Townsend Rancher Completes Foundation Chair Term

Townsend Rancher Completes Foundation Chair Term

By Dusty Hahn, Outgoing Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Foundation Chairman

Dusty Hahn of Townsend, Montana.

It’s been an honor to have served as the Foundation chairman for the last 5 years. In my 9 years as a Trustee, I’ve gotten to help evolve the Foundation from one that had a handful of small projects into one that tackles larger, more complex projects. I really feel that the Foundation has helped Montana Stockgrowers become a more proactive organization, and that has been a great benefit to our membership.

The two programs that I feel are a great benefit to MSGA, and I’ve been proud to be a part of, are the Young Cattleman’s Conference (YCC), and the multimedia outreach campaign. The YCC has been part of the Foundation since before I came on board. The multimedia campaign is a relatively new program. Both programs serve to educate MSGA members and enhance the image of our business. The YCC is an integral part of producing new leaders in the livestock industry. The multimedia campaign is putting consumers back in touch with producers in the country, allowing them to put a human face with the products in the store. The Foundation is the vehicle that allows great projects like these to come to fruition.

MSGA and agriculture in general continuously needs talented new leaders to guide us through the challenges the future presents. It is imperative that we not only provide tools for our younger members to excel , but challenge them to make themselves the best leaders they can be. One of the Foundation’s goals is to equip our younger members to meet the future’s challenges head on.

I’m looking forward to continued prosperity in the ranching business, and I’m excited about the many opportunities for the next generation to return to the country and the ranch. I think that even though we are a small percentage of the population, our voice is well respected. And I am excited to have consumers worldwide wanting to learn, see, and interact with Montana ranchers. It will benefit everyone to have the actual producers relaying information about what we do to the end consumers of our products.