News

Helena, Mont. – Small and medium-sized meat processors in Montana have an opportunity to receive funding to support and expand processing infrastructure and capacity through the Montana Meat Processing Infrastructure Grant. Governor Steve Bullock announced the availability of these grants last week as part of additional funding to aid businesses recovering from economic impacts of COVID-19.

“With increased demand on both the national supply chain and our local food systems, it’s time to invest in in-state meat processing,” said Ben Thomas, Director of Montana Department of Agriculture. “These grants give our producers an opportunity to shift their operations, so they can access new markets, and we can keep quality Montana raised meat here in Montana.”

Click to learn more and apply.

HELENA, MT – Two finalists have been selected for the prestigious Montana Leopold Conservation Award^®.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes farmers, ranchers, foresters and other landowners who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on private, working land.

This is second year the $10,000 award has been presented in Montana.

The Leopold Conservation Award is presented to private landowners in 21 states with a variety of conservation, agricultural and forestry organizations. In Montana, Sand County Foundation presents the award with Governor Steve Bullock’s Office, Montana Department of Agriculture, and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Rangeland Resources Committee.

The finalists are:

• Craig and Conni French of Malta in Phillips County: Innovative grazing practices are used at French Ranch to improve soil health and water quality. Temporary, wildlife-friendly fencing for beef cattle reduces barriers for migratory pronghorn, mule deer and elk. Livestock water tanks and windbreaks have been moved away from the ranch’s three miles of shoreline along Beaver Creek. The Frenches work with The Nature Conservancy to establish habitat for threatened grassland birds and sage grouse.
• Pete and Meagan Lannan of Livingston in Park County: Regenerative agriculture practices used at Barney Creek Livestock are improving the soil and building the resiliency of rangeland. Intensive rotational grazing of their beef cattle is designed around being ecologically and economically profitable. Efforts such as fencing off riparian areas are improving water quality while providing quality habitat for wildlife including sandhill cranes, bees and mule deer.

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MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today announced funding through the federal CARES Act will be used to boost in-state processing and storage capacity for local meat processors, to provide additional financial assistance for small businesses, and to reimburse local governments for COVID-19 related expenses.

The Montana Meat Processing Infrastructure Grant is available to aid small and medium-sized meat processors responding to COVID-19 supply chain disruptions by supporting local meat processing infrastructure and capacity in Montana.

“These grants will boost processing and storage capacity. They’ll help Montana businesses put more Montana meat onto more shelves. Plus, an increase in in-state processing means more direct sales, and better, value-added markets for producers,” Governor Bullock said. “These investments will bolster Montana’s food security, making us stronger in response to the pandemic, as well as long into the future.”

Due to interruptions in national supply chains, meat processing capacity throughout the US has been significantly impacted. Supporting in-state meat processing infrastructure and capacity will provide alternative market channels for Montana’s cattle, hog and poultry producers. Examples of eligible expenses include equipment and infrastructure that increases processing and/or storage capacity, costs associated with becoming state or federally inspected, and other business adaptation and diversification activities. Total funding available through the program is $2,000,000, with a maximum award of $150,000. Applications are being accepted now at COVIDRELIEF.MT.GOV. The deadline to apply is July 2, 2020 at 5:00pm.

The Montana Department of Agriculture will host the first of the Oilseed Advisory Committee meetings on Thursday, June 18 on the online meeting platform, Zoom, starting at 11:00 am. 

For more information about the committee or for a link to the meeting, please contact Dani Jones via email at danielle.jones@mt.gov or via phone at 406-444-2402.

The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee Summer Meeting will take place on a virtual meeting format, on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. The meeting will start at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, and last until 12:00 p.m. 

To receive call-in information please contact the MWBC office with and provide your email address. As always, the public is invited to participate virtually in the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee board meeting.

For more information, please visit https://wbc.agr.mt.gov/, call (406) 761-7732, or email wbc@mt.gov.

The Montana Pulse Crop Committee will meet via Zoom teleconference at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9^th. For more information, please contact Weston Merrill, at (406) 444-3407.

Zoom Meeting Information

To join by computer: https://zoom.us/j/91650348866 [zoom.us]

To join by phone: (877) 853-5247; Meeting ID: 916 5034 8866

Click to learn more about the Montana Pulse Crop Committee.

Montana Department of Agriculture, Montana Food and Agriculture Adaptability Program

Click Here to Apply

Grants are available to food and agriculture businesses to help increase community resilience amid the COVID 19 pandemic and other economic disruptions. Grants are intended to create additional economic activity and bolster food security. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to, those focused on accessing new markets, projects which strengthen and expand local food systems, and other business adaptations that decrease food and agricultural waste. The need for such innovations must be driven by the COVID 19 pandemic. Total funding available is $500,000, with a maximum application amount of $10,000.
mtaap@mt.gov

MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock sent a letter U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to allow some local processing in order to avoid food waste and get local meat to Montana food banks for Montanans hardest hit by the impacts of COVID-19.

The USDA recently denied a request by the Montana Department of Livestock to consider modified protocols that would allow selected processors to process some local demand from Montana producers and farmers, instead of continuing to require that product be processed at facilities that are increasingly reaching capacity.

Governor Steve Bullock today announced that families, small businesses, non-profits, health services centers and individuals across Montana hardest-hit by impacts of COVID-19 will be eligible to apply for grants through nine new programs created in response to the emergency.

Guided by more than 1,400 public comments and his Coronavirus Relief Fund Advisory Council, Governor Bullock is making $123,550,000 available in the first round of emergency grants funded through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The Montana Hemp Advisory Committee will meet via Skype/Phone teleconference on Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 10:00am. The Director of the department will be giving an update. Contact Virginia Corbett for call information: Virginia.Corbett@mt.gov or (406)444-3156. 

For more information about the Hemp Committee, click here.