Hard work and determination are simply a part of daily life for Montana’s farmers and ranchers. It’s not an easy life, but agriculture is crucial to the success of Montana’s economy and vital to our food security and our way of life.

We must support and protect this vital backbone of Montana’s economy and the Montanans who put food on tables across America.

Celebrating the Dedication of Ag Producers My dedication to Montana’s agriculture began in my childhood. I grew up on the ranch my great-grandfather built. I know firsthand how difficult- and how rewarding- ranch life can be. Values like hard work, honesty, and common sense better sink in quickly if you’re going to succeed. I still take those values to work with me every day.

With input costs doubling in the past five years, farming and ranching is riskier than ever. Montana ranchers and farmers want to provide for our communities, and we’ve got to help them keep up the good work. They need a support system they can rely on.

Creating a Viable Future

For Montana’s ag producers to stay competitive in today’s increasingly globalized markets, we must stay ahead of the curve in research and technology. The USDA research center in Sidney is one place where we have created jobs and established a foundation for future laboratory and greenhouse research. I am committed to finding the funding to keep this facility and others like it open because I know that research is key to our agricultural future. We need to be laying the groundwork now to make sure our kids can become Montana’s next generation of ranchers.

In addition, producers prices are not keeping pace with constantly rising input and land costs. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I’m committed to passing comprehensive tax measures that allow Montanans to keep more of their hard earned money. I have also worked to provide tax cuts that will help farmers and ranchers across the United States.

Protecting the Sugar Beets

Our sugar beet producers create hundreds of jobs in the Yellowstone Valley. I have consistently worked hard to ensure that sugar programs are strongly represented in Farm Bills. By increasing the sugar loan rate and creating new programs to help pull excess sugar off the market, I am creating solutions that will work for Montana.

Staying Strong in

Hard Times

As most Montanans know, the agriculture industry in our state has provided jobs, food and overall stability to our economy, even in these tough times. While a week simply is not enough time to offer a salute big enough for all the hard work our farmers and ranchers do, I hope all Montanans can join me in extending a humble thank you to these ag producers who keep our economy moving forward. They set an extraordinary example of the grit and determination we Montanans are so famous for, an example I try to follow every day.

Max Baucus is Montana’s senior U.S. Senator. He is chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.