Montana
Montana Ag Network: Montana farmers react to report on impact of climate change
BILLINGS – Farming and ranching is ingrained within the culture of Montana and it’s why a new study from the nonprofit Farm Connect Montana has caused concern for some in the agriculture industry.
The report predicts that the state’s agriculture sectors will see a loss of more than 9,500 jobs and more than $181 million per year in labor earnings by the mid-century due to the impact of climate change.
Others, however, aren’t worried because they say adaptability is just a part of being a farmer.
“Our climate has gotten very erratic,” said hay farmer Gilles Stockton. “Each year we’re seeing extreme droughts or extreme wet.”
MTN News
As a sheep rancher and farmer near Grass Range, Stockton knows weather plays a huge part in the agriculture industry.
“Erratic weather is very hard on farmers and ranchers because we don’t know how to plan for the next crop, sitting right here in the fall,” Stockton said.
Missoula-based nonprofit Farm Connect Montana wanted to know more about the subject. The mission of the organization is “to grow a healthy local food community by conserving farmland, supporting farmers, and making food accessible for all.” It was founded two decades ago by its executive director, Bonnie Buckingham.
“We really just wanted to look at what does that mean as we see things continually increasing as far as changes in climate and weather patterns,” Buckingham said recently.
MTN News
Farm Connect Montana focused on the economic impact climate change could have on the future of the ag industry.
The recently released report estimates that climate change could reduce Montana grain crop yields by 20%.
“Agriculture is still very much a large economic driver for our state,” Buckingham said. “And to have a loss of any type is something to really look at and to think about and to start having those conversations.”
The report also projects a 20% decline in “the rangeland cattle sector in Montana by mid-century or 4,514 cattle ranging jobs and more than $86 million in labor earnings from cow and calf operations.”
“I do think that the smaller operations that we mainly work with are better equipped to adapt and to make changes and to be more resilient,” said Buckingham.
Alina Hauter/MTN News
“I think that farmers are able to adjust and adapt to the temperatures and changes. And that’s what we do. We have to adapt,” said fourth-generation Huntley farmer Greg Gabel.
Gabel grows sugar beets, malted barley, and winter and spring wheat about 20 minutes outside of Billings.
“This year, our sugar beets did about the best that we’ve ever done in sugar content and tonnage. So it’s been real great,” Gabel said.
He said he isn’t too concerned with the report’s findings, citing technology’s continued growth in helping farmers adapt.
“Future of Montana agriculture will depend on the producers themselves and their ability to adapt to any changes, including weather, different types of demands for products,” said Gabel. “We’re able to do that through our sustainable practices and the technology that we use today. And we only continue to increase that technology in order to produce.”
Greg Gabel
He uses a drone to spray the majority of his crops.
“I’m not worried about the future for my child or even the future of our Montana agriculture because farmers will continue to adapt to any type of change and we’ll be able to continue to produce,” Gabel said.
HELENA — You probably have goals and plans for 2026—the Montana Department of Agriculture does too.
“We’re really focusing on innovative agricultural practices,” Montana Department of Agriculture director Jillien Streit said.
It’s no secret that agriculture—farming and ranching—is not easy. There are long days, planning, monitoring crops and livestock, and other challenges beyond farmers’ and ranchers’ control.
(WATCH: Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026)
Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026
“We have very low commodity prices across the board,” Streit said. “We still have very high input prices across the board, and we have really high prices when it comes to our equipment, and so, it’s a really tough year.”
But innovation, including new practices, partnerships and technology use, can help navigate some of those challenges.
“We can’t make more time and we can’t make more land, so we need to start putting together innovative practices that help us maximize what our time and land can do,” Streit said.
Practices range from using technology like autonomous tractors and virtual fencing—allowing rangers to contain and move cattle right from their phones—to regenerative farming and ranching.
“It is bringing cattle back into farming operations to be able to work with cover cropping practices to invigorate the soil for new soil health benefits,” Streit said.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is working to help producers learn, share, and collaborate on new ideas to work in their operations.
The department will share stories of practices that work from farms and ranches across the state. Also, within the next year or so, Streit said the department is hoping to roll out technology to help producers collaborate.
“(It’s) providing a communication platform where people can get together and really help each other out by utilizing each other’s assets,” she said.
While not easy, agriculture is still one of Montana’s largest industries, and Streit said innovating and sharing ideas across the state can keep it going long into the future.
Montana
Frontier Conference women: MSU-Northern, Montana Western pull upsets to advance to semifinal round
BUTTE — MSU-Northern and Montana Western pulled a pair of upsets Saturday at the Butte Civic Center to wrap up the quarterfinal round of the Frontier Conference women’s basketball postseason tournament.
The fifth-seeded Skylights started the day with a red-hot shooting performance to down No. 4 Rocky Mountain College 82-74. Western, the sixth seed, used a third-quarter surge to defeat No. 3 Carroll College 65-56.
MSU-Northern (17-11) and Western (14-13) now advance to Sunday’s semifinal round, where the Skylights will play No. 1 seed Dakota State at noon and the Bulldogs will face No. 2 Montana Tech at 2:30 p.m.
MSU-Northern 82, Rocky Mountain College 74
MSU-Northern sizzled in the first quarter, making seven 3-pointers to take a double-digit lead, and put together a crucial third-quarter run to get past Rocky and advance to the semifinal round.
Becky Melcher splashed four 3s in the first 10 minutes, and Taya Trottier, Canzas HisBadHorse and Shania Moananu added one apiece as the Skylights built a 29-13 lead. Melcher scored 14 first-quarter points and finished with a game-high 30 on 10-of-19 shooting (7 of 15 from 3-point range). She added 11 rebounds, a blocked shot and three steals to her stat line.
Rocky battled back to tie the game at 36-36 in the second quarter on a Brenna Linse basket, but MSUN responded with consecutive triples from Trottier and Melcher and took a 44-38 lead into halftime. The Bears eventually stole the lead back in the third quarter following a 9-0 run capped be an Isabelle Heggem bucket.
But the Skylights again answered — this time with a 13-2 run to take a 60-51 lead. MSUN led 66-59 going to the fourth and wouldn’t trail the rest of the way. The Skylights trailed for less than two total minutes of the game.
As a team, MSUN made 14 of 26 3s in the game. Ciera Agasiva was 3 for 3 from behind the arc, and Trottier was 2 for 3. Trottier had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Agasiva had 13 points.
Paige Wasson led Rocky (20-9) with 29 points but was 0 for 10 on 3-point attempts. Heggem had a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Montana Western 65, Carroll 56
After neither team led by more than five points in the first half, Western broke open a 25-25 tie game by outscoring Carroll 20-9 in the third quarter.
Bailee Sayler scored 10 points in the quarter, including making two 3-pointers, to help the Bulldogs take control. They led 45-34 going to the fourth, and Carroll wouldn’t get closer than six points the rest of the way.
The Fighting Saints were just 18-of-65 shooting (27.7%) for the game.
Sayler scored an efficient 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting. She was 2 for 3 from 3-point range and 6 for 7 at the free throw line. The Missoula native also had nine rebounds.
Isabella Lund added 16 points for the Bulldogs, and Keke Davis had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Carroll (19-10) was led by Kenzie Allen with 12 points. Willa Albrecht and Meagan Karstetter scored 11 points apiece for the Saints.
Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News
U.S.-Israeli strikes spark dueling rallies in Twin Cities
CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi
Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for March 1, 2026
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
House Republicans push Johnson to go to war with Senate over SAVE Act
Israel FM says Europe too divided, slams Spanish PM
Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war
Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms
Dems’ potential 2028 hopefuls come out against US strikes on Iran
-
World4 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts5 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO4 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
News1 week agoWorld reacts as US top court limits Trump’s tariff powers