| Ruby Valley Ranching and Agriculture |
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Agriculture and Ranching in the Ruby Valley
Agriculture and Ranching is the largest source of income and driving economic force in the Ruby Valley. This page is dedicated to allowing others to contribute their agricultural knowledge and ranch know how - so others can benefit. Send us articles, links and other information you think should be included and we will try to include it. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it **************************************************************************
LAND STEWARDSHIP CORNER We are starting a monthly column courtesy of Jan Kluver Banks from Ranch Resources. Please feel free to send us your input or if you have contributions to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Grasshoppers: Part II. By Jan Banks Grasshoppers may be beneficial, as discussed in the previous article. If you’ve determined you have non-beneficial grasshoppers in your crops or rangelands, you most likely want to prevent any loss of forage and crop. Remembering that every property and scenario is different, the following is the beginning of an abbreviated guide to grasshopper control and resources. Life cycle: Effectively controlling grasshoppers requires knowledge of the grasshopper life cycle. Grasshoppers experience three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. During the nymph stage, grasshoppers experience five ‘sub-stages’ termed instars. These instars allow the invertebrate grasshopper to grow, as it sheds its exoskeleton between each instar. After five instars, the grasshopper is an adult. Various species hatch at different times during the spring; the earliest beginning in mid-May. The length of each species’ hatch varies as well, with the shortest being two weeks and the longest seven weeks. Each instar lasts roughly one week, so given these time frames, adult grasshoppers first appear in late June to July. Adults can lay eggs as quickly as within one week of maturity, although some species do not begin laying eggs until three weeks post-adulthood. Grasshoppers place protective ‘pods’ around the eggs, allowing the eggs to survive the winter. Females will lay seven to 30 pods, with eight to 30 eggs per pods. Adults live two to three months, as long as weather conditions remain favorable. Differentiating adults from nymphs is relatively easy; adults have wings, nymphs are wingless. The nymph stage is the best for control efforts; the lower amount of body reserves offer less protection from the elements and the permanent, hard exoskeleton is not formed. To achieve maximum control, efforts should occur during the third and fourth instars – most of the eggs will have hatched and the nymphs are still near the hatching area, concentrating control efforts. Control: Control of pest species traditionally focused on chemical methods; integrated approaches are more popular for sustainability, environmental responsibility, and economic viability. Grasshoppers are no different. The United States Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a publication, Grasshopper Integrated Pest Management User Handbook (Technical Bulletin No. 1809), coordinated by Gary L. Cuningham and Mike W. Sampson. http://www.sidney.ars.usda.gov/grasshopper/Handbook/index.htm This handbook is an in-depth review of literature pertaining to grasshoppers. Biological control: Unfortunately, biological methods of control are not widely effective methods of grasshopper control. Parasites and fungi have been used; results are mixed due to problems in getting the parasite or fungus to the grasshoppers. Other biological controls such as increasing predators will also negatively impact non-target species. For instance, if a predatory beetle species is enlisted to impact grasshopper eggs, this beetle may also impact eggs of other species not intended for control. Efforts are underway to improve the efficacy of fungi and parasite biological control and to reduce their costs to compete with chemical control methods. [Much press has been given to Nosema locustae, a fungus. This fungus has shown promise, but currently cannot provide the level of control and consistency afforded by chemical control methods. The handbook linked above reviews this in detail.] Other control methods will be discussed in upcoming articles. Despite the lack of economical, effective biological controls, an integrated approach is still the most successful strategy. Stay Tuned! Download Grasshoppers Part II February 2010 Download Grasshoppers November 2009 PREVIOUS ARTICLES Down Load Article Noxious Weeds Excerpt from Weeds and More Weeds - by Jan Kluver Ranch Resources Guess what - you probably have weeds on your property. Is the situation bad or dire? Nope! Ranches along rivers throughout the state are on the frontline of weed control. From fisherman walking along the banks, to the wildlife that use riparian areas, to the water itself carrying seeds, rivers are a continual source of weeds. Download the entire article Weeds and more Weeds *************************************************************************** Cowboy Ethics What Wall Street Can Learn From The Code of The West From Owens, James P 1) Live each day with Courage 2) Take Pride in your work 3) Always finish what you start 4) Do what has to be done 5) Be tough, but fair 6) When you make a promise, keep it 7) Ride for the brand 8) Talk less, say more 9) Remember that somethings aren't for sale 10) Know where to draw the line
Path to Eden "Preserving Montana's Resource and Culture for the Future" The Rural Landscape Institute has put together an educational and informative DVD "Path to Eden" to allow both new comers and Montana Ranchers to better understand the interdependency between the land and the rancher. Stewardship does not mean locking the gates and never using the land again. There is a responsibility for the land owner to the community, the land, and the flora and fauna that are part ofthat land. Visit the site to find out more about their mission. (Rural Landscape Institutes' Mission is to enhance the economic vitality of farms and ranches and the integrity of food security throughout the region, thereby securing the health of the land, open space and sustainable rural communities.)
More about Path to Eden DVD "Whether a life-long Montanan or a new to Montana landowner, a common bond is shared. . . a true love of Montana! Who isn’t awestruck by the magnificent mountains, beautiful wildlife, and rolling plains that seem to go on forever? However, Montana is much more than that – it is a wonderful place full of close knit communities and a neighboring network that has been relied upon for generations. As a new landowner, you are embarking on an incredible journey to a very special place." Ruby Valley the new Green With the growing of alfalfa and hay being the predominate crop in the Ruby Valley, area ranchers and farmers have less impact on substantially less impact on the environment and contribute positively to helping to prevent global warming. "In a century-long study of factors affecting soil erosion, timothy grass, a perennial hay crop, proved roughly 54 more times effective in maintaining topsoil than annual crops did. Scientist have also documented a fivefold reduction in water loss and a 35-fold reduction in nitrate loss from soil planted with alfalfa and mixed perennial grasses as compared with soil under corn and soybeans. Greater root depths and longer growing seasons also let perennials boost their sequestration of carbon, the main ingredient of soil organic matter, by 50 percent or more compared with annual cropped fields. Because they do not seed to be replanted every year, perennials require fewer passes of farm machinery and fewer inputs of pesticides and fertilizers as well, which reduces fossil fuel use. The plants thus lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the air while improving the soils fertility." P84 Jerry D. Glover, Cindy M. Cox and John P. Reganold Scientific American August 2007 www.sciam.com
Ranching for Profit - there seems to be an old adage about the fact that this is an oxymoron. The truth is - it is not. Thousands of Ranchers make money and that includes paying themselves living wages.
I keep up with David Pratt who runs Ranching for Profit. His newsletters are one more tool available to those who attended his course and that may provide a different perspective on Ranching. As a result I asked David if the Ruby Valley Ag Community could have access to his newsletters for free. He readily agreed. So I hope this link provides you an additional resource.
Ranching for profit means you may have to think about your business in a different light. I have attended this course along with others from the Sheridan / Ruby Valley. What I found was - it's not just a lifestyle it's a business that can help you afford a lifestyle. Ranching for Profit Newsletter 99: Summer/Fall 2009 “A cow that calves on the longest day of the year will cycle and rebreed sooner than a cow that calves on the shortest day of the year.” Ranching for Profit Newsletter Spring 2009
Ranching for profit Newsletter Fall 2008 Excerpt Sustainability is a powerful concept, but somewhere along the line the word “sustainability” lost its punch. I think it might have been in the late 80’s when the word started appearing in ads for herbicides and fertilizers. That’s about the same time that commercials for some sugary breakfast cereals claimed they were “part of a healthy breakfast.” Sure, if you eat a couple of eggs and some fruit and whole wheat toast, that cereal could be part of that healthy breakfast, even if the empty calories it delivers doesn’t add anything to, and even detracts from, the overall healthiness of the meal. The same promotional strategy was more or less adopted by chemical companies when they started describing their products as being part of a sustainable future.
Healthy Land, Happy Families & Profitable Businesses Ranch Management Consultants, Inc. is in the business of putting profit into agriculture. We've provided the highest quality education and support programs in the industry for 20 years. Our Ranching For Profit School and Executive Link programs provide the knowledge and support farmers and ranchers need to improve their land, their lives and their bottom line
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