2025 Registration is not yet open.

The three-day grazing academy is aimed at ranchers seeking to hone their grazing management skills. 

Registration link will go live when registration opens.

A limited number of scholarships are also available through the Montana Rural Employment Opportunities program.

Participants are responsible for travel and hotel costs. A block of rooms is available at the Miles City Inn & Suites with code “406 Grazing Academy.” 

Workshop participants will gain practical information designed to help them make strategic decisions for their ranches. MSU educators, Montana ranchers and other range managers from across the state will lead the workshop, sharing expertise on topics that include economic optimum stocking rates, diverse grazing strategies, range monitoring, extending the grazing season, livestock-wildlife relations, targeted grazing, and coping with drought, wildfire and poisonous plants. 

Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop to practice navigating online tools, such as the USDA Web Soil Survey. Participants may also bring a map of their ranch for ranch-specific questions and discussion.

For more information, contact any of the following: Stacey Barta at sbarta@mt.gov or 406-594-8481 or Rachel Frost at frost@montana.edu or 406-994-3724.

Hosts

The event is a collaboration between the Rangeland Resources Program in the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the Dan Scott Ranch Management Program in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences in MSU’s College of Agriculture. Montana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative is the academy sponsor.