Women in agriculture have a powerful story to tell—one of resilience and perseverance. It is a story of struggle and survival, encompassed by the sacrifices made to keep pushing forward. Throughout generations, rural women in Montana have worked to harness the harsh terrain, all while raising families and creating a legacy.

I am not a rancher. I have never loaded hay, never trekked through cow manure, and never even met a cow. I’m not sure what to expect when I pull up to a small house set in the foothills of the Tobacco Root Mountains, surrounded by late winter hay fields, farm outbuildings, and cow pastures. 

Montana agritourism is a growing initiative that’s working to maintain Montana’s rich agricultural history by educating the public and diversifying income for small farms across the state. Through hands-on experiences, the public gets the opportunity to encounter agriculture in an enjoyable, transparent space.

As inflation continues to rise, the cost of living is affecting Bozeman citizens, including college students. The additional rising costs of education drive many university students to work while in school.

Beneath American Indian Hall on the Montana State University campus rests the living Ancestral Seed Bank, a library of agricultural knowledge tended to by students. It houses heritage seeds of corn, beans, native grasses, and many other varieties of seeds.