If you run cattle in Montana, May 27-29, 2026 needs to be blocked off. The Montana Stockgrowers Association is bringing their 142nd MidYear Meeting to the Mansfield Convention Center in Great Falls, and the agenda’s got enough meat on it to make the drive worthwhile — policy, research, entertainment, and the kind of handshake conversations you don’t get anywhere else.
More Than Just Business
The MidYear Meeting is one of MSGA’s two major policy-setting gatherings of the year — the ones that actually steer the organization’s direction. But honestly, if you’ve been to one of these before, you know the hallway conversations matter just as much as the agenda. This is where Montana’s livestock community shows up, compares notes, and figures out what comes next. The serious business of ranching and the camaraderie that holds this industry together aren’t separate things here. They’re the same thing.
Headliner Brings Grit and Inspiration
Professional saddle bronc rider, businessman, and actor Dougie Hall headlines the Opening General Session. His message centers on faith, determination, and taking ownership of your path — the kind of talk that lands differently when you’re sitting in a room full of people who’ve pulled cattle through a January blizzard on the Rocky Mountain Front. Skye Krebs will also take the stage to break down the latest national policy developments affecting cattle producers through the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. If you want to know what’s coming down the pipe from Washington, that’s the session to catch.
Charlie Russell’s Legacy Meets Modern Ranching
The Coffee Talk sessions mix education with something a little different. Sarah Adcock from the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls will walk through the stories behind some of Russell’s most recognized work — including “Waiting on a Chinook,” a painting MSGA actually owns. In my experience, those sessions are easy to skip in favor of another cup of coffee and a hallway conversation, but this one’s worth sitting down for. Russell wasn’t just painting pretty horses. He was documenting a way of life, and that painting in particular says more about a hard Montana winter than most people could put into words.
Weather, Research, and Real-World Applications
The meeting closes out with two presentations that have direct, practical value. Meteorologist Brian Bledsoe will deliver a seasonal weather outlook for summer and beyond — the kind of forecast information that matters when you’re making decisions about grazing rotations and herd management. Darrin Boss from Montana State University rounds things out with updates on current ag research that’s actually showing results in the field. No fluff, just what’s working.
Sunset Banquet: Where Community Comes Together
Thursday evening, May 28, the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation hosts their annual Sunset Banquet over at the Newberry in Great Falls. This isn’t a rubber-chicken fundraiser you endure out of obligation. It draws in livestock professionals and local community members for a real evening — good entertainment, good company, and money raised that goes right back into Montana’s ranching communities through education, leadership development, and conservation work. The Foundation doesn’t let those dollars wander far from where they’re needed.
Sunset Banquet tickets are open to the public and can be purchased either alongside your MidYear Meeting registration or separately through the online platform.
Ready to Join the Conversation?
Whether you’ve been running cattle for thirty years or you’re just getting your footing in the industry, there’s something at this meeting worth your time. Full registration details are at www.mtbeef.org, or call the MSGA office directly at (406) 442-3420.
Original source: Northern Ag Network