A brief look at Montana’s agriculture, beauty, and entrepreneurship
Welcome to Montana’s Big Sky Country. As the 4th largest state in the US, Montana has so much to offer that we can only cover a fraction of what’s there. However, if you’re thinking of buying property in the Treasure State, here are a few of the highlights that make this amazing state stand out. In this brief glimpse, we will look at Montana’s agriculture, beauty, and entrepreneurship.
Agriculture is consistently Montana’s leading industry, according to the Montana Department of Agriculture. In 2017, the number of Montana farms that brought in at least $1000 per year numbered 27,048 and covered 58,122,878 acres of farmland (just under 62% of the land in the state). For comparison, the farmland alone in Montana comprises a greater area than the combined size of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. While Montana produces a multitude of agricultural products, the two biggest are cattle ranching and winter wheat production. In the most recent Census of Agriculture (2017), Montana produced 137 million bushels of wheat and had an inventory of 2.5 million cattle and calves. Much of Montana’s wheat grows in an area known as the “Golden Triangle,” located in north-central Montana between Havre, Conrad, and Great Falls. The county with the most cattle is Beaverhead county, on Montana’s southwestern edge.
Montana is renowned as a place of breathtaking beauty, with stunning state parks, towering mountains, sky-blue lakes, and amazing outdoor recreation opportunities. This leads many Montanans to call the state “The Last Best Place.” Montana Governor Steve Bullock praised the state for “spectacular wide open spaces that make our state one of the last truly unspoiled places on Earth. Montana is still a place where you can walk for miles and see more elk, bear, and trout than people.” From Glacier National Park to Makoshika State Park, Montana has a tremendous amount of natural beauty.
With the highest rate of household business ownership in the nation, Montana is also an entrepreneurial state. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely and challenging business, but being in Montana places you in a climate where you’re surrounded by other entrepreneurial, resilient, hardworking people.
To take an even closer look at farming and ranching in Montana, watch for our upcoming articles. In the meantime, check out the Thompson Creek Ranch and contact American Land Brokers about additional Montana farms and ranches for sale. We are here to help you find the right property for your needs.
Featuring
MARV VAN HOUTEN
J.R. BREEN
