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GRASS ROOTS F E E D I N G T H E F U T U R E T H R O U G H F A R M E R S U N I O N E D U C AT I O N A P U B L I C AT I O N B Y M O N TA N A F A R M E R S U N I O N
MFU MEETS WITH STB TO DISCUSS RAIL RATES BY CHRIS CHRISTIAENS S P E C I A L P R O J E C T S & L E G I S L AT I V E S P E C I A L I S T
Montana, North and South Dakota Farmers Union sent a delegation to Washington D.C. in April for a meeting with the Surface Transportation Board where we discussed the Rate per Ton Mile increase in rail freight rates that have occurred in the three states versus the actual increase in rail costs. In the United States, railroads are designated as Class I, II, or III and governed by the Surface Transportation Board. BNSF is the largest railroad operator in Montana accounting for 94% of the State’s Class I rail miles Both North and South Dakota are 4th in the country with 54% under the control of one Class 1 Railroad.
PAID
GREAT FALLS, MT PERMIT NO. 93
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE
Keep in mind that the rail traffic has remained rather flat and over the past 12 years it has actually declined by about 10%. Some of that decline is due to coal traffic and most recently to less oil traffic. Rail coal traffic seems to be about the same over 2018 as we speak with expected declines. In spite of these conditions the rail industry continues to have market dominance over their shippers and their ability to increase freight rates regardless of a flat demand. The Surface Transportation Board established The Rail Customer and Public Assistance Program to provide the opportunity for the public with an informal access to staff and expertise to discuss a voluntary resolution of rail operational and service-related issues. Rate increases have hit rail customers hard and when they are hauling grain we know who bears the freight costs. When service was deficient in northeastern Montana calls to the STB produced results in getting fertilizer shipments to Montana producers three years ago.
IN THE MARCH EDITION...
We have found the board to be open and willing to listen and take action. For this reason our recent visit leaves the expectation for results for those of us in captive shipper states. You may ask what the major problem is with the rail system in Montana. S T B C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 8
MFU is coming to the Flathead Valley for the 2019 Mid-year Conference. Inside this edition is a conference agenda & registration information. We hope to see you there!
PAGE 6 MFU Members Talk National Women’s Conference
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!
IN THIS ISSUE
Member Recruited by
Census Shows Changes for Montana Agriculture Page 3
Felix Pachulski, Balding MI Jana Hook, Rosebud Gregory & Theresa Jackson, Rosebud Carol Lett, Forsyth Jonathan & Teal Lind, Hysham Jerry Slater, Huson A Lazy M Land & Cattle Co., Worden Charmaine & Randy Riedel, Lewistown Alexa Coolahan, Billings Lorena Evans, Roundup Twin Coulee Farms Inc, Lavina Doug & Penelope Young, Bridger Dean & Jana Pitsch, Hardin Karen Yarlott-Molina, St Xavier Timothy Swift, St Ignatius Elaine McOmber, Fairfield David Van Horn, Dutton Robert & Judy Paul, Corvallis Rudy Stark, Victor Zachary Seligman, St Ignatius Chad Sundheim, Fairview Erika Anderson, Havre Nate Costin, Saco Trent Cox, Great Falls Luke Rech, Havre Stacie Cornell, Turner Tucker Stenberg, McLeod Keith & Michelle Morris, Great Falls Amy & Brad Schoenen, Great Falls Dan & Julie Dougherty, Ulm
Tayler Kennedy Ron & Blayne Watts Ron & Blayne Watts Ron & Blayne Watts Ron & Blayne Watts Ron & Blayne Watts Jim Mathews Raleigh Heitzman K J Fauth K J Fauth K J Fauth Wes Schwend Melissa Wacker Melissa Wacker Brad Bowman Mathew Luedtke Mathew Luedtke Bryan Jones Bryan Jones Andrew Luedtke Cathy Hintz MFU Office MFU Office MFU Office MFU Office MFU Office MFU Office MFU Camp MFU Camp Vanette Nagamori
Mid-Year Conference Preview Page 4 Message from the President; MFU Hires Education & Program Assistant Page 5 Tester Proposes the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act; NRCS Announces 2019 Honey Bee Pollinator Initiative Page 6
MFU Partners with FFA Foundation at state convention Page 7 MFU Meets with STB to Discuss Rail Issues Page 8
Washington Corner, Roger Johnson Page 9
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
MFU Foundation Awards Scholarships; Education Dept. Hosts Table at Fresh Food Forum in Great Falls Page 10
THANK YOU TO OUR BUSINESS BOOSTER ECOSANITY JANITORIAL, BELT
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MONTANA FARMERS UNION PO BOX 2447 300 RIVER DRIVE NORTH GREAT FALLS MT 59403 PHONE: (406) 452-6406 1-800-234-4071 FAX: (406) 727-8216 mfu@montanafarmersunion.com www.montanafarmersunion.com Board of Directors: Alan Merrill, President Rollie Schlepp, Vice President, Conrad Erik Somerfeld, District 2, Power Jeff Bangs, At-Large Director District 1& 2, Inverness Brett Dailey, District 4, Jordan William Downs, District 5, Molt Ben Peterson, At-Large director, Judith Gap Paul Kanning, District 3, Flaxville Eric Bergman, District 1, Fort Shaw Sig Rudie, Fairview, At-Large director Jan Tusick, District 6, Ronan State Office Staff: Jan Johnson, Office Mgr., Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer Lyndsay Bruno, Communications Director Chris Christiaens, Legislative & Project Specialist Justin Loch, Membership Director Dave Snuggs, Facility Director Violet Green, Education Coordinator Vicky Jo Reeves, Education and Program Assistant Copyright © Montana Farmers Union, 2019 Montana Grassroots is the official publication of the Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America, Montana Division. MFU reserves the right to reject any advertisements. Third Class bulk postage paid at Great Falls MT 59401. Membership: $50.00 per year Montana Grassroots is published 10 times each calendar year with two combined issues. Article submissions are requested by the 15th of the month. Advertising space is available. Copy Editor: Jan Johnson Editor/Designer: Lyndsay Bruno
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CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE SHOWS CHANGES FOR MONTANA AGRICULTURE
REPORT SHOWS DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES, LOSS OF FARM INCOME B Y A N DY F J E S E T H M O N TA N A D E P A R T M E N T O F A G R I C U L T U R E
Helena, Mont. – USDA’s National Agricultural Statistic Service today released the 2017 Census of Agriculture, highlighting several key data points important to Montana’s agriculture industry. Montana’s report can be found here. “The Census of Agriculture is an important tool for both producers and policy makers,” said Montana Department of Agriculture Director Ben Thomas. “While the report shows that Montana farmers have taken a big hit in farm income over the last 5 years, it also shows that our producers aren’t taking those hits lying down, as they continue to diversify and adopt new practices to make their operations more resilient.” Perhaps the most significant datapoint from the report is that farm income in Montana is down nearly 30% since 2012. The loss in farm income shows that Montana farmers have not been immune to the higher input costs, extreme weather, and market volatility facing the industry. There are also several bright spots included in the report: • Women are making up a larger piece of the Montana agriculture pie, with nearly 24% more female producers since 2012. • Montana producers also continue to show their willingness to adopt new technologies and conservation techniques, with no-till acreage up over 17% from 2012, for a total of 8,050,902 acres. • New to the census this year is a question on value-added agriculture. The report shows that 292 farms across Montana are adding value to raw commodities through further manufacturing or processing, worth over $9 million in 2017. • Producers are also taking more of an interest in specialty crops. Since 2012, Montana has added 162 new orchards and increased hops production from nearly 0 to 14,400 pounds. The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The Census of Agriculture, taken only once every five years, looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures.
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Join us for the 2019 Mid-Year Conference in Kalispell, MT June 5-6, 2019. The conference will include a variety of area tours with transportation included to tour locations. June 6 will feature presenters on value-added agriculture and a panel on the CSKT Water Compact at the Red Lion in Kalispell. The Red Lion has a group rate for MFU. Please contact the MFU office to register.
CONFERENCE AGENDA Wednesday, June 5, 2019 8:30 – 9:00 AM Breakfast 9:00 Board Bus for tours 9:30-10:30 Plumber Creek Lumber Mill 10:30 – Noon Flathead Valley Community College Brewing Academy & 5 acre working educational farm Noon Travel to Whitefish 12:30 –1:45 Purple Frog Gardens, Farm to Table Lunch & Tour 2:00 -3:00 Scot Hop Farm 3:15-4:30 AACT Biorefinery 4:30 Head back to Kalispell 5:00- 7:30 Sacred Water Brewery/Glacier Sun Winery Dinner- location TBD
Thursday, June 6, 2019 8:30 – 9:00 AM
Breakfast at the Red Lion
9:00 – 10:00 Presentation by Tabletree Juice, Gary & Susan Snow and Flathead Cherry Growers Cooperative (Tentative) 10:00 – 11:15 CSKT Water Compact Panel –moderated by Jan Tusick 11:15- 11:25 -
-Break -
11:25- Noon
Policy/membership discussion
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch- speaker TBD Conference Concludes
Pictured tour locations: Scot Hop Farms & AACT Biorefinery 4
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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT....
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Montana farmers and ranchers are familiar with low commodity prices and its effect on family farms. 2019 is projected to be the sixth consecutive year of depressed farm income and total farm debt is at its highest levels since 1981. These conditions have led to a significant increase in Chapter 12 bankruptcies.
• The legislation should authorize more funding than was provided by the MFP. It should provide payments to all affected commodities at levels consistent with the market losses for each commodity. • Payments should be made using a formula that maximizes the ease and speed of delivery to farmers. • Congress should look to the economic diWe were pleased to see the swift passage of saster programs authorized in 1999, 2000, the 2018 Farm Bill, but unfortunately the and 2001 in determining the most effective Farm Bill safety net isn’t designed to com- mechanism for providing relief. pensate for an economic downturn of this magnitude. Montana Farmers Union is working with NFU and other Farmers Union states to develop In 2018 the Market Facilitation Program de- legislation to support a safety net Montana livered some relief to producers, but its ben- farmer and ranchers can depend on. We will efits were inconsistent. The USDA has indi- keep you posted on our progress. cated it will not provide similar payments in 2019, which is obviously problematic.We are asking Congress to develop legislation to help make up for market losses. National Farmers Union has put together the following criteria for this legislation to fully address the issue:
MFU HIRES ASSISTANT EDUCATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR Hello!! I’m Vicky Jo Reeves and I would like for you to join me in my new adventure with Montana Farmers Union as the new Educational Program Assistant. I moved here over 40 some years ago from a dairy/industrial community called Waverly, NY. I have had the pleasure of growing up here in beautiful Montana with my husband Keith and our two sons Zach and Jed. I enjoy hunting, hiking, crocheting, and spending time with my grandkids traveling around the state. As for what I did prior to joining this great team you may have seen me in the community in one of my past life experiences as a nurse, in clinical research, or even as an instructor/ substitute teacher with the Great Falls Public School system. I look forward to seeing you all out there! If I can ever be of help please don’t hesitate to call.
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TESTER TO PROPOSE FIX TO BURDENSOME RESTRICTIONS ON LIVESTOCK HAULERS B Y S E N AT O R J O N T E S T E R ’ S O F F I C E
(U.S. Senate) – Keeping his promise to Montana’s ranchers, U.S. Senator Jon Tester will reintroduce bipartisan legislation to ease burdensome regulations on livestock haulers. Tester’s bipartisan Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act will change a Department of Transportation rule that requires drivers who haul live animals to adhere to strict time constraints monitored by Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs). “When you’re transporting live animals, you need flexibility to get loads to market on time and protect your bottom line,” Tester said. “Ranchers and livestock haulers know the unique circumstances they face better than anyone in Washington and they should have the flexibility they need to safely transport their product across the country.” Beginning in December 2017, the U.S. Department of Transportation started requiring commercial drivers to install ELDs to track compliance with Hours of Service rules. However, these new requirements can prevent livestock haulers from safely completing trips.
ority of ranchers and livestock haulers. This act provides the muchneeded flexibility to do so. We would like to thank Senator Tester for his continued leadership on finding a permanent solution for livestock haulers.” Tester has been a strong supporter of fixing the ELD rule. When negotiating a budget deal earlier this year, he fought to exempt livestock haulers from ELD requirements until the end of the fiscal year to give Congress time to come up with a solution to the issue. He also introduced the Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act last month, which would establish a working group to help Congress come up with this solution.
Tester’s bill would exclude livestock haulers from these new ELD requirements until a driver travels more than 300 air miles from their starting point while also allowing them to complete their trip if they come within 150 air miles of their destination regardless of their Hours of Service.
MONTANA NRCS ANNOUNCES 2019 HONEY BEE POLLINATOR INITIATIVE
The bill, which Tester plans to introduce with Senator Ben Sasse (RNeb.), exempts livestock haulers from including loading and unloading times—which can take up to a few hours—in their Hours of Service and grants more flexibility in the amount of time they can drive while imposing longer mandatory rest after a trip is completed.
BOZEMAN, Mont.–The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering additional funding through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to target honey bee pollinator resource concerns in Montana in 2019.
Livestock groups are praising Tester’s leadership on ELD reform: “We greatly appreciate the work of Senators Tester and Sasse in bringing forth a prescriptive solution for livestock haulers that gives them the flexibility needed to get their live cargo to its destination as safely and efficiently as possible,” said Steve Hilker, the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Transportation Committee Chairman. “This bill will not only allow drivers to take a rest break when it is needed, not when it is required, it will also increase the safety and welfare of the animals. We look forward to bipartisan support of this legislation that will allow for swift passage into law.” “The Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act puts the health and safety of livestock first,” said Fred Wacker of Miles City, President of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. “Getting livestock from Montana to their final destination in a safe manner is a pri
B Y J E R RY S H O W S
While NRCS accepts EQIP applications on a continuous basis, NRCS has set a deadline of May 10, 2019, to apply for this 2019 initiative funding. Honey Bee Pollinators: NRCS will work with agricultural producers to combat future declines by helping them to implement conservation practices that provide forage for honey bees while enhancing habitat for other pollinators and wildlife.EQIP offers financial and technical assistance to eligible participants to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. Conservation practices must be implemented to NRCS standards and specifications. In Montana, socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers will receive a higher payment rate for eligible conservation practices applied. For more information about EQIP, or other programs offered by NRCS, please contact your local USDA Service Center or visit www. mt.nrcs.usda.gov.
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MFU SPONSORS FFA STATE CONVENTION BY JUSTIN LOCH M E M B E R S H I P D I R E C TO R
The first part of April I had the privilege of representing Montana Farmers Union at the Montana State FFA Convention in Bozeman. While the days were busy it was a great to mingle with some of Montana’s most brightest and ambitious young men and women wearing the famous blue jacket representing FFA. While there I took part in the trade show, donor/scholarship dinner, Careers in Ag luncheon and the general session Thursday evening. I thought I would share a little about what I shared with the attendees. I think it fits with a lot of our members and other Ag organizations, not just FFA.
Photo courtesy of the Montana FFA Foundation
Montana Farmers Unions is Montana’s oldest farm organization at 103 years old. Over the years agriculture has changed greatly. Today on average one American farmer feeds 165 people a year. With this 2.1 million farms occupy the U.S. landscape. Farmers and ranchers are only 2% of the U.S. population. That being said agriculture is vital to sustaining the world. It takes more than just the farmer and rancher to do this, but rather a team to advocate and keep agriculture strong and moving forward. FFA is a vital part of the team that helps shape the future of agriculture. I can’t say thanks enough to each and every one of you that have chosen to wear the blue jacket, which is the official jersey of FFA. There are certainly a lot of other activities you could be doing with your time, but you have chosen to get involved and support agriculture. FFA is an organization that lifts people and communities up and gives back. Earlier this year the MFU Board of Directors voted to support FFA in the amount of $15,000. This donation has made MFU the premier sponsor of FFA. As a result MFU is the sponsor for competitions and its own CDE Days event in Great Falls the first week of May.
agriculture and like any successful team you put in the time to become better for agriculture, your community, but most importantly for yourselves. The future of agriculture is bright and in good hands with all of you. Thanks for all you do, and thanks to all of the adults that volunteer and mentor these kids. Keep up the good work fighting for agriculture. You all are making agriculture better for tomorrow. MFU believes in what FFA does for each kid involved and how it helps the community in each area that has an FFA chapter. Agriculture is the heartbeat of rural Montana, and is vital to helping shape the future. Please reach out to your local FFA chapters to show gratitude and support. Each you that puts on the blue jacket is doing it out of choice and a love for agriculture.
Justin Loch presents at the state FFA Convention in Bozeman
To the youth of FFA you are the future of 7
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STB MEETING CONTINUED
The answer is the lack of choice of carriers. Couple this with the difficulty in introducing any new carrier and at times having an ineffective referee to level the playing field. Lastly there is a monopolistic control of the essential facilities. While the railroads admit that when increased competition exists there are better offerings and better value, yet the big four focus their investments at competitive points and for competitive traffic. This is not helpful to Montana customers when BNSF railroad is the sole provider across the northern part of our state. In the past the railroad’s argued that government intervention is required to ensure adequate revenues yet they also argue that no government intervention is necessary to limit their monopoly power. The big four railroads all argue that competition and free markets do not apply to their industry. When addressing members of the STB, we argued that the regulator and shippers’ goals should be the same and ask that a balanced marketplace should work. The delegation stressed that the lack of Farmers Union meets with Surface Transportation Board in Washington D.C. rail-to-rail competition in the Northern Plains leads to higher rail rates and poorer overall may be some opportunities for a revenue next two years. service. replacement.Railroads have certainly mainNorth Dakota is the second largest wheat tained revenue neutral and perhaps now is the producer followed by Montana and South Da- time for some changes. kota. Follow this by the fact that the Average S A V E T H E D AT E F O R Railroad Wheat Revenue per car for move- Terry Whiteside working with Farmers Union ments leaves Montana as the most expensive also attended the meeting.“One the major foT H E 2 0 1 9 M O N TA N A at a whopping $3,451 per car. Follow this with cuses by our meeting with the Board memFA R M E R S U N I O N North Dakota at $3,301 and South Dakota at bers was to educate the two newest members $3,094. Since our producers are closer to the of the STB - Vice Chair Patrick Fuchs and S TAT E C O N V E N T I O N : West Coast and more of our grain is exported Marty Oberman, about major farm producer why is it more expensive? Rail rates increased rail transportation issues such as captivity isO C TO B E R 2 5 - 2 6 two and a half times more than truck rates sues, uniqueness of grain marketing, concentration of rail and its effects on grain markets, and inflation. H E R I TA G E I N N and review of ideas for ways to increase rail G R E AT F A L L S It is clear that both producers and the STB competition in the northern plains. Likewise need to be mindful that the railroad is making it was important for the Farmer Union leadthe price in the marketplace and the farm pro- ers to hear the thoughts and ideas from all ducers are the ones paying for the transporta- three Board members including Chair Ann tion cost that is dictated by captivity and not Begemen about the future direction of the by market demands. The lack of competition Board and personal thoughts and reaction to makes this so. As a grain producer you have Farmers Union Leader’s ideas. It was a great no alternative but to wait until service is avail- learning session for all.” F O L L OW U S O N FAC E B O O K able. F O R U P D AT E S . Montana Farmers and the other Farmers R E G I S T R AT I O N O P E N S I N I believe we left our meetings with some as- Union States will be monitoring the hearing SEPTEMBER. surance as the STB has requested rate reports by the STB on the rate reports this spring. from the railroads that are due May 22 of this Stay tuned as the Montana Legislature is also year. After that information is available there ready to study rail transportation over the 8
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tor, thus offering a more accurate picture of the role of women and young farmers who in previous years were often listed as secondary operators regardless of their level of involvement. As a result, the number of women producers jumped almost 27 percent, with more than half of farms listing at least one woman as a decision maker.
B Y RO G E R J O H N S O N N AT I O N A L F A R M E R S U N I O N
In the coming weeks and months, Congress will set all discretionary funding for fiscal year 2020. A number of important food and farm programs are included in this process, including conservation programs, rural development, farm assistance, and food safety inspections. National Farmers Union is hard at work advocating for the programs that matter most to its members to ensure that they receive adequate funding. With the recent release of the 2017 Census of Agriculture, it is clear that funding these programs is more important now than it ever has been. Though there are some trends to be optimistic about, farmers and ranchers are facing significant challenges as the sector becomes more concentrated, operators get older, and net farm income stagnates. NFU hopes that policymakers takes these data into account in the appropriation process, farm bill implementation, and in all future federal agricultural and rural policy development. 2017 AG CENSUS OFFERS CLEARER PICTURE OF FARMING IN THE U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the results of the 2017 Census of Agriculture in mid-April. The Census, which is taken every five years, is the most complete set of data for American agriculture, providing an abundance of information about land use, farm ownership and decision making, demographics, production practices, income, and expenditures. This is the first Census that allowed operations to list more than one principal opera-
President Roger Johnson stressed the importance of the Ag Census in data-driven policy making.“The ag census is important to federal, state and local policymakers, as well as farmers and ranchers. The data will inform farm policy, rural policy, and long-term decisions made over the next five years,” said Johnson.“We’re grateful to the farm and ranch families who put in the time to filling out the 2017 Census of Agriculture and thereby giving a voice to their operations and their communities.” FARMERS UNION URGES ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR FARM STRESS ASSISTANCE AND CONSERVATION
Though the number of beginning farmers grew as well, to 27 percent of total farmers, they are still overwhelmingly outnumbered by older producers: for every producer younger than 35, there are more than six farmers older than 65. This alarming trend has pushed the average age of farmers up to 57.5 years old. If older farmers retire at a faster rate than new farmers join the industry, it will put significant strain on the agricultural system as a whole. The census points to some other troubling changes in farm-level consolidation and the farm economy. For one, the overall number of farms and ranches dropped by 3 percent, to just over 2 million, and total acres cultivated fell by 1.6 percent, to 900 million. Additionally, while the number of large- and smallsized farms grew between 2012 and 2017, the middle-sized farms fell. Unsurprisingly, as farms consolidated, so did farm production; just over 5 percent of farms accounted for 75 percent of all sales. That doesn’t mean farmers are making more money. To the contrary, 56.4 percent of operations lost money in 2017. In a statement, National Farmers Union (NFU)
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As Congress embarks on its annual appropriations process, National Farmers Union (NFU) has been busy advocating for programs important to its members. The organization joined 140+ leading farm, conservation, and wildlife groups in sending a letter to the Senate and House agriculture appropriations subcommittees, urging them to protect funding for fam bill conservation programs in the fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations process. A week prior, NFU and a broad coalition of leading farm and rural advocacy groups sent a separate letter to the appropriations subcommittees to encourage them to fully fund the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), which is intended to provide farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers with affordable stress assistance.Though the 2018 Farm Bill called for discretionary spending levels for its programs, the materialization of that money is dependent on the passage of an appropriations bill. The budget and appropriations process occurs annually. The release of President Trump’s proposed budget last month was the first step in the process. This budget is not binding; instead, it serves as a kind of recommendation to Congress, indicating the White House’s financial priorities for the upcoming year. The Washington Corner can also be found at www.nfu.org/corner.
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THE MONTANA FARMERS UNION FOUNDTION IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE 2019 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS: Cory Kelly of Chester:1 $1,000 MFU Scholarship Matt Mendenhall of Great Falls: 1 $1,000 Cascade County Scholarship Jeri Copenhaver of Havre: 1 $500 John Korsbeck Scholarship & 1 $500 Bud Daniel MemorialScholarship Lilly Green of Great Falls: 1 $500 Chouteau County Scholarship & 1 $500 John Korsbeck Scholarship The scholarship application period opens mid-November and closes mid-March. For details on eligibility visit the scholarships page.Congratulations to the recipients! The Mission of the MFU Foundation is to support programs and advance efforts that: • Further education on rural and agricultural issues • Provide resources to economic and cooperative development and; • Enhance rural prosperity in Montana For more information on the MFU Foundation visit montanafarmersunion.com/foundation.
MFU TEACHES ABOUT POLLINATORS AND HONEY BEES AT THE ANNUAL FRESH FOOD FORUM BY VIOLET GREEN E D U C AT I O N C O O R D I N AT O R
Saturday, April 13 was a wonderful day for kids all around Great Falls to attend the Kids Food Forum at Great Falls College MSU. Kids got to learn about different educational things about gardening. This included pollination at MFU’s booth and also why spiders are good, planting seeds to help our pollinators, animal yoga, wool, and more. Kids that attended carried around a passport to each station which was approximately ten minutes long. Once they visited six to ten booths they received a gardening tool prize.
MFU’s table at the fresh food forum
We had roughly 118 kids visit our booth where they learned about pollinators/honey bees and were able to make a beeswax candle.
Vicki Jo Reeves teaches a lesson on making a beeswax candle 10
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WE’RE A FAMILY OF COMPANIES. AND FAMILY IS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU.
WWW.FUILLC.COM
camp dates
Registration is open for the 2019 Arrowpeak Summer Camp season.
JUNIOR 1 (AGES 8 TO 12)
JUNE 16-20
Availability changes rapidly and is updateed weekly on the MFU Facebook page.
JUNIOR 2 (AGES 8–12)
JUNE 23–27
Junior Camp II is full. Senior/ Teen Camps I & II are at capacity for girl campers.
SENIOR/ TEEN 1 (AGES 13-19)
JULY 14–19
To register visit montanafarmersunion.com.
TEEN 2 (AGES 12–15)
JULY 21–26 THEME NIGHTS CRAZY HAIR NIGHT • SUPERHERO NIGHT COWBOY/WESTERN NIGHT
SENIOR/TEEN CAMPS: We will have a banquet night Thursday night. Campers will need dress clothes! ALL CAMPS: Bring old clothes for a color obstacle course!
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Since 1915
OUR AGENTS LIVE AND WORK NEAR YOU. Anaconda Stefanie Thompson 563.5991 Belgrade Craig Parker 388.6774 Bigfork Janice Erickson 692.6020 Billings Jim Mathews 656.2323 Billings Steve Plaggemeyer 294.9491 Billings Judd Long 252.9391 Billings KJ Fauth 969.2282 Billings Jeanne Benson 252-9391 Bozeman Dean Derby 556.0893 Bozeman Trent Leintz 551.2163 Bozeman Art Hoffart 586.6230 Bridger Wesley Schwend 662.3930 Chester Gary Seubert 759-5150 Choteau Mathew Luedtke 466.5146 Circle Kaylen Lehner 485.3303 Conrad Dirk Elings 271.7047 Dillon Judy Siring 683.2365 Dillon Sara Nye 683.1250 Dutton Will Rasmussen 476.3444 Fairfield Matt Luedtke 467.3444 Froid Austin O’ Dea 766.2205 Glasgow Del Hansen 228.2284 Great Falls Eric Hinebauch 453.8413 Great Falls Aeric Reilly 570.5853 Great Falls Jeff Thill 452.7283 Hamilton Bryan Jones 363.6583 Hardin Melissa Wacker 665.1867 Havre Cindy Schubert 265.2693
Helena Todd Crum 443.4630 Kalispell Randy Bloom 257.1252 Kalispell Charles Monroe 756.7720 Laurel Dallas Hagfeldt, Jr. 628.6649 Laurel Lorna Olson 628.6649 Lewistown Tom McKenna 538.8736 Lewistown Raleigh Heitzman 538.8736 Libby Colleen Wood 293.6228 Livingston Daryl Hansen 222.7151 Malta Shane Anderson 654.1589 Miles City Tayler Kennedy 874.2560 Miles City Watts Agency 874.1804 Missoula Brad Bowman 721.2540 Missoula Pam Jacobsen 721.0599 Missoula Andre Marcure 543.7184 Plains Sally Miller 826.4633 Plentywood JR Johnson 765.2051 Ronan Andrew Luedtke 676.0173 Ryegate Audrey Stoican 568.2336 Shelby KW Insurance 424.8480 Shelby Russ Seubert 434.5211 Sidney Cathy Hintz 488.8326 Sunburst KW Insurance 937.6950 Terry Watts Agency 635.5782 Thompson Falls Sally Miller 827.3221 Whitefish Rial Gunlikson 862.4700 Wolf Point Jesse Fleming 653.2200