Agriculture

Montana lawmakers are showing their appetite for a bill aimed at helping food pantries buy goods from local farmers and ranchers. The program could provide a windfall for small producers in search of new markets.

With continued drought and high input prices, it’s been a challenging year for Montana wheat farmers.

The Inflation Reduction Act passed last month includes nearly $20 billion of funding for agricultural conservation. Yellowstone Public Radio's Ellis Juhlin spoke to Bozeman Daily Chronicle agriculture reporter Isabel Hicks to talk about how that funding could impact Montana.

Extreme drought this time of year is especially bad as farmers are finishing up harvest and preparing to plant next year’s crop. With more high temperatures and no precipitation in the forecast, many farmers are being forced to make difficult decisions.

Speaking at the Western Governor’s Conference in Idaho this week, United Grain Corporation CEO Augusto Bassanini said an increase in grain prices earlier this spring triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has plateaued.

With wheat prices rising, some experts anticipated farmers in Montana would have planted more of it this spring. But a new acreage report shows farmers decided to plant less spring wheat and put more land into barley.

The spring wheat and barley planting is wrapping up in Montana’s Golden Triangle, and the high fertilizer prices are impacting some farmers' planting decisions.

Democratic candidates vying for their party’s nomination in the race for Montana’s U.S. House western district debated Friday. Issues like access to health care, child care and transparency in cattle pricing revealed differences in opinion.

The USDA will allow processors that meet certain standards to ship meat beyond Montana. Around 30 facilities are eligible to participate in the program.

The USDA opened swathes of conservation easements in Montana for emergency haying and grazing. It’s a sign of relief for farmers and ranchers during drought conditions. The department started accepting applications to access Conservation Reserve Program lands in the state earlier this week.