Agriculture is Montana’s number one industry. While grain and cattle are what the state is most known for, Montana’s soil supports an abundance of other crops that contribute to the $4.5 billion in agricultural products that are sold annually! Many of the products beyond wheat and cattle fall into a category known as “Specialty Crops.” Specialty Crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, pulses, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Things like hops, flowers, and chickpeas are all specialty crops!
Get to know more about Montana’s specialty crops and the people who produce them below!
Hops
Montana shares a similar latitude with major hop-producing regions in Europe and the US – along the 49th parallel – benefiting from long daylight hours during the growing season. Common varieties grown in the state include Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook. Local breweries take advantage of sourcing this Montana specialty crop to add the right amount of bitterness to their craft beverages.
Learn more about hops in Montana through Montana Hops, a collaborative partnership among Montana hops growers, or The Montana Brewers Association.
Crooked Yard Hops – Bozeman, MT
Crooked Yard Hops is a specialty crop operation focused on providing local breweries with the ability to produce an entirely locally sourced beverage product by supplying them with fresh, high-quality hops. Grown under the Big Sky, their hops are available in both fresh and T90 Pellet.
Black & White Farms – Havre, MT
Black & White Farms is a small-scale flower and hops farm located north of Havre in the beautiful badlands. They create flower arrangements for special events and offer a variety of cuts to individuals at local farmers’ markets. Their hops are provided to local breweries to create delicious local brews.
Making the most of discovering a local species of hops, Black & White Farms began growing hops alongside their flower operation.
Flowers
The Montana Cut Flower Association’s mission is to facilitate a greater awareness of locally grown flowers across Montana and within local communities, create connectivity between growers and consumers, and protect the integrity of the flower market by providing education and networking opportunities. There are currently 44 grower members, with new farms emerging each year. These growers are covering everything from selling to retail florists, providing bouquet subscription services, selling at farm stands, and delivering special occasion arrangements, to hosting an array of on-farm events that promote Montana agritourism within this niche industry.
Rimrock Flower Farm – Roundup, MT
Rimrock Flower Farm, located in the heart of Montana, offers floral arrangements, bouquet subscriptions, and full-service floral design for weddings and events. All of their flowers are grown on their family farm and used within 24 hours of being harvested from the field, creating a long-lasting, beautiful product.
Third Day Family Farms – Vaughn, MT
Third Day Family Farms, owned by Jason and Virginia Daugherty, grows cut flowers for the local community and surrounding areas. They specialize in forcing tulips that allow for a pop of color and freshness during the harsh Montana winters. The flowers are offered at farmers’ markets and through subscription orders.
Chickpeas & Lentils
In 2024, Montana farmers produced more pulse crops like lentils, chickpeas, and dry peas than growers in any other state. Chickpea production in Montana is expected to reach 110,250 tons, which accounts for nearly 36 percent of US dry pea production. Lentil production was up 72 percent, forecast at 351,900 tons, which is nearly 74 percent of overall US lentil production.
Montana’s pulse production is thriving, providing essential nutrients to diets worldwide while supporting the state’s agricultural economy. As we continue to see growth in both planted areas and yields, pulses remain a cornerstone of sustainable and profitable farming in Montana. These little nutrition nuggets play a huge role in healthy diets in countries all over the world. They are also a powerful and versatile crop that Montana farmers can use to promote biodiversity, improve soil health, and generate income from both local and global markets. Pea, lentil, and chickpea crops provide additional revenue for farmers and fix nitrogen that can be used to boost grain crops following pulse crops in a rotation.
One producer capitalizing on these successful crops beyond the traditional markets is 41 Grains of Circle, MT.
41 Grains – Circle, MT
41 Grains, owned by Kacie Sikveland, is known for its chickpea flour blends and ready-to-eat snacks, Lentil Crunchers. All their products are derived from the crops raised on their family farm in eastern Montana.
There’s more to Montana’s agriculture industry than meets the eye! Follow along as we highlight more specialty crop producers over the coming months!
Funding for this article was made possible by a grant agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.
