Montana Stockgrowers Foundation

These words deeply resonate with our membership. While we operate our cattle production businesses, we are also teaching our children many values like work ethic, stockmanship, providing for one’s family, helping a neighbor in need, and respect for elders, the land and animals. These are essential to our way of life. The Foundation is here to help support the next generation by offering educational programs, academic scholarships and providing leadership opportunities.

With these, we can make a better Montana for years to come!

 

DONATE

Donate today to help keep ranching traditions alive for the future!

Foundation Board of Trustees

Foundation Chairman: Della Ehlke, Townsend

Vice Chairman: Gary Adams, Billings

MSGA Board Representative:

Jim Steinbeisser, Sidney

Cheryl Curry, Valier

Ty McDonald, Bozeman

Dusty Hahn, Townsend

Joe Dooling, Helena

The Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to ensure the future of Montana’s cattle industry through producer and public education, and promotion of MSGA programs. Seven volunteer trustees, and one representative from the MSGA Board of Directors, are appointed by the MSGA Board of Directors to oversee the foundation.

The Foundation’s yearly budget is based on interest and earnings from the Foundation’s investments, as well as yearly revenue from fundraisers, tax-deductible contributions, bequests, memorials, and grants.

Programs supported by the Foundation include: the Montana Environmental Stewardship Program Award, Montana Range Days, MSGA Educational Heritage Scholarship, MSGA Mid-Year Education and Ranch Tour, the “Telling the Story of Montana Family Ranching” and book series, the Young Ag Leadership Conference, the Young Ag Couples Conference and the Young Stockgrowers’ Legislative Conference.

Other support includes internship opportunities in Washington D.C. and travel expense reimbursement for college students to visit other sectors of the beef industry.

The Foundation accepts all types of donations whether it is monetary or items for silent auction fundraisers at MSGA’s conventions. All of the proceeds go to benefit the endowment and scholarship funds. With these, the Foundation is able to help support the youth of Montana ranching as well as keeping the great stewardship tradition alive.

Montana Stockgrowers Foundation Programs

TBoneClassic

T-Bone Classic Gala Dinner & Golf Tournament

The T-Bone Classic Gala Dinner & Golf Tournament provides an opportunity to foster new partnerships between Montana’s ranching community and other businesses/industries essential to Montana's economy.

Click here to learn more about this year's event

Big Sky Boots: Working Seasons of a Montana Cowboy

The first book of the five-part Montana Family Ranching Series: a photographic story-telling project of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. In “Big Sky Boots” readers can journey through the ranching year and learn about the great people that take care of the land, livestock and their families. This first book focuses on the cowboys themselves; the men and the seasons. Photography and impressions by Lauren Chase.

Click here to learn more and purchase this book

Big Sky Boots
Ladies and Livestock

Ladies & Livestock: Life on the Ranch

Ladies and Livestock, the second book in the Montana Family Ranching Series, is a multimedia exploration of the roles of Montana women on the ranch. This book features over 130 pages of stories, photographs and video features of the ladies who raise livestock, care for the land, and build their family’s legacy on Montana ranches. Not only are these Montana women working on the ranch, many have jobs in town, volunteer in their communities, and are involved in the legislation process of issues affecting agriculture. Not only can a reader see photographs, but can hear the woman tell her own story and see the emotion on her face as she talks about how important her family is to her.

This book can be purchased for only $14.99 exclusively on iTunes. Click here to purchase.

Specialty License Plates

Show your support for Montana ranching families by purchasing this specialty license plate for your vehicles. This custom design represents the values of Heritage, Integrity and Tradition in the Montana ranching communities. $20 donations from each plate purchase will help ensure the future of Montana’s livestock community and businesses through producer and public education by supporting the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation.

Click here to learn more about getting your plates.

Specialty License Plates
Young Stockgrowers

Collegiate Programs and Education

Montana Stockgrowers is committed to the next generation who will be involved in our ranching communities. Our Collegiate programs at Universities across the state allow students to become involved in the Stockgrowers Association to compliment their classroom studies. Through these programs, MSGA works to help students find internships and networking opportunities to learn more about the industry in Montana and across the country. Each year, the Research & Education Endowment Foundation awards one $1,000 Educational Heritage Scholarship to a student member of MSGA. The Foundation also supports Collegiate Stockgrowers programs as they participate in industry events, promote ranching on their respective campuses and encourage other students to learn more about where their beef comes from.

Click here to learn more about Collegiate Stockgrowers programs.

Collegiate Stockgrowers
ESAP

Environmental Stewardship Award Program

Montana ranchers depend on the land and its resources for their livelihood. Therefore, good management demands that they care for the environment for their own well-being as well as for future generations. Ranchers, as individuals and as an industry, are actively working to protect and improve the environment because they know environmental stewardship and good business go hand-in-hand. Environmental Stewardship Award winners are prime examples of how environmental management benefits both the rancher’s bottom line and the resources in their care. ESAP acknowledges producers who go the extra mile when it comes to preserving and enhancing the resources on their land. While the program highlights industry stewardship, it also provides cattlemen with examples and ideas which may be useful on their own farms and ranching operations.

Click here to learn more about ESAP.

Program Grants

The Montana Stockgrowers Foundation works to provide grant funding to many programs throughout Montana to support the Foundation's mission. This includes events such as Montana Range Days, youth educational programs, rancher educational workshops, consumer outreach projects and many more programs.

Contact Jesse Gill for more information about submitting grant requests

Grants
Load Up

Load Up

Load Up, a Cattle Drive. This feeder calf donation program helps to support the work of the Foundation. By simply donating one calf, you help preserve the ranching legacy in Montana.

Find out how you can help.