MSU Extension Conducting Statewide Pest Tour

Towards the end of the month, the Montana State University Extension Office will be conducting a statewide tour focusing on pest management, with multiple stops.

Where will they be?

From September 29 through October 3, the tour will be making stops in Havre, Chinook, Chester, Shelby, Cut Bank, Conrad, Choteau, Great Falls and Fort Benton.  Times,  locations, and other information can be found at the official website here.

Topics to be discussed include, but aren't limited to:

• Dealing with grasshoppers
• Small grain crop diseases
• Herbicide resistant weeds
• Pesticide performance and water quality
• New technologies for weed management
• Richardson’s ground squirrel management
• Pesticide regulation updates

The presenters are all from the MSU Extension Office or the MT Department of Agriculture.

Who should attend?

The sessions are open to the public, though there are fees to attend.

Attending the sessions counts as education credits for applicator licenses, three each for both morning and afternoon.  In order to renew a private applicator license, six credits are required by the end of the year.

My two cents

I'm not a farmer or rancher, but I am a (now former) farm kid.  I'm giving serious thought to attending the local session just because I find the topics interesting.  But then, I can nerd out over the strangest things.

Personally, I think it's a good idea to keep an eye or ear out for ag-related news, even if I'm not really involved in it.  Montana's economy is heavily tied to agriculture, so in my mind, it makes sense to have at least a vague idea of what's going on, especially since it's our food we're talking about.