National Ag Day 2022

National Ag Day 2022 was Tuesday, March 22, making it appropriate to highlight the important agriculture commodities in Richland County.

The 2017 Census of Agriculture shows there is 898 agriculture producers on 527 farms in Richland County that account for 1,270,080 acres. Based on the most recent Montana Agriculture Statistics, the county produces approximately 169,000 acres of spring wheat, 35,000 acres of alfalfa, 13,700 acres of sugar beets, 13,700 acres of barley, 9,700 acres of spring durum, 9,684 acres of corn, 8,400 acres of winter wheat, 7,700 acres of oats, and 5,500 acres of canola, among other crops. Pasture and range accounts for much of the land in farms in Richland County, as well. In terms of county livestock numbers, there are 62,000 head of all cattle and calves with 31,500 of those being beef cows and heifers that have calved, and 4,200 head of sheep and lambs. These livestock numbers are not reflective of the recent liquidation of livestock due to the extended drought conditions.

Agriculture producers are facing challenges including record high input costs, volatile markets, persisting drought, and grasshopper devastation, just to name a few. Yet every day they continue to humbly work hard to feed the world. Thank you to those hard-working people in the agriculture industry. Here is to hoping we get some rain soon.

 

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