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Grain piled on the ground is loaded onto transport trucks on a farm near Gildford, MT on Sept. 12, 2025. Farmer Justin Miller says he piled grain on his property for the first time in 30 years, due to a poor harvest and low wheat prices.

Feds promise aid to ag industry squeezed by rising costs, market changes

After months of pleading from the nation’s agricultural sector, the federal government says farmers and ranchers will get much needed financial aid at the end of the year. Numerous federal policy changes this year led to record-high costs for things like fertilizer and equipment.

A Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services building.

Montana to receive more than $1 billion in federal funds for rural health care

Earlier this year, federal lawmakers created a $50 billion program to support rural health care. It came as a result over concerns that cuts to Medicaid will shutter many rural hospitals across the nation.

Wheat fields grown by Montana farmers extend to the horizon on April 29, 2025 in part of the "Golden Triangle," the state’s largest wheat producing region. Here farmers say businesses are suffering as a result from recent changes in U.S. trade policy.

Montana ag producers could get up to $155,000 in federal aid

After months of strained economic conditions for farmers, the Trump administration in December announced a $12 billion aid package as a way to help. Details of that aid have begun to roll out.

A closeup of a bison showing its head and shoulders.

BLM cancels bison grazing permits for Montana nature reserve

The Bureau of Land Management announced its decision Friday to cancel key bison grazing permits for American Prairie, which is working to build a 3 million-acre nature reserve in northeastern Montana.

American Prairie land map as of September 04, 2025

American Prairie files suit over grazing permits for bison

A nonprofit nature reserve in Montana is suing the state. American Prairie argues the state needs to decide whether to grant their six-year-old request for permits to graze bison on state lands.

Stacked bar chart titled “U.S. H-2A (temporary agricultural employment of foreign workers) positions certified by State, fiscal years 2005–24.” The vertical axis shows seasonal positions certified in thousands, ranging from 0 to 400. The horizontal axis shows fiscal years from 2005 to 2024. The chart shows a steady overall increase in certified H-2A positions, rising from roughly 50,000 in the mid-2000s to nearly 380,000 in 2024. Growth accelerates after about 2014, with totals increasing each year through 2024. A note explains that state-level data are not available for fiscal years 2005–06 and that about 80% of job certifications result in visas being issued. Source: USDA Economic Research Service using U.S. Department of Labor data.

Citing labor shortage, ag group calls for expansion of foreign worker program

Cattle industry representatives say they need more workers. They hope expanding a foreign labor program will help. Finding adequate farm labor is one of the biggest challenges producers face.

Missoula County approves Swan Valley Neighborhood Plan

The Missoula County Commission recently gave the green light to a plan that will guide the future development of western Montana's Swan Valley. Core values identified in the new plan include preserving the rural character of the region, protecting natural resources and ensuring access to public lands.

Tariff uncertainty leaves Montana ag producers in limbo

Tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump last year are still straining Montana farmers. Producers are left in limbo as they wait for a ruling on the legality of those tariffs.

Indoor event space with a projector screen displaying a slide that reads “Montana Farmers Union Legislative Advocacy Training,” over an image of the State Capitol building. A standing banner to the left lists policy priorities such as country-of-origin labeling, local food systems, and antitrust enforcement. The screen is set up on a table with a tripod stand, and the room has overhead lighting and neutral-colored walls.

Farmers Union events aim to build legislative literacy in ag communities

Montana Farmers Union is working to enhance legislative literacy in rural communities. Events demonstrate how to contact representatives and participate in the legislative session. Ag communities have been impacted by several state and federal policy changes in recent years.

Bill would ease grant applications, reporting for small communities

Montana’s rural towns can often struggle to afford large projects like water and sewer pipe replacement. They mostly rely on state and federal grants. A proposed federal bill seeks to make it easier for small communities to manage grants from multiple federal agencies.

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