Montana and the Farm Bill 2.0

## How the Farm Bill 2.0 affects MontanaMontana has the most farmland acreage per farm in the U.S. and major cattle, wheat, and pulse crop production. Significant tribal nations interests. ## Montana agriculture at a glance | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Farms | 27,000 | | Farmland | 57.7 million acres | | Top crops | Cattle, Wheat, Hay, Pulse crops, Lentils | | SNAP recipients | 115,000 | | Ag rank | Top 20 ag state | ## Key programs for Montana producers The most relevant Farm Bill 2.0 programs for Montana:

• ARC/PLC
• Crop Insurance
• EQIP
• CRP

## What's specifically changing for Montana

1. Cattle EID: Montana ranchers among most opposed.
2. Wheat and pulses: Title I commodity programs.
3. Tribal nations: across multiple titles.
4. Forest Conservation Easement Program: significant for Montana forests.

## Top resources for Montana producers - **Montana Department of Agriculture**: primary state-level point of contact for many federal programs. - **Montana State University Extension**: local research, conservation planning, technical assistance. - **Montana Farm Bureau Federation**: advocacy and producer information. - **Montana FSA County Offices**: direct USDA loan applications, ARC/PLC enrollment, CRP. - **NRCS Montana State Office**: EQIP, CSP, ACEP, conservation planning. ## How Montana should think about the Farm Bill 2.0 If you're a producer in Montana, the most important thing to track is the **interaction between this bill and H.R. 1** (the 2025 reconciliation law). Most commodity policy is locked in by H.R. 1; the 2026 farm bill adds incremental changes on top. For most Montana operations, the highest-impact changes are likely to be: - **Title II conservation reshuffling**: if you use EQIP heavily, expect tighter funding - **Title VI REAP expansion**: if you're a co-op or in renewable energy - **Title XI crop insurance** for veterans, expanded eligibility and subsidy - **Title XII Prop 12 preemption**: if you're in livestock ## Related - [Full Farm Bill 2.0 Summary](/full-bill-summary/) - [What's New vs the 2018 Farm Bill](/whats-new-vs-2018/) - [Program Finder](/program-finder/) - [Browse all states](/states/)