08 Sep Laura: Montana Grain Growers Association (MGGA)

Great Falls, Montana — Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes they’re disguised in work clothes and carrying boxes of famous Hempl donuts, a Great Falls favorite. 

Alison Vergeront, executive vice president, shares a doughnut with Conner.

Throughout the years of telling our story of harvest, I’ve tried to shed light on some of the important people who keep us going behind the scenes. We’ve talked about harvest support, coops, grocers, cafe staff and many more. Recently, I was able to add another group to that list. Our team had the pleasure of hosting Alison Vergeront, executive vice president, and Shawna Severson, office coordinator and event planner, of the Montana Grain Growers Association, in the field. 

The Montana Grain Growers Association (MGGA) is an association made up of progressive farmers and agribusiness partners with the mission of “improving the lives of Montana producers through collaboration, innovation and influencing agricultural policy.” 

As the saying goes, “Many hands make light work.” That’s true for agriculture organizations like MGGA. Voices together go so much farther than single individual ones. In a day and age where there’s less than 2% of the American population directly involved in agriculture, it’s even more important to tell our stories, or someone will be willing to tell them for us. Often, when that happens, it’s not an accurate depiction of the work we do.  

While it’s important for agriculturalists to visit directly with representation at the state house and in Washington D.C., it’s not possible to be there all the time due to responsibilities back on the farm. That’s where MGGA shines. The association is constantly working behind the scenes on behalf of their farmers to ensure policy is in place to enable agriculture to keep feeding the world. 

Through my conversation with Alison, I learned MGGA is currently focusing on passing a Farm Bill. Below are three examples of priorities that we discussed. 

1. Crop insurance. Without this important safety net, farmers face the risk of losing their farms in times of disaster. There must be protection in place to ensure we continue to have a safe, healthy national food supply and farmers who produce it. 

2. Another focus is increasing the reference price, which is the figure that represents the cost of production. Unfortunately, this number doesn’t begin to cover today’s inputs that are involved with producing a crop, and it is currently set $5.50. It is time to adjust this figure to be closer to today’s numbers. 

3. In Montana, the majority of the crops produced are exported. Therefore, MGGA feels it’s key to have support with initiatives like Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD). The current level of funding hasn’t been adjusted since the early 2000s, so it is crucial this is adjusted to match the current environment. 

Interested in becoming a Montana Grain Grower member or supporting the cause? Find more information you need here. 

In terms of harvest this week, the end of the summer run is in sight. The first load of equipment will be soon heading down to Kansas, and we’ll immediately start prep for high moisture corn. With crew members currently scattered across multiple states, it will be nice to closer to home soon. This summer has flown by!

I am currently unable to access my AAWH email. If you have tried to reach me, I regret I haven’t responded. Feel free to reach us on Facebook or Instagram at High Plains Harvesting or Under the Flyover Sky. Thanks for your patience! 

Thank you to our 2024 All Aboard Wheat Harvest sponsors: High Plains Journal, Lumivia by Corteva Agriscience, Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc., Merit Auctions, Kramer Seed Farms, Shelbourne Reynolds and U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. Laura can be reached at laura@allaboardharvest.com.