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farm406 46 had all the usual ranch work left to do. But it didn't take long to see results. "The change after the first year was dramatic," Leo says. "You couldn't believe the difference." By the third year, the combined effects of the weed-control effort and Leo's revamped grazing plan were evident. "There was an unbelievable amount of new grass coming into areas where the weeds were eliminated," he says. The battle went on. The massive root system of a single leafy spurge plant reaches 20 to 30 feet deep. In addition to producing seeds, leafy spurge spreads through nodules on its lateral roots. "A spurge plant that's been in place for three or four years is established, and you've got a serious fight on your hands," says Chuck Roloff. "Going after the new starts is actually more important. With the older plants, the goal is to suppress seed production and spread." As the project continued, Leo worked with Chuck to set up a monitoring program. They established sites in pastures and took photographs each year. "If you keep looking at the same piece of ground over time, you should see some improvements," says Chuck. "This was really helpful for Leo – he could see the physical differences, the positive changes to his rangeland." In some areas of the Cremer ranch, the ratio of weeds to grass was 80-20 when the project started. In many of those sites, that ratio has been reversed. With more forage, the Cremer's cows are doing better, and there's more for the deer, elk, and other wildlife. "Without this project we would still have weeds everywhere," Leo says. "It has surely put more feed on the ground. We still work on it every year and I think we will forever. It's an ongoing battle. You've got to stick with it. The Cremers and Stacey Barta, a project manager turned rangeland specialist for the Montana Department of Natural Resources, reminisce about the role trust played in the project. farm406 Looking for New Ways to Reach Producers? Call to Advertise Call to Advertise Jessica Riffel 406.452.1177 • 406.750.1470 jriffel@winston-publishing.com