USDA Proposes Changes to Line Speed Rules for Pork and Poultry Plants The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced proposed updates to federal line speed regulations in poultry and pork establishments operating under modern inspection systems. These updates reflect years of data and experience and are designed to lower costs for American families, reduce […]
Author: Harry Ward
Dairy Producers in Montana Reminded to Obtain 2026 Dairy Margin Coverage by February 26 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging dairy producers to enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program that helps offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup began on Jan. 12 and the deadline […]
Barley Growers From Montana, Idaho, North Dakota Join USGBC Goodwill Mission To Mexico The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC), in collaboration with the Idaho Barley Commission (IBC), North Dakota Barley Council (NDBC) and Montana Grain Growers Association (MGGA), organized a goodwill mission connecting U.S. growers to two major Mexican brewing companies. “Building business relationships […]
Farm Bill 2.0 Provides Additional Certainty to American Cattle Producers House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson released the text of Farm Bill 2.0 (the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026). The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) welcomes the provisions that strengthen the agriculture measures included in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB). “We […]
Today’s Livestock Market Update The livestock complex ended the day mixed. The Cattle on Feed report turned out to be neutral to slightly bullish. Only a handful of cattle had sold in the South, but prices were marked at $249, which was $1 higher than last week’s weighted average. However, Northern cattle had traded at […]
After more than a decade of limited access, reports indicate the United States is poised to regain the ability to sell beef and certain beef products into Brazil. The change follows an agreement announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply aimed at resolving long-standing sanitary […]
Across Montana, it doesn’t take much of a weather swing to turn a decent-looking crop into a question mark. Dryland acres can go from “hanging on” to “rolling leaves and stalled growth” in a week of heat and wind. Then a fast-moving thunderstorm can add hail strips on top of drought stress, leaving producers staring […]
The Gallatin is one of those rivers Montanans drive past a hundred times on I-90, especially in winter, and assume it’s “off” until spring. Recent angler reports indicate that’s not the full story. When the weather gives you a few degrees of breathing room and you time your day around the warmest window, the Gallatin […]
The Yellowstone is Montana’s biggest free-flowing river, and it rarely fishes the same way two days in a row. Conditions can swing quickly with mountain weather, runoff, irrigation demand, and wind. This report focuses on what anglers are seeing lately: general flow and clarity trends, water temperature direction, and the most dependable approaches for covering […]
Bigfork has a way of pulling people back. Sometimes it’s the lake light at dusk, sometimes it’s the smell of wet ponderosa after a summer storm, and sometimes it’s the simple math of family, work, and the place where your story began. Reports from longtime locals often sound similar: people leave the Flathead to chase […]