Across Montana, it doesn’t take long for a season to turn. One week you’re watching clouds slide past the Judith Basin with nothing to show for it; the next, a fast-moving storm can shred a barley field or lodge wheat flat enough to make harvest decisions feel like guesswork. Reports from across the Northern Plains […]
Across Montana’s Golden Triangle, Judith Basin, and the Hi-Line, winter wheat remains a cornerstone crop—often the one that helps spread workload, capture early moisture, and keep equipment moving when spring turns busy. But winter wheat is also a crop where small management decisions can stack up fast, for better or worse. A tough fall, open […]
Montanans don’t need an infographic to know we’re a big-land state. You can drive for hours across wheat country, skirt irrigated valleys, then hit open rangeland that seems to run clear to the horizon. But when you stack states side-by-side, two different pictures emerge: one about how much land is in farms and ranches, and […]
On many Montana outfits, the calendar can say “calving starts next week,” but the ranch already feels like it’s in motion. The days leading up to the first calves are often a strange in-between: too close to the action to leave for long, but not yet busy enough to call it full-blown calving. It’s the […]
In a state where a hot wind can pull moisture off a field in a hurry, small improvements in irrigation hardware can matter. Reports indicate Nelson Irrigation has rolled out new center-pivot sprinkler models designed specifically for the tail end of pivot systems—where pressure changes, speed differences, and edge coverage often make performance harder to […]
BILLINGS — In a state where a “quick” run to town can mean 60 miles one way, dependable livestock hauling gear isn’t a luxury. It’s a working necessity. Reports indicate a Billings husband-and-wife team has built their operation around that reality, running a dealership that serves ranchers and stockmen across Montana and northern Wyoming with […]
For Montana’s cattle country, global markets can feel distant—until they aren’t. Reports indicate U.S. beef and beef products may soon regain access to Brazil, a market that has largely been off-limits to U.S. exporters for more than a decade amid animal health and regulatory concerns. If finalized and implemented as described, the move would mark […]
From branding pens to big outdoor arenas, Montana riders are showing up in growing numbers for ranch roping and team roping clinics. The draw isn’t just competition—it’s practical, ranch-ready skills: handling cattle efficiently, reading a cow, staying safe in tight quarters, and getting a horse confident around livestock. Quick takeaways Clinics can speed up the […]
Whether you’re chasing roosters on the Hi-Line, floating a spring creek, or checking cows along a river bottom, the fastest way to ruin a good day is to roll up on a closed access point or miss a new restriction. In Montana, conditions can change quickly: fire activity, low water, construction, wildlife conflicts, and seasonal […]
Regenerative agriculture has been a buzzword in Montana coffee shops and sale barns for years, but the practical question on most outfits is simpler: Who’s going to help pay for the trial runs? Reports indicate a new federal program is coming online to fund regenerative agriculture work, which could include projects tied to soil health, […]