Montana Farmer & Rancher Heritage Project

Ellen's connection with her land runs deep, as does her history with the Bull Mountain Land Alliance. She believes that one of the best virtues of a rancher who lives as far off the road as they do is the ability to entertain oneself. She and Don both stay busy and entertained between all the work and a variety of recreational activities, including tending a few alpacas and a Bactrian camel. 28 minutes.

Bill recognizes that ranching is all about the people: the people you work with, the people you sell to, and the people you meet. These interactions, Bill feels, are perfect opportunities for agriculturalists to share their stores and educate the public about the realities of modern agriculture, and to acknowledge that we are all part of the same food system, from producer to consumer. 12 minutes.

Lloyd dabbled in the world outside of ranching early in his life before returning to the lifestyle that he finds most satisfying. He reflects on the unique struggles that Native ranchers face in agriculture, and considers the vast technological advancements that have happened in agriculture over his lifetime. But, he muses, "I was raised old school, and I just stay that way." 13 minutes.

Steve manages his ranch using the method of Holistic Resource Management, which relies on an intensive graving model that mimics how wildlife herds graze. Above all, he believes in the virtue of finding an appropriate balance between the wild and domestic elements of the land. Ressa, his son, considers himself a "dilettante rancher," and outlines the struggle many young people from ranching and farming families face in wondering whether or not and how to continue the ranching legacy. 27 minutes.

Larry has lived in the same place all his life, and running his family's sheep and cattle ranch is all he ever wanted to do. Larry shares his operation's plan for land stewardship succession, and stresses the importance of having such plans along with mentoring programs to help people reconnect with the sources of their food and to encourage the next generation to step in and take over. 9 minutes.

Eric and Audra founded Groundworks Farm based on an integrated ecological farming model that minimizes off-farm inputs. This hobby-turned-lifestyle is a dream come true—but that doesn't mean the work is easy. 9 minutes.

Jess's farm has been certified organic since 1999. He experiments with intercropping in his fields, and was harvesting a field of concurrently-grown peas and wheat when I visited. Jess and his hired hand, Laura, work creatively with their resources; they built a sorter to separate out grain from peas, for example, and they save seed when they can. He describes why he finds the organic model sustainable, and sneaks in a good joke or two, as well. 25 minutes.

Bing runs a family-owned and operated grain farm and sells seed through Heartland, his entrepreneurial endeavor to provide an alternative to selling to General Mills for other farmers. He offers insights into modern agriculture and the incredible changes that have occurred over the past two generations, confronts the the assumptions about large-acreage farms and family farms (which are often one and the same), and describes the ways in which farming is unlike any other business. 30 minutes.

Betsy runs the Indreland Angus booth at the Livingston Farmer's Market during the summer, and she told me about their brand beef endeavor and explained her compassionate and realistic views on animal husbandry. Betsy recounted some of the trials and triumphs of her daughters, and the recording includes some of her interactions with customers. 25 minutes.

She "married and moved to the desert," trading life on a dude ranch (where eating lamb was like ordering lobster) for life on a sheep and cattle ranch—and she loves it. Shirley reflects on how to keep the ranch in the family—her husband Kevin's family homesteaded there in 1856—and the ways in which the economics have changed, as well as on the fortuitous opportunities for the sheep to be used in a noxious weed eradication program. 13 minutes.

Chuck manages the day to day work of the Storey Hereford Ranch, which has been passed down on his wife's side of the family since the early 1900s. He finds that even though the expansion and development of the area around Bozeman brings some stresses, he enjoys ranching and its benefits. As he told me after the recorder was shut off, "I'm not selling out; someday this is going to be the Central Park of Bozeman." 20 minutes.

She bakes perfect pies, graciously cooks a big meal for all of the ranch hands every day, visits folks in the nursing home weekly, and tells incredible stories about life, work, and love on the ranch. 31 minutes.

Bob and Kathy Lee have won numerous awards for environmental stewardship and ranch management. They believe in following one's dreams and working hard, and have developed a motivational presentation called "Ten Dimes to Make A Dollar" to help young agriculturalists be responsible managers. Above all, Bob loves what he does and considers it a privilege to care for our greatest renewable resource: grazing land and farmland. 32 minutes.