Food Show

The Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council announced the recipients of over $2 million awarded through the Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund grant program. Over 130 Montana counties, tribes, conservation districts, local communities, and educators were awarded funds to develop and implement noxious weed management programs across Montana.

“I was very impressed with the quality of projects submitted to the noxious weed grant program this year,” said Mike Foster, Director of Montana Department of Agriculture. “These projects play a crucial role in preserving agricultural lands and livelihoods here in Montana, and I’m looking forward to seeing their work in action.”

The Noxious Weed Trust Fund (NWTF) grant hearings and deliberations were held virtually March 8-12^th. Click here to view the full list of 2021 grant project recipients.

Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill to eliminate unnecessary telehealth regulations and open the door to expanding access to health care.

Sponsored by Rep. Rhonda Knudsen (R-Culbertson), House Bill 43 permanently eliminates some telehealth regulations waived during the pandemic, like geographic and site restrictions and a requirement that patients and providers establish a relationship prior to leveraging telehealth services under certain circumstances.

The new law also revises the definition of telemedicine to allow for the use of more technologies and expands which insurance plans cover telehealth services.

“Telehealth services are transforming how care is delivered in Montana, particularly in our frontier and rural communities,” Gianforte said. “This new, commonsense law eliminates unnecessary, burdensome regulations, increases flexibility for patients and providers, and makes health care more accessible to more Montanans. If these telehealth regulations weren’t needed as we confront the pandemic, they’re not needed as we move forward.”

The Montana Department of Agriculture's marketing team is looking forward to connecting with Montana food and ag businesses as they schedule virtual marketing consultations for the week of April 19th. Our marketing officers are taking this opportunity to learn more about different companies across the state and explore how the department can help them reach their goals. 

If you are interested in setting up a virtual marketing consultation, please contact Marty Earnheart at (406) 444-9126 or mearnheart@mt.gov. 

Click here to learn more about the Agricultural Marketing & Business Development Bureau at Montana Department of Agriculture.