Extension man has answers for producers

Having trouble controlling noxious weeds on your small farm?

Can't seem to get a handle on that tomato blight?

Did the landscape plantings you chose for your new spread suffer from the cold winter and scorching summer?

Never fear. You've got a friend at the Flathead County Extension Office.

Wesley Gwaltney pulled into town May 1 to begin his duties as the community development/natural resource agent for the Extension office.

The office has been without a long-term agent backgrounded in agriculture and natural resources for more than 10 years, he said, even though it's always had a strong 4-H program and 4-H agent.

In his time in the Flathead, he has worked the most with horticulture, lawn and garden questions. But the born-and-raised farm kid from Virginia is anxious to expand the work he did last summer on weed control, pasture management and soil quality for Flathead owners of small enterprises.

"My interests are in working with small producers, whether they raise livestock, produce, hay" or pursue other agricultural ventures, Gwaltney said, "to help them improve practices and become as productive as possible."

He's got the credentials to get the job done. He came here through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, two years out of graduate school at Virginia Tech where he studied crop and soil environmental sciences.

A lot of the people he's worked with so far have been new to the area themselves, trying to figure out land use in the north country.

Gwaltney said he takes an integrated management approach, advising those who prefer a biological-control approach and those who like the quick results of a chemical approach.

Small farm owners often are not using their farms as their primary means of income, yet still are prime players in the area's farmers' markets and manage ranchettes across the county - two areas where Gwaltney is looking to expand his interactions.

There's plenty of rural-urban interface in the Flathead, so he deals with a lot of gardeners and small-scale fruit-tree growers.

Gwaltney helped people deal with several issues caused by this year's dryness:

. The bronze birch borer attacked many of the area's birch trees, causing a die-off from the top down. As with many pests, it attacks stressed trees "so all you can really do is water more," he said. "Make the trees as healthy as possible."

. Yellow jackets were a widespread complaint. "There were so many around in the heat," Gwaltney said. "Their normal food sources were not available elsewhere."

. Noxious weeds of all kinds were on people's minds. He worked through the Montana Noxious Weed Seed Free Forage Program to certify both grass and alfalfa hay this summer. Only certified weed-seed-free hay legally can be packed into wilderness and park lands.

Concerns over hobo spiders have prompted many questions in the past, but Gwaltney didn't find them to be a major problem this year. Because science has shown that very few chemicals are effective for controlling spiders in general, Gwaltney said well-sealed basements and windows, along with good housekeeping, are the best antidote.

Winter classes

Gwaltney has scheduled several classes through the Extension office this winter:

. Small Acreage Landowner Workshop Series - Six Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. from Jan. 9 through Feb. 13 in the fish room of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks office on Meridian Road, Kalispell. Presented in cooperation with the Flathead Conservation Service. Everyone is invited to learn about weed control, land-use best management practices, pasture productivity, water and well rights, and living with wildlife from ground squirrels to bears.

. Master Gardener - Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. from Feb. 5 to April 29 at Glacier High School, Kalispell. Study in-depth about local gardening issues, basic botany and plant science. Certificates will be issued for those who complete the course.

. Pesticide Applicator Training - Saturday, Feb. 2, six hours, time and location to be announced. This is a training and re-certification for a private pesticide applicator's license, providing certification for restricted-use pesticides. Commercial applicators' training is offered through the Montana Department of Agriculture.

. Radon Awareness Program - Gwaltney won a small grant for radon testing, and plans to work this January with Head Start, Habitat for Humanity and Forest Hills Village to educate homeowners and give them radon testing kits.

To contact Gwaltney, call the Extension office at 758-5553.

Reporter Nancy Kimball may be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com