Author: Roth, Abigail (CTR) - FPAC-NRCS, Carson, ND

Grant County Soil Conservation District

Winter 2023 Volume 30 Issue 4

Sunrise to Sunset we are proud to be your Soil Conservation District

Inside this issue:

District Products & / Services	2
Hidden Object & Upcoming Events	3
Word Search, Wanted Summer Hire, Outdoor Heritage Fund / Planting information	4
NRCS News on EQIP and CSP	5
Dakota Gardner: Protecting Trees from Bambi	6
Recipes	7

Board of Supervisors Eric Friesz Chairperson
Jacob Tatro Vice-Chair
Sarah Schock Treasurer
Wes Fredrick
Alan Maier
District Staff
Shelly Moore
District Tech
Jaymie Hertz
District Clerk
NRCS Staff
Greg Smith Jr.
District Conservationist
Bryce Andersen
Agronomist
Jacob Dummer
Rangeland Management Specialist
Abigail Roth
Management & Program Analyst

Hello,
My name is Shelly Moore and I am the newest member of the Grant County Soil Conservation District as your Tree Technician.
A Grant County native, I was raised on a farm and ranch operation north of Lark, North Dakota. I attended and graduated from Carson High School. I moved away from the area after high school and worked in North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, and New Mexico! I recently moved back to the area from New Mexico,
I was fortunate to experience some great travelling to different parts of the nation and world as we were a military family in the United States Air Force!
My latest job venture was working as a Campaign Manager for National Advertising Sales with Comcast Corporation.
As I settle in, I look forward to getting to know more members of the community, and Grant County, and especially look forward to knowing what your tree and conservation needs may be and helping you achieve those needs.
My hobbies are horseback riding, hiking, fishing, reading, spending quality time with friends, and my family, including my children Randy, Justin and Olivia, and my newest little buddy, Brand, a smart little Border Collie/Aussie pup that I actually got while home this summer.
I’ve always said, “I come home to get grounded”, while we travelled around, and lived in different places, and now I am setting up roots again in my first home. It is a good feeling.
Hope you’ll stop by to say hello the next time you’re in the office.
Have a blessed holiday season and a Happy and Prosperous New Year in 2024!
Some days are easier than others!!
Negative is not a part of my program!!!

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Volume 30, Issue 3

District Products & Services

For Lease/Rent

Weed Barrier Removal Skid steer attachment
$150/day

Dry material spreader ATV or receiver hitch Adaptable
$25/day

Gas auger for handplanting trees
$10/day

Machine Planting—$0.60/FT
*trees included*
Fabric weed barrier—$0.65/FT+setup fee

For use at no cost

Bale Probe

Soil probe

Speedy dibble

Volume 30, Issue 3

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Can you find the hidden object?!

Hidden object to find
*Note this is an example of what you’re finding!*

Congratulations to our winner, Halle Kistler. Thank you to all who participated! Once again, if you can find the little plant within the newsletter (pictured on the left), you will receive a gift card to a local business! It may not be the same color, but it is the same shape and could be upside down! Once you have found the plant, please mail-in, email, or message us on Facebook where you found it! Happy searching!

Upcoming Events

January 1—New Years Day —Office CLOSED
January 15—Martin Luther King Jr Office CLOSED
January 16— Board of Supervisors Meeting
February 19—President’s Day—Closed
February 20—Supervisor Board Meeting
March 10—DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS
March 19—Supervisor Board Meeting
March 19-Supervisor Board Meeting

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Volume 30, Issue 3

ND OUTDOOR HERITAGE FUND (ND OHF) STATEWIDE TREE
PLANTING INITIATIVE
Want to plant trees?! If you are thinking about ordering or having trees machine planted by the district in 2025, this is the time to stop in and chat with us and we can help you draw up a plan.
We will help you with your application process. The ND OHF will pay up to 75% of the cost of machine planting farmstead, windbreaks, livestock protection, and wildlife plantings through the Grant County Soil Conservation District Office, or up to 60% of the cost through the EQIP program with NRCS, should you qualify for either one of these programs.
See which one of these cost-share plans you could qualify for.
Starting in January, 2024, stop in and talk with us to see how we can help you!

We’re on the Web! gcscd.specialdistrict.org

Volume 30, Issue 3

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Gregory Smith, Jr.
District Conservationist-USDA-NRCS
Carson Field Office
P.O. Box 257
103 Dakota St.
Carson, ND 58529
Office: 701-622-3240
Cell: 701-301-5093
Email: Gregory.Smith5@usda.gov

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has technical and financial assistance available to landowners and operators. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) are two farm bill programs that operate under a continuous sign-up; therefore, applications are accepted on a continuing basis throughout the year and cutoff dates are scheduled to allow for ranking, prioritizing, and selection of applications for funding.
EQIP is the NRCS flagship conservation program that help farmers, ranchers, and foresters to integrate conservation into working lands. Grant County conservation practices include but are not limited to rangeland livestock improvements such as water wells, solar pumps, pipelines, tanks, windbreak, cross fence, grazing distribution, or cropland improvements such as grass plantings on sensitive soils, nutrient, residue, and tillage management.
CSP helps you to build on existing conservation efforts while strengthening your operation. Whether you are looking to decrease inputs, make rangeland livestock improvements, develop cropland resiliency, or enhance wildlife habitat we can customize a conservation plan for you.
The FY 2024 EQIP program cutoff date for FY 2024 applications was September 22, 2023. These applications will be ranked by February 2, 2024.
The FY 2024 EQIP ACT NOW program has a continuous signup and 3 rounds of ranking deadlines. March 15, 2024, April 12, 2024, and May 10, 2024.
The FY 2024 EQIP-CIC program cutoff date is March 1, 2024, and has 3 rounds of ranking deadlines. March 15, 2024, April 12, 2024, and May 10, 2024.
The FY 2024 CSP Classic program cutoff date is March 1, 2024. These applications will be ranked by March 22, 2024.
The FY 2024 CSP ACT NOW program has a continuous signup and 2 rounds of ranking deadlines. April 5, 2024, and May 3, 2024.
Please give us a call so we can visit about your conservation goals and help find a program that is right for you.
Happy Holidays,
Greg Smith Jr. District Conservationist

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Volume 30, Issue 3

Dakota Gardener: Protecting trees from Bambi

No repellent will stop a starving deer, but research shows that repellents that generate a sulfurous odor are most effective.

By Tom Kalb, Horticulturist NDSU Extension
Deer are very active now. They are moving around, scraping bark and munching on trees in our landscapes and orchards. My epic battle versus Bambi was in a college orchard in Bismarck.. Two days after planting 60 trees, our team of gardeners visited the orchard to give the trees a drink of water. It was shocking. Every tree was pruned by hungry deer. Everyone got mad—but not me. I don’t get mad. I get even. When a critter invades my territory, I seek swift justice! The most effective way to stop deer and any other harmful wildlife is to exterminate it, if and when it is legal. Be sure to follow all state and local regulations. Hunting of deer in North Dakota can only be done within legal hunting seasons. No matter the season, hunting deer on a college campus was not going to happen. The second-best way to stop harmful wildlife is to exclude it. Put up a physical barrier to prevent the animal from damaging the plants. White tree guards that wrap around trunks may help to protect young trees from wildlife. Rings of chicken-wire fencing placed around individual trees can also help, but this isn’t practical in a large orchard. In the case of deer, an 8-foot-high electrified fence is the recommended barrier. Installing an electrified fence on a college campus was not a good idea. That brings us to the least reliable solution: repellents. No repellent will stop a starving deer, but we can reduce damage by using the most repulsive products. Research studies show that repellents that induce fear in deer and generate a sulfurous odor are most effective. Such products often contain rotting eggs, garlic and assorted herbs. Deer readily sense this odor and then fear a predator is nearby. These products include Liquid Fence, Deer Out and Bobbex Deer Repellent. The most effective repellents are sprayed directly on the plants to be protected. Sprays applied on the ground along the perimeter of trees are less effective. Always follow the directions on the label. In this college orchard, I sprayed Liquid Fence on the branches every month from fall through winter. The chemical smelled terrible while spraying. Was it worth it? One evening in fall I visited the orchard and saw a herd of 40 deer in the valley. All of the deer were grazing near and around the orchard. No deer were inside the orchard. This was amazing since apple trees are like candy to deer. The repellent worked! Now that you know how to deter deer, be alert and good luck!
For more information about gardening, contact your local NDSU Extension agent. Find the NDSU Extension office for your county at ndsu.ag/countyoffice.

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Volume 30, Issue 3

Chicken & Dumplings
2 C Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 tbsp butter
1 C milk
2 Qts Chicken Broth
3 C Cooked Chicken

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball. Bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they are not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and mix.
ENJOY!!!!
NJOY
EN
Enjoy

Gumdrop Cookies

1/2 C Butter
1 C White Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Almond extract
1 3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C gumdrops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, followed by Almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, & salt. Slowly add to butter mixture. Stir in gumdrops by tablespoons. Drop cookies on cookie sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes
Grab a cup of coffee and ENJOY!!

Grant County SCD

103 Dakota Street
P.O. Box 257
Carson, ND 58529

Phone: 701-622-3381 ext. 3
Email: grantscd@outlook.com

Return Service Requested

We’re on the Web!
gcscd.specialdistrict.org

NONPROFIT
US Postage
Paid
Permit #5
Carson, ND

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Grant County Soil Conservation District

All programs and services of the Grant County Soil Conservation District are offered on a non-discriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age or handicap. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice & TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Please Patronize our Conservation Minded Sponsors!

Corporate Office
Agassiz Seed - 445 7th St NW - West Fargo, ND, 58078
Phone: (701) 282-8118 - Fax: (701) 282-9119
Agassizseed.com -chrisk@agassizseed.com

Chris Kappes (Sales)