Dr. Prashant Jha discusses kochi competition and control issues in sugar beet production. (Courtesy photos)
Originally published in the 6/15/18 print edition of Yellowstone County News.
HUNTLEY — Agricultural commodity prices are down. Profit margins are slim. And “research is not a free thing.”
But ag research is a key to keeping farming profitable as plant varieties and farming techniques evolve.
To help growers stay ahead, every other year, the Southern Agricultural Research Center at Huntley offers a field day to give anyone who wants to come a firsthand look at the projects underway at the 462-acre facility operated by Montana State University.
This year’s Field Day Tours are Tuesday. Everyone is welcome.
“I would hope people would want to come and see where your tax dollars are going,” said SARC superintendent Ken Kephart. “Enjoy the company of your friends and neighbors at the very least.”
Registration begins at 2:30 p.m. at SARC, which is 3.5 miles east of Huntley just off Highway 312.Tours are offered on both irrigated and dryland field trials. The first set of tours begins at 3 p.m. A free dinner of steak, burgers or brats is served by the Billings Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by a second round of tours that begins at 6 p.m.
The same set of tours is offered before and after dinner. A complete schedule will be available at registration and people can choose to listen to either tour or both.
Kephart said he directs the research, but Tuesday’s speakers “have a better idea of where this is all fitting into the state.” read more
