Congratulations to agricultural producers in the Sidney area for another successful year!

There are many new and exciting things happening across the state in agriculture, and many folks in agriculture are thinking outside the box. It’s hard to break old habits. Habits can be good, but it’s also a good idea to consider all the possibilities.

“If you don’t use your head, you have to use your back,” was a saying common in our grandparents’ time. Increasingly, young farmers are considering new possibilities for uses of their time and land. Montanans are adding peas and lentils to rotations in dryland cropping regions and erecting high-tunnel greenhouses that can accommodate small tractors to lengthen the vegetable season, to name two examples. And, they’re eager to attract and support new businesses that can process food items for local and regional markets.

In Glendive, a cooperative has formed to grow irrigated crops to order for schools and other institutions. The group also plans a local foods restaurant and micro-brewery. In Harlowton, Cream of the West produces premium cereal products that are popular in Montana and among customers nationwide who order from the farmer-owned company’s Web site.

Food processing was Montana’s leading employer in the 1950s. Local farmers and ranchers used to grow 70 percent of the foods Montanans ate. Today the figure is closer to 10 percent, although interest in local foods is growing as consumers realize the drawbacks of relying on a few large companies to process the foods we buy.

Where our food comes from also has become important as we read about the recall of food items that contain tainted ingredients procured in a price-driven global market.

Local foods are not likely to displace commodity staples like grain, sugar beets, corn and potatoes in Richland County. Yields per acre for corn, sugar beets and potatoes hit historic highs in 2009, according to recent surveys. But diversification can and will make our rural communities more prosperous and more self reliant.

National Ag Week, March 14-20, is a good time to recognize the importance of farming and ranching and to celebrate Montana’s No. 1 industry. Farmers and ranchers contribute more than $2.5 billion each year in sales of agriculture commodities.

The strength of the MonDak region is in agricultural diversification and access to highly productive soils and water. Richland County ranks high in innovation, with farmers and ranchers leading the way in new crops and agronomic and marketing techniques. Montana ranks first in the nation in certified organic cereal grain production, and Richland County is among the leaders in organic crops.

U.S. consumers spend about 10 percent of their incomes on food, compared to 26 percent in Japan and 51 percent in India. The average wheat farm in Montana produces more than 27,000 bushels of wheat, or enough to bake 1.6 million loaves of bread.

When you see farmers you know during Ag Week, thank them for their contribution to a strong community. When you see Montana food on the store shelf or at a farmers’ market, try it. If each Montana household spent just $10 a week on Montana-produced food, an additional $186 million per year would go into the pockets of Montana’s food producers.

Thanks again Richland County for being a significant part of the state’s success. If you have ideas about how we can improve the agriculture industry or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

You can reach me at governor@mt.gov or by phone at 444-3111 and if you are ever in Helena, please stop by – my door is always open.