agriculture

A Montana couple is donating their multimillion dollar cattle ranch to preserve its conservation legacy and keep the land in the hands of locals. It's the largest ranchland donation in the history of Montana. The land sits among some of the state's best remaining habitat for threatened grassland birds.

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.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently launched its new Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program. That means more funding for Montana farmers and ranchers who prioritize the health of the land they work.

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.

Farmers across the country have called for increased federal support for months, citing dire economic conditions. A letter sent to Congress on January 15 signed by 56 prominent agricultural groups warns of further fallout.

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.

The federal government says it will give farmers $12 billion in aid payments early next year. State agriculture leaders are torn on the plan.

The agriculture advocacy organization Montana Farmers Union just established its first Indigenous chapter in the state. Chapter President Dan Barcus says he hopes they can organize concerted efforts around local and federal policies that impact their producers.

The payments are targeted at row crop farmers in the wake of this year's tariff hikes.

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.