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Garfield County

2020 Challenges in Agriculture

Published: 2020
By Eric Miller
2020 presented challenges to almost everyone in Garfield County. Destructive grasshoppers wreaked havoc on pasture, crops and gardens from mid-summer through the fall. MSU Extension worked with many individuals to find options and solutions for hopper management. Price of return versus price of management models were used to help make rational decision for crops and pastures. In gardens, emotional response won out; therefore, educational materials and validated methods of control were advocated to reduce the destruction hoppers created in most yards and gardens in the county. The Huff wildfire had a dramatic impact to the community in September. Thousands of acres of fall grazing coupled with the entire hay crop were burned in a single afternoon. Livestock were scattered and fences wiped out. MSU Extension worked with local emergency units to manage post-fire issues and provided assistance to some impacted producers in the form of feed and livestock management options. 2021 will bring the need for grazing, revegetation, and weed management education and assistance to the forefront for many of the affected operations.
The Huff wildfire in Jordan.