Flathead Reservation Extension Office

10/12/2026

Notice of Changes for the MSU Extension - Flathead Reservation Office

Dear Valued Community Partner,

We are writing to inform you of some changes in our office structure and programming efforts.

The MSU Tribal Extension offices are funded through a USDA NIFA grant to do the work we do in Tribal communities through the FRTEP Grant (Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program). These funds contribute the majority of the funding our office agriculture and horticulture program operates on, general opperating expenses, and the way we maintain staffing (although our office has several other funding sources to support multiple people).

The Flathead Reservation Extension office was not successful in receiving a continuation of USDA FRTEP grants funds for the next 4 years of our program. As a result, we have been scrambling to come up with solutions as an Extension community given this major loss of funding.

Patrick Mangan will be leaving the ag/hort position at the Flathead Reservation Extension office and will relocate to the Granite County Extension office, where he will assume responsibilities as an Extension Agent in that county effective October 19th. The supports for agricultural and horticultural programming that Patrick had been engaged in and working on will be scaled back, as the agriculture program is largely coming to an end (The FRTEP grant from USDA was a primary agriculture focused grant). However, the Flathead Reservation office will still have access to other county extension ag/hort educators and specialists in Bozeman and will continue to support the Reservation community to the best of their ability.

Brenda Richey will continue to serve the communities on the Reservation in the emphasis areas of mental health, community health, food preservation, community vitality, and youth programming using the funding streams that are still intact.

Havilah Burton will remain in the office as the EFNEP (Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program) educator serving community school and adult programs.

Lemlmtš/Hu sukiⱡq̓ukni/Thank you

Patrick, Brenda and Havilah

10/05/2026

Spiders: Our Natural Allies 10/22/2026, 12:00:00 PM
Register for Live Stream

There are roughly 3,500 spider species in the U.S., yet only two kinds are considered dangerous to humans. So why are these eight-legged creatures so feared and maligned? Learn to distinguish fact from fiction and discover the outsized role spiders play as nature’s pest control. Get to know some of the common spiders and how to recognize them and get tips for preventing unwanted spiders on your home turf.

An Integrated Pest Management Webinar Series

09/28/2026

MSU Lake County Extension is excited to offer a Gardening in Course. Registration is now open! Follow the link below to register.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/9y2yPu8fqi

This will be a comprehensive course to inform your ability to make sscience-based decisions about plant selection, soil management, planting, pruning, watering, and problem solving. Other topics include vegetable gardening, turf and lawn alternatives, planting and caring for trees, shrubs, flowers, and an introduction to integrated pest management.

Some items of note:
• The course is 10 weeks and will begin on Tuesday, October 6th at 5 p.m.
Classes will be held at the Arlee Community Development Center, Arlee MT
• Registration is limited to 12 participants.
• Registration costs $25, to be paid on the first day of class. Please fill out the registration and make a special note if the cost is preventing your participation.
• I have lined up some great guest speakers to bring you a diverse knowledge base.

Please reach out with any questions you have!

Clare Corley
Extension Agent | 4-H / Agriculture
Lake County Extension
300 3rd Ave NW | Ronan, MT 59864
P 406-872-2324 | F 406-676-4272
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The Montana State University Extension Service is an ADA/EO/AA/Veteran’s Preference Employer and Provider of Educational Outreach.

09/22/2026

Hi everyone,

The MSU Ag Econ specialists are hosting a webinar on important changes to Pasture, Range, and Forage Insurance (PRF) on September 28th from 12:00 to 1:00pm MST. A webex link is attached below and a flyer is attached to this email.

Webex link: https://montana.webex.com/montana/j.php?MTID=m1beeef18695dbb1f91b41380bdbef90a

PRF protects Montana forage producers against a lack of rainfall, and it is the most widely used insurance in Montana, covering 14 million acres. The USDA made an important update to how it measures precipitation for PRF in April 2026, and these changes will impact both the premiums that producers pay and the payouts they receive from the program for all new policies starting in 2027. Producers have until December 1st to decide if they want to make changes to their PRF coverage because of these changes. Our webinar will cover how Montana producers will be affected by these changes and discuss what factors producers should consider when making changes to their PRF decisions.

The webinar is open to the public, so we invite agents to share the link and flyer with local producers and stakeholders who may be interested in attending. We will record the webinar, and the recording will also be open to the public, so interested producers and agents can view the webinar after the event if they have schedule conflicts.

Thanks and we hope to see you there next week,

Andrew Swanson
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Agricultural Economics and Economics
Montana State University

Webex by Cisco is an AI-powered secure enterprise collaboration platform.

09/10/2026

Gardening in Arlee, Montana Interest Survey

This course will be offered by the MSU Lake County Extension office. It will be hosted by the Arlee Community Development Corporation. Please submit responses by September 20, 2026. If you have questions, please contact Clare Corley at 406-872-2324 or at [email protected].

When you submit this form (link below), it will not automatically collect your details like name and email address unless you provide it yourself.

This course will be offered from Oct-Dec 2026.
Gardening in Montana (formerly known as the Master Gardener Training Course) is a state program that is intended to support your role as informed gardeners here in Montana, giving you the foundation to make science-based decisions about plant selection, soil management, planting, pruning, watering, and problem-solving. Other topics include but are not limited to vegetable gardening, turf lawns and alternatives, planting and caring for trees, shrubs, flowers, and introduction to integrated pest management.

09/03/2026

September 10th Cultivating Healthy Plants Webinar - Composting Hot and Cold

Join Dr. Heidi Kratsch for a Cultivating Healthy Plants Webinar on composting.

When: Thursday, September 10th, 12:00 p.m. (MT) / 11:00 a.m. (PT)

Registration: FREE but required.

Composting is a well-known method for recycling organic matter into a potent fertilizer that can enrich the soil for your garden plants. But, let's face it, composting in dry climates is hard. You will learn three composting methods and how to adapt them for the West.

Above: Garden compost.
Speaker: Dr. Heidi Kratsch earned her PhD from Iowa State University, where she specialized in woody plant stress and plant-microbe interactions. She has 20 years' experience educating green industry professionals, master gardeners and the public on sustainable landscaping practices. She is particularly interested in how beneficial soil microbes can increase plant stress resilience and how composting can enhance the microbial health of our soils.

Continuing Education: One pesticide CEU credit is available for LIVE broadcast only (may be limited to certain states).

Our Cultivating Healthy Plants Webinar Series includes participants from several states, including Montana, Nevada, Idaho, and Utah. Homeowners, commercial growers, extension/educators, and state/federal agencies are all represented, with an average participation of 200 individuals. Previous webinar recordings can be found on the Cultivating Healthy Plants YouTube Channel or at cultivatinghealthyplants.org.

The Extension Integrated Pest Management (IPM) family of programs are sponsored in part by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

https://www.montana.edu/cope/email-format/admin/view.php?draft=14471&uid=6a99c42b8e98b1.50109793

Join Dr. Heidi Kratsch for a Cultivating Healthy Plants Webinar on composting. When: Thursday, April 16, 12:00 p.m. (MT) / 11:00 a.m. (PT) Registration: FREE but required. Register here.Composting is a well-known method for recycling organic matter into a potent fertilizer that can enrich the soil ...

08/26/2026

New Palmer Amaranth Detection in Montana, August 2026
Quick Summary

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) was confirmed for the first time in Cascade County, Montana in August 2026. This is the sixth confirmed occurrence of this w**d in Montana. Be on the lookout for this species and its close relative waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus). This is the time of year to keep an eye out for and identify large pigw**ds.

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) was confirmed for the first time in Cascade County, Montana in August 2026. This is the sixth confirmed occurrence of this w**d in Montana. Be on the lookout for this species and its close relative waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus). This is the time of year to....

08/25/2026

If you live on the Flathead Reservation, would you consider filling out a Master's Project survey about local food? Feel free to message Havilah Burton with any questions, and share with your friends who live in this area as well! https://montana.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ktrVpuXmYeEFbE

08/24/2026

Please consider joining us for the next Rural Families Speak webinar. Feel free to forward the information below and attached flyer to your professional and community partner networks. Remember to register to receive the link to the webinar.

Title: Using Community Engaged Implementation: Lessons Learned from Tele-Delivery Nutrition Education with a Remote Rural Tribal Community

Presenters: Lenna Ontai, PhD, Professor of Cooperative Extension, Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis; L. Karina Díaz Rios, PhD, RDN, Professor of Cooperative Extension, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Merced; Mical K. Shilts, PhD, Professor, Department of Nutrition, Food & Dietetics, California State University, Sacramento

Date: October 5, 2026
Time: 2:00ET, 1:00CT, 12:00MT, 11:00PT
Registration Link: https://tinyurl.com/RFSOctober2026
QR Code:

08/24/2026

Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) Suspected to be responsible for the local white-tailed deer deaths

A recent increase in deer deaths have been reported on the Flathead Reservation from the Hot Springs, Valley View and multiple Mission Valley areas. The CSKT Wildlife Management Program suspects that a hemorrhagic disease (EHD), is responsible for these white-tailed deer deaths.

The disease is suspected to be in these areas, as the disease can persist in an area for 2-3 years after an initial outbreak. CSKT Wildlife is waiting for results from samples taken last week, and will keep the public up to date on our cskt.org website. Though it is a viral disease transmitted by biting midges, it is not contagious to humans but can influence deer and elk species. Outbreaks tend to occur near water sources in late-summer and early fall when certain small fly species emerge. It is not necessary for the public to report additional dead deer suspected of EHD in suspected or confirmed areas, but potential outbreaks observed in new areas of the Reservation should be reported by emailing [email protected] or calling the Wildlife Conflict Call number at 406-275-2774.

It is important to note that, while the disease can cause significant die-offs in localized deer populations, the outbreaks are usually short-lived and not wide-spread. Effected areas are generally localized and not spread across large areas. Meat from animals that appear healthy at the time of harvest remain safe to eat when properly cooked, though please consider having any harvested animal tested for Chronic Wasting Disease.

Stephanie Gillin
Information & Education Program Manager
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes
Natural Resource Department
P.O. Box 278
Pablo, Mt 59855
(406) 883-2888 ext. 7241