star Chapter

Degree award to Annie Lombardi, recognizing her work experience at the FFA farm and

success with her sheep production project.

FFA ...Continued from Page 10

About FFAn There are 523,309 FFA members,

aged 12-21, in 7,487 chapters in all 50states, Puerto Rico and the VirginIslands.

n 38 percent of FFA members arefemale; women hold more than 50 percentof state leadership positions

n 89 percent of FFA members are ingrades 9-12;6 percent are in grades 7-8; 5 percent arehigh school graduates

n 27 percent of FFA members live inrural farm areas; 39 percent live in ruralnon-farm areas with the remaining 34 per-cent of members living in urban and sub-urban areas.

See FFA, Page 12


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Greenhand Aaron

Heggelund and

Daniel Beck.

chapter’s top members. This year’s Star Chapter Degree went to Annie Lombardi,recognizing her work experience at the school farm and the progress and successes shehas had with her sheep production SAE.

To receive the Chapter Degree a member must be an ag-ed student with an approvedSAE in operation where they have earned or invested at least $150 or worked at least 45 hours outside of scheduled class time. A chapter degree recipient also demonstratesleadership by participating in the planning and implementation of FFA chapter activitiesand leading group discussions and/or meetings. The candidate also has completed a minimum of 10 hours of community service activities.

FFA ...Continued from Page 11


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Students evaluatestream, riparian areas

BY PAT HANSEN


The physical structure of the stream is affected by meandering curves combinedwith riparian vegetation — grasses, shrubs and trees.

A riparian zone or buffer area is the interface between land and a river or streamand may be natural or engineered for soil stabilization or restoration. Riparianbuffers, both the grassed and forested portions, are extremely important for ahealthy stream. They serve to slow water velocity, trap excessive sedimentation,filter surface runoff, provide water storage and aquifer recharge, regulate streamtemperature, supply shelter and food for aquatic animals, fish and wildlife,contribute to nearby property values, and offer recreational opportunities.

STREAM AND RIPARIAN ASSESSMENTThroughout the West, public and private land managers are being asked to

improve or maintain riparian habitat and stream water quality. Those who live andwork on the land can usually tell the health of riparian sites, but it is often difficultto quantify changes.

The Natural Resource and Conservation Service (NRCS) has developed a practicalway of assessing riparian and stream health on a working ranch. The assessment isrelatively quick and easy. It does not require precise measurement, but relies onvisual estimations.

Last fall, 50 Powell County High School juniors and seniors in earth science andadvanced biology field science had a hands-on experience along Dry Cottonwood

Creek south of Deer Lodge when they conducted an assessment along four reaches of the stream. With guidance from their teachers and several naturalresource experts the students answered 10 questions based on the standard

PAT HANSEN PHOTO

POWELL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL earth science students spend a hands-on field day

assessing reaches along Dry Cottonwood creek and its riparian area.

See RIPARIAN, Page 14


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NRCS assessment format.It is recommended the length of a reach being

evaluated include at least one channel meander. Two ormore are preferable because bank cutting will be overestimated if the reach is located mostly on an outside curve and underestimated if it is mostly on aninside curve. Also, the riparian zone width must be considered on both sides of the stream, if both are underthe same management.

During their field day, the students evaluated four300-foot reaches of Dry Cottonwood, scoring eachquestion from six (best) to zero (worst) and writingcomments about their observations. Evaluationsincluded:

Amount of erosion, if any, caused by humancauses — livestock grazing, recreation, roads and

industrial activities.Predominate type of aquatic life and fish habitat —

deep and shallow pools, security cover, woody debrisand undercut banks

Major alteration of flows that negatively impactaquatic life habitats — flow alterations upstream,irrigation, ponds and/or seasonal dewatering.

Amount of the floodplain and streambanks coveredby plants.

Type and amount of streambank vegetation with a

deep, binding root mass – ferns, sedges, rushes, fescueand wildrye bunch grass, etc.

Percent of disturbance-induced undesirable herbaceous species – cheatgrass, clovers, dandelions,cockleburrs, etc.

Percent of site covered by noxious weeds — noxiousweeds indicate a degrading ecosystem.

Types and ages of woody riparian species — alder,willows, cottonwood, quaking aspen, red-osier dogwood, chokecherry, etc.

Amount of browse utilization on trees and shrubs bylivestock and wildlife

The scores were totaled for all the factors rated, andthat total was divided by a perfect score of 100.

A less than perfect score is not necessarily cause forconcern. Ratings of individual factors will help detectstrengths or weaknesses of a site and determine management options.

A single evaluation provides a rating at only onepoint in time. To measure trends, an assessment mustbe conducted on a reach over a number of years duringthe same time of year. The evaluation should be con-ducted when most plants can be identified and not during peak spring runoff or immediately after a majorstorm. Also consider operations management whenassessing trends on rotational grazing systems, avoidcomparing a rating after a season of use one year to arating another year after a season of rest.

For more information about stream and riparianassessment contact your local NRCS office orConservation District.

Riparian ...Continued from Page 13

A HEALTHY riparian zone along Hoyt Creek near Ovando.

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