News

The Montana Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program encourages all produce growers to submit the status of their farm in relation to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. Produce growers can determine the status of their operation by completing the Farm Status Determination form. 

Click here to complete the Farm Status Determination Form.

Click here to visit the Produce Safety Program and learn more about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and Produce Safety Rule (PSR).

The Montana Pulse Crop Committee will meet virtually through Zoom on March 10, 2021 beginning at 9:00 a.m. The committee is currently seeking proposals to fund market development projects and educational projects designed to promote and enhance Montana’s pulse industry. All funding awards will be determined by the Montana Pulse Crop Committee and proposals are due March 1, 2021 by 5:00 pm MST.

To receive information to join the committee’s Zoom meeting on March 10^th, please contact Dani Jones at Danielle.Jones@mt.gov. 

Nine new projects have received funding from the Montana Fertilizer Advisory Committee to explore the science and best practices of various aspects of agricultural fertilizer.

“The MFAC is a critical part of research and advanced understanding of fertilizer use, especially across the diverse landscapes we have in Montana,” said Mary Burrows, associate director of MAES. “The partnerships this committee facilitates and the incredible potential of the field of soil sciences are evidenced by the fantastic array of projects that the committee has made possible this year." 

Click here to veiw the full list of research projects funded by the MFAC for the 2022 fiscal year.

As farmers prepare for spring planting, the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee is reminding producers to ensure that wheat shipments destined for export are buckwheat-free. In light of the ongoing global pandemic, food safety has become one of the most important factors for purchasers of ingredients. Montana exports 60-80% of its wheat to countries located in the Pacific Rim. Since Asian countries are large importers of Montana wheat, it is important that producers and handlers understand the serious health risk and potential economic impact posed by buckwheat.

• Use of buckwheat must be excluded from cover crops plantings in rotation or adjacent to fields with wheat production or abstain from growing wheat as a commodity for 2 calendar years after planting buckwheat.
• Use of buckwheat must be excluded from pollinator plantings in rotation with or adjacent to fields currently planted or that will be planted to commodity wheat within the next 2 calendar years.

To protect and foster the health and prosperity of the Montana’s agricultural industry, the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee is committed to educating producers about the dangers of buckwheat in a small grains rotation and surveying cover crop mixes across the state, including volunteer situations. Click here to learn more about the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. Contact Sam Anderson, Industry Analyst & Outreach Coordinator, (406) 76-7732 or Samuel.Anderson@mt.gov.

Registration for the Montana Department of Agriculture's (MDA) Initial Core Training is now available. This webinar course will take place from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on March 16-17th and cover pesticide safety, regulations and requirements for certified applicators. The course fee is $75 and those interested in attending should register thorugh MTPlants before March 1st.

This course will provide initial certification training only. Recertification credits are not available through this course. 

Click here to visit the Pesticide Trianing & Recertification webpage.

Please contact Lisa Dorrington, MDA Pesticide Educaiton Specialist, with any quesitons at (406) 444-3732 or LisaDorrington@mt.gov.

The Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council will hold their buisiness meeting and the 2021 Noxious Weed Trust Fund grant hearings virtually March 8 -12, 2021.

A business meeting agenda and grant applicant hearing schedule is attached.

To receive information to join the virtual meeting, please contact Carol Bearden, Noxious Weed Program Specialist, at (406) 444-7880 or cbearden@mt.gov. 

Click here to learn more about the Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council.

The Montana Invasive Species Council (MISC) today issued recommendations to guide necessary research and management efforts for the Eastern heath snail (EHS), a terrestrial invasive snail with established populations in Montana. The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) first discovered a population of the Eastern heath snail in July 2012 near Belt, MT. Since that time, MDA has worked with landowners and stakeholders in and around Belt to monitor and suppress the population and to detect and respond to new populations. Since their initial introduction, satellite populations have been discovered in Monarch, Great Falls, and in the Highwood areas.

Key challenges and recommendations can be found at misc.mt.gov.

Click here to view a video that provides an overview of the history, current status, and research underway for the Eastern heath snail in Belt, MT.

U.S. Wheat Associates has created a new film titled “Wholesome: The Journey of U.S. Wheat” that shows how the people in the export supply system maintain the wholesome, reliable character of U.S. wheat. Among the farms featured in the film is the Hucke family farm located in Geraldine, Montana.

Click here to view the U.S. Wheat Associates films.

Montana youth ages 21 and under may be eligible for up to $8,500 in loan financing through the Montana Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Junior Agriculture Loan Program.

“With the average age of farmers and ranchers being nearly 60 years old, supporting the next generation is vital to Montana’s livelihood,” said MDA Director Mike Foster. “The Junior Ag Loan Program plays an important role in connecting young people who are passionate about pursuing projects in agriculture with the financing they need to get started.”

Click here to learn more about the Junior Ag Loan Program and apply. 

The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) has issued an emergency quarantine order to protect against the introduction and spread of the emerald ash borer (EAB), a destructive wood-boring beetle that has already killed millions of ash trees in North America. The order was motivated by the removal of federal domestic quarantine regulations by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS).

“It is important that we remain vigilant and do everything in our power to make sure that the emerald ash borer doesn’t find a way into Montana,” said MDA Director Mike Foster. “This quarantine order protects the green ash woodland resources in eastern Montana that provide habitat for many wildlife species as well as economic benefits to livestock producers and rural communities.”

Click here to view the quarantine order.

Click here to view the emergency rule. 

Click here to visit the USDA APHIS website to learn more about the emerald ash borer.