Annual Convention & Trade Show
Registration
Online Registration will open October 1, 2025
On behalf of the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA), we would like to thank you for your commitment to our associations! We hope you will join us at the 140th Annual MSGA Convention & Trade Show. The purpose of the Annual Convention & Trade Show is to provide education, information, fellowship, and an opportunity for the beef industry & MSGA members to set policy that will shape the landscape of cattle ranching in Montana.
All Inclusive Pass
Member Pricing
Early registration: $225
On-site registration: $250
Non-Member Pricing
Early registration: $300
On-site registration: $325
(Includes all Annual Convention
events happening December 10-12)
Extra Grand Finale Banquet Ticket
$50/ticket
(Bringing a spouse, friend or family member to Billings? Get their ticket for the Grand Finale Banquet.}
Friday Pass
$125
Includes all events on Friday, Dec 12 (access to the Trade Show, General Session II, Stockgrower Colleges, Presidents Lunch, Committee Meetings, and the Grande Finale Banquet)
only)
Thursday Pass
$100
Includes all events on Thursday, Dec 11 (access to the Trade Show, Opening General Session, Stockgrower Colleges, Northern Ag Network Best of Beef Lunch, Committee Meetings, and the Trade Show Dinner)
only)
Wednesday Pass
$50
Includes all events on Wednesday, Dec 10
only)
Schedule Highlights
Download Full AgendaWed
Dec 10
Thurs
Dec 11
Speaker: Janette Barnard
Speaker: Nevil Speer
Fri
Dec 12
Meet Our Speakers

Opening General Session
Thursday, December 11 | 8:00 am | Northern Hotel
Janette is bullish on the future of animal protein, and passionate about the intersection of animal agriculture and innovation. Janette is currently on the Ventures team at Merck Animal Health. She is the creator of Prime Future, a weekly newsletter for innovators in livestock, meat, and dairy while drawing from her background in agribusiness (Elanco, Cargill, McDonald’s Global Supply Chain) and the startup ecosystem as a founder, then executive in a venture-backed company.

Best of Beef Lunch
Thursday, December 11 | 12:00 pm | Northern Hotel
Ray Starling is an attorney, public policy professional, law professor, ag system thought leader, former Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture, and farm kid from Autryville, North Carolina with a tremendous passion for the agriculture industry. With almost three decades of experience in navigating how public policy impacts farmers and agribusiness leaders, Ray has seen a lot, but readily admits we are in the midst of a new era of outside influence in agriculture.
In his role as Executive Advisor for Aimpoint Research, Ray Starling serves as invaluable resource on public policy and legal developments that have the potential to impact the agri-food value chain. He continues to serve as general counsel for the NC Chamber of Commerce and president of the NC Chamber Legal Institute as well. The NC Chamber is the leading business advocacy organization in North Carolina. It’s core business is to work in the legislative, regulatory, and political arenas to proactively drive positive change, ensuring that North Carolina is one of the best places in the world to do business. That work paid off recently when North Carolina was named by CNBC as “America’s Top State for Business,” including agribusiness.
Prior to joining the NC Chamber team, Ray served as the Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue where he coordinated execution of the Secretary’s policy agenda for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At the time, the agency employed over 100,000 public servants, and received a budget of over $160 billion annually. Ray focused on regulatory and deregulatory initiatives and acted as a point of contact for stakeholders throughout agriculture and rural communities.
He has also served as the principal agriculture advisor to the President of the United States at the White House, as a staff member of the National Economic Council. Ray has served as chief of staff, lead agriculture advisor, and chief counsel for U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, and was general counsel to Tillis when Tillis was Speaker of the House in the North Carolina legislature. Early in his career, Ray was general counsel to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, serving alongside the state’s beloved elected Commissioner of Agriculture, Steven Troxler.
Licensed to practice law in North Carolina, Ray has private practice experience and has taught agricultural and food law for several years. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from North Carolina State University (magna cum laude) and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (with honors). He grew up on a Century Farm in southeastern North Carolina and credits that experience as having more to do with his career path than any other influence or opportunity. His parents continue to farm as does his eldest brother. Ray was a National FFA Officer and is a former 4-H member. He has received numerous honors and awards during his career, including being selected for a Marshall Memorial Fellowship, the flagship leadership development program of the German Marshall Fund.
He has spoken to hundreds of audiences across the United States, and is known for his folksy storytelling style, and perhaps for his southern accent, all combined with insightful information that drives audience members to think about how we navigate the turbulent future of agriculture.
Ray resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife, Dr. Tina Starling, and daughter, Victoria.

Beef Breakfast
Friday, December 12 | 7:00 am | DoubleTree Hotel
Tory grew up on a small cow-calf operation, which instilled in him a deep appreciation for the agricultural community. He pursued his education at Montana State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business.
Tory began his career in Ag Risk Management, where he dedicated himself to assisting farmers and ranchers across the nation in navigating the complexities of marketing and price risks. To enhance his expertise, he obtained a Master of Science in Applied Economics and Predictive Analytics, equipping him with the tools to better understand commodity markets and provide tailored solutions for his clients.
Driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact closer to home, Tory joined Marsh McLennan Agency, focusing on supporting ranchers in Montana and the surrounding regions. He possesses extensive knowledge of the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) and Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) Federal Crop Insurance Programs, and is passionate about implementing these programs to strengthen ranching operations.
Tory is committed to empowering ranchers with the insights and resources they need to thrive in today’s dynamic agricultural landscape.

General Session II
Friday, December 12 | 10:15 am | Northern Hotel
Greg Hanes became CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board in summer 2019. The CBB oversees all domestic and international beef checkoff related research, marketing, and promotion. Prior to joining CBB, he served as Vice President of International Marketing at the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) in Denver, Colorado, where he was responsible for global strategic marketing and program direction since 2009. Before returning to the U.S. in 2009, he was USMEF’s Japan Director, based in Tokyo. As Japan Director, he was responsible for all activities occurring in Japan, the largest red meat market for the United States.

Presidents Lunch
Friday, December 12 | 11:30 am | Northern Hotel
As part of MSGA’s exclusive member benefit, the MSGA Ranch Weather Radar, Brian Bledsoe will present weather modeling and forecasting for the upcoming summer season and beyond.
Brian believes his extensive background in agriculture and meteorological communication (spent 28 years as a broadcast meteorologist) makes him unique. His goal is to take complex weather forecasts and make them meaningful and actionable to agriculture producers, insurance companies, event planners, and any other businesses. Whether you need a forecast for a specific day or for months in advance, Brian can provide the accuracy that you need to properly manage your risk. Brian started consulting for his family farm and ranch over 20 years ago and continue to do so today. That means he has skin in the game. So while you can get weather information anywhere today, Brian believes that it is the personal touch that he provides that truly sets him apart from the rest.
Committee Meetings

Land Use & Environment Committee
Agenda coming this fall

Tax, Finance & Ag Policy Committee
Agenda coming this fall

Beef Production & Marketing Committee
Agenda coming this fall
Lodging Information
Hotel rooming blocks have been created at the Double Tree by Hilton and the Northern Hotel.
Reservations must be made by November 25, 2025 at the Northern Hotel and November 10, 2025 at the DoubleTree Hotel in order to guarantee room availability and price.
Please reference Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Annual Convention when making reservations at the Northern Hotel and MSG when booking at the DoubleTree Hotel.
Sponsors
This event would not be possible without the support from our sponsors!
Sponsorship Brochure