BILLINGS – Farming and ranching is ingrained within the culture of Montana and it’s why a new study from the nonprofit Farm Connect Montana has caused concern for some in the agriculture industry.

The report predicts that the state’s agriculture sectors will see a loss of more than 9,500 jobs and more than $181 million per year in labor earnings by the mid-century due to the impact of climate change.

Others, however, aren’t worried because they say adaptability is just a part of being a farmer.

“Our climate has gotten very erratic,” said hay farmer Gilles Stockton. “Each year we’re seeing extreme droughts or extreme wet.”

As a sheep rancher and farmer near Grass Range, Stockton knows weather plays a huge part in the agriculture industry.

“Erratic weather is very hard on farmers and ranchers because we don’t know how to plan for the next crop, sitting right here in the fall,” Stockton said.

Missoula-based nonprofit Farm Connect Montana wanted to know more about the subject. The mission of the organization is “to grow a healthy local food community by conserving farmland, supporting farmers, and making food accessible for all.” It was founded two decades ago by its executive director, Bonnie Buckingham.

“We really just wanted to look at what does that mean as we see things continually increasing as far as changes in climate and weather patterns,” Buckingham said recently.

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Farm Connect Montana focused on the economic impact climate change could have on the future of the ag industry.

The recently released report estimates that climate change could reduce Montana grain crop yields by 20%.

“Agriculture is still very much a large economic driver for our state,” Buckingham said. “And to have a loss of any type is something to really look at and to think about and to start having those conversations.”

The report also projects a 20% decline in “the rangeland cattle sector in Montana by mid-century or 4,514 cattle ranging jobs and more than $86 million in labor earnings from cow and calf operations.”

“I do think that the smaller operations that we mainly work with are better equipped to adapt and to make changes and to be more resilient,” said Buckingham.

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“I think that farmers are able to adjust and adapt to the temperatures and changes. And that’s what we do. We have to adapt,” said fourth-generation Huntley farmer Greg Gabel.

Gabel grows sugar beets, malted barley, and winter and spring wheat about 20 minutes outside of Billings.

“This year, our sugar beets did about the best that we’ve ever done in sugar content and tonnage. So it’s been real great,” Gabel said.

He said he isn’t too concerned with the report’s findings, citing technology’s continued growth in helping farmers adapt.

“Future of Montana agriculture will depend on the producers themselves and their ability to adapt to any changes, including weather, different types of demands for products,” said Gabel. “We’re able to do that through our sustainable practices and the technology that we use today. And we only continue to increase that technology in order to produce.”

Greg Gabel

He uses a drone to spray the majority of his crops.

“I’m not worried about the future for my child or even the future of our Montana agriculture because farmers will continue to adapt to any type of change and we’ll be able to continue to produce,” Gabel said.

CARSON CITY, Nev. (KOLO) -The Western Nevada College Geology Club holds its annual Rock, Mineral and Fossil Sale Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Room 322 of the Bristlecone Building on the Carson City campus.

It raises money for the scholarship program. Purchases are cash only.

“We have rock, mineral, fossil, gem and shell specimens from all over the western U.S.,” said WNC Professor Winnie Kortemeier, club adviser, who estimates that more than 1,000 samples will be part of the sale.

New for the 2024 sale are samples of garnet in the volcanic rock called rhyolite. They are from Garnet Hill near Ely.

“We will also have samples of magnetite for sale from C Hill here in Carson City,” Kortemeier said. “Also new this year are really beautiful copper ore samples from the Yerington area.”

“Funny how times change — when I was a kid, getting a lump of coal was a bad thing. Now, rocks … rock!” said WNC President J. Kyle Dalpe.

WNC is at 2201 West College Parkway in Carson City.

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On senior night, a Freon-veined freshman quarterback had a starting debut for the ages.

Micah Alejado threw for 469 yards and five touchdowns — both single-game highs for a first-year Rainbow Warrior — in leading the Hawaii football team to a 38-30 victory over New Mexico at the Ching Complex.

A crowd of 10,324 saw the Warriors gain a season-high 586 yards in completing Timmy Chang’s third season as head coach at 5-7 overall and 3-4 in the Mountain West.

The outcome extinguished the Lobos’ hope for a postseason bowl. The Lobos also finished 5-7 and 3-4.

Alejado, who completed 37 of 57 passes, was not sacked. He also has not been intercepted since his junior year at Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas.

“It was good to send the (23) seniors off with a win,” Alejado said. “It was amazing for them, and to build off the program for next year.”

Alejado took nine classes last fall to earn enough credits to graduate early and join the Warriors in January. Because Saturday’s game was his fourth of the season, he remains eligible to redshirt and still have four more years to play four seasons.

“He’s a special kid,” said UH associate head coach Chris Brown, who was the point recruiter for Alejado. “He’s been playing big-time football for a long time. When you win national championships, the kid knows what he’s doing. He makes very few mistakes.”

In the Warriors’ previous game two weeks ago, starting quarterback Brayden Schager suffered an injury to his left knee in the opening series of the second half against Utah State. An MRI showed Schager suffered a sprained knee. It was hoped last week’s bye would allow Schager a chance to at least take Saturday’s first snap to extend his streak of starts to 34. But Schager did not practice the past two weeks. Alejado took all the snaps with the first-team offense.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Alejado said. “I think I was too excited. Going through the whole season, I wanted to play for so long. Tonight was the time to shine.”

The Warriors tweaked their offense, going with quicker plays, sometimes adding a second running back to the offense, and employing more run/pass options to what has become a mashup of the run-and-shoot and Air Raid. Quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison said the snap-to-throw goal was 2.2 seconds or quicker.

It was Alejado’s quick release, speed rolls out of the pocket and accuracy — on deep routes and slants — that set the tone.

“The game of the run-and-shoot is get the ball out,” Alejado said. “I tried to do that and get the offense rolling. Whatever works and gets yards working, that’s the offense we’re running. Get the ball downfield, make plays, get the touchdown.”

Morrison said: “He worked on getting the ball out really quick. He worked on getting his eyes really quick. His feet were really good. He did a great job. He befuddled them. He caused some havoc because they were worried about him scrambling around. It’s a very good start for him, a new chapter.”

In constructing a 21-9 lead at the intermission, Alejado was 19-for-33 for 273 yards and three touchdowns. He also intentionally threw away passes when the routes were congested and the pressure intensified, and even attempted to block a defensive end when Cam Barfield, a fellow Bishop Gorman High alum, tried to cut back against the flow.

Alejado directed the Warriors on a 94-yard drive, their longest of the season, for a 7-0 lead. Alejado threw to slotback Pofele Ashlock, who broke open in the left flat. After a review, the 3-yard touchdown was confirmed because Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala’s block was ahead of the line of scrimmage and ruled not to be a pick play.

Later, Alejado and Mokiao-Atimalala collaborated on touchdown plays of 15 and 3 yards.

“I knew he could throw like that,” Mokiao-Atimalala said. “We practice routes on air (against no defense) 40 minutes every day. That connection showed tonight how amazing a quarterback he can be. … I knew him growing up. That’s the crazy part. He was a little kid running the show, and now he’s here with me.”

Alejado said: “Dude, I grew up playing with him with the Ewa Beach Sabers. I played on a 7-on-7 team with him my sixth-grade year. “

Alejado also found wideout Dekel Crowdus two strides ahead of the secondary on a skinny post for a 52-yard scoring pass and a 14-6 lead.

“Micah’s been on target the whole week of practice,” Crowdus said. “I knew that was going to happen. … His throws are kind of different coming from a left-handed quarterback. But I’m pretty used to it, running routes on air, and getting the chemistry with him. I knew he was going to be ready for this game.”

When the Lobos went on a 14-3 run to close to 31-23, Alejado led a 75-yard scoring drive that resulted in a 3-yard scoring pass to Mokiao-Atimalalo with 8:48 to play.

La’Quari Rogers’ 1-yard rush cut it to 38-30.

But UH’s Spencer Curtis recovered the ensuing on-side kick.

“I was paying attention to the ball, and it popped up, and I grabbed it,” Curtis said.

Later, on third-and-10, Alejado rolled to his right, pirouetted and fired 11 yards to Curtis along the right sideline for a first down as the Warriors began to run out the clock.

“I saw him scramble and I tried to find some open space,” Curtis said. “He threw it, I caught it. It’s history.”