I really like to eat. I am not fussy, I enjoy a great slice of bread slathered with peanut butter and honey; I also appreciate steaks and chops of all sorts, and of course I delight in my vegetables, salads, fruits, cheeses, wines, hot chocolate, and other assorted tasty food that keeps me well-nourished and content.
I often take the food bounty this country enjoys for granted, and rarely take the time to consider how fortunate I am that we do have an abundant food supply. I have all this goodness thanks to agriculture and the efforts of those who practice agriculture and who have spent their lives providing me with sustenance. I’d have a tough time foraging for enough to eat and for the means to make my clothing without those in agriculture, so today I want to take this opportunity to thank my friends, neighbors, and people everywhere who do the work required to ensure I have a good selection of healthy, nourishing food to eat.
Agriculture in one form or another predates all other industry; it literally has existed nearly as long as the human species. For millennia, farmers, ranchers, and other agriculturists have made things grow and thrive, whether that production provided grains for flour products, livestock for animal protein and the hides for clothing, honey for sweetening, or resulted in other edibles that ensured people had food and fiber to live. Growing and producing food and fiber occurred long before humans learned how to smelt metal, make fancy pottery, suck oil out of the ground, or engage in any other manufacturing activity.
We in Montana understand the importance of agriculture and what this vital industry does for the nation and the world so I am preaching to the choir here, but hey, it never hurts to thank these men and women who feed us and let them know how much we appreciate their efforts. The agricultural sector works hard to ensure a safe, consistent food supply, from animal protein of all sorts to grains, honey, and other specialty crops, and we would be in a world of hurt without them.
Agriculture remains Montana’s leading industry and for good reason. The state encompasses 93 million acres, and 66% of those 93 million acres are classified as farmland or agricultural acres. Cattle outnumber people in Montana, which makes me chuckle when I read news stories about how big bad cattle produce methane and foul the air. People emit methane gas as well, which makes me wonder which state has the cleaner air, Montana with more cows than people, or New Jersey with more people than cows? Which state would you prefer to live in?
Both ends of the State of Montana do their fair share in maintaining agricultural production. Eastern Montana enjoys a longer, warmer growing season than does the western portion of the state, with 120 to 150 frost free growing days as compared to western Montana‘s 50 to 100 frost free days. The west has milder winters and cooler summers and it suffers a lot less from harsh winds than its eastern counterpart. Eastern Montana, as we all know, sees a lot of blustery days.
Montana grows a huge variety of crops and produces all sorts of agricultural commodities. Cow/calves head the list for top agricultural revenue, followed next by wheat, barley, hay and sugarbeets. Montana placed second nationwide in 2009 for safflower production and fourth for honey production. Honey production and pollinating have become a multi-million dollar industry in Montana.
Montana grain farmers ship bulk grain all over the world. In 2013 more than 30% of Montana business centered on the shipping of the state’s bulk grain to all parts of the globe. Also in 2013, Montana led the nation in pea production and produced more barley than any of the other 49 states.
Not only do our farmers and ranchers produce an enormous variety of crops, but many of them have expanded their efforts to include value added businesses such as growing specialty crops for wineries, microbreweries, specialty meat shops, pasta companies, confectioneries, and other businesses that rely on Montana grown crops. Consider the growing number of farmers’ markets across the state. Without farmers, ranchers, and great gardeners, these markets would not enjoy the success that they do.
Wheat Montana near Three Forks epitomizes the value added concept. Three generations of farmers have grown and milled wheat from this farm, and they now have a popular bakery and deli open for business. People can purchase Wheat Montana bread all across the state, and their flour, cereals, and grains can be found nationwide.
Wheat Montana, at 5000 feet above sea level, can boast that this farm grows wheat at the highest elevation in North America. The owners credit this high elevation as part of the reason for the success of their farming operation.
Montana needs all of its many industries, but we need to remember how vital agriculture is to each and every one of us, and we need to support agriculture in any way that we can.
Buy a farmer or a rancher a cup of coffee and a doughnut today, and tell them THANKS.
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