Guest Column: Russ Tempel

Time has been going very fast with function after function all summer. Some of the activities are related to my work with the Senate, some family get-togethers, and a couple of fun things just for Judy and me. For the Senate, Senator Mike Lang put together a great Ag tour for the Environmental Quality Committee (EQC). The tour started in Great Falls at the state grain lab. About 25 of us were treated to the full walk through and tour. I do thank Sen. Lang for inviting me, as all these tours were at or near my Senate District. We toured the Montana Milling food mill northeast of Great Falls and followed that up with a tour of Cargill’s facility. Many of the committee have never seen this type of Ag related business. As legislators, it is important that we understand Ag bills coming through the legislature. We had lunch at the Lewis and Clark interpretation site. Calumet Petroleum gave a presentation on biofuels. Following the lunch, everyone loaded up for the trip to Fort Benton where we toured two hemp units. One unit is for oils and the other for fiber and hurd. It was a great day of Ag related education for everyone, and the group headed for Havre for the night.

The following day, folks at the experiment station gave the EQC a heads up of what happens at the state stations. MSU Northern hosted a Montana produce lunch after a tour of the diesel and fuel labs. The afternoon was spent at the Experiment Station’s annual field tour and presentations. I hope the EQC folks enjoyed the two days as much as I did.

Prior to the Ag tours, Jennifer Patrick, the Director of the Milk River Diversion Project took me and two busloads of other people through a tour of the project. The total funds to fix this project totally are around $2M for all the fixes. There is a fish diversion and about three other little projects underway.

For the 4th of July, Judy and I hosted a family gathering for a going away celebration for my Uncle Bill, who passed in March of this year. Uncle Bill was the last living sibling of my father’s family. Thirty-some family and friends attended the service and following potluck. It was great to see cousins who came from a number of States.

Judy and I have always enjoyed participating in car shows and car tours, both with a larger group and the two of us. Judy will tour with me to Helena next week as we have our organizational Education Interim Committee meeting. As always, stay safe, stay hydrated in this heat, and have a great rest of the summer. Russ.Tempel@mtleg.gov