Agriculture Programs
Agriculture Programs
Range Cattle
MCE raises 1,650 head of black Angus cattle on 38,000 acres. Calving begins in February and the calves are sold through a video livestock auction in the fall. The Range Program provides training in horsemanship, herd management (breeding, calving, vaccinating, branding, and marketing), horse-shoeing, and range management.Dairy
Inmates milk 80 Holstein cows two times per day. The milk is used in the processing plant to produce packaged milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, butter, buttermilk, yogurt and cream for facilities around the state. The excess raw milk is sold to a cooperative in Montana.
Pheasants
In partnership with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, inmates raise pheasants for release onto state wildlife management areas as provided for in House Bill 637 which was adopted by the 2021 Montana Legislature. Click here to view MCE’s Biosecurity Plan.Crops
Alfalfa, grass, barley and oats are raised on 2,800 acres of cropland for the Range and Dairy programs. Inmates move 12 miles of hand-line irrigation pipes using gravity-fed water from five dams located on MCE Ranch lands.Land Management
MCE implements short and long-term water, weed, range and forest management plans for better use of ranch natural resources. The plans are implemented in cooperation with Powell County, the United States Forest Service, and the Montana Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources & Conservation. MCE also operates a Hunting program for the public, managing elk and deer populations on the ranch. See the Hunting Access Rules & Map and the MCE Archery Only Land Use Permit Form. Here is a copy of the 2024 Hunting Report that discusses the program in detail and provides statistics from the 2024 Hunting Season.
Agriculture contact:
Ross Wagner(406) 415-6322