Irrigation sprinkler in wheat field with cloudy blue sky overhead

MSU Extension agriculture and natural resources programs apply university research and resources to help Montana agricultural producers and land owners increase profits, reduce loss, protect our food supply and sustain future resources.

Please contact Rose Malisani, MSU Extension Cascade County Agriculture Agent at (406) 454-6980 or rose.malisani@montana.edu for more information.

Current and Upcoming Webinars and Classes

Master Gardener Classes

Cascade County Extension will be offering core Master Gardener classes in April and May 2025. Classes will be held on Monday and Thursday evenings at the Cascade County Extension office at 3300 Third Street NE in Great Falls, Montana. 

The core classes will cover soils, nutrients, and fertilizers, plant growth development, vegetables, herbaceous ornamentals, landscape design, planting and maintaining trees and shrubs, turfgrass, irrigation, small fruit, tree fruit, composting, and integrated pest management. Teachers are Jenn Swanson with MSU Extension-Teton County, Sidney Stratton with MSU Extension-Judith Basin County, Sarah Eilers with MSU Extension, Jesse Fullbright with MSU Extension-Liberty County, Kim Woodring with MSU Extension-Toole County, Tyler Lane with MSU Extension-Chouteau County and Rose Malisani with MSU Extension-Cascade County. The cost of the class is $100 which includes the Montana Master Gardener Handbook, class materials, and dinner. Call Rose at the Cascade County Extension office at (406) 454-6980 for more information or to register. The class size is limited to 25 students. 

You can also fill out and print this form and mail it with payment (made payable to MSU Extension) to the Cascade County MSU Extension office at 3300 3rd St NE, #9, Great Falls, MT 59404.

Infographic with a light brown background and round pictures of fruit, flowers, soil, sprinklers, and a person carrying a crate of vegetables at the top. Below that is the text Master Gardener Core Classes Great Falls, MT 5:30 to 7:30pm Monday and Thursday Evenings from April 28 to May 22, 2025 soils, plant growth development, vegetable, herbaceous Ornamentals, Lansdscape Design, trees, shrubs, turfgrass, irrigation, small fruit, tree fruit, composting, integrated pest management.

Initial Private Pesticide Applicator Training

MSU Extension-Cascade County will be offering an Initial Private applicator training in Great Falls on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. The training will be at Great Falls College MSU in room B101 and begin at 8:00 a.m. with registration. The training will end at 5:00 p.m. 

 

Individuals and their employees must be licensed as a private applicator prior to purchasing and using restricted use pesticides on land they own, rent, or lease. For applicators to acquire their private applicator license, they must either attend an Initial Private applicator training or pass the 50-question, open-book, graded, Montana Private Applicator Certification Exam at their local Extension office.  

 

Speakers include Jesse Fullbright, MSU Extension-Liberty County; Jenn Swanson, MSU Extension-Teton County; Jake Degenstein, Montana Department of Agriculture; Kari Lewis, MSU Extension-Glacier County; Amy Bowser, MSU Extension Pesticide Education Technician; Tyler Lane, MSU Extension-Chouteau County.

 

The Initial Private applicator training is open to the public. Individuals who have a current Private Applicator license will receive 6 Private Applicator recertification credits. Individuals not holding a Private Applicator license will be licensed as Private Applicators at the program.  

 

New applicators will need to fill out a new applicator permit with fee and mail to Montana Department of Agriculture after the training. Licensing fees are based upon a five-year recertification period. To find out more about the Private Applicator program, go to www.pesticides.montana.edu.  

 

Individuals interested in the training need to register by Wednesday, April 16, 2025 to the MSU Extension-Cascade County office. Lunch will be roast beef with mashed potatoes.

Alternate Downloads

Private Pesticide Applicator Initial Training Agenda

Private Pesticide Applicator Initial Training Registration Form - Fillable