Granite County

Granite County is a rural, natural resource supported county in central Western Montana. Winter and summer recreation draw visitors to the scenic beauty year-round, while agriculture is the economic base. Georgetown Lake provides a variety of recreational experiences, and is next door to the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. The population of the county is about 3,000, and the county seat of Philipsburg has a population of around 900. The other incorporated town in Granite County is Drummond, with a population of around 300. Montana State University Extension in Granite County is supported by three strong and important partners. County, state and federal funding sources work together to assure that MSU Extension in Granite County has the resources to provide timely and relevant education addressing locally-identified issues. Montana counties provide about 40 percent of the funding to support local offices, state funding provides about 40 percent, and federal partners about 20 percent. Like many Western Montana communities, the Granite County area has a rich mining past, but agriculture has provided the base of economic activity through the boom and bust cycles associated with historic mining. Granite County . . . Montana at its best!

Contact

PO Box 665
Philipsburg, MT 59858
406-859-3304
https://www.montana.edu/extension/granite/

Granite County Herdsmanship School turns 30

Cattle ranching is a primary driver of Granite County’s economy as the county is primarily a rural community with many people utilizing the natural resources here. Ranch inputs for many operations remain fairly constant year to year, but market volatility can lead to slim profit margins for ranchers. It is important for ranches to minimize losses and implement management strategies in their cattle herds.

To meet some of these challenges, in January of 2025, Granite County MSU Extension hosted the 30th Granite County Herdsmanship School. The weekly topics covered risk protection for livestock producers by using insurance as a tool, evaluation of rangelands using online tools, financial planning for ranching families, and a market outlook for cattle in 2025. Attendees mentioned that they look forward to these classes each winter and expressed that they planned to implement some of the practices they learned about.

Caption: MSU Extension Range Specialist Jeff Mosley speaks to a tour group about range management.

Credit: Ben Hauptman

4-Her's Honor Veterans

The Granite County 4-H program is comprised of 72 members and 17 leaders participating in various projects. The 4-H program in Granite County combines efforts to share the unique hands-on learning experience that is 4-H. Members in the Granite County 4-H program participate at several different county events: Project Possibilities, Foods Fair, Stir-Ups, Quality Assurance, Countywide Demonstrations, IPYA Presentations, and the Skill-A-Thon.

Community service is an important component of 4-H. Members learn the importance of belonging and giving back to their local community. The Granite County 4-H Council decided to work with Wreaths Across America last year to honor service members from Granite County. 4-H youth and volunteers coordinated wreath pre-sales so that a holiday wreath would be placed on over 500 graves of veterans in the two cemeteries in Granite County. The 4-H members also participated in an honor ceremony and placing and cleaning up the wreaths for the program.

Caption: Granite County 4-H members participate in honoring veterans by placing wreaths on over 500 graves in the county.

Credit: Dee Dunkerson

A New Youth Leadership Program Discovers Montana Agriculture

Over the years, discussions have come up about people not knowing where their food comes from and how important it is to tell the story of agriculture as people in the profession of agriculture. In January of 2025, Granite County MSU Extension and the Rocky Mountain Stockgrowers Association (RMSGA) decided to invest in developing a program to further agriculture education and grow future leaders.

The inaugural group of kids was selected for the Rocky Mountain Stockgrowers Youth Leadership program in 2025. Kids from the ages of 13-17 submitted applications and essays on the importance of agriculture education and were selected to represent the program.

Through the summer, the group experienced the diverse agriculture that Montana offers. We toured the state grain lab in Great Falls where they test cereal grain, oilseed, and pulse crops for quality and send data to growers; visited the Scheffels Farm where they grow cereal grain and peas; and a day trip took us to the Flathead region to experience two very different ways people market their ag commodities. We experienced a direct-to-consumer ag tourism cherry orchard at Getman’s Orchard, and a vertically integrated dairy at Kalispell Kreamery. The last summer stops took the group east, where over two days we visited with the owners of Midland Bull Test; learned about the importance of broadcasting news and telling ag stories with Northern Broadcasting System; helped move siphon tubes for irrigating a sugar beet field; saw a drone sprayer in operation; and drove a combine at the Lackman Farm in Hysham.

These youth will also attend the RMSGA Annual Meeting, visit the Helle Ranch and Duckworth clothing company, and give presentations at their schools to finish off the program and carry forward their increased agricultural knowledge.

Caption: Youth in the RMSGA Youth Leadership Program learn how to irrigate sugar beets with siphon tubes.

Credit: Ben Hauptman