Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Time is running out for thousands of farmers who may face steep fines and possible jail time for failing to file their businesses with the federal government. Jan. 1, 2025, is the deadline to file Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). New analysis in a Market Intel by American Farm Bureau Federation economists shows more than 230,000 farms are required to file, but government data indicates less than 11 percent of all eligible businesses nationwide have d...
Montana Farm Bureau members are voicing their support of an American Farm Bureau lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule. AFBF and 11 other groups filed a lawsuit July 12 challenging the lawfulness of the Rule, which threatens the future of ranching in the U.S. by destabilizing a decades-old tradition of grazing on federal lands. BLM issued the final rule in May with a stated goal of increasing the health and resilience of public lands, but Farm Bureau believes a lack of clarity in the rule and changes in policy t...
During meetings in Washington in July, the Montana Farm Bureau continued to stress the need for grasshopper control while visiting with Congressional leaders. In talking with Senator Jon Tester and Representative Matt Rosendale, and with the staff of Senator Steve Daines’ and Representative Ryan Zinke’s offices, Farm Bureau leaders explained the negative impact of the destructive insects and the need for help with control. “It’s clear that our outcry for grasshopper control is being heard, but in this tight budgeting process, securing additiona...
Montana Farm Bureau has a long history of advocating for and protecting their members’ property rights including water rights. The state’s largest general agricultural organization helped craft and support HB 286 during the 2019 Legislative Session which called for the DNRC to remove the state’s name from water rights that were added without due process. The now law also created a process for State Trust Lands to follow, should they wish to exert co-ownership on post-1973 water rights. The new process ensures that water right holders are notif...
The Montana Farm Bureau has submitted comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding changes that could reduce or eliminate grazing on BLM lands. Montana Farm Bureau supports the current management plan that is based on the Draft Sage Grouse Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. Montana developed the successful Montana Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Program which was created by the Montana Legislature’s passage of the Greater Sage Grouse Stewardship Act in 2015 taking an “all hands, all lands” approach. Montana’s Sage...
Montana Farm Bureau has expressed strong concern at the proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove agriculture from Refuge lands. In a letter to the federal agency, the state’s largest general agricultural organization pointed out that hard-working, family businesses raise food and fiber on a combination of private, federal and state land and some of those families have cooperative agreements on wildlife Refuge lands. MFBF President Cyndi Johnson explained that with 22 wildlife refuges in Montana, such as the C.M. Russell W...
Consumers, farmers and ranchers have plenty to celebrate during Ag Week, held this year March 17-23. Ag Day was March 19 with the theme, “Agriculture. Growing a Climate for Tomorrow.” America’s farmers and ranchers are proud to grow the safe and sustainable food, fiber and renewable fuel we all rely on. “Farmers have voluntarily placed millions of acres into conservation and forestry programs through the farm bill,” noted MFBF President Cyndi Johnson, a wheat farmer from Conrad. “Farmers are using less land than ever before while producing m...
Six representatives of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) traveled to Taiwan in early November to visit with trade officials and business leaders about further opportunities for partnership with the country that ranks sixth in agricultural products trade with the United States. This trade mission was led by Governor Gianforte and included representatives from Montana’s agricultural, manufacturing, photonics, and bioscience industries. Montana Farm Bureau representatives included President Cyndi Johnson, MFBF Executive Vice President S...
Gathering around the table for a Thanksgiving dinner won’t take as much of a toll on your pocketbook this year compared to 2022, but the meal still reflects historically high costs. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 38th annual survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year’s classic holiday feast for 10, which is $61.17 or less than $6.20 per person. This is a 4.5 decrease from last year’s record-high average of $64.05, but a Thanksgiving meal is still 25 percent higher than it was in 2019, which highlights the impact high su...
The Montana Farm Bureau Ag in Color Drawing Contest is underway for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Teachers who participate in this contest must submit the drawings from their classroom directly to county Farm Bureau leaders. The County Farm Bureau will select local winners to proceed to the state level of the contest. Entries will be judged on agricultural content, neatness, reproducibility and originality. There will be seven total state winners, one from each grade level. Judges will choose one drawing from the winners to...
Much of Montana has enjoyed a wet spring, and green grass has stretched well into mid-summer resulting in fat cattle and extensive haying. However, as the days grow warmer and the chance for moisture lessens, the odds of late summer fires increase whether man-made or from natural causes. For those ranchers and farmers haying, it’s important to check bales for moisture content. “This year, we may see folks putting up wet hay for the first time in a while, especially if they are running behind and want to catch up,” says Montana Ag Safety Progr...
The announcement that BNSF Railway is dropping rate incentives for 48-car shipments has caused discussion in affected parts of the state. The Montana Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) worked with BNSF and other interested parties in 2005 to keep the freight rate incentives for 52-car shipment from Montana (later changed to 48 cars) until the state had developed a 110-car elevator infrastructure. “That was eight years ago the railroad agreed not to decrease the incentives for smaller train shipments in Montana and western North Dakota,” notes MFB...
Protecting farmers’ and ranchers’ right to privacy is a top priority, said the American Farm Bureau Federation, which has taken legal action to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from publicly releasing personal information about thousands of farmers and ranchers and their families. EPA is expected to respond to several Freedom of Information Act requests this week, prompting AFBF to file a lawsuit and seek a temporary restraining order before the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. By seeking an immediate court order sto...
Montana Farmers Union on Tuesday released this statement regarding reports that the U.S. House is considering separating the ‘Farm Bill’ into bills with separate votes on farm policy and nutrition policy. The National Farmers Union board, of which MFU President Alan Merrill belongs, voted unanimously to support keeping nutrition policy and farm policy in a single farm bill. “There are strong reasons for rural and urban America to work together to support agriculture and good nutrition policy to benefit our entire country,” said MFU Preside... Full story