1 00:00:00,700 --> 00:00:02,666 - [Announcer] "Montana Ag Live" is made possible by 2 00:00:02,666 --> 00:00:05,933 the Montana Department of Agriculture, 3 00:00:07,700 --> 00:00:09,266 the MSU Extension Service, 4 00:00:10,633 --> 00:00:12,600 the MSU Ag Experiment Stations of 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:13,966 the College of Agriculture, 6 00:00:15,233 --> 00:00:17,133 the Montana Wheat & Barley Committee, 7 00:00:18,433 --> 00:00:20,166 Cashman Nursery and Landscaping, 8 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,866 the Northern Pulse Growers Association, 9 00:00:24,866 --> 00:00:27,800 and the Gallatin Gardeners Club. 10 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,366 (folksy music) 11 00:00:48,900 --> 00:00:51,800 - Good evening and welcome to "Montana Ag Live," 12 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,533 brought to you from the PBS studio 13 00:00:54,533 --> 00:00:56,366 at Montana State University. 14 00:00:56,366 --> 00:00:58,533 It's beautifully green here right now, 15 00:00:58,533 --> 00:01:00,933 and we are also thankful for the rain, 16 00:01:00,933 --> 00:01:02,866 and we know there are parts of Montana 17 00:01:02,866 --> 00:01:05,033 that haven't been quite as blessed as we have been 18 00:01:05,033 --> 00:01:08,666 in the Gallatin Valley, so we are sincerely hoping 19 00:01:08,666 --> 00:01:10,566 that everybody gets some relief from the drought 20 00:01:10,566 --> 00:01:13,333 and gets a little bit of rain on this Sunday. 21 00:01:13,333 --> 00:01:15,833 So we've got a great show for you today. 22 00:01:15,833 --> 00:01:20,766 We have an economist, ag economist from the department 23 00:01:20,766 --> 00:01:23,733 here at MSU, Diane Charlton, and she's gonna be, 24 00:01:23,733 --> 00:01:26,233 excuse me, Diane Thronson. 25 00:01:26,233 --> 00:01:29,733 Her name recently changed, so congratulations, Diane, 26 00:01:29,733 --> 00:01:33,133 and she's gonna be talking about labor relations 27 00:01:33,133 --> 00:01:35,133 and that's definitely something that's been 28 00:01:35,133 --> 00:01:37,666 of major interest throughout our economy 29 00:01:37,666 --> 00:01:40,833 and especially in our agricultural economy in Montana. 30 00:01:40,833 --> 00:01:42,900 On my left here is Abi Saeed. 31 00:01:42,900 --> 00:01:45,200 She's a horticulturalist here at MSU. 32 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,333 We have Laurie Kerzicnik tonight who is our entomologist, 33 00:01:49,333 --> 00:01:52,900 and then on the end anchoring for us is Mary Burrows, 34 00:01:52,900 --> 00:01:55,066 who's a plant pathologist and also director 35 00:01:55,066 --> 00:01:58,000 of the research centers here at MSU. 36 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,433 We have Nancy Blake in the studio answering questions, 37 00:02:00,433 --> 00:02:03,233 and we have somebody downstairs, and I apologize 38 00:02:03,233 --> 00:02:06,500 if I did not get the name of who is downstairs answering, 39 00:02:06,500 --> 00:02:08,800 giving me the questions that will be 40 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:10,833 coming in over the computer. 41 00:02:10,833 --> 00:02:13,200 So I'm Nina Zidack. 42 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:14,733 I am the director of the Seed Potato 43 00:02:14,733 --> 00:02:18,366 Certification Program here, and this is a call-in station. 44 00:02:18,366 --> 00:02:20,266 So please keep our operators busy, 45 00:02:20,266 --> 00:02:21,466 keep the questions coming in, 46 00:02:21,466 --> 00:02:23,800 and we'll just start off tonight 47 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,466 and give Diane the opportunity to talk a little bit 48 00:02:26,466 --> 00:02:29,200 about what she does here at MSU in terms 49 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:33,300 of agricultural labor relations. 50 00:02:33,300 --> 00:02:34,133 - Great. 51 00:02:34,133 --> 00:02:35,300 Thank you, Nina. 52 00:02:35,300 --> 00:02:37,633 Yes, so I work in the department 53 00:02:37,633 --> 00:02:40,066 of agricultural economics in economics. 54 00:02:40,066 --> 00:02:42,866 So I teach courses in economic development 55 00:02:42,866 --> 00:02:45,333 and agribusiness management, and my research 56 00:02:45,333 --> 00:02:50,433 primarily focuses around labor markets, farm labor markets, 57 00:02:50,433 --> 00:02:51,833 specifically in the United States 58 00:02:51,833 --> 00:02:53,966 and somewhat in Mexico as well. 59 00:02:53,966 --> 00:02:57,233 - Okay, thank you, and we're gonna get to some more 60 00:02:57,233 --> 00:02:58,633 of those specifics in a little bit. 61 00:02:58,633 --> 00:03:00,333 Abi, can you tell us about, 62 00:03:00,333 --> 00:03:02,800 what is the best time to prune lilacs? 63 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:04,866 This is a question that came in from Billings. 64 00:03:04,866 --> 00:03:06,633 - This is a good and timely question. 65 00:03:06,633 --> 00:03:09,033 So lilacs, I would say the best time to prune them 66 00:03:09,033 --> 00:03:11,233 would be right after they're done flowering 67 00:03:11,233 --> 00:03:13,500 because in the summer they're gonna start developing 68 00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:16,366 those buds that are gonna flower the following spring. 69 00:03:16,366 --> 00:03:18,466 So get those pruned right after 70 00:03:18,466 --> 00:03:20,500 they're done flowering this spring. 71 00:03:20,500 --> 00:03:22,866 - Okay, yeah, and so I live south of Bozeman 72 00:03:22,866 --> 00:03:25,900 and my lilacs are still like at least a week 73 00:03:25,900 --> 00:03:28,933 or 10 days away, so they're very late this year, 74 00:03:28,933 --> 00:03:31,200 which I think is kind of indicative of this whole spring. 75 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:32,533 - I think so, mine too. 76 00:03:32,533 --> 00:03:34,366 Mine are just starting to, just started 77 00:03:34,366 --> 00:03:36,633 to flower this past weekend. 78 00:03:36,633 --> 00:03:37,800 - Yeah, that's great. 79 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:39,233 It's nice to see those. 80 00:03:39,233 --> 00:03:42,400 So Laurie, a question from Bozeman. 81 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,066 This person lost the leader out of their eight foot tall 82 00:03:46,066 --> 00:03:48,900 spruce tree last year, and it looks like there's some holes 83 00:03:48,900 --> 00:03:51,566 from bugs around the base of where it turned brown. 84 00:03:51,566 --> 00:03:53,566 Do you have any idea what they are 85 00:03:53,566 --> 00:03:55,466 and how they can get rid of them? 86 00:03:55,466 --> 00:03:58,500 - Yeah, I, it, that's probably the white pine weevil, 87 00:03:58,500 --> 00:04:00,900 but usually those holes are at the top of the tree. 88 00:04:00,900 --> 00:04:03,366 So maybe they were seeing the beetles and. 89 00:04:03,366 --> 00:04:05,333 - [Nina] Oh, at the base of the brown part. 90 00:04:05,333 --> 00:04:07,000 - Oh, the brown part, okay. 91 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:07,900 Yeah, that makes sense then. 92 00:04:07,900 --> 00:04:09,700 Yeah, that's probably white pine weevil and you can, 93 00:04:09,700 --> 00:04:12,366 so that part that's dead, they usually start 94 00:04:12,366 --> 00:04:13,766 infesting right below that. 95 00:04:13,766 --> 00:04:18,033 So you can spray with a pyrethroid insecticide 96 00:04:18,033 --> 00:04:20,500 or contact insecticide right below that, about six inches 97 00:04:20,500 --> 00:04:22,866 below that, where you're starting to see the damage. 98 00:04:22,866 --> 00:04:24,800 Right now would be a good time to do that 99 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,000 or you could actually, you don't even need to spray. 100 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:28,933 You could actually prune that out. 101 00:04:28,933 --> 00:04:31,000 If it's a younger tree, you could prune that out 102 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,466 between now, actually you wanna, they'd be in the tree 103 00:04:35,466 --> 00:04:37,033 right now, but you wanna make sure that you do it 104 00:04:37,033 --> 00:04:39,700 before the end of July when they exit the tree. 105 00:04:39,700 --> 00:04:40,566 - Okay. 106 00:04:40,566 --> 00:04:42,266 - So if it's a young tree, you can still train a new leader, 107 00:04:42,266 --> 00:04:44,433 but if it's an older tree, then you probably will have 108 00:04:44,433 --> 00:04:46,633 to spray because the tree will start to look deformed. 109 00:04:46,633 --> 00:04:47,533 - Yeah, yeah. 110 00:04:47,533 --> 00:04:49,466 We've got a tree that I think it's happened 111 00:04:49,466 --> 00:04:50,466 three years in a row so. 112 00:04:50,466 --> 00:04:51,666 - Yeah, yeah. 113 00:04:51,666 --> 00:04:52,933 - It's getting to be quite short and stubby, so. 114 00:04:52,933 --> 00:04:55,233 - I know, it just keeps moving down, yeah. 115 00:04:55,233 --> 00:04:56,900 - Uh huh, for sure. 116 00:04:56,900 --> 00:04:59,033 Okay, Diane, can you tell us about the people 117 00:04:59,033 --> 00:05:00,966 that work on US farms? 118 00:05:00,966 --> 00:05:02,200 - Sure. 119 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:07,100 Comes as no surprise to most people that the majority 120 00:05:07,100 --> 00:05:09,600 of our farm workers are immigrants. 121 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,266 It actually wasn't always that way. 122 00:05:12,266 --> 00:05:16,266 If we go back to in 1900, about 40% of 123 00:05:16,266 --> 00:05:19,733 the US workforce was on farms. 124 00:05:19,733 --> 00:05:21,266 Now it's less than 1%. 125 00:05:21,266 --> 00:05:23,233 So the majority of our farm workers are actually 126 00:05:23,233 --> 00:05:26,533 from Mexico, and I think I have a figure on this as well, 127 00:05:26,533 --> 00:05:30,266 that shows the breakdown of crop workers 128 00:05:30,266 --> 00:05:31,766 and where they were born. 129 00:05:31,766 --> 00:05:36,200 About two thirds of our crop workers were born in Mexico. 130 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:40,433 About 25%, actually a little bit less than 25% 131 00:05:40,433 --> 00:05:44,233 were actually born in the United States, and so 132 00:05:44,233 --> 00:05:46,400 the primary data source that we have for this 133 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,700 is the National Agricultural Worker Survey. 134 00:05:48,700 --> 00:05:51,633 It is nationally representative of the crop workforce, 135 00:05:51,633 --> 00:05:53,466 excluding H-2A workers. 136 00:05:53,466 --> 00:05:56,166 So H-2A is a specific guest worker visa 137 00:05:56,166 --> 00:05:59,566 for seasonal farm jobs. 138 00:05:59,566 --> 00:06:04,066 So it doesn't cover permanent jobs. 139 00:06:04,066 --> 00:06:05,866 It's very specific. 140 00:06:05,866 --> 00:06:10,066 So yeah, the vast majority of workers in the United States 141 00:06:10,066 --> 00:06:13,166 come from Mexico, and this is actually becoming a bit 142 00:06:13,166 --> 00:06:14,966 of a problem for the United States 143 00:06:14,966 --> 00:06:17,566 because fewer and fewer Mexicans actually want 144 00:06:17,566 --> 00:06:18,866 to work in agriculture. 145 00:06:18,866 --> 00:06:22,266 So just as the United States transitioned out of agriculture 146 00:06:22,266 --> 00:06:25,300 in the 20th century and less than 1% of our population 147 00:06:25,300 --> 00:06:27,700 currently works on farms, Mexico's going through 148 00:06:27,700 --> 00:06:29,400 that same transition process. 149 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,966 So this is a normal phase in economic development. 150 00:06:32,966 --> 00:06:35,433 As the economy grows, fewer and fewer people 151 00:06:35,433 --> 00:06:39,533 work in agriculture, so we kind of, as a nation, 152 00:06:39,533 --> 00:06:42,433 continue to produce a lot of labor intensive crops 153 00:06:42,433 --> 00:06:45,333 by importing workers from a less developed country, 154 00:06:45,333 --> 00:06:49,766 but as that country begins to develop, we're having 155 00:06:49,766 --> 00:06:52,866 to become more creative in how we solve 156 00:06:52,866 --> 00:06:54,533 this farm labor problem. 157 00:06:54,533 --> 00:06:55,366 - Yes, yeah. 158 00:06:55,366 --> 00:06:59,000 It certainly, it impacts the potato industry, for sure, 159 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,733 and there are a fairly large number of H-2A workers, 160 00:07:02,733 --> 00:07:05,200 but one of the biggest trends that I have seen 161 00:07:06,166 --> 00:07:09,800 since I started in this industry 14 years ago 162 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:11,433 was the increased mechanization. 163 00:07:11,433 --> 00:07:15,000 The mechanization is huge in terms of, you know, 164 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,066 the changes that we are seeing and the equipment 165 00:07:17,066 --> 00:07:20,333 that the farmers have had to employ to get the work done 166 00:07:20,333 --> 00:07:23,166 for the hands that they cannot hire. 167 00:07:23,166 --> 00:07:27,333 - Yeah, well, and here's a breakdown of where 168 00:07:27,333 --> 00:07:30,000 H-2A workers work within Montana. 169 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:34,133 Montana has, I would say roughly 1,000 H-2A workers. 170 00:07:34,133 --> 00:07:36,066 It was a little less than 1,000 in 2019. 171 00:07:36,066 --> 00:07:39,000 This breakdown is from 2019, but H-2A employment 172 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,700 has grown nationally since 2019. 173 00:07:42,700 --> 00:07:45,766 So H-2A was about 10% of the full-time 174 00:07:45,766 --> 00:07:47,200 equivalent workforce in 2019. 175 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,966 I recently went to a conference where Daniel Costa 176 00:07:50,966 --> 00:07:54,566 said it was 14% now, so I'm gonna defer to him. 177 00:07:54,566 --> 00:07:56,600 He's usually an expert on this. 178 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:58,800 So that is a substantial part of our workforce, 179 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:00,500 which is a really interesting phenomenon 180 00:08:00,500 --> 00:08:03,333 because H-2A has been around since 1986, 181 00:08:03,333 --> 00:08:06,133 but very few farmers used it in 1986. 182 00:08:06,133 --> 00:08:09,600 It's kind of a complicated process to 183 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,900 recruit workers, bring them over here. 184 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:15,200 The employer has to provide housing, 185 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,600 has to provide their transport from the country, 186 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,100 from which they were born. 187 00:08:20,066 --> 00:08:24,066 So, yeah, it's a complicated process. 188 00:08:24,066 --> 00:08:26,833 1986, no one really wanted to use the program 189 00:08:26,833 --> 00:08:29,200 because lots of workers were available. 190 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:30,966 A lot of them were probably unauthorized workers. 191 00:08:30,966 --> 00:08:32,966 There was, you know, a great big surge 192 00:08:32,966 --> 00:08:34,966 in unauthorized immigration from Mexico, 193 00:08:34,966 --> 00:08:38,566 particularly in the 1990s, but ever since 2010, 194 00:08:38,566 --> 00:08:42,800 and granted, I don't, well, even in more recent years, 195 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,966 our, the unauthorized immigration has primarily been 196 00:08:45,966 --> 00:08:50,300 from central America, so since 2010 net immigration 197 00:08:50,300 --> 00:08:53,533 from Mexico has actually been zero or negative. 198 00:08:53,533 --> 00:08:57,333 So fewer Mexicans are migrating here, and on top of that, 199 00:08:57,333 --> 00:08:59,366 fewer Mexicans are working in agriculture. 200 00:08:59,366 --> 00:09:01,466 So it's putting a lot of pressure on farms. 201 00:09:01,466 --> 00:09:03,666 You mentioned the mechanization. 202 00:09:03,666 --> 00:09:07,133 I was just talking to some apple growers 203 00:09:07,133 --> 00:09:08,400 in Washington state. 204 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,333 Of course, apples are still handpicked. 205 00:09:10,333 --> 00:09:12,733 They're like, bring us the robots. 206 00:09:12,733 --> 00:09:15,633 We're ready, and the technology, we have the technology, 207 00:09:15,633 --> 00:09:18,366 we haven't quite figured out, engineers haven't quite 208 00:09:18,366 --> 00:09:21,300 figured out precisely how to make that technology work, 209 00:09:21,300 --> 00:09:25,366 but as the wages keep rising and, and I've been talking 210 00:09:25,366 --> 00:09:27,966 to these growers, like how efficient do 211 00:09:27,966 --> 00:09:29,166 these robots have to be? 212 00:09:29,166 --> 00:09:33,700 How expensive can this technology be 213 00:09:33,700 --> 00:09:34,866 And then they tell me, well, this is what 214 00:09:34,866 --> 00:09:37,533 I'm paying workers, and I can't even find enough workers. 215 00:09:37,533 --> 00:09:41,233 So this is the minimum bar and that bar keeps rising. 216 00:09:41,233 --> 00:09:43,633 So I think in the next 10 years, we're gonna see some robots 217 00:09:43,633 --> 00:09:46,666 harvesting our fruits and vegetables. 218 00:09:46,666 --> 00:09:47,500 - Yeah. 219 00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:52,300 So, you know, Mary, Diane is talking a lot about labor 220 00:09:53,633 --> 00:09:55,866 in the agricultural industry in general. 221 00:09:55,866 --> 00:09:58,066 What are we seeing across the College of Ag 222 00:09:58,066 --> 00:09:59,833 in terms of being able to find employees to work 223 00:09:59,833 --> 00:10:00,900 in the College of Agriculture? 224 00:10:00,900 --> 00:10:02,633 - I think we're seeing exact same trend. 225 00:10:02,633 --> 00:10:07,200 I mean, student labor research centers have a real hard time 226 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,733 attracting farm labor and in keeping employees, 227 00:10:10,733 --> 00:10:11,933 and it's not just wages. 228 00:10:11,933 --> 00:10:13,600 It's just, nobody is applying. 229 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:15,166 - Right. 230 00:10:15,166 --> 00:10:17,966 So in the potato lab, for instance, we hire between 231 00:10:17,966 --> 00:10:20,100 35 and 40 student or temporary workers every summer, 232 00:10:20,100 --> 00:10:22,533 and right now we're sitting at about 25, 233 00:10:22,533 --> 00:10:27,133 which we're, we have to feel pretty good about that 234 00:10:27,133 --> 00:10:28,933 because I think considering the labor market, 235 00:10:28,933 --> 00:10:31,266 I think we're actually doing pretty well, 236 00:10:31,266 --> 00:10:33,733 but we still need to get more people out 237 00:10:33,733 --> 00:10:36,266 to pick potato leaves and test them in the lab so. 238 00:10:36,266 --> 00:10:37,133 - [Mary] So call Nina. 239 00:10:37,133 --> 00:10:39,333 - Right, exactly, exactly. (Nina laughing) 240 00:10:39,333 --> 00:10:41,033 I use every opportunity I can 241 00:10:41,033 --> 00:10:42,833 to pitch jobs at the potato labs, so. 242 00:10:42,833 --> 00:10:45,900 Okay, great. 243 00:10:45,900 --> 00:10:46,933 Back to Abi. 244 00:10:46,933 --> 00:10:49,600 What do you do with a thin and patchy lawn? 245 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:53,366 - That's a tough question, and I've seen lawns 246 00:10:53,366 --> 00:10:56,700 in various arrays of thin and patchiness, 247 00:10:56,700 --> 00:10:59,533 but you wanna get to the bottom of why it's thin and patchy. 248 00:10:59,533 --> 00:11:01,633 So one of the things that I would recommend 249 00:11:01,633 --> 00:11:04,533 if you haven't done this is to get a soil test 250 00:11:04,533 --> 00:11:06,866 to see what those soil nutrients are like. 251 00:11:06,866 --> 00:11:09,400 There are a lot of things that you can do 252 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,200 to keep your turf healthy. 253 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,300 A lot of times, for those thin and patchy lawns, 254 00:11:13,300 --> 00:11:16,000 some of the issues is, you're not getting enough moisture. 255 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,333 Maybe there aren't enough soil nutrients, 256 00:11:18,333 --> 00:11:20,833 you're not fertilizing enough, 257 00:11:20,833 --> 00:11:23,433 which you should do about three or four times a year, 258 00:11:23,433 --> 00:11:26,000 you wanna fertilize your lawn. 259 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,300 So try and get to the bottom of why, get a soil test, 260 00:11:29,300 --> 00:11:32,166 and then work from there on some of those practices 261 00:11:32,166 --> 00:11:33,900 to keep a healthy lawn. 262 00:11:33,900 --> 00:11:36,766 We have a really nice lawn guy that's talking about 263 00:11:36,766 --> 00:11:39,566 taking care of your home lawns in Montana, 264 00:11:39,566 --> 00:11:42,300 and so that you can find at the MSU Extension store 265 00:11:42,300 --> 00:11:46,233 and download it from there, but that has some great tips 266 00:11:46,233 --> 00:11:49,733 on how to keep your lawn healthy and full and vibrant. 267 00:11:49,733 --> 00:11:51,300 - [Mary] I think mowing height is also pretty important. 268 00:11:51,300 --> 00:11:52,966 - Mowing height yeah, that's a good point. 269 00:11:52,966 --> 00:11:55,633 I usually say two and a half to three inches minimum. 270 00:11:55,633 --> 00:11:58,433 Don't go below that, 'cause you want your lawns 271 00:11:58,433 --> 00:12:01,466 to be competitive with any other plants that are gonna 272 00:12:01,466 --> 00:12:03,766 try and encroach in there, yeah. 273 00:12:03,766 --> 00:12:06,000 - Yeah, and one thing we've noticed, we usually only 274 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,133 fertilize one time a year, either once in the spring 275 00:12:08,133 --> 00:12:10,966 or once in the fall and our lawn is not the first 276 00:12:10,966 --> 00:12:14,733 to green up, but believe me, it does, and we have plenty 277 00:12:14,733 --> 00:12:18,100 of mowing to do so it catches up, so. 278 00:12:18,100 --> 00:12:21,400 So Laurie, a question out of Billings. 279 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:23,666 This person's ash trees aren't looking great. 280 00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:26,533 There's been some news about the ash borer. 281 00:12:26,533 --> 00:12:28,466 Is the ash borer, could it be affecting 282 00:12:28,466 --> 00:12:30,066 their trees in Billings? 283 00:12:30,066 --> 00:12:32,700 - No, we don't actually, don't have, 284 00:12:32,700 --> 00:12:34,700 we haven't confirmed that, they're probably talking 285 00:12:34,700 --> 00:12:36,433 about the Emerald ash borer hasn't been confirmed yet 286 00:12:36,433 --> 00:12:39,133 in the state, but it is, a lot of our ash trees, 287 00:12:39,133 --> 00:12:43,100 Bozeman, Billings, other areas are being, they're very slow 288 00:12:43,100 --> 00:12:45,133 to leaf out so they don't look very good. 289 00:12:45,133 --> 00:12:47,500 I think that's changed in the last week or so, 290 00:12:47,500 --> 00:12:49,833 but we are still looking out for the borer, 291 00:12:49,833 --> 00:12:51,900 but I think, just give your trees a few weeks to just 292 00:12:51,900 --> 00:12:55,166 leaf out a little bit and look healthy again. 293 00:12:55,166 --> 00:12:57,366 Usually, we think about July first, we, this has happened 294 00:12:57,366 --> 00:13:01,533 a few times in the last few years and July first is kind of 295 00:13:01,533 --> 00:13:04,000 a time where we just, something might be going on 296 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:05,666 if by July first, you're not getting leafing out. 297 00:13:05,666 --> 00:13:08,433 Do you have anything to add about it, Abi? 298 00:13:08,433 --> 00:13:09,733 - Yeah, I mean, I was just gonna say the same. 299 00:13:09,733 --> 00:13:12,066 The ash trees in the boulevard in front of 300 00:13:12,066 --> 00:13:13,800 my house too are pretty slow. 301 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:17,433 They're look, they're pretty slow to leaf out too this year. 302 00:13:17,433 --> 00:13:19,733 So I was wondering if people are seeing that 303 00:13:19,733 --> 00:13:23,400 a lot pretty consistently, so yeah, 304 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,500 I like that comment of giving it some time. 305 00:13:25,500 --> 00:13:26,866 - Yeah, be patient. 306 00:13:26,866 --> 00:13:27,866 - The crops are in the same boat. 307 00:13:27,866 --> 00:13:29,933 You know, we're just behind. 308 00:13:29,933 --> 00:13:30,766 - Yeah. 309 00:13:31,866 --> 00:13:33,166 - So, thank you. 310 00:13:33,166 --> 00:13:35,933 So Diane, this is a question from Bozeman 311 00:13:35,933 --> 00:13:37,866 and it's not specifically labor related, 312 00:13:37,866 --> 00:13:39,333 but it's definitely something on, 313 00:13:39,333 --> 00:13:41,233 that's on everybody's mind. 314 00:13:41,233 --> 00:13:43,666 How have increased land prices affected farmers 315 00:13:43,666 --> 00:13:45,533 in the Gallatin Valley? 316 00:13:45,533 --> 00:13:47,433 - Yeah, that's a good question, and I think 317 00:13:47,433 --> 00:13:50,433 we're all noticing the pressure of increasing 318 00:13:50,433 --> 00:13:52,400 property prices here in Bozeman. 319 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:56,600 My colleague, Dan Bigelow, is really the expert on this, 320 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:01,233 but just like anything, you know, if there's an alternative 321 00:14:01,233 --> 00:14:03,833 of what we can do with our property, it makes it 322 00:14:03,833 --> 00:14:05,466 more difficult to stay in agriculture. 323 00:14:05,466 --> 00:14:10,166 So as a farmer, if my option is to keep farming and the cost 324 00:14:10,166 --> 00:14:12,933 of inputs might be increasing as well, 325 00:14:12,933 --> 00:14:18,100 I'm going to be weighing that option versus selling 326 00:14:18,100 --> 00:14:19,833 for a very high prices. 327 00:14:19,833 --> 00:14:22,533 So I think we're gonna see more farmers moving elsewhere 328 00:14:22,533 --> 00:14:25,566 in Montana where the land prices are lower 329 00:14:25,566 --> 00:14:28,000 or moving out of agriculture together. 330 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,633 It's just another option, 331 00:14:30,633 --> 00:14:32,666 and it's a high value option right now. 332 00:14:32,666 --> 00:14:34,100 - Absolutely. 333 00:14:34,100 --> 00:14:37,633 Yeah, there's a lot of competition for 334 00:14:37,633 --> 00:14:39,533 especially in the Gallatin Valley. 335 00:14:39,533 --> 00:14:41,933 So Mary, field day season is coming up. 336 00:14:41,933 --> 00:14:44,266 Can you tell us a little bit about the field days 337 00:14:44,266 --> 00:14:46,466 that are gonna be happening throughout Montana this summer? 338 00:14:46,466 --> 00:14:48,266 - Yeah, so all of our research centers 339 00:14:48,266 --> 00:14:51,133 and the post farm here in town have field day. 340 00:14:51,133 --> 00:14:54,266 So we invite the community in, there's usually some sort 341 00:14:54,266 --> 00:14:58,633 of lunch provided, either during, before or after. 342 00:14:58,633 --> 00:15:00,866 It's a good time to meet your neighbors 343 00:15:00,866 --> 00:15:05,400 and talk to maybe your ag lender, and look at all of 344 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,766 the research going on at the research centers. 345 00:15:07,766 --> 00:15:10,533 So I'll be at the vast majority of them 346 00:15:10,533 --> 00:15:14,200 and they're a fun time, get out, and learn about 347 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:17,933 what's going on, and the one in Bozeman here is July seventh 348 00:15:17,933 --> 00:15:22,966 and the rest of them are on our website, so Kalispell, 349 00:15:22,966 --> 00:15:25,933 Havre, Sidney, I can't remember if 350 00:15:25,933 --> 00:15:27,433 Huntley, Conrad. - [Nina] Conrad, Moccasin. 351 00:15:27,433 --> 00:15:29,100 - [Mary] Yep, everybody's. 352 00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:29,933 - [Nina] Corvallis. 353 00:15:29,933 --> 00:15:32,933 - There's also some or other organizations doing field days. 354 00:15:32,933 --> 00:15:33,966 So there's a couple, MO is doing 355 00:15:33,966 --> 00:15:35,700 a couple organic field days. 356 00:15:37,966 --> 00:15:39,233 I think there's all kinds of other tours if you just 357 00:15:39,233 --> 00:15:40,466 look out in your local community. 358 00:15:40,466 --> 00:15:41,300 - Great, great. 359 00:15:41,300 --> 00:15:42,966 Sounds like a good time and maybe a free lunch. 360 00:15:42,966 --> 00:15:44,300 - And sometimes a steak dinner. 361 00:15:44,300 --> 00:15:46,166 - Oh, okay, okay. 362 00:15:46,166 --> 00:15:47,633 That'll get the people in. 363 00:15:47,633 --> 00:15:50,000 A question came in from Great Falls for Abi. 364 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,900 This person's rhubarb is putting out seed stalks. 365 00:15:52,900 --> 00:15:55,633 Should they cut it off or leave it? 366 00:15:55,633 --> 00:15:58,133 - I'd say if you still wanna harvest the more rhubarb 367 00:15:58,133 --> 00:16:00,600 this season, which I would want, 368 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:03,533 'cause I haven't gotten enough because it's been slow, 369 00:16:03,533 --> 00:16:05,566 I would say cut off that seed stalk 370 00:16:05,566 --> 00:16:08,300 and keep harvesting, yeah. 371 00:16:08,300 --> 00:16:09,733 - [Nina] Okay. 372 00:16:09,733 --> 00:16:10,733 - [Mary] Remind me to bring you some of my rhubarb. 373 00:16:10,733 --> 00:16:11,666 - Yeah, please. 374 00:16:11,666 --> 00:16:13,066 - I still have some frozen from last year. 375 00:16:13,066 --> 00:16:15,666 - I feel like I've been missing out on rhubarb this year. 376 00:16:15,666 --> 00:16:18,800 - So, so Laurie, you've got some samples to show. 377 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,433 Can you, oh, give us an idea of some of the, 378 00:16:22,433 --> 00:16:25,100 do you have anything that's creeping and crawling today or? 379 00:16:25,100 --> 00:16:28,900 - It's, this one is creeping and crawling and this kind of 380 00:16:28,900 --> 00:16:31,600 relates to the ash trees we were talking about before. 381 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:33,400 This sample's from Havre. 382 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:38,400 This is the leaf curl ash aphid, and this causes curling 383 00:16:38,633 --> 00:16:41,000 of the leaves, right when the tree's starting to leaf out. 384 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,366 So some parts of the state, our ash trees are leafing out. 385 00:16:43,366 --> 00:16:47,366 So the aphid definitely curls the leaves 386 00:16:47,366 --> 00:16:49,666 and then releases honeydew, so it gets pretty sticky, 387 00:16:49,666 --> 00:16:52,200 and then after the tree, this is nothing 388 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:53,100 to really worry about. 389 00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:55,733 It looks kind of alarming, but after the tree 390 00:16:55,733 --> 00:16:57,966 finishes leafing out that the aphids will leave 391 00:16:57,966 --> 00:17:00,000 and then the tree will recover. 392 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,000 I actually watched these back in Missoula, 393 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,600 a couple trees that had leaf curl ash aphid, 394 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:06,933 I just followed them through the season 395 00:17:06,933 --> 00:17:10,033 and they looked pretty, pretty bad this time of year, 396 00:17:10,033 --> 00:17:11,100 and then throughout the summer 397 00:17:11,100 --> 00:17:12,366 they started to look fine again. 398 00:17:12,366 --> 00:17:13,833 - [Mary] So just don't park under them for a while? 399 00:17:13,833 --> 00:17:14,833 - Just don't park under them, yeah. 400 00:17:14,833 --> 00:17:17,066 That honeydew, that honey can drip on your car 401 00:17:17,066 --> 00:17:19,333 and then it could, and then it could attract sooty mold 402 00:17:19,333 --> 00:17:21,266 and just get yucky, so yeah. 403 00:17:21,266 --> 00:17:23,366 - [Phone Operator] Are you actually? 404 00:17:23,366 --> 00:17:24,200 - Good point. 405 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,966 So Diane, from Helena, since labor is relatively costly 406 00:17:27,966 --> 00:17:31,533 in the US, should consumers expect to be paying more 407 00:17:31,533 --> 00:17:34,433 for their fruits and vegetables at the grocery store? 408 00:17:34,433 --> 00:17:39,433 - We might see some of that transfer into higher costs 409 00:17:39,900 --> 00:17:42,800 of our fruits and vegetables and granted, there's a lot 410 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,833 of other inputs into production of all of our 411 00:17:45,833 --> 00:17:48,533 agricultural goods that could cause those prices to rise. 412 00:17:48,533 --> 00:17:50,233 So I mean, I think the most obvious is just 413 00:17:50,233 --> 00:17:52,700 the cost of fuel right now. 414 00:17:52,700 --> 00:17:56,266 So with transport, anything along that supply chain, 415 00:17:56,266 --> 00:17:58,700 that's gonna get passed along to consumers. 416 00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:03,066 Farmers are under a lot of pressure to try to keep 417 00:18:03,066 --> 00:18:05,366 those labor costs as low as possible. 418 00:18:05,366 --> 00:18:10,033 So as labor is still a relatively small share of 419 00:18:10,033 --> 00:18:14,433 the total cost of what you're paying for in the store, 420 00:18:14,433 --> 00:18:17,300 so you're probably not gonna see these huge jumps in prices 421 00:18:17,300 --> 00:18:22,200 of produce just because the cost of labor on the farm 422 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:25,600 is increasing, but it does put a lot of pressure on farmers 423 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:29,833 to try to find more efficient ways to employ workers 424 00:18:29,833 --> 00:18:34,833 and to keep them busy and try to complement workers 425 00:18:36,433 --> 00:18:39,100 with mechanization, as you mentioned earlier. 426 00:18:39,100 --> 00:18:43,100 So, so even here, I remember we talked about this 427 00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:45,666 a little while ago, Nina, a lot of the H-2A workers 428 00:18:45,666 --> 00:18:48,400 in Montana actually come from South Africa, 429 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:49,233 and I was just thinking about that, 430 00:18:49,233 --> 00:18:51,033 and we talked about Mexico. 431 00:18:51,033 --> 00:18:53,966 Nationally, Mexico is a major supplier of labor 432 00:18:53,966 --> 00:18:56,000 to the United States, but here in Montana 433 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,066 and in North Dakota, we see some H-2 workers, H-2A workers 434 00:19:00,066 --> 00:19:03,600 from South Africa, which is, seems like a long ways away, 435 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,533 but if you're putting those workers on a combine, 436 00:19:06,533 --> 00:19:09,933 imagine all the work that that person can do. 437 00:19:09,933 --> 00:19:13,100 So we can amortize that cost of bringing them over 438 00:19:13,100 --> 00:19:16,300 from South Africa over all that they produce, 439 00:19:16,300 --> 00:19:18,766 and so when we have these more mechanized jobs, 440 00:19:18,766 --> 00:19:23,366 they can be higher paying jobs and that won't necessarily 441 00:19:23,366 --> 00:19:27,366 bring a big change in terms of what 442 00:19:27,366 --> 00:19:29,633 consumers pay for their produce. 443 00:19:29,633 --> 00:19:32,733 Also have to keep in mind that our producers are competing 444 00:19:32,733 --> 00:19:35,966 with imports from other countries as well. 445 00:19:35,966 --> 00:19:38,366 So there's a lot of pressure on producers to try 446 00:19:38,366 --> 00:19:40,300 to resolve this issue. 447 00:19:40,300 --> 00:19:42,033 - Absolutely, yeah. 448 00:19:42,033 --> 00:19:44,200 We see, I mean, a huge amount of our fruits and vegetables, 449 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:48,333 especially in the winter are coming from Mexico and Chile 450 00:19:48,333 --> 00:19:51,833 and you know, other countries in South America. 451 00:19:51,833 --> 00:19:54,000 It's pretty amazing when you think of being able 452 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,633 to actually pick something up in the grocery store 453 00:19:56,633 --> 00:20:00,766 that has been transported that many miles away. 454 00:20:00,766 --> 00:20:03,700 - And some of the producers that are producing down there 455 00:20:03,700 --> 00:20:06,233 in Mexico are actually US producers as well. 456 00:20:06,233 --> 00:20:09,500 So there's a big international network here. 457 00:20:09,500 --> 00:20:11,633 - So do you think that the incentive for them 458 00:20:11,633 --> 00:20:14,600 to produce in Mexico is because of labor costs? 459 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:16,266 - That is part of it. 460 00:20:16,266 --> 00:20:17,966 That's what producers have told me. 461 00:20:17,966 --> 00:20:23,000 So, you know, US wages versus a daily wage in Mexico, 462 00:20:24,233 --> 00:20:29,333 United States wages are much higher and workers are still 463 00:20:29,333 --> 00:20:32,033 more available in Mexico than in the United States, 464 00:20:32,033 --> 00:20:37,033 but I think when I started working in 465 00:20:38,333 --> 00:20:42,300 shortly after I started doing some research on Mexico 466 00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:44,900 transitioning out of farm work, there was a big story 467 00:20:44,900 --> 00:20:48,633 in the "LA Times" about how there was this two week strike 468 00:20:48,633 --> 00:20:53,200 in Baja California, that workers were not coming to work, 469 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:54,966 demanding higher wages, more benefits, 470 00:20:54,966 --> 00:20:57,833 and they actually held out for an entire two weeks, 471 00:20:57,833 --> 00:20:59,966 which is just consistent with this story 472 00:20:59,966 --> 00:21:01,700 of people moving out of agriculture. 473 00:21:01,700 --> 00:21:03,066 Usually other people would move in 474 00:21:03,066 --> 00:21:04,900 if somebody tried to hold a strike. 475 00:21:04,900 --> 00:21:08,000 So that labor supply in both Mexico and the United States 476 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,800 is getting tighter where, we are feeling that, 477 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,533 but some producers are moving into Mexico 478 00:21:13,533 --> 00:21:14,733 if they're able to. 479 00:21:14,733 --> 00:21:16,366 - Yeah, that's very interesting. 480 00:21:16,366 --> 00:21:19,933 So Mary, this is a question that just came in 481 00:21:19,933 --> 00:21:21,400 today from Bridger Canyon. 482 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,800 This person has tulip leaves that have really scorched tips, 483 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:27,066 and also the flowers are kind of burning back. 484 00:21:27,066 --> 00:21:28,700 Is this from the frost? 485 00:21:28,700 --> 00:21:30,966 - Well, it could be, but we did get a sample 486 00:21:30,966 --> 00:21:35,133 in diagnostic lab this week of a Botrytis, so a gray mold 487 00:21:35,133 --> 00:21:37,333 that was causing some leaf scorching 488 00:21:37,333 --> 00:21:40,100 and it's called tulip fire disease, 489 00:21:40,100 --> 00:21:42,000 and they could Google some images of that 490 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,266 and they can always submit a sample 491 00:21:43,266 --> 00:21:45,633 to their county agent to get it diagnosed. 492 00:21:45,633 --> 00:21:46,833 - Okay, yeah. 493 00:21:46,833 --> 00:21:50,033 Well, and yeah, if it's a Botrytis, it's 494 00:21:50,033 --> 00:21:53,733 - The sclerotia and been in the soil a long time. 495 00:21:53,733 --> 00:21:57,566 So just some sanitation to get rid of those leaves 496 00:21:57,566 --> 00:21:59,900 so they don't reinfect, you know, throw 'em away. 497 00:21:59,900 --> 00:22:01,400 Don't just compost them. 498 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:02,366 - Yeah, yeah, it's interesting. 499 00:22:02,366 --> 00:22:05,000 It's something that I have never seen before 500 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:06,566 at the diagnostic lab. 501 00:22:06,566 --> 00:22:08,100 - We've had enough moisture lately, then. 502 00:22:08,100 --> 00:22:09,866 There actually is. - Yeah exactly. 503 00:22:09,866 --> 00:22:11,766 You get a moist year, you get diseases exactly. 504 00:22:11,766 --> 00:22:14,800 Years that are good for producing crops and flowers 505 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,466 and vegetables can also be very good 506 00:22:17,466 --> 00:22:19,733 for producing diseases so. 507 00:22:19,733 --> 00:22:24,833 So Abi, from Polson, this person has, is wanting 508 00:22:24,833 --> 00:22:26,733 to plant a pear tree and they're wondering, 509 00:22:26,733 --> 00:22:29,700 how far does it need to be from another or how close 510 00:22:29,700 --> 00:22:32,500 does it need to be to another tree to get crosspollination? 511 00:22:32,500 --> 00:22:36,466 - Yeah, so for crosspollination, I've read, 512 00:22:36,466 --> 00:22:40,033 usually you wanna be within, between 50 to 100 feet 513 00:22:40,033 --> 00:22:43,633 away from each other, definitely less than 100 feet. 514 00:22:43,633 --> 00:22:45,033 You don't wanna go beyond that. 515 00:22:45,033 --> 00:22:48,233 That's the best for like optimal, pollen transfer 516 00:22:48,233 --> 00:22:49,800 for your fruit set. 517 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,166 So, between 50 to 100 feet from the original tree 518 00:22:53,166 --> 00:22:54,666 for your different variety. 519 00:22:54,666 --> 00:22:55,500 - Okay, great. 520 00:22:55,500 --> 00:22:57,900 Thank you, and finally for Laurie, 521 00:22:57,900 --> 00:23:00,700 getting her back on her favorite home ground, 522 00:23:00,700 --> 00:23:03,200 a question from Kalispell. 523 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,600 Do we have brown recluse spiders in this state 524 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,433 and how are they similar to the hobo spider? 525 00:23:08,433 --> 00:23:09,266 - Oh yeah. 526 00:23:09,266 --> 00:23:11,900 I haven't had a question about the spider in a while. 527 00:23:11,900 --> 00:23:13,633 Yeah, we do not have the brown recluse here. 528 00:23:13,633 --> 00:23:15,800 It is not, we say it's not established here. 529 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,566 We've never had a brown recluse identified here 530 00:23:18,566 --> 00:23:22,966 and it is, it could show up here if someone brings 531 00:23:22,966 --> 00:23:24,833 a shipment in from Mississippi or Kansas, 532 00:23:24,833 --> 00:23:28,433 where they're native and a very large part 533 00:23:28,433 --> 00:23:29,633 of the United States where they're native, 534 00:23:29,633 --> 00:23:32,200 but we haven't found it here, and the hobo spider 535 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,166 we do have, and Kalispell, you have a lot of hobo spiders. 536 00:23:35,166 --> 00:23:37,300 They've dropped off a little bit in the last couple years, 537 00:23:37,300 --> 00:23:40,066 but the hobo spider is a funnel web spider, 538 00:23:40,066 --> 00:23:42,733 and it doesn't cause any necrosis in the skin. 539 00:23:42,733 --> 00:23:44,600 It doesn't have any compounds in its venom 540 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:46,466 to cause necrosis in the skin. 541 00:23:46,466 --> 00:23:49,633 So we call the hobo spider a harmless spider, 542 00:23:49,633 --> 00:23:53,500 a spider that is not of medical importance to humans. 543 00:23:53,500 --> 00:23:55,133 - But it still gets a lot of bad press. 544 00:23:55,133 --> 00:23:57,100 - It gets a lot of bad press, but we're working on that. 545 00:23:57,100 --> 00:23:57,933 - Good. 546 00:23:59,166 --> 00:24:00,766 You, yeah, love your spiders. 547 00:24:00,766 --> 00:24:02,166 - [Laurie] I do love my spiders. 548 00:24:02,166 --> 00:24:03,800 - Okay, to Diane. 549 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:05,300 Back to labor. 550 00:24:05,300 --> 00:24:07,266 This is a question that came in from Stevensville, 551 00:24:07,266 --> 00:24:10,166 and I know there's been just, you know, a lot of rhetoric 552 00:24:10,166 --> 00:24:12,833 in the public about seasonal farm workers and crime. 553 00:24:12,833 --> 00:24:15,700 Is there any evidence be, or of a relationship 554 00:24:15,700 --> 00:24:19,200 between seasonal crime workers and crime rates, 555 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,700 or seasonal farm workers and crime rates? 556 00:24:21,700 --> 00:24:26,100 - Yeah, actually my colleague, Brock Smith and I, 557 00:24:26,100 --> 00:24:28,400 along with another colleague from University of Alaska, 558 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:33,033 Alex James, we looked at the association 559 00:24:33,033 --> 00:24:38,033 between seasonal variation in fruit, vegetable, 560 00:24:38,500 --> 00:24:41,666 and horticultural employment within US counties 561 00:24:41,666 --> 00:24:43,433 and crime rates, and we actually found 562 00:24:43,433 --> 00:24:47,400 a negative impact within a county year. 563 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,466 We looked from 1990 to 2016. 564 00:24:49,466 --> 00:24:52,066 So we honestly, we looked at this thinking 565 00:24:52,066 --> 00:24:54,133 we might find zero impact. 566 00:24:54,133 --> 00:24:55,366 We were kind of surprised to find 567 00:24:55,366 --> 00:24:58,766 a statistically significant negative association. 568 00:24:58,766 --> 00:25:02,966 So, you know, we, you know, can't really tell what 569 00:25:02,966 --> 00:25:07,666 the causal story is, but our best guess at this 570 00:25:07,666 --> 00:25:11,633 is that we think that the additional economic activity 571 00:25:11,633 --> 00:25:16,066 during harvest and maybe labor intensive seasons 572 00:25:16,066 --> 00:25:19,066 leading up to harvest provides so many opportunities 573 00:25:19,066 --> 00:25:21,500 for people that crime rates actually decrease. 574 00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:24,400 So when you see stories of people trying to resist 575 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,533 seasonal workers from living in their communities, 576 00:25:27,533 --> 00:25:31,666 crime rate, we, isn't really a, there isn't evidence 577 00:25:31,666 --> 00:25:33,433 to support that they would increase crime rates. 578 00:25:33,433 --> 00:25:36,400 Actually, evidence would suggest that crime rates decrease 579 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:40,966 during those seasonally labor-intensive periods. 580 00:25:40,966 --> 00:25:42,400 - That's good to know. 581 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:44,600 So Mary, question from Manhattan, 582 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:49,400 do you need to worry about Aphanomyces in peas this year? 583 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:53,233 - I think with increasing temperatures and moisture, 584 00:25:53,233 --> 00:25:54,900 Aphanomyces might be a concern, 585 00:25:54,900 --> 00:25:57,300 but we have not found Aphanomyces 586 00:25:57,300 --> 00:26:00,900 to my knowledge in that area. 587 00:26:00,900 --> 00:26:03,033 So I wouldn't be super concerned about it. 588 00:26:03,033 --> 00:26:05,033 It's more in the northeast corner and then down 589 00:26:05,033 --> 00:26:07,966 into the Triangle where pea production has been 590 00:26:07,966 --> 00:26:10,433 very intensive for many, many years. 591 00:26:10,433 --> 00:26:12,800 In the Gallatin Valley, we did have a canning industry 592 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,466 for fresh peas, right around World War II, 593 00:26:15,466 --> 00:26:18,800 and it did decline because of a root rat disease 594 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:22,300 called fusarium wilt, but that is a different disease, 595 00:26:22,300 --> 00:26:24,566 but as we get more intensive pulse production, 596 00:26:24,566 --> 00:26:26,566 we will get Aphanomyces. 597 00:26:26,566 --> 00:26:27,400 - Of course. 598 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,433 Okay, so this is from Helena and this is 599 00:26:30,433 --> 00:26:31,733 a shout out to Laurie. 600 00:26:31,733 --> 00:26:33,000 - [Laurie] All right. 601 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,866 - Please thank her for connecting her with, to a group 602 00:26:35,866 --> 00:26:38,566 of certified arborists who came to help with 603 00:26:38,566 --> 00:26:42,133 her elm leaf beetle problems in which are now solved 604 00:26:42,133 --> 00:26:46,933 because Laurie's wonderful help, so thank you. 605 00:26:46,933 --> 00:26:48,133 - That's great to hear. 606 00:26:48,133 --> 00:26:48,966 - Yeah. 607 00:26:48,966 --> 00:26:50,066 - Very happy. 608 00:26:50,066 --> 00:26:51,433 - That's good to know that you're actually 609 00:26:51,433 --> 00:26:52,733 - Yeah, it's very nice. 610 00:26:52,733 --> 00:26:57,433 - So Abi, a question. 611 00:26:57,433 --> 00:26:59,100 This is kind of an interesting question, 612 00:26:59,100 --> 00:27:00,566 and we're gonna throw this out to the whole panel 613 00:27:00,566 --> 00:27:02,933 because I don't think any of us are a specialist, 614 00:27:02,933 --> 00:27:07,100 but their flower garden has garter snakes. 615 00:27:07,100 --> 00:27:09,133 Is there a way to get rid of them and are they 616 00:27:09,133 --> 00:27:11,033 creating any damage to plants? 617 00:27:11,033 --> 00:27:12,533 This is a unique one. 618 00:27:12,533 --> 00:27:13,800 - Yeah. 619 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:15,133 I have never heard of garter snakes 620 00:27:15,133 --> 00:27:17,766 doing any damage to plants personally. 621 00:27:17,766 --> 00:27:20,100 I think it would be a beneficial sign of a healthy 622 00:27:20,100 --> 00:27:22,400 flower garden if you have garter snakes. 623 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,233 They're probably eating some small insects in there too 624 00:27:25,233 --> 00:27:29,233 that could potentially be pests, but I would say 625 00:27:29,233 --> 00:27:31,300 having garter snakes would be a badge of honor 626 00:27:31,300 --> 00:27:34,833 that you have a really nice hospitable environment. 627 00:27:34,833 --> 00:27:35,866 (panel laughing) 628 00:27:35,866 --> 00:27:37,166 - Is it possible they might have some rodent infestation. 629 00:27:37,166 --> 00:27:38,833 - It could be, it could be. 630 00:27:38,833 --> 00:27:41,800 - I don't know, do garter snakes eat insects too? 631 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:42,600 They probably do. 632 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:43,433 - They, yeah. 633 00:27:43,433 --> 00:27:45,966 I think that they eat a variety of things. 634 00:27:45,966 --> 00:27:47,666 Yeah, whatever they can find probably. 635 00:27:47,666 --> 00:27:49,266 - Pretty small and harmless, so I don't think 636 00:27:49,266 --> 00:27:50,866 that they would be hurting anything, yeah, so. 637 00:27:50,866 --> 00:27:53,166 - I've never heard of anything like that. 638 00:27:53,166 --> 00:27:54,466 Very interesting. - Yeah, kind of like spiders. 639 00:27:54,466 --> 00:27:56,033 (panel laughing) 640 00:27:56,033 --> 00:27:58,633 So for Laurie, out of Livingston, 641 00:27:58,633 --> 00:28:00,633 a lot of their pine trees have brown tips 642 00:28:00,633 --> 00:28:01,700 at the tops of the trees. 643 00:28:01,700 --> 00:28:03,833 Will this kill the tree? 644 00:28:03,833 --> 00:28:06,200 - Well, we started seeing brown tips in pines, 645 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,400 maybe even starting around the pandemic in 2020, 646 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,300 just a lot of Austrian pines with brown tips, 647 00:28:12,300 --> 00:28:15,333 and mostly that was environmental. 648 00:28:15,333 --> 00:28:17,900 So we had, a lot of that was winter kill. 649 00:28:17,900 --> 00:28:20,000 So we saw a lot of die back in the top. 650 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,133 We did see some, had some samples come into 651 00:28:22,133 --> 00:28:25,400 the diagnostic lab that some had bark beetles, 652 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,666 some twig beetles, and another type of bark beetle, 653 00:28:27,666 --> 00:28:30,066 but that was in Great Falls and just kind of, 654 00:28:30,066 --> 00:28:32,233 one was in Stillwater so, but mostly that was environmental, 655 00:28:32,233 --> 00:28:34,500 and I've been kind of watching an Austrian pine 656 00:28:34,500 --> 00:28:38,233 across the street from me, which is still doing fine. 657 00:28:38,233 --> 00:28:39,966 I would just keep an eye on it that, I mean, 658 00:28:39,966 --> 00:28:43,033 that the top part of that is still brown 659 00:28:43,033 --> 00:28:45,566 and kind of died back, but then just make sure 660 00:28:45,566 --> 00:28:46,633 that doesn't progress down the tree, 661 00:28:46,633 --> 00:28:48,266 but if you're working with a certified arborist 662 00:28:48,266 --> 00:28:49,500 or you could reach that top of the tree, 663 00:28:49,500 --> 00:28:52,333 and it's not gonna disfigure any part of that, 664 00:28:52,333 --> 00:28:53,700 then you could maybe prune that out 665 00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:55,666 if it's, you know, just for aesthetic reasons, 666 00:28:55,666 --> 00:28:57,300 but most of the time it's hard 667 00:28:57,300 --> 00:28:59,266 to get up there to your tree to see it. 668 00:28:59,266 --> 00:29:02,733 - Well, and that's one of the things that always, I mean, 669 00:29:02,733 --> 00:29:04,833 confused me in the very beginning is because, you know, 670 00:29:04,833 --> 00:29:07,766 the problem that happens at the tips of our spruce trees 671 00:29:07,766 --> 00:29:09,966 is the white pine weevil. 672 00:29:09,966 --> 00:29:10,800 - [Laurie] Yeah, right. 673 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:13,233 - And I don't ever recall when I worked 674 00:29:13,233 --> 00:29:15,700 in the diagnostic lab getting like a white pine 675 00:29:15,700 --> 00:29:20,666 that came in with pine weevil damage and it, 676 00:29:20,666 --> 00:29:23,733 so does it kind of look similar to what you might see 677 00:29:23,733 --> 00:29:26,000 on a spruce tree except where it's just taking 678 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:27,400 the leader of the tree out? 679 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:29,433 - Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up because it doesn't, 680 00:29:29,433 --> 00:29:31,833 it's, you would think that it would hit that pine 681 00:29:31,833 --> 00:29:33,700 would be a host for that, but it's, it is 682 00:29:33,700 --> 00:29:35,600 a little bit different just because it's, it doesn't, 683 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,100 you don't see any of this big holes in the tree, 684 00:29:38,100 --> 00:29:39,633 and then you still see the needles. 685 00:29:39,633 --> 00:29:43,266 The needles are still on there, and so basically 686 00:29:43,266 --> 00:29:46,100 it just looks brown instead of bare, 687 00:29:46,100 --> 00:29:47,466 like the white pine weevil. 688 00:29:47,466 --> 00:29:49,233 I mean, you'll, the white pine weevil just looks 689 00:29:49,233 --> 00:29:51,233 stripped of all its needles. 690 00:29:51,233 --> 00:29:54,800 So, but different pests and different situations, yeah. 691 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:57,200 - Okay, yeah. 692 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,100 Very interesting. 693 00:29:59,100 --> 00:30:01,466 So, Diane, here's a question from Lewistown. 694 00:30:01,466 --> 00:30:04,566 During the pandemic, they heard a lot about 695 00:30:04,566 --> 00:30:06,766 the extreme labor disruptions in the meat processing, 696 00:30:06,766 --> 00:30:09,966 and I know we saw that they were horrible centers for COVID 697 00:30:09,966 --> 00:30:12,166 and a lot of plants got shut down. 698 00:30:12,166 --> 00:30:15,500 Has this particular labor issue resolved itself 699 00:30:15,500 --> 00:30:17,400 or is it still ongoing? 700 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:20,300 - Yeah, this is, to my understanding, 701 00:30:20,300 --> 00:30:22,433 it's still an ongoing issue. 702 00:30:22,433 --> 00:30:25,800 So, the last I heard was, it was a few months ago, 703 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:29,833 but workers have not returned to the meat processing plants 704 00:30:29,833 --> 00:30:31,566 in the same numbers that were working there 705 00:30:31,566 --> 00:30:34,633 prior to the pandemic, much like other industries 706 00:30:34,633 --> 00:30:37,233 are experiencing those difficulties right now. 707 00:30:37,233 --> 00:30:40,900 So a lot of those plants are operating at reduced capacity, 708 00:30:40,900 --> 00:30:45,433 and many of them are looking into increasing use 709 00:30:45,433 --> 00:30:47,266 of robots in those processes. 710 00:30:47,266 --> 00:30:51,366 So a lot of demand for engineers right now, 711 00:30:51,366 --> 00:30:55,866 as fewer and fewer workers are willing to do those jobs, 712 00:30:55,866 --> 00:30:58,833 and I think as most people are probably aware, 713 00:30:58,833 --> 00:31:01,533 like it's a lot of those refrigerated areas 714 00:31:01,533 --> 00:31:05,400 during peak COVID times was just conducive 715 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:09,033 to spreading viruses, so particularly difficult place 716 00:31:09,033 --> 00:31:12,466 to work during the pandemic and people 717 00:31:12,466 --> 00:31:14,366 have not returned in the same numbers. 718 00:31:14,366 --> 00:31:16,500 - It's also has to put a lot of pressure on breeders too, 719 00:31:16,500 --> 00:31:19,133 to make like, a more homogenous crop so that 720 00:31:19,133 --> 00:31:22,066 they can be harvested uniformly by robots. 721 00:31:22,066 --> 00:31:24,500 - Oh, in terms of like plant production as well? 722 00:31:24,500 --> 00:31:25,333 - Yeah, and livestock. 723 00:31:25,333 --> 00:31:26,533 - Yeah, livestock. 724 00:31:26,533 --> 00:31:27,366 Yeah, they have a uniform. 725 00:31:27,366 --> 00:31:28,800 - Size and. 726 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,600 - Yeah, and I think I just saw something in the news, 727 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:33,800 a plant in South Dakota, a huge plant that I think 728 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,866 is going to be employing a very significant amount 729 00:31:36,866 --> 00:31:38,533 of robotics for meat cutting. 730 00:31:38,533 --> 00:31:41,033 So it probably is gonna be. 731 00:31:41,033 --> 00:31:41,966 - Changing the industry. 732 00:31:41,966 --> 00:31:42,800 - Wave of the future. 733 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:44,633 - Yeah, definitely. 734 00:31:44,633 --> 00:31:47,133 - So Mary, and this is something that Abi 735 00:31:47,133 --> 00:31:49,466 might be able to comment on too. 736 00:31:49,466 --> 00:31:51,333 This is a question that came in from Billings. 737 00:31:51,333 --> 00:31:54,966 They have an old, very sick looking arbor vitae. 738 00:31:54,966 --> 00:31:57,100 The neighbor's arbor vitaes are green, 739 00:31:57,100 --> 00:31:58,633 but hers have gone from green to brown. 740 00:31:58,633 --> 00:32:00,200 It appears to be frostbite. 741 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:04,233 If not, what could it be, and do you have tips to help this? 742 00:32:04,233 --> 00:32:05,300 - I'll let Abi take that one. 743 00:32:05,300 --> 00:32:07,100 - Yeah, so we're seeing a lot of, 744 00:32:07,100 --> 00:32:10,866 our Schutter Diagnostic Lab is seeing a lot of samples 745 00:32:10,866 --> 00:32:13,700 of winter injury in a lot of our evergreens 746 00:32:13,700 --> 00:32:14,900 just across the state. 747 00:32:14,900 --> 00:32:16,966 We're seeing so much of this right now. 748 00:32:16,966 --> 00:32:20,400 So I would say, give it time, take a look at it, 749 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,566 give it some TLC, make sure it's getting 750 00:32:23,566 --> 00:32:27,533 enough moisture right now, but a lot of our evergreens 751 00:32:27,533 --> 00:32:29,966 are showing a lot of that winter injury and are, 752 00:32:29,966 --> 00:32:31,033 have that browning in there. 753 00:32:31,033 --> 00:32:33,366 - [Mary] Arbor vitae in particular seems to age. 754 00:32:33,366 --> 00:32:34,766 - They're, yes. 755 00:32:34,766 --> 00:32:38,000 I've seen very few really excellent looking 756 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,900 arbor vitae around, so yeah, I think they're pretty 757 00:32:40,900 --> 00:32:44,466 susceptible to some of these environmental conditions. 758 00:32:44,466 --> 00:32:48,000 - And I would say too, that, you know, she's comparing, 759 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,333 or they're comparing theirs to their neighbors 760 00:32:50,333 --> 00:32:52,533 and their neighbors might be in a little bit more 761 00:32:52,533 --> 00:32:55,400 protected location, might not have as intensive 762 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,233 a southern exposure, you know? 763 00:32:57,233 --> 00:32:59,100 'Cause I know some people will actually put burlap 764 00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:01,733 on the southern side of the arbor vitae in the winter 765 00:33:01,733 --> 00:33:04,166 to kind of give it a little bit of a sunscreen. 766 00:33:04,166 --> 00:33:07,333 So yeah, probably definitely a winter desiccation issue. 767 00:33:07,333 --> 00:33:08,933 - Yeah, that's what I would say. 768 00:33:08,933 --> 00:33:12,100 - Also, what does boll damage look like on arbor vitae? 769 00:33:12,100 --> 00:33:14,433 Is there a specific pattern that you see? 770 00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:18,000 - I think in general, if you get significant boll damage, 771 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,300 the whole plant or the whole tree will die, 772 00:33:20,300 --> 00:33:22,233 because it'll girdle them. - [Laurie] Okay. 773 00:33:22,233 --> 00:33:23,500 Okay. 774 00:33:23,500 --> 00:33:24,500 - That's what, yeah, I would say. 775 00:33:24,500 --> 00:33:26,233 I don't know if there's a pattern other than seeing the. 776 00:33:26,233 --> 00:33:28,066 - [Mary] The teeth marks. 777 00:33:28,066 --> 00:33:29,533 - Yeah, yeah. 778 00:33:29,533 --> 00:33:31,000 - Okay. 779 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:35,033 - Okay, Laurie, from Billings, all of their plants this year 780 00:33:35,033 --> 00:33:38,100 are late and they've noticed very few bumblebees. 781 00:33:38,100 --> 00:33:41,766 Should he be concerned about the lack of bees? 782 00:33:41,766 --> 00:33:44,500 - Gosh, I think that might be a better question for Abi. 783 00:33:44,500 --> 00:33:46,166 Sorry to pass this over. 784 00:33:46,166 --> 00:33:47,000 - Oh, what am I thinking? 785 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,000 Abi really is kind of a bee specialist. 786 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,133 - Bee specialist here. 787 00:33:50,133 --> 00:33:52,533 - So I would say, yeah, it's hard to say. 788 00:33:52,533 --> 00:33:56,133 There is a concern because the bumblebees, the queen bees 789 00:33:56,133 --> 00:33:59,200 right now are working on starting their new nests, 790 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,300 starting their new colonies and with the seasons 791 00:34:02,300 --> 00:34:05,333 being so slow, there aren't that many flowering plants. 792 00:34:05,333 --> 00:34:09,666 So I would say it's hard to say it, how this is 793 00:34:09,666 --> 00:34:12,433 gonna affect bees, but it is something I was thinking 794 00:34:12,433 --> 00:34:15,933 about too, this season, wondering about food sources 795 00:34:15,933 --> 00:34:18,300 for bees right now, 'cause we were talking about 796 00:34:18,300 --> 00:34:20,400 hummingbirds earlier as well. 797 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:22,600 People were seeing some hummingbirds and wondering 798 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:26,266 if there's enough nectar out there for them to consume. 799 00:34:26,266 --> 00:34:28,500 So it's hard to say. 800 00:34:28,500 --> 00:34:31,666 - My crab apple was just buzzing the other day. 801 00:34:31,666 --> 00:34:33,966 So there was at least some in my yard. 802 00:34:33,966 --> 00:34:35,500 - That's fantastic. 803 00:34:35,500 --> 00:34:38,500 - So probably, honeybees more on a crab apple or? 804 00:34:38,500 --> 00:34:40,566 - I would say it, it all kinds of bees 805 00:34:40,566 --> 00:34:41,900 will visit crab apples. - All kinds of bees. 806 00:34:41,900 --> 00:34:42,733 - Yeah. 807 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:45,033 - Wonderful, wonderful. 808 00:34:45,033 --> 00:34:45,866 Well, I am excited because a question 809 00:34:45,866 --> 00:34:48,566 came in from Anaconda about potatoes. 810 00:34:48,566 --> 00:34:49,566 (Diane laughing) 811 00:34:49,566 --> 00:34:50,700 So they have heard that the, that potato plants 812 00:34:50,700 --> 00:34:52,433 stop growing after they bloom. 813 00:34:52,433 --> 00:34:56,600 Does this mean that only the aboveground plant does or, 814 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:59,033 does quit growing or does it affect the tuber as well? 815 00:34:59,033 --> 00:35:02,433 Well, actually, after they bloom is when they really 816 00:35:02,433 --> 00:35:04,800 start bulking up and putting energy into the tubers. 817 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,633 So usually if you're just going to be picking some, 818 00:35:08,633 --> 00:35:10,700 or digging some new potatoes for your garden, 819 00:35:10,700 --> 00:35:13,433 you'll start digging probably a week or two 820 00:35:13,433 --> 00:35:16,700 after the potatoes are blooming, but then as 821 00:35:16,700 --> 00:35:19,800 the summer progresses and later in the season, 822 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:22,300 that's, you know, the vines will even start to kind of 823 00:35:22,300 --> 00:35:23,800 lay down and go down a little bit, 824 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:25,100 but that's when the tubers are really, 825 00:35:25,100 --> 00:35:26,266 or the plants are really putting 826 00:35:26,266 --> 00:35:28,366 all of those carbohydrates down into the tubers. 827 00:35:28,366 --> 00:35:30,466 So they're absolutely still growing. 828 00:35:30,466 --> 00:35:33,100 So, just a lot more is going on underground 829 00:35:33,100 --> 00:35:34,666 than what you see above ground. 830 00:35:35,566 --> 00:35:38,166 So, back to Laurie. 831 00:35:38,166 --> 00:35:40,466 Wasps, are they active right now? 832 00:35:40,466 --> 00:35:42,833 This is a question that came in from Three Forks. 833 00:35:42,833 --> 00:35:43,966 - Oh yes, they are active. 834 00:35:43,966 --> 00:35:48,566 So I've seen a European paper wasp and then actually 835 00:35:48,566 --> 00:35:52,300 I put my Western yellowjacket traps out about a week ago 836 00:35:52,300 --> 00:35:55,433 and, maybe a week and a half ago, and June third was 837 00:35:55,433 --> 00:35:59,700 when I caught my first queen, Western yellowjacket queen, 838 00:35:59,700 --> 00:36:02,166 in Bozeman, so I figure that most other areas 839 00:36:02,166 --> 00:36:03,966 probably have queens active already. 840 00:36:03,966 --> 00:36:05,500 I haven't seen any bald faced hornets yet, 841 00:36:05,500 --> 00:36:07,333 but I think most people are concerned about 842 00:36:07,333 --> 00:36:09,333 the Western yellowjackets and not 843 00:36:09,333 --> 00:36:10,966 having those nests established. 844 00:36:10,966 --> 00:36:12,300 So yes, they're out. 845 00:36:12,300 --> 00:36:13,566 - Okay. 846 00:36:13,566 --> 00:36:14,400 - So putting out traps, 847 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:16,700 would now still be a good time to do that, or? 848 00:36:16,700 --> 00:36:19,800 - If you haven't put 'em out, you can still put 'em out now, 849 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:21,300 and they'll still trap workers. 850 00:36:21,300 --> 00:36:22,666 So it'll cut down the population, 851 00:36:22,666 --> 00:36:25,200 but you really wanna try to get them out there. 852 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,166 There's, the Queens are active, still active right now. 853 00:36:27,166 --> 00:36:30,200 So you will prevent them from starting new nests, 854 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:32,100 but yeah, you could still put them out, 855 00:36:32,100 --> 00:36:35,866 but think about Memorial Day or a little bit sooner 856 00:36:35,866 --> 00:36:38,400 next year if you haven't put your traps out yet. 857 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:43,066 - Okay, so this is just a comment, again for Laurie, 858 00:36:43,066 --> 00:36:44,433 that came in from Missoula. 859 00:36:44,433 --> 00:36:46,600 Their Austrian pine started with brown tip 860 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:48,466 three years ago and now it's nearly dead. 861 00:36:48,466 --> 00:36:49,300 - [Laurie] Oh really? 862 00:36:49,300 --> 00:36:50,700 Okay. 863 00:36:50,700 --> 00:36:51,700 - Yeah, so. 864 00:36:51,700 --> 00:36:53,000 - Yeah, it's good if you're really worried about your tree, 865 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,400 if you can get a sample from the top, we're more than happy 866 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:57,533 to look at it at the Schutter Diagnostic Lab. 867 00:36:57,533 --> 00:36:59,866 So it's just been a case by case basis, 868 00:36:59,866 --> 00:37:03,500 and if it is a bark beetle, that will kill your tree, 869 00:37:03,500 --> 00:37:05,500 but it's just been all across the board 870 00:37:05,500 --> 00:37:08,033 as far as environmental conditions, but yeah, 871 00:37:08,033 --> 00:37:10,300 if you're worried about your tree, please send it in. 872 00:37:10,300 --> 00:37:11,633 - Okay. 873 00:37:11,633 --> 00:37:13,133 Okay, very good. 874 00:37:13,133 --> 00:37:17,166 For Diane, from Bozeman, there have been a lot of stories 875 00:37:17,166 --> 00:37:20,466 again in the news about unemployment and then also 876 00:37:20,466 --> 00:37:23,200 about labor force participation. 877 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:24,566 Can you tell us what the difference is 878 00:37:24,566 --> 00:37:27,666 between unemployment and labor force participation? 879 00:37:27,666 --> 00:37:29,933 - Yeah, it is a little bit confusing because the way 880 00:37:29,933 --> 00:37:32,066 we measure the unemployment rate, 881 00:37:32,066 --> 00:37:37,100 it's based on workers who are actually actively looking 882 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:39,866 for a job, but not employed. 883 00:37:39,866 --> 00:37:43,700 So if someone has left the labor force entirely, 884 00:37:43,700 --> 00:37:46,633 they would not be counted in the unemployment rate. 885 00:37:46,633 --> 00:37:48,266 So if they quit looking for a job, 886 00:37:48,266 --> 00:37:50,066 they just leave the labor force. 887 00:37:50,066 --> 00:37:52,433 So we could have a very low unemployment rate 888 00:37:52,433 --> 00:37:55,766 as we do right now have a low unemployment rate, 889 00:37:55,766 --> 00:37:59,100 but labor force participation rate is also low. 890 00:37:59,100 --> 00:38:01,100 So there are many people who dropped out of 891 00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:04,300 the workforce entirely during the pandemic. 892 00:38:04,300 --> 00:38:07,600 Some of these were, you know, people who were close 893 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:10,566 to retirement age and decided to retire a little bit earlier 894 00:38:10,566 --> 00:38:14,366 than they planned, and some of them are people, you know, 895 00:38:14,366 --> 00:38:16,800 a lot of people have termed it the Great Reassessment, 896 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:20,766 so quitting their jobs, thinking about what they want to do 897 00:38:20,766 --> 00:38:24,833 with their future, more career path oriented, perhaps, 898 00:38:24,833 --> 00:38:29,366 and then there's another term that I heard some economists 899 00:38:29,366 --> 00:38:33,066 talking about recently, a Great Reshuffle, in which 900 00:38:33,066 --> 00:38:34,933 they noticed that there are a lot of people 901 00:38:34,933 --> 00:38:38,200 who quit their jobs, but other people who are joining 902 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,366 and just a high turnover rate. 903 00:38:40,366 --> 00:38:43,166 So if you think about in terms of productivity, 904 00:38:43,166 --> 00:38:46,966 if people are staying in a job for just a few months, 905 00:38:46,966 --> 00:38:49,033 it's about how long it takes to train them 906 00:38:49,033 --> 00:38:50,266 and then they might be leaving again. 907 00:38:50,266 --> 00:38:52,966 So we have, you know, early retirement, 908 00:38:52,966 --> 00:38:55,833 we have people just reassessing their futures 909 00:38:55,833 --> 00:38:57,633 and maybe not back in the workforce yet, 910 00:38:57,633 --> 00:39:00,300 and then we have this reshuffling and all of these 911 00:39:00,300 --> 00:39:02,266 are reducing total economic output. 912 00:39:02,266 --> 00:39:06,333 So there is some concern and in terms of how much 913 00:39:06,333 --> 00:39:09,000 we're actually producing, it's gonna be challenging 914 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,000 to get these supply chains straightened out. 915 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:11,833 - Yeah, exactly. 916 00:39:11,833 --> 00:39:12,966 - [Diane] While we have this lower 917 00:39:12,966 --> 00:39:14,866 labor force participation rate. 918 00:39:14,866 --> 00:39:18,766 - Yeah, because where are the workers going to come from? 919 00:39:18,766 --> 00:39:21,500 Yeah, it's definitely a big question. 920 00:39:21,500 --> 00:39:26,033 From Hardin, this grower has spots 921 00:39:26,033 --> 00:39:27,433 on the leaves of their barley. 922 00:39:27,433 --> 00:39:30,133 Should they spray a fungicide? 923 00:39:30,133 --> 00:39:34,533 - Fungicide recommendations generally depend on 924 00:39:34,533 --> 00:39:37,166 what your potential yield is. 925 00:39:37,166 --> 00:39:40,133 So assess what the cost of the application is, 926 00:39:40,133 --> 00:39:42,566 what your potential yield is, and then see if 927 00:39:42,566 --> 00:39:44,500 it's gonna pencil, and what you expect 928 00:39:44,500 --> 00:39:48,866 your yield savings to be from application. 929 00:39:48,866 --> 00:39:52,533 Early in the growing season, sometimes it doesn't pay 930 00:39:52,533 --> 00:39:56,133 directly, but that flag leaf is what you wanna protect. 931 00:39:56,133 --> 00:39:59,600 That said, if it's really severe, you probably wanna put 932 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:00,866 a fungicide on it, probably when, 933 00:40:00,866 --> 00:40:02,833 with your herbicide application. 934 00:40:02,833 --> 00:40:04,033 - Okay. 935 00:40:04,033 --> 00:40:08,100 Okay, a question about hostas from Fort Benton. 936 00:40:08,100 --> 00:40:10,000 They have three hostas on the west, 937 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,333 southwest side of their house. 938 00:40:12,333 --> 00:40:17,333 Can you tell them why their hostas are not doing well 939 00:40:18,500 --> 00:40:21,333 on the south or the west side of their house? 940 00:40:21,333 --> 00:40:23,266 - It would, I'd say it's hard to say. 941 00:40:23,266 --> 00:40:25,633 If they've been healthy for a while 942 00:40:25,633 --> 00:40:28,233 and they're just starting to decline now, 943 00:40:28,233 --> 00:40:30,300 it could be a few things. 944 00:40:30,300 --> 00:40:34,033 Usually my hostas do better in the shady environment. 945 00:40:34,033 --> 00:40:37,333 So if they're facing that west, southwest side, you know, 946 00:40:37,333 --> 00:40:39,300 maybe they're drying out a little bit more. 947 00:40:39,300 --> 00:40:41,066 Maybe they need a little bit more moisture 948 00:40:41,066 --> 00:40:43,766 or maybe they're just slow, like a lot of our plants. 949 00:40:43,766 --> 00:40:47,100 My hosts just started to spring back up 950 00:40:47,100 --> 00:40:49,633 right now this past weekend. 951 00:40:49,633 --> 00:40:54,666 So I would say maybe reach out to your local extension agent 952 00:40:55,033 --> 00:40:57,733 and see if you can work with them to get to the bottom 953 00:40:57,733 --> 00:40:59,266 of what might be going on there. 954 00:40:59,266 --> 00:41:01,033 - Right, and just probably try 955 00:41:01,033 --> 00:41:05,200 a shadier aspect of the house too. 956 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:06,333 - Yeah, yeah. 957 00:41:06,333 --> 00:41:09,366 - Yeah, I think that would be a good recommendation. 958 00:41:09,366 --> 00:41:14,366 So from Great Falls, Laurie, what would you use as 959 00:41:14,366 --> 00:41:17,200 an attractant in your was traps? 960 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:21,066 - Oh, if you buy the wasp trap, it's a yellow trap 961 00:41:21,066 --> 00:41:23,700 and the attractant comes with the trap and it's, 962 00:41:23,700 --> 00:41:27,533 the chemical's called heptyl butyrate and that's, 963 00:41:27,533 --> 00:41:31,466 it's, that's it just, you, I think you just squeeze it 964 00:41:31,466 --> 00:41:34,100 onto a cotton ball and that'll attract the wasp. 965 00:41:34,100 --> 00:41:36,500 It doesn't attract bees or any other species. 966 00:41:36,500 --> 00:41:39,933 It does do another Vespula species and, 967 00:41:39,933 --> 00:41:42,200 but it's not something that's common in Montana, so. 968 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:44,366 It comes with the trap. 969 00:41:44,366 --> 00:41:45,500 - Okay. 970 00:41:45,500 --> 00:41:49,666 Okay, Diane, so we hear a lot of talk about how 971 00:41:49,666 --> 00:41:53,866 supply chain issues are affecting us as consumers. 972 00:41:53,866 --> 00:41:57,500 How are supply chain issues affecting producers? 973 00:41:57,500 --> 00:42:00,966 - Sure, I think one of the classic examples right now 974 00:42:00,966 --> 00:42:03,366 has been the fertilizer supply. 975 00:42:03,366 --> 00:42:06,233 We just don't have as much fertilizer this year, 976 00:42:06,233 --> 00:42:08,233 so it's been more expensive. 977 00:42:08,233 --> 00:42:10,133 So as things are less available, 978 00:42:10,133 --> 00:42:14,500 the price goes up, but also equipment. 979 00:42:14,500 --> 00:42:17,933 A lot of equipment we might import from abroad 980 00:42:17,933 --> 00:42:20,200 or the supply chains just might be kind of 981 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:21,233 in disorder right now. 982 00:42:21,233 --> 00:42:26,233 So for producers, this can be very frustrating. 983 00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:28,800 Sometimes if it's essential input, 984 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:32,866 we might see less, less production. 985 00:42:32,866 --> 00:42:34,833 So we're definitely hoping for the best here, 986 00:42:34,833 --> 00:42:38,233 but this is definitely a huge difficulty 987 00:42:38,233 --> 00:42:40,700 in all industries, including agriculture. 988 00:42:40,700 --> 00:42:42,466 - For sure. 989 00:42:42,466 --> 00:42:45,866 This could be a question for Mary or Abi. 990 00:42:45,866 --> 00:42:48,033 This is a question for, from Wolf Point. 991 00:42:48,033 --> 00:42:50,500 They have a Ponderosa pine that is starting to leak 992 00:42:50,500 --> 00:42:53,366 a lot of clear sap along the bottom half of the tree, 993 00:42:53,366 --> 00:42:55,900 but they don't see any signs of in insect damage. 994 00:42:55,900 --> 00:42:58,200 Do you have any idea why this tree 995 00:42:58,200 --> 00:42:59,833 would be losing a lot of sap? 996 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:04,366 - I would, usually when they're losing sap, 997 00:43:04,366 --> 00:43:07,166 there's some sort of a physical injury, whether that's 998 00:43:07,166 --> 00:43:09,833 through insects or some other mechanical damage. 999 00:43:09,833 --> 00:43:12,966 - [Mary] High winds, like, sand, soil blowing. 1000 00:43:12,966 --> 00:43:14,033 - Yeah, that's possible. 1001 00:43:14,033 --> 00:43:15,266 Yeah, high winds. 1002 00:43:15,266 --> 00:43:16,233 - Especially if it's the lower part of the tree. 1003 00:43:16,233 --> 00:43:18,866 - Yeah, so it's, it would be hard to say. 1004 00:43:18,866 --> 00:43:19,800 - They could check if it was more on 1005 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:21,533 the western side of the tree. 1006 00:43:21,533 --> 00:43:22,866 - Yeah, yeah. 1007 00:43:22,866 --> 00:43:24,466 It is interesting that they're not really seeing 1008 00:43:24,466 --> 00:43:26,866 any signs of injury, I mean, and this is the time of year 1009 00:43:26,866 --> 00:43:30,300 where the sap is kind of like rising in the tree, so. 1010 00:43:31,433 --> 00:43:33,233 - At least they got enough water to get sap. 1011 00:43:33,233 --> 00:43:36,466 - Yeah, I guess, I guess that's a good thing. 1012 00:43:36,466 --> 00:43:40,100 So Laurie, a question from Denton. 1013 00:43:40,100 --> 00:43:42,666 Can you talk about the outlook for grasshoppers this year? 1014 00:43:42,666 --> 00:43:44,500 - Whew, yeah. 1015 00:43:44,500 --> 00:43:46,766 I'm not a very good grasshopper predictor at all. 1016 00:43:46,766 --> 00:43:48,800 So I'll just throw that out there, 1017 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:50,766 but we have had a really wet spring and when we have 1018 00:43:50,766 --> 00:43:53,466 a consistently wet spring, that will often create a lot 1019 00:43:53,466 --> 00:43:58,633 of natural fungi that will, that are, 1020 00:43:58,633 --> 00:44:00,300 that will attack the grasshoppers. 1021 00:44:00,300 --> 00:44:04,266 So I think it looks better that we had 1022 00:44:04,266 --> 00:44:07,200 an extended rain season in most areas in Montana for the, 1023 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:08,966 it just depends on what you're talking about. 1024 00:44:08,966 --> 00:44:11,433 Oh, Denton, I don't know how much rain Denton's had, 1025 00:44:11,433 --> 00:44:14,200 but if it's, if they've had a wet spring, like we've had, 1026 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:16,300 then it it'll look a little bit better 1027 00:44:16,300 --> 00:44:18,066 for the grasshopper situation, but we also had 1028 00:44:18,066 --> 00:44:20,200 so many grasshoppers over wintering that. 1029 00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:21,633 - [Nina] Right. 1030 00:44:21,633 --> 00:44:22,700 - We're still gonna have some grasshopper pressure, but. 1031 00:44:22,700 --> 00:44:24,633 - From watching the weather maps, 1032 00:44:24,633 --> 00:44:26,133 my family is from central Montana. 1033 00:44:26,133 --> 00:44:27,833 It seems like they're kind of on the edge 1034 00:44:27,833 --> 00:44:28,866 of getting this rain. 1035 00:44:28,866 --> 00:44:30,833 They're, they've been getting a little bit. 1036 00:44:30,833 --> 00:44:32,100 - Okay. 1037 00:44:32,100 --> 00:44:33,366 - But not, not in, not a lot. 1038 00:44:33,366 --> 00:44:34,933 They haven't been really nice and wet. 1039 00:44:34,933 --> 00:44:37,400 - Yeah, it'll probably be, there will probably be 1040 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:40,133 some grasshopper pressure there, unfortunately. 1041 00:44:40,133 --> 00:44:41,866 - So, okay. 1042 00:44:41,866 --> 00:44:46,866 Okay, so Abi, let's see. 1043 00:44:51,433 --> 00:44:53,366 Yes, oh, how to preserve honeybees. 1044 00:44:53,366 --> 00:44:55,433 They are getting into their basement. 1045 00:44:55,433 --> 00:44:57,733 This is from Butte, probably because it's cool and wet. 1046 00:44:57,733 --> 00:45:00,166 How they, how can they save them safely, 1047 00:45:00,166 --> 00:45:02,700 but also get them out of their home? 1048 00:45:02,700 --> 00:45:04,300 - That's a good question. 1049 00:45:04,300 --> 00:45:06,500 I would say contact a local beekeeper. 1050 00:45:06,500 --> 00:45:10,200 A lot of local beekeepers will come and take 1051 00:45:10,200 --> 00:45:14,066 those honey bees and rehome them, or you can reach out 1052 00:45:14,066 --> 00:45:17,933 to like a local beekeeping club if you know one. 1053 00:45:17,933 --> 00:45:20,733 There are a few beekeeping clubs across the state 1054 00:45:20,733 --> 00:45:25,133 that are pretty active, but in, from what I know, 1055 00:45:25,133 --> 00:45:28,533 beekeepers would be happy to take those bees off 1056 00:45:28,533 --> 00:45:33,333 someone's hands and just take them and put them 1057 00:45:33,333 --> 00:45:37,166 in a new hive and try to get them established over there. 1058 00:45:37,166 --> 00:45:38,533 - Okay. 1059 00:45:38,533 --> 00:45:43,500 This is a question for Diane that came in from Great Falls, 1060 00:45:43,500 --> 00:45:48,500 like, relative to inflation, how much do you see 1061 00:45:49,533 --> 00:45:54,500 wage and salary increases in, 1062 00:45:54,500 --> 00:45:57,166 changing for agriculture workers over time? 1063 00:45:57,166 --> 00:45:59,766 Do you think that they're going to be able 1064 00:45:59,766 --> 00:46:02,500 to keep pace with inflation or are they 1065 00:46:02,500 --> 00:46:05,100 gonna be a little bit disconnected? 1066 00:46:05,100 --> 00:46:09,033 - Yeah, so I think that the past couple decades 1067 00:46:09,033 --> 00:46:11,633 we've seen agricultural wages rise 1068 00:46:11,633 --> 00:46:13,433 more quickly than inflation. 1069 00:46:13,433 --> 00:46:17,866 However, obviously inflation is going at a much more 1070 00:46:17,866 --> 00:46:20,600 rapid pace right now than it has the past couple decades. 1071 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:25,600 So the, for H-2A workers, those workers have to be paid 1072 00:46:27,333 --> 00:46:29,633 what's called the adverse effect wage rate, 1073 00:46:29,633 --> 00:46:31,333 which is set by the Department of Labor, 1074 00:46:31,333 --> 00:46:35,200 and it's based on the agricultural worker 1075 00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:39,800 and so that will probably rise similar to inflation 1076 00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:43,100 and increasing wage rates in similar jobs. 1077 00:46:43,100 --> 00:46:48,100 So we, I think we can expect farm wages to rise similar 1078 00:46:50,033 --> 00:46:55,033 with the wages of all the other similar jobs of, you know, 1079 00:46:55,033 --> 00:46:57,466 being similar jobs, probably construction 1080 00:46:57,466 --> 00:47:00,033 and service industries, jobs that don't require 1081 00:47:00,033 --> 00:47:02,333 high levels of education. 1082 00:47:02,333 --> 00:47:03,966 - Okay. 1083 00:47:03,966 --> 00:47:07,233 Mary, also coming in from central Montana, 1084 00:47:07,233 --> 00:47:10,700 what is the wheat streak mosaic outlook for this year? 1085 00:47:10,700 --> 00:47:13,566 - We've had a couple of samples come into the clinic, 1086 00:47:13,566 --> 00:47:17,033 but mostly from situations where they had grazed it 1087 00:47:17,033 --> 00:47:18,400 and they knew they had a problem, 1088 00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:23,133 and then the crop this spring showed symptoms. 1089 00:47:23,133 --> 00:47:24,800 We've had three years of drought, 1090 00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:27,266 so we don't have much of the vector. 1091 00:47:27,266 --> 00:47:30,366 So unless you've kind of created a green bridge situation, 1092 00:47:30,366 --> 00:47:33,400 I don't see much wheat streak. 1093 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:35,000 - Okay. 1094 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:39,100 There's a fairly recent publication that's been put out 1095 00:47:39,100 --> 00:47:44,100 by Extension, and Abi's got a copy of it here right now, 1096 00:47:44,433 --> 00:47:47,133 and I actually have a copy of this on my coffee table, 1097 00:47:47,133 --> 00:47:49,200 and it's really, really a wonderful resource 1098 00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:53,366 for pest problems on ornamentals. 1099 00:47:53,366 --> 00:47:55,566 - Yeah, so this is put together by Laurie 1100 00:47:55,566 --> 00:47:58,200 and the other ladies at the Schutter Diagnostic Lab, 1101 00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:01,166 and it's really, really nice publication that goes 1102 00:48:01,166 --> 00:48:04,166 through pest problems and just identifying 1103 00:48:04,166 --> 00:48:06,533 plants here in Montana. 1104 00:48:06,533 --> 00:48:08,933 This is available at the MSU Extension store. 1105 00:48:08,933 --> 00:48:12,133 So this is not available at those local Extension offices. 1106 00:48:12,133 --> 00:48:14,200 So if you want a copy, they're free. 1107 00:48:14,200 --> 00:48:18,100 you go to the MSU Extension bookstore and you can just 1108 00:48:18,100 --> 00:48:20,000 order it there and then pay for shipping 1109 00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:21,966 and it'll come to you, or you can pick it up 1110 00:48:21,966 --> 00:48:24,166 in person as well from Bozeman. 1111 00:48:24,166 --> 00:48:25,633 - [Mary] And there's a PDF available as well. 1112 00:48:25,633 --> 00:48:27,600 - There is the PDF available online as well, if you want, 1113 00:48:27,600 --> 00:48:29,700 if you don't want, but I have one in my car, 1114 00:48:29,700 --> 00:48:32,133 I have one in my house and one in my office, and. 1115 00:48:32,133 --> 00:48:33,633 - Yeah, it's an amazing resource, 1116 00:48:33,633 --> 00:48:35,466 especially when you consider the price, so. 1117 00:48:35,466 --> 00:48:36,366 - Absolutely. 1118 00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:38,300 - It's the best deal in town. 1119 00:48:38,300 --> 00:48:40,933 So, Laurie, I think you have another show and tell. 1120 00:48:40,933 --> 00:48:42,333 - I do, yeah. 1121 00:48:42,333 --> 00:48:47,466 I, this came in from Gallatin Gateway and this is actually, 1122 00:48:47,466 --> 00:48:51,866 I, the phone call came in and he was saying that 1123 00:48:51,866 --> 00:48:55,700 he had a bunch of beetles and some frass and things 1124 00:48:55,700 --> 00:48:58,933 of that sort, insect excrement coming in, 1125 00:48:58,933 --> 00:49:02,766 and he's has an 1890s home in Gallatin Gateway, 1126 00:49:02,766 --> 00:49:06,600 and I'm trying to get this even here. 1127 00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:09,933 So the spider beetle on this, the cause from this, 1128 00:49:09,933 --> 00:49:13,033 this spider beetle, which you see in this, 1129 00:49:13,033 --> 00:49:16,066 in the white container here, these spider beetles 1130 00:49:16,066 --> 00:49:17,233 were burrowing into the wood and creating 1131 00:49:17,233 --> 00:49:20,966 all this insect excrement, and this home had been abandoned 1132 00:49:20,966 --> 00:49:24,033 for quite a while and not really doing too much 1133 00:49:24,033 --> 00:49:26,000 structural damage to the wood, but he said the beetles 1134 00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:29,566 were pretty much everywhere and the insect excrement 1135 00:49:29,566 --> 00:49:33,266 and the sawdust was everywhere too, and then also 1136 00:49:33,266 --> 00:49:35,333 in addition to this, there were a bunch of another beetle 1137 00:49:35,333 --> 00:49:37,866 called the carpet beetle, and so not something 1138 00:49:37,866 --> 00:49:41,366 that we typically see in our, as for, 1139 00:49:41,366 --> 00:49:44,133 it's not really considered that much of a wood borer, 1140 00:49:44,133 --> 00:49:46,733 but it does, it is kind of excavating in the wood 1141 00:49:46,733 --> 00:49:49,400 and for a home that's abandoned like that, 1142 00:49:49,400 --> 00:49:51,700 the spider beetles just completely took over. 1143 00:49:51,700 --> 00:49:55,100 - So I did not think of this until now, 1144 00:49:55,100 --> 00:49:58,366 but I knew somebody that in their basement, 1145 00:49:58,366 --> 00:50:00,533 the people that had built the basement had actually put 1146 00:50:00,533 --> 00:50:04,500 carpeting like, up the walls and onto the ceiling, 1147 00:50:04,500 --> 00:50:07,633 and I think they might have gotten those like, 1148 00:50:07,633 --> 00:50:09,866 into the studs and everything, I mean, and created, 1149 00:50:09,866 --> 00:50:14,866 like they got hundreds of pounds of like, frass and wood 1150 00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:18,700 and chips and things like that that came out of it. 1151 00:50:18,700 --> 00:50:19,866 - Yeah. 1152 00:50:19,866 --> 00:50:20,733 - I'm wondering if that's the same thing. 1153 00:50:20,733 --> 00:50:21,766 - Yeah, this, they're scavengers. 1154 00:50:21,766 --> 00:50:26,766 So they feed on lint, carpet, pet fur, other insects, 1155 00:50:27,566 --> 00:50:30,166 and yeah, they can really. - [Nina] Yeah. 1156 00:50:30,166 --> 00:50:31,233 - They can really build up. 1157 00:50:31,233 --> 00:50:32,566 That's the first time I've seen a sample like that, 1158 00:50:32,566 --> 00:50:33,966 where they've been that heavy and then the whole 1159 00:50:33,966 --> 00:50:35,866 insect world comes in and they decompose. 1160 00:50:35,866 --> 00:50:36,933 - Right, exactly. 1161 00:50:36,933 --> 00:50:39,633 Yeah, it was a huge, huge issue and yeah, 1162 00:50:39,633 --> 00:50:43,066 it was yeah, pretty almost terrifying to hear about 1163 00:50:43,066 --> 00:50:45,333 an infestation like that, that could happen in your home. 1164 00:50:45,333 --> 00:50:48,566 - Yeah, yeah, and I think this person will be okay 1165 00:50:48,566 --> 00:50:49,400 because they're doing a remodel. 1166 00:50:49,400 --> 00:50:52,566 So it's getting rid of the source and putting new wood in 1167 00:50:52,566 --> 00:50:54,966 will be very helpful in this situation, 1168 00:50:54,966 --> 00:50:57,766 and I think they will call a pest control professional 1169 00:50:57,766 --> 00:50:59,900 to kind of really target those areas 1170 00:50:59,900 --> 00:51:01,000 to get rid of the beetles and make sure 1171 00:51:01,000 --> 00:51:01,933 they're not gonna have a problem, 1172 00:51:01,933 --> 00:51:03,566 but they're not boring into the woods. 1173 00:51:03,566 --> 00:51:06,500 So they're not causing any structural damage but they will 1174 00:51:06,500 --> 00:51:10,233 be around if they're not taken care of properly. 1175 00:51:10,233 --> 00:51:11,500 - Wow, yeah. 1176 00:51:11,500 --> 00:51:12,333 Interesting. 1177 00:51:12,333 --> 00:51:15,600 From Ronan, for Diane, can you think of any other time 1178 00:51:15,600 --> 00:51:18,666 in history where agriculture has had a labor shortage 1179 00:51:18,666 --> 00:51:22,066 like this and how it has been creatively handled? 1180 00:51:22,066 --> 00:51:23,466 Is there any precedent for what 1181 00:51:23,466 --> 00:51:25,200 we're going through right now? 1182 00:51:25,200 --> 00:51:28,900 - Well, I think these times seem somewhat unique, 1183 00:51:28,900 --> 00:51:32,233 particularly as in our, the country that supplies 1184 00:51:32,233 --> 00:51:34,833 our farm labor is transitioning out of farm work. 1185 00:51:34,833 --> 00:51:38,166 So I think kind of taking a more global context, you said, 1186 00:51:38,166 --> 00:51:40,800 like the United States imports workers from Mexico. 1187 00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:43,700 If we go to Europe, the UK brings in farm workers 1188 00:51:43,700 --> 00:51:45,700 from Poland and eastern Europe, 1189 00:51:45,700 --> 00:51:49,966 and New Zealand brings workers from other 1190 00:51:49,966 --> 00:51:52,233 south Pacific islands, so this is sort of 1191 00:51:52,233 --> 00:51:56,433 a normal phenomenon, but now we're reaching this new phase 1192 00:51:56,433 --> 00:51:59,566 where our source country's transitioning out of farm work, 1193 00:51:59,566 --> 00:52:02,100 and then we have the pandemic on top of that, 1194 00:52:02,100 --> 00:52:05,133 which makes things pretty complicated. 1195 00:52:05,133 --> 00:52:10,133 Back in the 1960s, in 1964, the Bracero guest worker program 1196 00:52:11,466 --> 00:52:14,333 between Mexico and the United States was actually terminated 1197 00:52:14,333 --> 00:52:19,500 kind of abruptly, and so farm employers were very, you know, 1198 00:52:19,500 --> 00:52:21,266 stressed about this, of what would they do 1199 00:52:21,266 --> 00:52:25,466 to actually harvest their crops if they couldn't bring in 1200 00:52:25,466 --> 00:52:28,500 workers through the Bracero program, and there were 1201 00:52:28,500 --> 00:52:30,300 a couple outcomes from this. 1202 00:52:30,300 --> 00:52:34,133 One of them was the creation of the tomato harvester. 1203 00:52:34,133 --> 00:52:36,833 So, all of our processing tomatoes used to be 1204 00:52:36,833 --> 00:52:41,833 picked by hand, but with work from some 1205 00:52:42,100 --> 00:52:44,266 agricultural engineers at UC Davis, 1206 00:52:44,266 --> 00:52:47,533 and along with plant breeders, you were talking about 1207 00:52:47,533 --> 00:52:49,800 breeding more uniform crops. 1208 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:51,866 - We learned about this in school. 1209 00:52:51,866 --> 00:52:53,066 (panel chuckling) 1210 00:52:53,066 --> 00:52:54,033 - Yeah, yeah, it's a classic one. 1211 00:52:54,033 --> 00:52:56,466 So yeah, they created a tomato harvester, 1212 00:52:56,466 --> 00:53:00,033 much more efficient, really changed the way 1213 00:53:00,033 --> 00:53:03,466 that we do tomato processing now, 1214 00:53:03,466 --> 00:53:07,166 harvesting and processing, really expanded that industry. 1215 00:53:07,166 --> 00:53:09,766 So one of the major outcomes of the end of 1216 00:53:09,766 --> 00:53:11,966 the Bracero program was this mechanization, 1217 00:53:11,966 --> 00:53:14,733 tomato harvester being a really classic example. 1218 00:53:14,733 --> 00:53:17,866 Also created a lot of jobs in the processing industry. 1219 00:53:17,866 --> 00:53:21,166 So I think there's kind of this overall assumption 1220 00:53:21,166 --> 00:53:24,833 that when we talk about mechanization and robots 1221 00:53:24,833 --> 00:53:27,033 that it's taking away jobs, it can also create jobs 1222 00:53:27,033 --> 00:53:29,000 maybe further down the supply chain 1223 00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:32,500 or someone who has to operate that machinery. 1224 00:53:32,500 --> 00:53:35,566 So we're changing maybe the skills that are needed. 1225 00:53:35,566 --> 00:53:39,633 So I think that's a really classic example and sort of 1226 00:53:39,633 --> 00:53:44,666 a helpful example for how innovation can 1227 00:53:45,033 --> 00:53:47,166 some of these issues. 1228 00:53:47,166 --> 00:53:48,500 - Great. 1229 00:53:48,500 --> 00:53:49,733 Thank you, Diane, and probably just time 1230 00:53:49,733 --> 00:53:53,266 for one more question, and this is a follow up since 1231 00:53:53,266 --> 00:53:56,266 we've been talking quite a bit about hornets and wasps. 1232 00:53:56,266 --> 00:53:59,733 From Lockwood, referring to the previous conversation 1233 00:53:59,733 --> 00:54:02,133 about hornet traps with pheromones in them, 1234 00:54:02,133 --> 00:54:04,700 if you've not seen a lot of hornets yet, 1235 00:54:04,700 --> 00:54:07,566 is it not something that you should put out at this time 1236 00:54:07,566 --> 00:54:09,633 or should you be proactive and put it out 1237 00:54:09,633 --> 00:54:12,333 before you start seeing the problem? 1238 00:54:12,333 --> 00:54:13,433 - Yeah, I'd put 'em out now. 1239 00:54:13,433 --> 00:54:15,400 Yeah, so, and again, it's just gonna trap 1240 00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:16,333 the Western yellow jacket. 1241 00:54:16,333 --> 00:54:18,033 So it's not gonna trap bald faced hornets. 1242 00:54:18,033 --> 00:54:20,300 It's not gonna trap the European paper wasp. 1243 00:54:20,300 --> 00:54:22,266 Those are the two other really common ones, but yeah. 1244 00:54:22,266 --> 00:54:24,733 Get it out now and that'll keep any nest from forming 1245 00:54:24,733 --> 00:54:27,533 around your property and probably 1246 00:54:27,533 --> 00:54:28,600 your neighbor's property too. 1247 00:54:28,600 --> 00:54:30,133 So it's not too late. 1248 00:54:30,133 --> 00:54:32,300 Don't wait and you just might not, 1249 00:54:32,300 --> 00:54:34,900 they might not be attracted to anything on your yard, 1250 00:54:34,900 --> 00:54:38,833 but then if you put the trap out, it'll get 'em, so. 1251 00:54:38,833 --> 00:54:40,133 - That's great. 1252 00:54:40,133 --> 00:54:41,200 That's good to know. 1253 00:54:41,200 --> 00:54:42,800 So we just have a tiny bit of time left. 1254 00:54:42,800 --> 00:54:45,900 Diane, anything that you can add in just a few seconds 1255 00:54:45,900 --> 00:54:48,866 about what we haven't talked about today. 1256 00:54:48,866 --> 00:54:50,800 - Oh, we've covered some good topics. 1257 00:54:50,800 --> 00:54:54,300 No, I love thinking about farm labor markets. 1258 00:54:54,300 --> 00:54:57,166 You know, agriculture is really unique, 1259 00:54:57,166 --> 00:54:58,800 particularly in the sense that there's 1260 00:54:58,800 --> 00:55:00,366 a lot of uncertainty and risk. 1261 00:55:00,366 --> 00:55:03,166 I think everybody here can agree with that, 1262 00:55:03,166 --> 00:55:05,366 and then it does create some interesting challenges 1263 00:55:05,366 --> 00:55:07,866 with labor as well, because farmer doesn't necessarily know 1264 00:55:07,866 --> 00:55:10,533 exactly how many workers they will need and when 1265 00:55:10,533 --> 00:55:13,200 they will need them, and from the workers' perspective, 1266 00:55:13,200 --> 00:55:14,833 that also creates some uncertainty. 1267 00:55:14,833 --> 00:55:18,066 So interesting challenges and interesting and challenges, 1268 00:55:18,066 --> 00:55:19,500 challenges with agriculture overall 1269 00:55:19,500 --> 00:55:21,600 with all of their inputs. 1270 00:55:21,600 --> 00:55:23,133 - Okay, thank you so much, Diane. 1271 00:55:23,133 --> 00:55:25,233 Please tune in with us next week. 1272 00:55:25,233 --> 00:55:27,966 Our show is gonna be on the beef industry in Montana 1273 00:55:27,966 --> 00:55:31,633 and Chaley Harney, who is the executive director 1274 00:55:31,633 --> 00:55:34,066 of the Montana Beef Council will be the special guest. 1275 00:55:34,066 --> 00:55:35,100 Thank you. 1276 00:55:36,700 --> 00:55:40,566 - [Narrator] Visit MontanaPBS.org/AgLive. 1277 00:55:40,566 --> 00:55:43,133 (folksy music) 1278 00:56:10,700 --> 00:56:12,566 - [Announcer] "Montana Ag Live" is made possible by 1279 00:56:12,566 --> 00:56:15,833 the Montana Department of Agriculture, 1280 00:56:15,833 --> 00:56:19,933 the MSU Extension service, 1281 00:56:19,933 --> 00:56:22,500 the MSU Ag Experiment Stations 1282 00:56:22,500 --> 00:56:24,000 of the College of Agriculture, 1283 00:56:25,300 --> 00:56:27,600 the Montana Wheat & Barley Committee, 1284 00:56:27,600 --> 00:56:30,200 Cashman Nursery and Landscaping, 1285 00:56:31,666 --> 00:56:34,266 the Northern Pulse Growers Association, 1286 00:56:35,166 --> 00:56:37,433 and the Gallatin Gardeners Club. 1287 00:56:40,200 --> 00:56:42,366 (playful music)