Rural Montana farmer Jon Tester is going to Washington

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: DISPATCH FROM BIG SANDY, MONT.
Rural Montana farmer is going to Washington
Locals are excited that one of their own is joining the Senate. They just aren't sure Jon Tester can help save towns like theirs.
By Sam Howe Verhovek, Times Staff Writer
November 11, 2006


BIG JOB AHEAD: “I do a lot of my best thinking right here,” Jon Tester has said of his Big Sandy farm, which he works here on election day. Some locals hope the Democrat can draw attention to the plight of dying farm towns.
(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

....this week's win by Jon Tester — a wheat and lentil farmer who also has done stints here as a custom butcher, soil conservation board member, high school basketball referee and music teacher at Big Sandy Elementary School — was huge. (NOTE: Tester is also president of the Montana State Senate.)

The 50-year-old Democrat eked out a win over Republican Sen. Conrad Burns in Tuesday's midterm election and is headed to Washington come January.

Tester's Western roots are genuine and about as deep as can be: He has never lived anyplace other than the family farm, which his grandparents homesteaded here in 1916....

In an interview, Tester agreed that his hometown could use some good news.

"It's very typical of rural Montana," the senator-to-be said. "It's struggling to survive."...

***

"I could tell Jon was getting real smart about politics when he decided to stop refereeing basketball games with me several years ago," said Verlin Reichelt, 56, a neighbor and fellow farmer.

"I asked him why, and he laughed and he said: 'Verlin, I'm a politician now. And no matter what you do, if you're a referee at a high school basketball game, that's going to lose you some votes. So I'm out.' "

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-montana11nov11,0,2834286.story?track=mostemailedlink

[Reverend_Smitty]

1. He's an interesting character...

7 fingered, rural Montana organic farmers who happen to be Democrats are quite hard to come by in Washington...I'm interested to see how he handles himself in the senate

[BluegrassDem]

4. I'm telling you, this guy could walk in the White House

if it were the right time. He's probably the only Democrat that could carry every single state in the union. He's a walking electoral vote majority.

[Reverend_Smitty]

8. Yeah he definately has the ability to cross over and get a lot of Republicans...

to vote for him...he'll certainly be one to watch in the next few years

[fujiyama]

17. It may not just be him

Montana's governor Schweitzer is also really popular.

I think there's a lot to these guys to our ongoing success nationwide. I saw Tester on Hardball and he came across really well.

[sandnsea]

2. rofl

I used to live up there, my daughter was born in Havre. I always say those people taught me everything I know about loving your neighbor, in the very very best sense. They don't lose whole cities to natural disasters, I'll tell you that. If Washington doesn't chew him up, he's going to turn this country around.

[hedgehog]

3. I love that jacket, he doesn't just put it on for photo-ops

It's stained just like the one my husband wears when he's working on cars in our barn. Also, if you look closely you'll see that the upper right hand pocket got torn off at some point.

[DeepModem Mom]

7. Your post brought an immediate contrast in my mind to Bush in Crawford...

a big phony, clearing his brush.

[Tikki]

5. For the first time in nearly 40 years we have....

added Montana to our list of vacation places, to celebrate our
wedding anniversary, this coming Summer.

If we chose Montana, and it looks likely, we will be putting lots of dollars
into the Montana economy.

Congratulations Mr. Tester and all Montanans.

The Tikkis

[AnneD]

6. As I have said before on another thread....

I think this guy has the goods. He is a good bet as a contender-and there aren't many Senators that you can say that about. For Gods sake I hope the DLC keeps their paws off him.

[Cha]

9. And guess what? Senator Jon Tester is

an Organic Farmer! ONe of my favorite subjects..

~snippers~

"Jon and Sharla Tester, Big Sandy, MT


Jon and Sharla Tester have successfully converted their 1,400-acre farm in north central Montana to a fully organic grain production operation. They farm a sandy loam soil in an area that is traditionally wheat-fallow. The annual precipitation is 12 inches, of which 6 to 8 inches of moisture falls the growing season. Their land is fairly flat, so soil erosion is not usually an issue unless the spring season is exceptionally windy.

The goals of their operation are:

to produce high quality food,
to use environmentally sound farming practices,
to improve soil health on their farm,
to keep the farm in their family.
Tester initially turned to organic production to reduce dependence on inputs (petroleum products) and add value to his crops. He converted his farm to organic production between 1987 and 1993. Crop rotation is key to the operation, and each crop has a specific place and purpose in the rotation. Tester grows spring wheat (including durum), safflower, lentils, buckwheat, fenugreek, millet, mustard, and alfalfa. He also runs some cattle, which is a tremendous advantage in his system.

A typical rotation would be: green manure plowdown - spring wheat - broadleaf (lentils safflower, or buckwheat in areas heavily infested with wild oats). In heavily weed infested fields it could be spring wheat - buckwheat - green manure. A third possible rotation manages both early and late weeds: spring wheat - lentils - buckwheat - green manure. The green manure is Trapper peas or Austrian winter peas planted in the spring. Tester maintains one cannot afford not to use green manure, though yields the next year are reduced due to the delayed release of nitrogen. Buckwheat may also be plowed down as green manure and releases phosphorus. The alfalfa is put on the poorest ground for 4 to 5 years, and improves it tremendously

Tester uses the green manure as a nitrogen source, and buckwheat plowdown or rock phosphorus to supply phosphorus. Sulfur and potassium are not typically deficient in his soils. The crop rotations, with different crop types and seeding dates, help to manage weed and disease problems that developed with the previous crop monoculture Tester grows spring wheat (1/3 of his acreage) because he can get good protein levels and market prices. Lentils are his best cash crop, but compete poorly with weeds. Buckwheat is a low cash crop but an excellent weed competitor, especially with wild oats. Fenugreek fits in the same seeding window as lentils. It is very high value (the seed $2.50/lb, but it is an extremely poor weed competitor. The peas are worth a lot plowed down (he saves back his seed)."

~more~
http://pnw-ag.wsu.edu/AgHorizons/notes/sr2no3.html

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Thanks, zidzi! nt

[Vidar]

22. Thanks for the information. Intriguing.

[montanacowboy]

10. JON TESTER IS THE REAL DEAL

AND SO IS OUR GREAT GOVERNOR BRIAN SCHWEITZER - EITHER ONE COULD WALK RIGHT INTO THE WHITE HOUSE AND TAKE OVER WITH THEIR GREAT COMMON SENSE, NO-NONSENSE, STRAIGHFORWARD TALK -

MONTANA HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH THESE TWO FINE DEMOCRATS

AND NOW OUR STATE IS TOTALLY BLUE - 2 DEM SENATORS AND GOVERNOR AND STATE HOUSE

A BIG THUMBS UP FOR BIG SKY COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Renew Deal]

12. We need to help american farmers

American farmers are being pushed out of business by mega farms. This is making food more expensive and less healthy. Big bonuses should go to organic farmers. Farmers should also get credit for selling locally instead of nationally if possible.

[TheJollyNihilist]

13. He seems immensely likeable.

I'm glad that he won, and wish him the best in the Senate.

[codjh9]

14. Holy Shit! A REAL PERSON (i.e. not a rich lawyer?) in the SENATE?!?!?!?!

[TheJollyNihilist]

16. Amazing, isn't it?

And refreshing, too. He was good on "Hardball."

[fujiyama]

18. LOL

You don't see many of these. I like how Matthews asked Tester if he had seen "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". Tester replied he had not, but liked Jimmy Stewart. I think even Matthews figured after having a scummy Abramoff associated crook like Burns, Tester does seem like Mr. Smith and has a real chance to help clean the place up.

[KingFlorez]

15. This is the sort of the person who needs to be up there

A regular person who isn't some sort of insider.

[Redneck Socialist]

19. His was one of the races I was most interested in.

Both Tester and Schweitzer have very bright futures ahead of them, I think.

[AlCzervik]

20. Don't get pissy with him Orrin Hatch, ya hear? i can't wait to see he and Webb

walk in to the senate chamber. Those 2 look like people we know, and i love it.

[FrenchieCat]

21. An Organic Farmer in the Senate.......

This is soooo sweet! I'm Loving it! :headbang: