Agriculture Remains A Strong Industry In Broadwater County
 | Author:
Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent |
Agriculture Remains a Strong Industry in Broadwater County
Allison Kosto
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
Last fall, the USDA National Agricultural Statistic Service (NASS) and the Montana Department of Agriculture released the 2024 Montana Agricultural Statistics Bulletin. This data is gathered throughout the year from individual producers, agencies and technicians to showcase the status and production of agriculture and agriculture products across our state. It’s always interesting to take a peek and see how Broadwater County stacks up to the rest of the state.
The report indicates that 2022 was a record year for crop production in the state with $2.7 million in value in crop production. It was also a record year in animal production with $1.9 million in value of animals and animal products. Montana continues to lead the nation as the top producer of lentils, dry edible peas and chickpeas and is second in the nation in barley, flaxseed, spring wheat and durum wheat.
This was the first annual agriculture statistics report that contained updated numbers from the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture is done every five years and is a comprehensive agriculture data survey, much like the US Census. This report showed that the number of farms in Broadwater County has increased to 316, which is up from 296 farms from the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The report also showed an increase in average farm size in the county from 1,577 acres in 2017 to 1,741 acres in 2022.
According to the report, Broadwater County harvested 11,900 acres of winter wheat in 2022 and 13,100 acres in 2023. Broadwater County was the second most productive county in the state in terms of bushels per acre of winter wheat harvesting 65.6 bushels per acre. The county saw a slight increase of acres in barley going from 4,760 acres in 2022 to 5,650 acres in 2023. The county ranked second again in bushels per acre at 111.7 bushels per acre. By comparison, the state average is 49.0 bushels per acre which means Broadwater County had more than double the state average.
Broadwater County has historically been a top producer in hay production as well. However, current agriculture statistic reports do not provide county-specific hay production data. The state produced 5.3 million tons in 2023 which includes 3.5 million tons of alfalfa hay. This was a significant increase from the previous year.
In livestock production, Broadwater County has seen a significant reduction in cattle and calf inventory going from 23,000 in 2020 to 16,300 in 2024. On the other hand, sheep numbers have risen. There were 2,800 sheep and lambs in 2022 and 3,200 in 2024. Hog numbers held steady at 100 animals in the county.
Broadwater County is one of the smallest counties in the state based on area. Therefore, our county may never rank among the highest in number of acres planted or harvested, but it continues to be one of the most productive. We also have strength in diversity as a top producer in seed potatoes and forage seed crops.
Our high production rates can be partially attributed to our fertile valley and network of irrigation canals supplying our crops. Both the Toston and Canyon Ferry Reservoirs were created for irrigation and are still vitally important today. These irrigation sources also help many of our producers be more resilient against drought. This was reflected in agriculture statistics from previous years. Broadwater County saw less decline in crop production due to water availability compared to other parts of the state. Additionally, local farmers remain on top of current technology and integrate innovative techniques to conserve and sustain the farmland for the next generation.
You can find more agricultural statistics from NASS at https://www.nass.usda.gov/mt. MSU Extension in Broadwater County remains committed to serving local agriculture producers and providing educational resources and programming on a variety of topics to provide better decision-making tools. Contact our office at 406-266-9242 or broadwater@montana.edu.
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