The Star
August 16, "2021
Bigbiker turnout for annual Turtle Mounain Rie
Around 60 riders took part in the annual Turtle Mountain Motorcycle Ride on
Saturday, July 24. The bikers stopped at N8’s Place in St. John for a
group photo before crUising down to Rolla where
the Chamber of Commerce sponsored its final Music on Main event that came
complete with a smoked pork feed.
,r
Towne
r County farmer Carie Moore takes a break from baling hay.
Unpredictable conditi0ns
Farmers dealing with polar opposites 0f situations from one year to the
next
By Ann Bailey
Grand Forks Herald
Carie Moore got all of her fields
seeded in the drought year of 2021.
That’s one of the upsides of the dry
conditions for the Rock Lake farmer
who typically has to seed around about
50 acres of sloughs and ponds.
0n the downside, her crops now
are struggling and showing signs of
going backward because of lack of
rain. Only about 7.5 inches of rain
have fallen in 2021, and last fall also
was dry, Moore said.
Moore, and her husband, Jason,
like other farmers across northeast
North Dakota and northwest Min— I
nesota, are dealing with abnormally
dry conditions after years of being ’ex-
cessively wet.
North Dakota topsoil moisture sup?
plies were rated 41 percent very short,
46 percent short and 13 percent ade-
quate for the week ending Sunday,
July 25, according to National Agri—
cultural Statistics Service—North
Dakota.
The Moores, who have been farm-
ing since 2012, switched their roles
three years ago. Jason, who had been
farming full-time and trucking part—
time, became a full-time trucker, and
Carie, who had worked as Towner
County Conservation District director,
quit that job to farm. The arrangement
gives her the flexibility to stay home
with the couple’s three children when
Jason is gone overnight on long hauls. .
Among Carie Meore’s duties as
full-time farmer is scouting her fields.
A recent check indicated the drought
has taken a toll on the Wheat and bar-
ley, she said.
Wheat stands, for example, are un-
even. Some fields haven’t headed out,
others are starting to head out and still
others are beginning to turn from
green to gold. Part of the wheat that is
headed out doesn’t look like it should,
Moore said.
“There are a lot of heads that didn’t
fill right. They’re half the size and-re-
ally deforrned. They were trying to fill
with seed when it was really hot,”
Moore said. “Half of the stuff I walked
through was like that. I don’t know if
that will cut our yield in half, because
the head is half the size.”
Just two years ago, in 2019, wheat
and barley fields "were so wet that the
Moores couldn’t: harvest them. In—
stead, they bumed most of their wheat
crop the following spring. The fields
still were too wet, to plant in spring
2020, even after burning.
“It’s one extreme to the other. I
wish we could find a happy medium,”
Moore said during a break from hay-
ing on a field in Crocus Township, just
outside of Egeland, N.D., which is
about six miles southeast of the
Moores’ Rock Lake farm.
Moore puts up big, round bales of
hay for Nelson Angus Ranch near Ege-
land. The hayfield she was baling on a
mid-July day was poor quality, but the
Nelsons, like other ranchers who are
short on feed, will mix it with other for—
age to boost its nutritional value. I
I
Towner County farmer Carie Moore explains the drastic differ-
ences farming conditions in the Rock Lake area during the past
two years.
Cattle producers are searching for
feed because the drought has devas-
tated their pastures and drastically re-
duced forage yields. Many ranchers
already have reduced herd numbers,
and they’re concerned about finding
enough feed for the remainder of the
year. t I t
“This year, in the drought, we’re
trying to get quantity over quality,”
Moore said. Meanwhile, water holes
are drying up, and many of the ones
that do remain contair'i’ blue-green
algae, which is toxic to livestock.
A lack ‘of available water also ap-
pears to have discouraged bees from
pollinating the Moores’ canola fields,
she said. I v .
“I’m glad we didn’t fertilize it be-
cause I’m worried about pollination.
There’s no water for pollinators: no
puddles, nothing,” Moore said.
While it’s unlikely the wheat, bar-
ley and canola will yield well this year,
she still has hope for good soybeans
' yields because a couple of July rains
fell in timetobenefit‘athat crop. Mean-
while the Moores’ soybean input costs
so far are 10W: because they didn’t fer- ’
tilize the soybeans. -
Moore hopes flea beetles won’t at-
tack the soybeans, since spraying for
them would raise production costs.
“As long as we don’t have to spray V
for those, I think our soybeans are
going to pull us through,” Moore said.
The Moores’ fields will need rain if
they are going to get soybeans or any
other type.of crop next year.
“It’s going to be tough going into
next year if we don’t get anything,”
she said. “I don’t know what we’d do.”
Reprinted with permission from the
Grand Forks Herald.
Moisture matters when making good corn silage
Salvaging this year’s corn crop as silage can help crop
producers recoup some production costs while providing
good—quality feed for livestock.
Drought—stressed, limited grain-filled corn silage still
can retain a majority of its feeding value, North Dakota
State University Extension specialists say.
Whole-plant moisture and the plant’s maturity at har-
vest affect corn silage quality, according to Kevin Sedi-
vec, NDSU Extension rangeland management specialist.
Drought slows plant growth and delays maturity, leading
to a higher moisture content than indicated by the ap-
pearance of the corn.
Making silage when the corn is too dry results in poor
low bunk life.
Corn should be harvested for silage at a moisture con-
tent of 65 percent to 70 percent when using a horizontal
bunker. If too wet - above 70 percent — yield potential is
reduced and seepage will occur, resulting in the undesir-
able presence of clostridia bacterial fermentation. In a re—
cent study conducted at NDSU’s Central Grasslands
Research Extension Center, ensiling at 60 percent mois-
ture still produced high-quality silage.
Seepage results in a loss of nutrients that can be harm—
‘ ful to the environment and can allow feed to freeze dur—
ing the winter. A microwave can be used to check the
moisture content of corn silage. Be sure not to use the mi-
packing, inadequate air exclusion, poor fermentation and
heating. Dry silage creates higher levels of spoilage and
TURTLE MOUNTAIN HOUSING AUTHORITY, T.D.H.E.
A TRIBALLY DESIGNATED HOUSING ENTITY
, . P.O. BOX 620 - 1/4 MILE SOUTH 0N HWY. 5 BELCOURT, NORTH DAKOTA 58316
V TELEPHONE 701-477-6873 ADMINISTRATION OFFICE FAX 701-0193
TURTLE MOUNTAIN HOUSING AUTHORITY
NOTICE OF SALE AND REQUEST FOR BIDS
TO PURCHASE REAL PROPERTY ’
August 13,2021 _
The Turtle Mountain Housing Authority is accepting written bids for the
‘ purchase of the following real property and improvements.
TMHA will make the property available for physical inspection by
appointment
only. To make and inspection appointment, contact is Alex Jr. Davis, TMHA
Procurement, Officer at (701) 477-5673 ext. 258.
SALE LAND
The Southeast Quarter of SectiOn 33, Township 163 North, Range 70 West of
the Fifth Principal Meridian, Rolctte County, North Dakota, excluding the
sub-parcel described below and containing 155 acres, more-or—less.
Land appraisals, surveys and platting will be completed by the Turtle
Mountain Housing Authority.
EXCLUDED SUB-PARCEL , .‘
But excluding/not including the following sub-parcel located within the
same
tract consisting of 5-acres, more or less.
The sale excludes/does not include the home, outbuildings, and all other
improvements located on the described sub-parcel.
BIDDING PROCESS
Bids must be received by 4:00 pm. on August 27, 2021. Bids with authorized
signatures may be submitted by mail to Turtle Mountain Housing Authority,
P.O.
Box 620, Belcourt, North Dakota, 58316.
OR, in person to the Turtle Mountain Housing Authority Main Office,
Belcourt, ND. lf submitted in person, the bid should be in a sealed
envelope,
clearly marked "Land Bid" and addreSSed toTMHA, Attn: Rebecca
Olander,
Executive Director. ' v V
0R, bye-mail to adavis@tmhousing.net. If a bid is submitted bye-mail, it
must
be accompanied by a telephone call from the bidder to Jodelle Keplin,
Admin-
istrative Manager, at the TMHA office to confirm that TMHA has received the
full
proposal.
Bids may not be submitted by fax. The bidder shall have the sole
responSibility
to ensure that delivery has been properly cempleted, no matter what method
is
used. ‘ ' ‘ ‘
CONDITIONS FOR ALL BIDS
a. Payments must be made availablein lump sum TMHA will not provide
financing terms for this transaction;
. b. TMHA.will consider all responsive and responsible bids and Will use
.the
appraised value of the land as the basis for determining the successful
bidder;
c. Letter of commitment from bank or other financial institution in the
full
amount of the bid must be provided to TMHA within two (2) calendar days of
TMHA's acceptance of the lowest responsive bid..lf commitment is not
re-
ceived, or it is determined the bidder has an inability to purchase, TMHA
may
consider other submitted bids. '
d. Bidswill only be accepted from enrolled members of the Turtle Mountain
Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI). Proof ofTMBCl enrollment must accOmpany
the bid; - .
e. Pursuant to a Board-approved waiver of the TMHA Ethics Policies and
Standards of Conduct, TMHA Board Members, TMHA staff or employees, TMHA
officers or agents, or the Immediate Family (as defined under TMHA Ethics
Policy) members of any of the aforementioned groups and individuals, shall
be
allowed to submit a bid for or to purchase. This limited waiver shall also
apply
to businesses and other private legal entities owned or controlled. by any
of the
aforementioned individuals and to former TMHA Board Members who have
served within the last twelve months. '
f. The sale does not include the sub-parcel or the home, outbuildings, and
all
Other improvements .~ I
located on the described sub-parcel.
g. The sale does not include any oil, gas, or mineral rights.
h. Any bid submitted shall state that it will remain open for 60 days.
i. TMHA reserves the right to reject any and all bids.
Please Submit all questions and inquiries to Turtle Mountain Housing
Authority. P.O. Box 620', Belcourt, North Dakota, 58316, Phone: (701)
477-5673, Cell: 701-871-2421 . Attention: Rebecca Olander, TMHA
Executive Director ‘
crowave in your house because drying the corn may pro-
duce a strong odor.
Issued this 13th day of August, 2021
