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Yellowstone County

New Horticulture Agent

Published: 2022
By Heidi Schueler
Heidi Schueler is the Horticulture Agent at Yellowstone County MSU Extension. She graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agroecology, while minoring in Horticulture. Throughout college, she worked at the Sheridan Research & Extension Center (ShREC) where she researched cold-hardy grape varieties and rangeland ecology projects. Schueler works with the Master Gardener Association and the Billings Library to bring horticultural information and classes to the county. Partnering with the Billings Library, she hopes to encourage participation from individuals not involved with the Master Gardener Program. The group will attend presentations from The Yellowstone Arboretum and MSU Extension Horticulture Specialists in the coming months. One of the county benefits of the Extension Horticulture position is consultation. More than 90 calls were answered within two and a half months to discuss horticultural issues affecting county residents. Yellowstone County’s leading consultation needs for 2022 were plant disease identification (30%), entomology and insect identification (19%), overall gardening questions (13%), and plant identification (10%). In 2023, Schueler plans to work alongside fruit producers in Yellowstone County to impact eastern Montana’s fruit production and prevalence. With the help of F Bar 3 Vineyard in Laurel, Yellowstone County MSU Extension gained insight from current producers on future goals for the industry. Schueler is also working on an updated Master Gardener program with other agents and specialists.
Bird netting removal in preparation for the September harvest at F Bar 3 Vineyard in Laurel.