MONTANA RANGE DAYS
BOOSTER CLUB
DATE: May 7, 2014
TO: Montana Range Days Boosters
FROM: Amber Nordahl, Booster Club Chairman
RE: 2014 Range Days and Booster Club
You know what time it is? Time for Range Days.
38th annual MONTANA RANGE DAYS
JUNE 23rd – 25th
HAVRE, MONTANA
It is raining here with a winter storm heading our way tonight. The grass is beautiful and green,
but we are keeping our bunch home waiting for 1 more go round of winter to pass by. If, I can
keep the clips, wire and posts connected. We have 8 left to calve. We moved calving to midApril this year and are so thankful. April 10th was 108 degrees warmer than the 10th of February
when one of our neighbors was calving. That was a Range Days lesson – match the animal’s
nutritional needs to your available food source. The calves love it too.
So this was a Good Grief winter don’t you think? We needed our hat tied on our head and
double socks to keep our muck boots on the other ends. Most everything we have was stuck in
either the snow or the mud. The cattle truck with calves, semi with hay, 2 out of 3 tractors,
though not at the same time. The tractors had that nasty gelling up issue with the cold. There
were days we didn’t go anywhere because we couldn’t get to the mailbox or even see it. Didn’t
matter because you couldn’t go anywhere if you did get to the road.
But you already know that story, it didn’t just snow and get cold in my part of Montana.
Al’s muck boots got limited use this winter since he had a knee replaced November 8th. The
next week it was below zero and we had a foot of snow. He had quite a time getting around in
his walker with the snow, ice and mud that showed up, but we made it through, and if you are
reading this you must have too. His boots did spring a leak, probably from the puppy incident
last year, and so for next winter he is getting new boots with ice climber spikes on the bottom.
That is my news and it will be good to see you Range Days friends in June and hear your stories
from the past winter. This year Range Days is at Beaver Creek Park, about 25 miles from Havre.
Check out the website: www.montanarangedays.org for the details. You can even register on
line if you want, that is new and improved from last year.
The rest of the Montana Range Days news:
Well, congratulations are in order for the Ekalaka FFA team. They took their $500.00, range
knowledge, and Wilbur Ellis jackets to Cheyenne, Wyoming for the Old West Range Judging
Contest. Then they WON! How great is that! This year Old West moves to Montana in
October. Back to back wins would be awesome, especially in our home state.
We are working to get Range Magazine, MT PBS, and RFDTV to come to Range Days and do a
story. Our program is unique in that we have all private donations and put it on ourselves. I
don’t believe any other state has an equivalent to Montana Range Days.
We will again use the Favorite 5 program in the Super Starters curriculum. That is in coordination with the Montana Weed Control Association and generous sponsors there.
Our Range Days manual is on-line now so that Ag-Ed teachers can use it for their students.
2014 marks the 1st year to pay out our $1,000 scholarship to the Top Rangehand for college or
Vo-Tech school. We already award 3 $1,000 scholarships and will continue those as well.
MRD Booster Club had 64 members last year, 33 had been members 10 years or more. 7 were
Top Rangehand winners. We raised $2981, just $20 from covering our 3 scholarships. It was
our BEST Booster Club year yet, and I want to THANK everyone for helping out. Those
scholarships and Range Days expenses are where our money goes. That’s it, nowhere else. Our
Booster Club, State Sponsors and Permanent Endowment Fund interest cover everything.
I hope you can get to Havre next month. It will be a great time to see and learn. You wouldn’t
want to miss out on seeing friends and hearing the stories. If you feel like joining Booster Club
let me know. My phone is (406) 669-3193 and my email is tbarjranch1912@gmail.com.
See you there.
________________________________________________________________________
MONTANA RANGE DAYS BOOSTER CLUB DUES $25.00
Donation to MRD Permanent Endowment Fund
________
Total Contribution
________
We would appreciate your dues by June 30, 2014
You can mail it in the enclosed envelope
or bring it along to Range Days
Mail to: Montana Range Days Booster Club
c/o Amber Nordahl
2033 Columbus-Molt Road
Molt Montana 59057