Common Ground
Latest AG Reporting
BLM approves American Prairie Reserve’s bison grazing proposal
The Bureau of Land Management approved American Prairie Reserve’s application for grazing leases on 63,000 acres of BLM-administered land in Phillips County on July 28. The application became a lightning rod for opinions about both bison and APR, which aims to conserve prairie species by acquiring large private parcels and connecting them with tracts of…
Common Ground, Part III: Rebuilding soil by building relationships
In the Judith Basin, the Myllymaki family has gone all in on regenerative farming techniques aimed at building the health of the soil that sustains them. A national agency born of the Dust Bowl helped them get started, and is now seeding local initiatives to bring a more diverse swath of local knowledge into conservation…
Common Ground, Part II: Building on soil in Big Sandy
In Big Sandy, farmers are adding value to their operations by investing in soil health, reinvigorating both their farms and the rural communities that depend on them.
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Montana hemp growers awarded $65 million for ‘deceptive’ deal
Montana hemp growers awarded $65 million — the second-largest civil judgment in Montana history — for a ‘deceptive’ deal that left thousands of acres of hemp “rotting” in northeastern Montana fields.
Common Ground, Part I: ‘Soil is our livelihood and we better protect it, or we’re screwed.’
With climate change threatening almost 25,000 Montana agricultural jobs in the next 50 years and a movement toward ecologically based agricultural practices gaining ground nationwide, an increasing number of Montana producers are building topsoil, drought resilience and profits by integrating practices like organic or regenerative systems.
‘Reimbursement’ or ‘bounty’?
SB 267 would allow for reimbursement of hunting expenses, and SB 314 would remove bag limits and legalize baiting and spotlighting.
Rewilding the national mammal
There’s a bottleneck of bison at brucellosis quarantine facilities outside of Yellowstone National Park. Two bills introduced by a Montana lawmaker could alleviate that, helping tribes across the U.S. restore viable wild herds. Will the Montana Legislature back them?
Tribal leaders ratify water compact
The CSKT Tribal Council unanimously ratified its water compact with the state Tuesday, settling a decades-long dispute.
CSKT water compact clears Congress
The long-negotiated water rights agreement, now endorsed by the state and federal governments, heads to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes for final approval.
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Promoting health — and trust
How Latina community health workers — or promotoras de salud — are improving health outcomes and countering COVID in Montana.
Homegrown: Part 2
How small, community-based processors are building a more resilient Montana food system.
Homegrown
If Montanans want to keep Montana-grown food — and the associated dollars — in-state, the local supply chain will have the be expanded. That includes storage and distribution infrastructure, but the bottleneck is mostly at the food processor level.
CSKT water compact bill clears first hurdle in U.S. Senate
A Montana water rights bill that would end a years-long debate was passed by a congressional committee today, the next step in ensuring irrigators and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes can avoid lengthy and costly adjudication of irrigation rights.
Farm to future
Montana’s family farms and ranches face uncertainties as producers age toward retirement.
$8 million project underway to repair St. Mary Canal collapse
Last month’s canal failure will restrict some 800 irrigators from Havre to Glasgow to about half the water they normally use during a season.
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