Terry, MT

A series of speakers have been invited to Terry to speak to ag producers to about opportunities in agriculture on Wednesday, April 23rd from 3:00-6:30 p.m. at the American Legion in Terry.

Agriculture, specifically livestock production, is the number one industry in Prairie County. This provides the opportunity to add value to the products already produced in Prairie County, increasing the economic benefit to producers which ultimately benefits the rest of the community.

Butch Krutzfeldt will be the first speaker at 3:00 p.m. He will talk about the potential for ethanol production in Eastern Montana and other opportunities that that industry may present for area producers. Fred Wacker will be the next presenter at 4:15 p.m., discussing what it takes to market cattle as natural beef and opportunities within that industry. The final speaker at 5:30 p.m. will be Rachel Endecott. She will discuss different cattle backgrounding systems that livestock producers may want to consider.

Area ag producers are invited to come and learn more about the cutting edge of ag industry in Montana. This program is being sponsored by Horizons and the Prairie County Extension Service. For more information, contact the Prairie County Extension Office at 635-2121.

More than 20 people gathered on February 21st to prioritize action items for upcoming months. Top priorities idendified were (1) establishing a local community foundation to fund community projects for the long-term; (2) promoting value-added agriculture projects such as natural beef and ethanol/biodiesel development; (3) creating incentives for businesses to expand or locate in Prairie County; (4) complete city pool and bath-house upgrades; and (5) to have ample and affordable housing for all ages and income levels.

Initial committees were formed to begin planning a timeline for action within each of these areas. Committees will meet individually in March to progress with action planning. All committees will meet together in April to discuss progress.

If you would like to become involved with one of these projects, please contact the Prairie County Extension Office who can direct you to a committee member.