New Teton County Farm Bureau formed in Montana

Montana has a new Farm Bureau, Teton. Teton is the 30th county Farm Bureau in the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, a grassroots organization consisting of county Farm Bureaus and dedicated to preserving and improving the agriculture and natural resource industries through member involvement in education, political activities, programs and services.

Although Teton's original registration dates to 1919, the same year that Montana Farm Bureau was formed, Teton had previously been a part of Front Range Counties Farm Bureau which includes Glacier, Toole, and Pondera counties.

An enthusiastic group of volunteers met in March adopted by-laws and elected a temporary Board of Directs. They are looking forward to hitting the ground running and bringing a local flare to the good work of county Farm Bureaus.

Teton Farm Bureau is excited to support the local area by providing agricultural education for students, learning opportunities for farmers and ranchers, and direct connections with elected officials. All these initiatives align with the Farm Bureau's vision of fostering thriving rural communities and a prosperous agricultural economy in Teton County.

Susan Snyder shows wool products during annual pasture to plate field trip that Teton County Farm Bureau plans to continue hosting.

Tryg Brosten explaining his family’s feeding operation to 4th grade students.

Cody Shick presenting Teton County bylaws to the MFBF Board during this year's annual Summer Conference in Kalispell.

RT Snyder shows students wool that he sheared off two lambs during the live shearing demonstration.

“By taking advantage of Teton County's tight geography, we can bring in new members and get more people involved,” said Teton County Board Members Cody Shick. “We have a tremendous amount of enthusiasm to get this new chapter off the ground, and we look forward to working with surrounding counties to tackle regional policy issues.”

Teton Farm Bureau Board Member Erin Brosten added, “Teton County is rich with grain and livestock operations and is a place where we thought a County Farm Bureau would thrive. We decided to start Teton County Farm Bureau to bring together those farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals in the area who are passionate about the industry. “

The Teton Farm Bureau encompasses Choteau, Fairfield, Power, Dutton and surrounding interested communities. 

Membership Information

Teton County is already home to approximately 120 Farm Bureau members whose county dues dollars will now remain in local. Voting membership is limited to individuals who are directly involved in agriculture or work in agriculture-adjacent industries. Associate membership is open to anyone who wishes to support the organization. Annual voting membership is $85, while associate membership is $50. There is also a Century Club membership, which allows individuals to voluntarily contribute additional funds to support Montana Farm Bureau's efforts to protect and promote agriculture through legal and political advocacy. All memberships are family memberships and include spouses and children under 21 years of age.

While many people associate Farm Bureau with insurance, Farm Bureau itself is not an insurance company. It is a grassroots organization founded to bring farmers and ranchers together to solve problems that are too large to face alone. Farm Bureau organizations originally helped establish the insurance company that many people think of today, at a time when insurance coverage was unavailable to those in agriculture. The two organizations remain closely connected, and insurance discounts continue to be one of the many benefits available to Montana Farm Bureau members. Additional member benefits include discounts on hotels, rental cars, Grainger products, and more. A full list of benefits and the link to join can be found at mfbf.org

Local History

The origins of Farm Bureau are closely tied to Teton County. In fact, Montana Farm Bureau's first statewide president, John Davis, was also Teton County's first Extension agent. A farmer from Bole, Davis was a tireless advocate for farmer-to-farmer problem solving and collaboration. Through his work as an Extension agent, he understood the importance of strong agricultural networks to help producers adapt to the often harsh and rapidly changing conditions of farming and ranching while supporting the growth of Montana's young communities.

County Farm Bureaus emerged from that need for communication and collaboration. They served then and still today as essential networks for sharing information, solving common challenges, and helping agricultural families succeed in a demanding environment.

Board of Directors

President - Cody Shick

Vice President - Jon Redland

Secretary/Tresurer - Connor Hodgskiss

Women’s Leadership Committee/ Promotion and Engagement Committee - Misti Redland

Young Farmer and Rancher Chair - Erin Brosten

At large board members - Gregg Funk and Chase Dellwo

For more information on the Teton Farm Bureau or to get involved, please contact Cody Shick at 406-697-3838 or MFBF Regional Manager Karli Johnson at 406-868-1233.