Conservationists work to improve pastures
Kent Luetzen
July 28 the Board members for the Lake County Conservation District spent the afternoon touring an agricultural project being implemented in collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservaton Service.
Kent Luetzen
Kent Luetzen
Kristi D’Agati leads Lake County Conservation District board members on a tour of two different sites where a variety of legume species are growing.
Kent Luetzen
Legume
Kent Luetzen
Kent Luetzen
Kent Luetzen
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RONAN — Board members for the Lake County Conservation District had the opportunity to spend their Thursday, July 28, afternoon touring an agricultural project being implemented in the Mission Valley by the District in collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The three main goals for the project are to improve forage quality, increase plant diversity, and create pollinator habitats.
“We decided that giving a tour of the areas we have been working in is a good way to show board members how we are using the grant money we were given to do this project,” Lake County Conservation Coordinator Heidi Fleury said. “We have partnered with 12 different farmers or land owners that are allowing us to use parts of their plot to do the studies.”
AmeriCorps-Big Sky Watershed Corp Member Kristi D’Agati spearheaded the project and informed the board members on objectives and how the project relates to local conservation efforts.
“We buy the seeds and implement them into the pastures and, in return, the farmers manage that area the way we want them to,” D’Agati said.
The tour focused on a legume inter-seeding for wildlife habitat, one of four specific projects.
“The main idea of this project is to find relatively easy and affordable ways to improve pasture quality and wildlife and pollinator habitats in Lake County,” D’Agati said.
During the tour, board members visited two different sites where a variety of legume species were growing.
“We want to create a resilient community of plants in a pasture,” Fleury said.
For instance, if one crop dies at certain temperature, another variety planted in the same pasture will still be able to provide forage.
Board members learned the importance of creating different canopy levels for wildlife, growing legumes for livestock feeding and researching what foliage is productive in Lake County.
Toni Burton, associate supervisor for the Lake County Conservation District, was excited to learn more about pasture management and how she can improve her terrain.
“I have property with pastures for my horses,” Burton said. “I also have sections of my land used for wildlife,” such as deer, elk, and bears.
D’Agati said she will continue to monitor the study; however, it can take one-to-two years for a pasture or wildlife habitat to show results.
“We planted the seeds around March,” D’Agati said. “We are seeing small plants pop up, but will know more about how well they do down the road.”
Although the study relies on time to test what plots thrive and note what plants are growing well, D’Agati has already seen significant growth with one legume variety.
“Red clover does really well here,” D’Agati said. “Of course it all depends on what type of plot a farmer has, but in most areas it grows great.”
The project is being funded by grants from the Montana Department of Agriculture: Growth Through Agriculture Program, Montana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
The Lake County Conservation District will continue their project in hopes of sharing study results with local farmers and landowners.
For more information, contact Heidi Fleury at 406-676-2841, ext. 102.
