The Pierce County Soil Conservation District will be hosting its 11th Annual Women’s Ag Night on Friday, October 24th, 2014 at the Rugby Eagles Club. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. and is open to all women in Pierce County. The cost is $5/person and space is limited. The evening’s entertainment includes supper along with a wine tasting and presentation by Dakota Sun Gardens Winery of Carrington, ND. This year’s raffle items include a wine metal art piece and a bison metal art piece. Contact Michelle at the Pierce County Soil Conservation District office at 701-776-2207 ext. 3 or “mailto:michelle.lowman@nd.nacdnet.net”>michelle.lowman@nd.nacdnet.net.

Fall Wheat Midge Survey

The North Dakota Wheat Commission has funded the fall wheat midge survey for 2014. This soil survey helps to identify areas of increasing wheat midge populations in the northern region of the state. The survey also allows a risk map to be generated for the 2015 growing season so that producers may be alerted to potential wheat midge risks. Although populations of wheat midge have been low in recent years, populations fluctuate year to year based on favorable environment and when wheat was planted.

Soil samples for the survey are being collected by NDSU Extension Ag Agents in 21 counties from the northern half of North Dakota. Collection of samples began during the middle of September and is scheduled to conclude near the end of October. Samples are collected on a 12 mile grid. There were nine samples collected in Pierce County.

After the samples have been evaluated, a state map showing the midge levels will be released. Producers can anticipate the release of this data near the beginning of the New Year.

For more information on wheat midge, check out NDSU publication E-1330 “Integrated Pest Management of the Wheat Midge in North Dakota” available online at www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/pests/e1330.pdf.

Dakota Feeder Calf Show Set for Oct. 18

The 16th annual Dakota Feeder Calf Show will be held Saturday, Oct.18, in Turtle Lake. Cattle producers from across the state are welcome to consign cattle and it is not too late to consign cattle.

Cattle will be accepted at the Turtle Lake weighing station before 10 a.m., and then exhibited in groups of three or four head. Cattle may be registered the day of the show, but the feedout is limited to 180 head. Producers will be assessed an entry fee of $20 per calf.

The spring-born steer calves consigned to the show then will be fed to market weight at the North Dakota State University Carrington Research Extension Center’s feedlot. Dakota Feeder Calf Show officials will present awards to producers at the end of the trial.

The NDSU Extension Service is partnering with the Dakota Feeder Calf Show on the show and feedout project to provide cattle producers with an opportunity to experience retaining ownership of cattle beyond the cow-calf phase of production. Producers who consign their calves to the feedout program will receive performance and carcass data.

The show and feedout are an entry-level way of learning about these options with three or four calves instead of 100. Cattle producers have used the feeding and carcass information to select bulls that will improve the feedlot value of their calves.

Feedout project staff will gather data on rate of gain, feeding costs and other characteristics during the trial. After the calves are marketed, the staff will collect and provide information to the entrants on carcass weight, meat quality and value.

For more information or to preregister calves, contact Karl Hoppe at (701) 652-2951.