As bull-sale season rolls into spring across Montana, online listings from around the region—including a recent set of Red Angus bulls advertised out of southwest Missouri—are a useful prompt to slow down and check the details that matter most. Listings can be a good way to find genetics, fill a short-notice need, or compare pricing, […]
Montana is heading into spring with the kind of mixed signals that make planning tough: big temperature swings, pockets of improving moisture, and other areas still waiting on meaningful precipitation. Reports from across the broader U.S. farm belt suggest a shift toward milder, wetter patterns in some regions after a dry winter. For Montana producers, […]
In Montana, where a wet spring can flip to drought in a few weeks and markets can turn on a headline, having a trusted local resource matters. One of the most consistent “boots-on-the-ground” options for producers is MSU Extension’s network of local offices—county-based staff backed by campus specialists—built to answer practical questions and connect neighbors […]
Current Snapshot: What anglers are seeing The Yellowstone is a big, honest river that changes fast with weather and mountain melt. As of this update, angler observations and shop chatter indicate the river is in a typical shoulder-season pattern: flows can climb quickly during warm spells, clarity can swing from decent to off-color in a […]
The 2025-26 marketing year for U.S. corn and soybeans begins Sept. 1, and that calendar flip matters even for Montana producers who don’t raise much corn or beans. New-crop pricing, export demand headlines, and the USDA’s “flash sale” announcements can shift futures markets quickly—often before local cash bids fully catch up. Reports indicate USDA has […]
Montana doesn’t plant corn on the same scale as the Midwest, but corn acres in the Yellowstone Valley, parts of the Hi-Line, and pockets of the Gallatin and Flathead valleys can be important feed sources for livestock operations and local grain buyers. That makes insect pressure more than an academic issue—especially in years when hay […]
Grain and livestock futures ended Tuesday with a familiar split: row-crop contracts mostly firmer, live cattle higher, and feeder cattle essentially unchanged. Reports indicate May corn and May soybeans both posted modest gains, while Chicago wheat slipped. In cattle, April live cattle were higher on the day, while April feeders were nearly flat. For Montana […]
Grain markets ended the latest session with no single clear direction: soybeans were mixed but generally firmer, while corn and wheat traded unevenly. Reports tied soybean trading to ongoing harvest results in Brazil and the market’s wait for clearer demand signals from China. At the same time, crush demand has looked steady, but soybean oil […]
Across Montana, the countdown is on for farmers market season. In many towns, opening day is less about a ribbon cutting and more about whether vendors have seedlings hardened off, freezers running, labels printed, and the right permits lined up. Reports from regional market managers and longtime vendors indicate customer traffic has held up in […]
MONTANA — It’s easy to think of the U.S. Census as something that matters mostly to big cities and political maps. But for Montana agriculture, an accurate count can influence the flow of federal funding that underpins rural infrastructure, public services, and programs producers use every year. Information from Montana State University Extension indicates federal […]