Sept , 2015 Volume 4, Issue 6 THE POST RIDER

Marias River Livestock Association, 72 Sweetgrass Hills Rd, Sweet Grass, MT 59484

Annual Membership Meeting INSIDE THIS ISSUE 6:00pm‐‐October 27th Annual Meeting 1 Ringside Ribs, Shelby Prime Rib and Rib Tickler 1 Summer is over. The tomato plants are thoroughly wilted and the Membership Dues are Due 2 zucchini plants are pulled out lying with roots exposed and a couple Marias Fair 4-H Beef Show results 3 little green stumps still threatening to grow and make their way to Predator Management Workshop 4 my kitchen. What is happening at Department of Livestock? 4 Schedule for Predator Management Workshop 5 Halloween and Christmas decorations are happily stirred together Bull Bucks Plus 6 in the stores and the fall run of agriculture related association Disaster Programs Available for Ranchers 7 conferences plug my calendar in an overlapping fashion. Save the Date 8 Montana’s Next Generation Conference 9 That all means it is time for the Marias River Livestock Annual Membership meeting. Yep, that time of year we get together as members of MRLA and discuss what we think may be important to bring up at the larger conferences or to the legislators. It is time to elect new directors and officers of the Association to ensure there is continuation of the organization and that your voice is being heard. It is also a time for us to share information.

This year there are two open Director Positions that will need filled and the President and Vice‐president are up for re‐election. The Nominating Committee selected:

 Trina Jo Bradley, Valier, for the Pondera County Director position  Jesse Ann Wallewein, Whitlash, for the At Large Director position  Butch Gillespie, Ethridge, for Vice President  Maggie Nutter, Sweetgrass, for President Kyle Shobe and the Walk ‘em Boys

Nominations will also be opened up at the meeting if someone will entertain at the wishes to nominate themselves or another person for any of the positions. Prime Rib and Rib Tickler Marias River Livestock leadership is also asking for your input on th what you think are important issues that need watched or November 14 addressed. No Host Cocktail Social Prime Rib Meal, Entertainment

Youth Fund Auction and Door Prizes We will also have a couple interesting speakers that we are waiting Ticket Sales start October 10th until they are confirmed to release their names. Contact Rick or Lana Schock 937‐6400 Come and be involved. Meet up with your neighbor and let your Tickets $30 each voice be heard.

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Marias River Livestock What Your Dollars Buy. Membership Application The leadership of Marias River Livestock DATE______Association believes that people become members of an association with the expectation of being NAME______represented and having issues that may affect their industry addressed. This is a review of what MRLA has done or provided since November 2014. MAILING ADDRESS______

We have continued to distribute the Post Rider ______Newsletter. We are trying hard to switch to more digital distribution to save costs and keep new TELEPHONE ______current. EMAIL ADDRESS We have maintained the Marias River Livestock ______Association website with Lindsey Habets doing a wonderful job of up-dating it as needed. MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Marias River Livestock Association Carrie Sue Lerum We continue to post on the Marias River Livestock PO Box 56 Association Facebook page. Galata, Mt 59444

This year we also started a Blog which you can view at www.mariasriverlivestock.wordpress.com . Active Membership is per individual not per ranch or corporation. The Blog is a great way to receive news in a This a new membership ____ quicker fashion than the newsletter and you don’t This is a renewal _____ need a Facebook account to use it. Simply go to the link and read or you can “subscribe” by ____ Active Member $50 putting your e-mail address in the little box on the Any individual 18 years of age or older, active in the livestock right and up-dates will be sent to you via e-mail. production industry in the counties of Glacier, Liberty, This is basically as needed posts so don’t expect it Pondera, or Toole, Montana is eligible for active membership daily or even weekly, just when news needs out. in the Marias River Livestock Association

MRLA is one of the four co-operating organizations ____ Youth Member $10 for the Montana’s Next Generation Conference. Youth are under 18 years of age and interested in learning

about livestock production, promoting the livestock industry We engaged with Legislators during the 2014-15 and willing to volunteer 5 hours a year. Legislative session working to educate ourselves and them about issue such as wildlife, property ____ Associate Member $50 rights, and water rights so that we could An individual, firm, corporation or partnership, no matter encourage favorable legislation for agriculture. where it’s or his/her place of business or residence may be

eligible for non-voting Associate Membership In June in conjunction with Homesteader Days in Valier, we held a mini Gentle Hand Livestock Conference. There were speakers on animal health Beef Quality Assurance training with 12 getting their certificates and Ernie the bison display at the We helped sponsor the Young Ag Leaders Conference and the Park. Young Ag Couples Conference.

We entertained with the Prime Rib and Rib Tickler. We are working with FFA to perhaps organize and promote speakers and educational experiences in agriculture for them. Education of members and the public has been a huge push through holding meetings where FWP, We have attended Meeting and conferences of other Dept. of Livestock or other speakers present. agriculture organization.

To promote livestock production and interest in We have attended and commented at Interagency Bison Council Agriculture we have organized the Two year Heifer meetings, Interagency Grizzly Bear Council meetings, FWP Breeding Project and awards for the Four County commission meetings, Board of Livestock Meetings, Interim Marias Fair. We gave out very nice belt buckles Environmental Quality Control Council Meetings, FWP Citizens and cash awards to those who earned the top Advisory Council Meetings, BLM Resource Advisory Council spots. This last year we saw a good increase in Meetings and more…. participants and hope to expand the program for next year. We invite you to attend any and all of these meetings also. We want you input and invite you to call or e-mail. We all love the

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Marias Fair 4-H

Beef Show Results Kari Lewis, Glacier County Extension

The 2015 Marias Fair is in the books, and numerous young cattlemen received recognition for their efforts thanks to the generosity of local sponsors and the Marias Fair 4-H Livestock Committee. Award winners included Grand Champion Market Beef-Kylee Bailey-Flesch, and Reserve Champion Market Beef – Cavin Fields. In the Breeds Show, winners were Top Purebred Hereford steer – Clark Diemert, Top Certified Hereford Beef and Champion Hereford Influenced Beef

– Ty Curry, Top Charolais influenced steer – Remington Owen Gustafson’s 1,310 pound Hereford cross Winkowitsch, Top Red Angus steer – Garrett Fritz, Top Purebred Black Angus steer – Regan Walter, Top Black steer earned both the Steer‐of‐Merit distinction Angus influenced steer and Overall Black Angus and the title of Top Hereford influenced carcass, influenced steer – Jimmy Heptner. Local sponsors of for which he received an extra $100 from the the Breeds show providing cash and/or belt buckles, Clark Diemert Memorial and Diemert Ranch. depending on the award, included Holden Herefords of Gustafson is an active youth member of the Valier, Barker Herefords of Shelby, Fritz Charolais of Chester, Fritz Red Angus of Brady, Apex Angus of Marias River Livestock Association and an Valier, and Bobcat Angus of Galata. integral part of his family’s ranch near Browning, MT. Photo by Kari Lewis. Following the fair, steers were evaluated for carcass characteristics and ranked on their carcass merit. Carcass winners included 1st place - Kylee Bailey-Flesch areas of hot carcass weight, dressing percent, fat ($150 and trophy), 2nd – Zachary Stoltz ($75 and thickness over 12th rib (back fat), total rib eye area, trophy), 3rd – Spencer Briggs ($50 and rosette), and 4th yield grade, percent cutability, and quality grade place – Paul Ehlers ($25 and rosette). Carcass award that aligns with current industry standards. prizes came from both the Livestock Committee and

the Fred and Margaret Longcake Memorial. The Top Of the 72 steers exhibited at the Marias Fair, 5% of Red Angus carcass award went to Zach Stoltz, who will steers graded Prime, 81% of steers graded Choice, receive a belt buckle from Fritz Red Angus. The Top and 14% fell into the Select category. There were no Purebred Hereford carcass award was won by Jackson dark cutters and the average steer had a 796 lb. hot Diemert, who received $50 from the Clark Diemert carcass weight, 60.9 dressing percentage, 0.45 Memorial and Diemert Ranch. The Top Hereford inches of backfat, 3.0 KPH, 12.6 inch ribeye, 3.2 YG, Carcass, 50% or more, was won by Owen Gustafson, 498 marbling score (Choice-), 49.3% cutability, and a who received $100 from the Clark Diemert Memorial carcass value of $1,894.15. and Diemert Ranch. Finally, Spencer Briggs’s steer

won the Top Purebred Black Angus carcass award, An educational program was held following the fair which is $100 donated by Apex Angus of Valier. where 4-H members rotated through four carcass

focused stations learning the primal cuts of meat, Steers exhibited by Kylee Bailey-Flesch, Zach Stoltz, how to measure backfat and grade meat, how to Spencer Briggs, Paul Ehlers, Cheryse Kultgen, Tyler measure the ribeye area, and the standards of the Wanken and Owen Gustafson all received the Montana Steer-of-Merit program. Complete carcass results Steer of Merit distinction. The Steer of Merit project is are available at your local Extension office for a joint effort of Montana State University and the anyone interested. Thanks to all the local sponsors Montana Stockgrowers where beef carcasses must and supporters of the Marias Fair 4-H program! meet criteria set by the Steer of Merit Committee in the

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Predator Damage What’s going on at the Management Workshop Department of Livestock??

To Keep You Financially By Maggie Nutter

Solvent & out of Prison Sometimes it just seems like a daytime Soap Opera. For the last year it has been lawsuits, scandals and exits. Hard as it is to believe I think they are headed down the The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife right track now. This will just be a quick update of where Services program, in collaboration with the Marias things are now. (But that could change before you get River Livestock Association and Pondera Extension this newsletter) are hosting a one-day, non-lethal predator damage management Workshop. The summer of 2014 there was a Financial Audit (which is scheduled every two years) done on the Department of November 2nd, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Livestock (DOL). The Audit found some big issues with the accounting practices and budget even to the point of saying the DOL was breaking the law and violating the Pondera Shooting Sports Complex, MT constitution. These budget practices where 972 Granit Rd, Conrad, Montana happening because the DOL was running in the RED.

The goal of the workshop is to provide information The livestock industry lost confidence in the leadership of to the public on the science behind non-lethal the DOL. Even after then Executive Officer Christian predator damage management methods and the MacKay attended many meetings and conventions trying practical applications of these methods as a part of to explain that the issue was very over blown. Industry a comprehensive damage management plan for responded with a letter writing campaign and demanded protecting livestock and other property. a change in leadership.

The then Board of Livestock Chairperson, Jan French,  Presentations from wildlife researchers, defended MacKay, the accounting and the budget issue. natural resource managers, landowners and Soon Jan French and Linda Nilsson’s terms on the BOL other experts will discuss the importance were up and they were replaced with new members, who of the non-lethal component of managing were very serious about trying to fix all the budget, predator damage as it relates to resource accounting, and ethic issues at hand. Enter Nina Baucus owners proactively managing predation, and Lila Taylor as new Board Members. and will include the following topics:  Development of nonlethal tools for The Legislative session was a struggle trying to get predator management money to cover the expenses of the DOL and the Montana  Update on current wolf and grizzly bear Veterinary Diagnostic Lab which is used and financed populations and activities in NW Montana extensively by the DOL.  Montana Livestock Loss Board Programs including grants and reimbursements Jeff Lewis, who represented Dairy on the BOL resigned  Carcass management and that position is looking to be filled.

 Electric fence incentive/Cost share program September 21, 2015 at a BOL meeting EO Christian  And much more MacKay resigned, stating he did not agree with the direction the Board was going, and later that morning The workshop is open to the public and is free to John Grainger, Administrator of the Brands Division also attend with no registration required. Lunch will be resigned. provided by Marias River Livestock Association. For questions about speakers please contact John Later that week, Friday, September 25, Marty Zaluski, Steuber, Wildlife Service's Montana State Director at current Montana State Veterinarian was appointed to fill (406) 657-6464. For questions pertaining to time, the Interim Executive Officer Position until December 31st place or lunch contact Maggie Nutter at (406) 937- or until the Permanent EO is hired. Marty Clark the 2751 Assistant Brands Administrator is now the acting Brands Administrator until the Permanent Brands Administrator Schedule on Page 5 is hired.

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Non-Lethal Predator Damage Management Workshop

November 2, 2015 - Pondera Shooting Sports Complex, 972 Granite Road, Conrad, Montana

Co-Sponsored by USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, the Marias River Livestock Association, & Montana State University Extension -Pondera County

Workshop Objective To provide information on the science behind non-lethal methods & the practical applications of various non-lethal methods integrated into predator damage management strategies to protect livestock & other property. Discuss the importance of the non-lethal component of managing predator damage as it relates to resource owners being able to be proactive in managing predation.

8:00 – 8:30 Sign-in for Meeting (no registration fee) 8:30 – 8:45 Welcome/Opening Remarks - Maggie Nutter, President, Marias River Livestock Association 8:45-9:00 Agenda Review & Introductions – John Steuber, State Director/Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, Billings, MT 9:00 – 9:30 “Who’s in charge Here? Identifying Roles in Dealing With Predator Conflicts” – Michael Marlow, Resource Management Specialist, USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, CO 9:30 – 10:15 “When and How to Use Non-Lethal Tools” – Dr. Julie Young, Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist, USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services/National Wildlife Research Center, Logan, UT 10:15 – 10:30 Break (refreshments provided by the Marias River Livestock Association 10:30 – 12:00 “Bears, Wolves, People and Agriculture: Conflict Reduction Initiatives in Southwest Alberta” – Jeff Becktell, Coordinator, Carnivore & Communities Program, Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association, Cardston, Alberta 12:00-1:00 Lunch (lunch provided by the Marias River Livestock Association 1:00 – 1:30 “Does Carcass Management Have a Place & Benefit Here?” – Kris Inman, Community Partnerships Representative, Wildlife Conservation Society 1:30 – 2:00 “Electric Fence Incentive/Cost Share Program” – Russ Talmo, Rockies & Plains Field Technician, Defenders of Wildlife, Missoula, MT & John & LeAnne Hayne, Rancher, Dupuyer, MT 2:00 – 2:30 Montana Livestock Loss Board Programs: Reimbursement and Grants” – George Edwards, Executive Secretary, Montana Livestock Loss Board, Helena, MT 2:30 – 2:45 Break (refreshments provided by the Marias River Livestock Association) 2:45 – 3:15 “Current Grizzly Bear Population Status, Conflicts, & Activity on the Northern Rocky Mountain Front. Discussion of Non-lethal Methods” – Mike Madel, Grizzly Bear Specialist, MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Choteau, MT 3:15 – 3:45 “Update on Northern Rocky mountain Front Wolf Management, Population, & Conflicts – Ty Smucker, Wolf Specialist, Montana fish, Wildlife & Parks, Great Falls, MT 3:45 – 4:15 “Non-Lethal Predator Damage Management Practices on the Rockport Colony” Mike Hoggan, Wildlife Specialist, USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, Valier, MT & Ben Hofer, Secretary, Rockport Colony, Pendroy, MT 4:15 – 5:00 Open discussion, Non-Lethal Predator Damage Management

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Buy Local. You deserve the best. The 4th Annual Bull Bucks Plus Drawing will be held BULL BUCKS PLUS 2015-16 November 14, 2015 at the Prime Rib and Rib Tickler. It’s Participating Producers not too late to become eligible, so join Marias River Livestock Association today. Apex Angus - Sale March 2016 www.apexangus.com

All Active member of Marias River Livestock Association Bobcat Angus - Sale Nov, 23 2015 are eligible to be put in the drawing at the Annual Event www.bobcatangus.com November 14, 2015 at the Civic Center in Shelby

Montana. Curry Cattle Inc - 279-3561 Replacement Angus females How it works: Participating Registered Bull Breeders and Seed Stock Female Producers and now Registered Sheep Certain Creek Ranch - 937-2751 Producers each contribute $50 for the “POT.” At the Replacement Females Prime Rib and Rib Tickler Event a lucky winner will be drawn from the current Marias River Livestock Diamond D Angus - Sale Nov 2015, Spring Private Treaty Association, Active Membership to receive a Bull Bucks www.diamonddangus.com

Voucher. The Voucher is good towards the purchase of Diemert Ranch Herefords - 432-3412 Registered Bulls or Seed Stock Females or Ram/Ewe from www.ngrbulls.com/diemert_ranch_herefords.htm the participating Breeders/Producers.

Enneberg Angus Ranch - 845-4901 The amount of the Voucher depends on the number of Breeders/Producers who participate in the program. Flesch Angus - Sale March 2016 Currently the Voucher is worth $800. The Voucher is www.fleschangus.com good only for cattle or sheep purchases from the participating Breeders/Producers and cannot be Gillespie Show Cattle - 337-2943 or 949-4453 redeemed for cash. The Association keeps no money. All www.gillespieshowcattle.com funds are placed in the POT for the winning member’s Bull Bucks Plus Voucher. Hawks Angus - Sale March 2016 www.hawksangus.com

Bobcat Angus...175 Bulls Holden Hereford - Sale March 2016 www.holdenherefords.com & 800 Bred Females Sell! 11th Annual Kicking Horse Ranch Gelbvieh - Sale March 2016 www.kickinghorseranch.com NOVEMBER 23, 2015 Production Sale Superior Livestock Video Auction - 450-4586 WESTERN LIVESTOCK AUCTION – www.superiorlivestock.com GREAT FALLS, MONTANA Tomsheck Angus – April 6, 2016 in Nebraska, 937-3726 www.blackranchesinc.com Bryan Ratzburg: (406) 937-5858 Cell: (406) 788-3272 Ernie Ratzburg: Cell: (406) 788-3244 John Goggins: (406) 698-4159 Timber Coulee Columbia – 937-2775 Email: [email protected] www.bobcatangus.com Turner Angus - 434-2823 www.TurnerAngus.com

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Current Disaster Programs Available from the USDA Farm Service Agency

By Dennis Garcia, Glacier County FSA

As you are all well aware at this point, Glacier County Montana, as well as other surrounding areas have been experiencing a drought this growing season. Fortunately the USDA Farm Service Agency has several programs currently available, or soon to be available to producers to help mitigate drought and fire related losses. Dennis Garcia, the FSA Executive Director for These programs include the Livestock Forage Program Glacier County is no stranger to ranching. Dennis (LFP), the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP), the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), and the grew‐up in New Mexico where his family farmed Non-insurable Crop Disaster Assistance Program and ranched. (NAP). I will shed more light on these programs and how they work specifically for livestock producers. Keep in mind that bees and farm raised fish qualify needs to be able to prove risk in the land and in the for Emergency Livestock Assistance and Livestock livestock. Secondly, the livestock claimed need to be for Indemnity programs. commercial production and not for recreational uses Glacier, Toole, Pondera, Teton, Jefferson and Madison such as roping, hunting, show animals, etc. If you have counties are now eligible for the Livestock Forage any more questions concerning the Livestock Forage Program based on how each of those counties is Program, please feel free to contact your local USDA- ranked by the US Drought Monitor. Farm Service Agency office for more details.

The Livestock Forage Program also compensates Another program available to livestock producers and producers who have/will have had to remove bee keepers is the Emergency Livestock Assistance livestock which were permitted to graze on federally Program (ELAP). The Emergency Livestock Assistance managed land due to fire. The program compensates Program can compensate producers who have lost producers for 60% of the lesser value of their actual livestock and honeybees to wildfires, blizzards, disease, feed cost, which is set based on an average feed cost adverse weather not covered under the Livestock Forage for the country and forage loss on acreage certified by Program or the Livestock Indemnity Program and as the producer for grazing. determined by the US secretary of agriculture. However, the most advantageous part of this program is that it One of the most important criteria that needs to be may compensate producers for a portion of water met to ensure producer eligibility is, that the producer hauling expenses incurred as a result of the drought. It is critical that producers documents their water hauling expenses for use in the application process. Like the Livestock Forage Program, feel free to contact your local USDA FSA office for more details.

The Livestock Indemnity Program will apply to producers who may have lost livestock in wild fires. From the 2008 Farm Bill to the current bill, there have been some changes that require producers to be able to prove their losses. It would be to the advantage of livestock growers to maintain detailed and organized records to aid in the application process. We have had some folks call in claiming livestock losses due to drought, drought is not a qualified cause of livestock loss. Though we did see some warmer days this summer, the higher temps were not considered to be so great that it would kill healthy livestock. It is a

Disaster Cont. pg 9

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Help Wanted Marias River Livestock Associatio n needs a Volunteer to help get ads for the Post Rider Newsletter.

We like to put the newsletter out 6‐7 times a years. In order to help pay for the paper, ink and postage we offer ads to businesses i n the area.

The goal would be to get one sponsor ad and then 2‐4 smaller monthly ads per issue.

If you feel like this is a duty you would like to take over please contact Maggie Nutter at 406‐937‐2751.

If you would like to place an ad in the newsletter again please contact Maggie Nutter at 937‐2751.

Sponsorship ad are $500 and the first is placed on the mailing cover then 5 other monthly ads are run and a one page write up on your business with pictures is offered. Save the Date The monthly ads are $75 each and in full color. Oct 10 Tickets for the Prime Rib & Rib Tickler go on sale

Oct 10‐17 NILE, Billings, MT

Oct 23‐24 Montana Farmers Union Convention, Great Falls

October 27 Marias River Livestock Association Annual Membership Meeting, Ringside Ribs, Shelby 6:00pm Election of Officers, One Montana Speaker, Lisa Grace

Nov 2 Non‐Lethal Predator Damage Control workshop 8am Pondera Shooting Sports Complex, Conrad

Nov 9‐11 MT Farm Bureau Convention, Missoula

Nov 14 Prime Rib and Rib Tickler ‐ Civic Center, Shelby

November 18‐19 Interagency Bison Council – Chico Hot Springs (and REAL Montana Class)

December 3‐5 Montana Woolgrowers Conference‐ Billings

December 2‐5 Montana Stockgrowers Annual Meeting – Billings

December 8‐9 Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee‐ Missoula

Jan 13‐16 Helena, Montana Young Ag Couples Conference

January 30 & 31, 2016 Montana’s Next Generation The MT Next Generation Conf. Planning Committee Conference – Shelby MT (L to R) Trina Bradley, Kari Lewis, Maggie Nutter, Dennis Garcia, Shaelyn Meyer, Lacy Roberts, Shandi Bradley, Butch Gillespie.

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Cont. Disaster Programs pg 7 management decision on the part of the producer to These are just brief overviews of the programs which we not provide adequate amounts of water and feed to have available for drought mitigation. These programs their livestock, and therefore not an applicable cause have some very detailed requirements and may not yet be of loss. available in some areas. I would encourage folks to contact their local FSA office if they have not done so Lastly is the Non-insured crop disaster Assistance already to see what they may qualify for. I hope you Program. I mention NAP last because most folks found this informative and will be of great benefit to you. know about it if they purchased it for the 2015 Feel free to call us at 406-873-5618 or mail us a letter or grazing season and this serves more as a reminder to come in and see us at: 1 3rd Street, Cut Bank, MT 59427 those producers to file their notice of loss for drought related losses on non-irrigated crops, including native grass and mixed forage. If you did not purchase NAP coverage for 2015, this program Plan to Succeed in Succession cannot benefit you this year. However, I would very strongly recommend that you consider purchasing Planning for the Montana’s Next Generation Conference NAP coverage for the 2016 grazing/growing season. has once again begun. The first meeting of the For those who are considered Socially Disadvantaged Committee was held in Shelby on August 26. The dates or limited resource producers, the $250.00 service are set for January 30 and 31, 2016 and the location will fee can easily be waived by filing a CCC-860 form. again be divided between the Civic Center and Shelby High School as in previous years. The NAP program is an inexpensive catastrophic level insurance that is purchased in the fall of the The Friday’s activities will start at 1:00PM with Kevin preceding calendar year that you would like to have Spafford returning to once again cover Succession coverage for. In other words, come in to your FSA Planning. This will be good for those who have never office between today and November 15, 2015 to attend one of Spafford’s presentation and also geared for obtain coverage for the 2016 grazing/growing those who may have attended before. season. Producers become eligible for payment when a qualified natural disaster or weather event causes a greater than 50% loss of the covered crop. In cases An additional Workshop will be held where drought is the cause of loss, independent February 13, 2016 for families who have assessments are obtained by FSA to determine the attended one of Kevin Spafford’s loss level which payments will be based upon. These assessments are obtained at the end of the growing workshops in the last three years season and any payments that may be made are generally dispersed in early spring of the following calendar year; provided that the assessments indicate A new twist has been added to the Succession portion of a greater than a 50% loss. the Conference. A follow-up Workshop will be held February 13, 2016 for families who have attended one of Kevin Spafford’s workshops in the last three years and wish to move forward in succession planning. The February 13th workshop will allow families to schedule a first meeting with an actual secession planner and have a preliminary meeting where they could meet and discuss their goals together.

There will be packets available at the Trade Show, Friday, January 30th, that can help families prepare for the first planning meeting. A simple short 7 minute DVD which can be shared with your family at home to get the thought process started and forms that list some of the details to help people think through where they are and where they want to be. None of those are necessary but would allow people to feel more prepared for the first meeting. The most important thing is just schedule it and get whatever family members you can to attend. It seems that the first step is always the hardest.

Saturday, January 31th will be the 36 breakout sessions geared towards beginning farmers and ranchers, succession planning, and advanced cropping and ranching. There should be good information for all who attend.

Marias River Livestock Association 72 Sweetgrass Hills Rd Sweet Grass, MT 59484

Phone: 406-937-2751

E-Mail: [email protected]

Motto Honoring the Past Protecting the Future Kyle Shobe and the Walk ‘em Boys Will entertain at the

We’re on the Web! Prime Rib and Rib Tickler th Visit us at: November 14 th www.MariasRiverLivestock.com Ticket Sales start October 10 Contact Rick or Lana Schock 937-6400 For updates see us on Facebook.