Montana State University Extension and USDA-ARS Fort Keogh will host two cattle seminars in both Havre and Great Falls, Montana

The Havre seminar will be on January 19, 2017 at the Northern Agriculture Research Center from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. The Great Falls seminar will be on January 20, 2017 at the Montana ExpoPark’s Paddock Club from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The seminars will feature research conducted through Fort Keogh in Miles City, Montana. Mark Petersen, USDA-ARD Research Lead, will discuss water quality and mineral evaluation. Cattle producers will look at water quality samples from different areas and a component on effect of nutritional intake and influencing mineral programs. Andy Roberts, ARS UDSA Research Animal Scientist, will present cow-calf production efficiency and feature studies on herd longevity and heifer development. Megan Van Emon, MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, will speak about the Veterinary Feed Directive and what cattle producers can expect from the new directive. Lance Vermeire, ARS USDA Range Scientist, will discuss his research on fire seasonality and return interval effects in northern mixed prairie and impacts of fire on range regrowth with data collected from Havre. Both seminars are free to attend. Please RSVP to the MSU Hill County Extension Office at either (406) 265-5481, extension 233 or hill1@montana.edu or MSU Cascade County Extension at (406) 454-6980 with a head count.  The 5thAnnual Ag Appreciation Banquet will be held at the Best Western Heritage Inn in Great Falls on January 20, 2017. The social will begin at 6:00 p.m. and dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. The night’s keynote speaker/entertainer will be Lyndy Phillips. Phillips is a high-energy, inspirational, humorous speaker and comedy magician who recharges, renews, and refreshes audiences with his positive, upbeat presentations. He’s highly entertaining with 100% clean humor, comedy magic, and audience involvement and he's inspirational with messages on reducing stress and personal value. Lyndy was raised on a farm in the Texas Panhandle, served fifteen years in full-time ministry, worked in sales for seven years, fundraising and development for five years and raised two children with his wife of thirty years. On top of all that, he was Executive Director for a television show about marriage. He knows a thing or two about stress and its impact on the body! The evening will also feature recognizing the Ag Advocate of the Year and rewarding four $1000 scholarships to prospective ag students. If you or your company are interested in purchasing a table, sponsoring the event, or purchasing individual tickets, please contact the Great Falls Area Chamber-Ag Committee at (406) 761-4434.  More than 200 exhibitors showcase the latest in farming technology, guidance systems, implements and livestock handling equipment at the annual MAGIE at Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, MT. In addition to booths selling new products, there also are a handful of informational workshops on anything from the outlook of various markets to crop insurance updates. The MAGIE is the state’s largest farm and ranch trade show. This year’s show will be from January 19-21, 2017.