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The Problem With Farmers And Ranchers and this does not change after they “retireâ€? (if that’s actually a thing for them). 4. They love to BS and gossip - If you want I’ve come to the realization that farmers WR NQRZ VRPHWKLQJ ÂżQG D SODFH ZKHUH IDUPHUV DQG UDQFKHUV KDYH VRPH Ă€DZV DQG , WKRXJKW and ranchers congregate for coffee! They have WKHLU HDUV WR WKH JURXQG DQG WKHLU ÂżQJHU RQ WKH maybe I should address them here. 1. They work themselves into the ground pulse of their Ag community to rival any local - their bodies may be revolting, but they will news media. Seriously! They are an untapped still get in that tractor or on that horse long resource for information as it happens. 7KH\ PXVW EH WKH ÂżUVW LQ WKH ÂżHOG 7KHUH after their concerned family is comfortable. They design lifts to get themselves into their is a competitive streak in them, that they may tractor and teach their horses to lie down for try to deny. Do not believe them! You just easier mounting. Nothing will keep them from watch. As it gets closer and closer to seeding farming and ranching. A doctor’s appointment or harvest, equipment gets more and more might be necessary, but should that date come visible! Cause if they can’t actually get in the at a time when they think they’ve got more ÂżHOG WKHQ DW OHDVW WKH\ IHHO WKH QHHG WR VKRZ important farming or ranching things to do, WKDW WKH\ DUH UHDG\ WR EH LQ WKH ÂżHOG 7KLV LV that appointment goes right out the window. also discussed and touted at the local coffee place as well. Sorry Doc. 6. They are single minded - when it’s “go2. They don’t show much emotion - They have seen life lived and life ended. They may timeâ€? nothing stands in the way of that. “Oh be rough and hardened by the losses they’ve honey, you’re going into labor?! How quickly endured, but they will still work hard to save do you think you can pop that baby out?â€? “Dineven one. When life can’t be saved, that ani- ner is ready? I’ll be in when I’m done!â€? Figure mal may be taken to the bone pile or a far off on waiting for them frequently. 7. They make a ton of laundry - It is as if coulee, but that loss is felt in more than the pocket book! Don’t let them fool you. They’re they must test the limits of their wife’s stain ÂżJKWLQJ SURZHVV DQG WKH HQGXUDQFH RI WRGD\ÂśV big softies under a rough exterior! 3. They appear to not value sleep - They live most capable washing machines. Want to know by, “I can sleep when I’m deadâ€? during seed- the best washing machine on the market or the ing, harvest, calving and haying. When it’s “go best detergent for certain qualities of water? time,â€? their internal clock is more dependable Just ask a farmer’s or rancher’s wife. 8. The problem with farmers and ranchers than that of a rooster! You might even be able to set your clocks by them should you have a is that they are no problem at all! They face SRZHU RXWDJH /DWH QLJKWV LQ WKH ÂżHOG GRQÂśW a lot of challenges and sometimes they can earn them more time to sleep in in the morning. be hard to live with. But, truly they are no ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD / FOR FARM & RANCH They’re up early to go again the next morning problem at all. Seeding is upon us! Our farm girls seem to think that when equipment is being filled or worked on, then it is free to be used as a jungle gym. ELIZABETH SHIPSTEAD FOR FARM & RANCH
The Month in Weather: Dry April Increases Fire Danger trace of reported precipitation, and one day saw a tenth of an inch of accumulated SUHFLSLWDWLRQ RU PRUH ZKLFK FODVVL¿HV DV D April started with a wintery bang for wetting precipitation event. As for winds, QRUWKHDVW 0RQWDQD DQG WKHQ VSULQJ ¿QDOO\ 17 days saw sustained winds greater than arrived and conditions quickly dried up 25 mph, and 24 days with winds greater across the region. This drying has led to than 20 mph. The highest sustained wind HDUO\ LQFUHDVHG ¿UH GDQJHU DFURVV QRUWKHDVW was reported at 44 mph and occurred on Montana this month as grasses have yet to April 27, and the highest wind gust was also start the green-up process. This dry weather recorded on April 27 at 54 mph. Also as of press date, per the National has also started to really push the region towards re-introduction of drought conditions. Weather Service in Glasgow, the highest Looking ahead towards May, the con- observed temperature for the month was ¿GHQFH LQ ERWK WKH SUHFLSLWDWLRQ DQG WHP- 76 degrees on April 21, and the lowest was perature forecasts is minimal. With respect 0 degrees on April 2. The total liquid preto the precipitation forecast, the forecast cipitation reported at Glasgow for the month calls for equal chances of above, near and was 0.28�, which was approximately 0.50� below-normal conditions across the Trea- below normal. Over a 24-hour period, the sure State for May. The story is the same greatest precipitation total was 0.13�, which for temperatures, with equal chances of occurred on April 1. The overall mean temabove, near and below-normal conditions perature for the month was approximately 40 degrees, which was approximately 4.5 for Montana this coming month. Now looking back at April, as of press degrees below normal. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor was date, 12 days in the month saw at least a MICHELLE BIGELBACH FARM & RANCH
released on April 21. As of press date, there was a total of 9.5 percent of Montana reporting at least abnormally dry conditions, spread out throughout different parts of Montana, from the northwest corner, to south-central areas, and extending out to the eastern edge of the state. As for the northeast, some abnormally dry conditions have spread across portions of Daniels, Sheridan, Roosevelt and Richland counties, which have received much less precipitation than other parts of the region over the past month. The state drought advisory committee is looking for feedback from folks involved ZLWK WKH DJULFXOWXUH LQGXVWU\ 6SHFLÂżFDOO\ these folks are looking to hear from those directly involved in operations how drought affects them, and to know what conditions are like currently across the region. This is being conducted through a survey that goes to the Montana Drought Monitor Reporter. The link for the survey is at: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/6c96 79697b104ccdbde2d52f64f8adb2.
MSU Climate Study CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 ers play a crucial role in supporting overarching food systems and national food security, it is important that we support their mental health by providing psychological support and by also offering resources on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.� Alison Harmon, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Development, called climate change a “complex multifactorial global issue, the implications of which cross numerous disciplinary boundaries at MSU.� “This study demonstrates how researchers can collaborate across departments and colleges to address impacts on Montana producers. Global change will certainly impact our mental health, and I am glad to see this recognized here,� Harmon said. “This is critically important research for the state of Montana and appropriate to Montana’s land-grant university,� said Nic Rae, dean of the College of Letters and Science. “Kudos to all the faculty involved.� The study is available online at psycnet.apa. org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Frmh0000131.
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MSU Study: Climate Change Generating Anxiety For Montana Farmers, Ranchers ANNE CANTRELL MSU NEWS SERVICE FOR FARM & RANCH
Researchers have known for years that the current and projected impacts of climate change present challenges for agricultural productivity, with potentially serious consequences for farm and ranch livelihoods. But what hasn’t been clear is what this means for farmers’ and ranchers’ mental health. Now, a new study of 125 Montana farmers and ranchers shows that more than 70 percent of those farmers and ranchers agree that climate change is having an impact on their agricultural business. Moreover, nearly three quarters of the respondents say they are experiencing moderate to high levels of anxiety when thinking about climate change and its effects on agricultural business. The study was conducted by research-
Meat Processing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 All three members of Montana’s congressional delegation have joined the cattlemen in calling for an investigation. Representative Greg Gianforte called on Secretary Perdue and U.S. Attorney General William Barr to investigate the beef industry and market, in light of calls from state cattlemen associaWLRQV ,Q D OHWWHU WR IHGHUDO RIÂżFLDOV *LDQIRUWH wrote, “I urge you to work together to ensure WKDW DQ\ DQWL FRPSHWLWLYH EHKDYLRU LV LGHQWLÂżHG and punished.â€? Gianforte further called on the House Committee on Agriculture to investigate. In his letter to chairman Colin Peterson (D-Minn.) and leader Michael Conaway (R-Texas) he wrote, “I am extremely concerned with the state of America’s cattle ranchers. Live cattle prices are at 10-year lows and have dropped 30 percent this year. This comes on the heels of the disruption caused by last summer’s Holcomb ÂżUH DQG PD\ QRW UHSUHVHQW WKH IXOO LPSDFW RI COVID-19 disruption. While I appreciated the announcement by Secretary Perdue in early April that USDA was investigating market practices, I urge the House Committee on Agriculture to hold hearings on the state of the beef industry as soon as possible.â€? Senator Jon Tester also called on AG Barr and the DOJ to investigate the situation as 0RQWDQD UDQFKHUV VDZ WKHLU SURÂżWV GHFOLQH DW the most drastic rate in 40 years, saying price irregularities have been made worse by the coronavirus outbreak. The Senator said, “EviGHQFH RI SULFH Âż[LQJ LV QRZ HYHQ FOHDUHU DV the nation reacts to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet again, as the demand for beef increases nationwide, live cattle futures are sinking. We are hearing from ranchers that it is not feasible to sell their cattle at such low futures and still hope to break even. In a time when Americans are consuming more beef than ever before, it is confounding that ranchers are struggling, ZKLOH PHDW SDFNHUV WDNH KRPH UHFRUG SURÂżWVÂŤ
ers in Montana State University’s Department of Health and Human Development and Department of Political Science. It was published online Feb. 20 in the Journal of Rural Mental Health. “This study demonstrates that climate change is generating anxiety and distress for farmers and ranchers,â€? wrote Meredith Howard, the study’s lead author who graduated from MSU in 2018 with a master’s degree in community health. “To maximize public health preparedness efforts, interventions are warranted to provide climate adaptation education and therapeutic outreach VSHFLÂżF WR DJULFXOWXUDO ZRUNHUV H[SHULHQFLQJ HFRnomic struggle in the context of climate change.â€? Howard’s coauthors include Selena Ahmed, associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Development in the College of Education, Health and Human Development; Paul Lachapelle, professor in the Department of Political Science in the College of Letters
and Science; and Mark Schure, assistant pro- RQ DJULFXOWXUDO EXVLQHVV DQG WKDW SURÂżWDELOLW\ fessor in the Department of Health and Human ZDV IRXQG WR EH LGHQWLÂżHG DV WKH PDLQ FDXVH RI Development. distress,â€? Lachapelle said. To conduct the study, the researchers created a 7KH ÂżQGLQJV SURYLGH LPSRUWDQW XQGHUVWDQGLQJ survey to assess perceptions of climate effects on of some of the stresses that farmers and ranchers anxiety levels by combining an adapted version face, according to the researchers. of a survey for measuring climate change percep“Given the stress that producers are already tions with a survey assessing anxiety symptoms. under, this added stress is important to underThey administered the surveys to farmers stand and address, particularly given the aging and ranchers at two different agricultural confer- demographics of this population in Montana,â€? ences in Montana. They also emailed an online Lachapelle said. version to farmers and ranchers on the lists of In their published study, the authors note three different Montana agricultural organiza- a number of challenges that could contribute tions. Open-ended survey questions explored to agricultural productivity challenges. Those VSHFLÂżFDOO\ KRZ FOLPDWH FKDQJH LV LPSDFWLQJ include evidence that temperatures in Montana mental well-being. are increasing at a rate that is approximately two The researchers found that approximately times greater than the average global temperature three-quarters of the 125 Montana ranchers and shift associated with climate change. In addition, farmers who completed the survey believe that scientists have found that increasing temperaclimate change is negatively impacting their tures, coupled with a decrease in precipitation, production operations and that it was causing can challenge irrigation capacity, limit full crop them to experience higher levels of anxiety. development and increase the amount of crop The nation’s food supply chain is an issue of They also found that higher risk perceptions of pests in Montana. Increasing temperatures also national security.â€? climate change impact is associated with higher induce substantial heat stress for livestock, re6HQDWRU 6WHYH 'DLQHVÂś RIÂżFH KDG QR UH- reported anxiety. duce forage quantity on livestock rangeland, and cent comments on potential price issues, but “I think all of us had a sense there were LQFUHDVH WKH ULVN RI ZLOGÂżUHV reiterated the Senator had called for the DOJ impacts to producers, but none of us expected “I don’t know if a lot of people think about LQ 0DUFK WR LQYHVWLJDWH DOOHJHG SULFH Âż[LQJ that the numbers would be so high – that the the link between climate change and mental issues. The calls for investigations coincide overwhelming majority of respondents would health,â€? Howard said. “Since agricultural workwith new statistics, as reported by AgWeb agree that climate change is having an impact See MSU CLIMATE STUDY Page 10 Farm Journal, that the cattle industry will face losses totaling $13.6 billion due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will alleviate some losses for producers, but industry leaders are already calling for changes, including removing payment caps. As the nation faces a potential meat shortage, the pork industry is predicted to be hit Call 406-228-9301 to reach thousands of potential customers! first with poultry quickly following. The beef industry is not likely to be far behind as decisions will need to be made by producers whether to sell their cattle or winter them, increasing their expenses while taking a hit on income. Reporting in the Montana Free Press, Jonathan Hettinger highlighted that beef producers in Montana will not be exempt from the looming food crisis. There are no major processing plants in Montana and only four major companies have the market cornered, slaughtering roughly 80 percent of all U.S. cattle. AgWeb reports that economists predict that beef losses could increase in upcoming years, meaning the impact of the virus will be felt long after this outbreak might be contained. Relief payments may offset those losses, but payments will depend on the ability of Washington to come to agreements on which industries are most critical and in need of federal assistance as politicians strive to keep the economy from spiraling into a depression. Under the CARES Act, USDA will provide $9.5 billion in direct support to family farmers and ranchers with an additional $6.5 billion also available from the Community Credit Corporation. Farmers and ranchers will be eligible for up to $125,000 per commodity with an overall payment limit of $250,000 per person or entity.
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