As 2026 begins, it’s worth looking back on one of the most consequential years in the modern American cattle industry. It was a year defined by historically high cattle prices paired with sharp market volatility, alongside major developments in R-CALF USA’s antitrust and electronic ID eartag cases, the dismissal of criminal charges against the Maudes, New World screwworm, and the cattle industry in headline news. From working across all three branches of government in Washington, D.C., to outlying courtrooms, livestock markets and local meetings across rural communities, the past year reinforced that strong prices alone don’t fix a broken system....

Article Link

When Myron Wold’s family reminisces about the lifelong Watford City, N.D., cattleman and longtime North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) member, they think about his love for green tractors, Red Angus cattle and spending time with his wife Darlene and their children and grandchildren. When he passed away in 2018, at age 82, they decided to honor him and carry on his support for the next generation of agricultural leaders by creating two collegiate scholarships through the North Dakota Stockmen’s Foundation (NDSF). “This was a great match for all the things our dad was passionate about,” explained his daughter, Dianne McDonald,...

Article Link

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture is seeking recipe submissions for a planned Farm to School cookbook that will support Farm to School programming, increase student exposure to local foods, and helps food service staff more easily incorporate local ingredients into meals. “Recipes featuring North Dakota-grown or locally sourced ingredients, as well as those that reflect local, regional or culturally significant foods, are encouraged,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “School nutrition professionals, early childcare and education staff and local producers are encouraged to submit recipes for consideration.” Recipes that align with National School Lunch Program and/or Child and Adult Food...

Article Link

2026 will mark the 10-year anniversary of our successful legal effort to reform, albeit partially, the government-mandated beef checkoff program. Let’s revisit this partial reform and then decide what should be done in 2026 to achieve universal reforms to ensure that mandatory checkoff dollars are not used to promote the interests of global beef packers and retailers over the interests of independent cattle producers. The beef checkoff program is a mandatory tax on cattle producers. This mandatory tax of [post_excerpt] per head is collected by state beef councils in the state where the cattle are sold. The state beef council...

Article Link

I’m a barb-arian, one of about 10,000 people who collect barbed wire. I’ve been collecting barbed wire for over 40 years and have nearly 500 different pieces in my collection, but I’m an amateur compared to some barb-arians. I traveled all over the country in my job and was always looking for wire I didn’t have. I wrote a story about one man in Texas whose entire ranch was wrapped in a very rare wire that was his retirement and IRA. Naturally, I coveted a piece of his wire and came away with an 18-inch piece of the rarest wire...

Article Link

The Montana State University Bobcats are National Champions after a 41-year dry spell. I am proud to say that we and 19,000 plus or minus other Bobcat fans got to witness the championship game. I have to admit, I think it was lucky I survived the experience. Although I was not keen on going and leaving the boys behind, my husband really wanted to go. I hatched the idea of giving him the trip to Nashville for the championship game as an amazing surprise Christmas present. I managed to book the trip and get “best available” tickets, and I was...

Article Link

As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on the year behind us and ahead to 2026. This past year was brutally difficult for our family with the loss of Remi’s mother followed by our daughter, Brooke. I used to say things like, “I am playing in the fourth quarter,” even though Brooke hated it when I would say things like that. Ironically, we had no idea she was playing in her fourth quarter also. At her service, Pastor Bryan Baker brought a thousand marbles in a big vase to the pulpit as a visual to demonstrate an average...

Article Link

Agri-kid Kurt Kubacak getting some Christmas Eve snuggles from his kitten, Chloe. Ranch kitties raised around toddlers are a whole other breed of tolerant! Photo by Kellie Kubacak. What are your agri-kids and their critters up to this winter? Submit them to [email protected] to be featured in the paper!

Article Link

MSU Extension in Yellowstone County will host the Winter Ag Series for private pesticide applicators.  Recertification credits will be available for attendees.  Five educational lectures will cover key topics to support effective, safe, and environmentally responsible use of pesticides and agricultural practices. Lecture topics presented by MSU specialists include plant biology, integrated pest management, herbicide modes of action, targeted grazing, and the Montana biocontrol project. The Winter Ag Series takes place Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Lunch is provided and an R.S.V.P. is required. Attendees must attend the full day to receive recertification credits. To...

Article Link

Lately I’ve been missing my Montana family. I guess it’s the Christmas season with all the advertising, Christmas lights, and trying to get the perfect gift for one another when we don’t really need anything. Missing the extended family I grew up with in my hometown. There were a bunch of us and we spent a lot of time together, sledding on the hill nearby, going on picnics at Four Mile Creek, and picking huckleberries, hunting, working, playing, my brothers sisters, and I, plus cousins putting together our “Circus,” riding or marching in the Labor Day Parade, sitting under the...

Article Link