40th Annual Ag Day held in Malta

From the famous Phillips County Volunteer Fire Department burgers (and fried onions, don't forget the onions) to the 30 vendors; and from the cupcakes and other baked goods to the celebration of farmers and ranchers, the 40th annual Ag Day in Malta last week was deemed another success.

"I'd say we had about 350 people show up," Phillips County Extension Agent Marko Manoukian said. "Probably up from last year's attendance because the weather was so miserable."

People from all ages and from locations all over Phillips County were in attendance on the afternoon at Malta City Hall, some for the first time, while others were more seasoned. Malta's Matt Veit was at his 25th straight Ag Day event and had a quick answer to the question of what the best part of the day was.

"The (Phillips County) CattleWomen and all their cupcakes and cookies," Veit said while eating one of the said cookies. "You can't get a figure like this without eating cookies."

Veit said that Ag Day in Malta hasn't changed much in the past quarter century and above all, even the sweets, he said the people are always what makes the day a success.

"A lot of good people here," he said. "A lot of these people you only get to see once or twice a year so it's a good social event and a good place for people to come and visit."

Of the 300-plus people at Ag Day last Friday, three were in attendance to be honored for their efforts in supporting agriculture in Montana through their artistry. Each year, The Montana Farm Bureau hosts the Youth Agriculture Literacy program with students across the state and hosted locally by the CattleWomen. Students from Phillips County schools' grades 1-through-6 are asked to decorate bumper stickers and the winners from each grade received gift certificates to Joe's In and Out. This year's winners of the contest were Titus Wiederrick, second grade from Malta; Rory Green, third grade from Whitewater; Jake Brown, fourth grade from Saco, and Brooklyn Knowles, fifth grade from Malta (there were no first or sixth-grade entries this year.)

Brown won the fourth-grade contest both locally and at the state level for his effort, entitled "Montana Weeds Are Not What We Need" which featured a wooden fence with red-topped weeds climbing its arches.

"It took me a couple of days to draw and color it," Brown said of his efforts. "I was just thinking about weeds and a fence and came up with it."

Brown, the son of Leann Brown, said that he has won at the state level two years in a row and last year he drew cattle on his bumper sticker. Because he won a state prize, he will be able to attend an award ceremony in Helena, unfortunately, it is the same day he and his classmates are supposed to take a skiing trip.

"My mom is making me go to Helena," Brown said. "Last year, the hotel we stayed in was awesome."