Young, old stakeholders collaborate to improve, preserve When I walked into the Beaverhead Brewing Company in Dillon, it was easy for me to pick out Kara Maplethorpe. She sported a blue tinge on her hands from spraying weeds, a tanned...

Despite 14-percent population growth, volunteers adjust From Madison County Conservation District Madison County’s population has grown 14 percent since the 2010 census ─ the second-highest level of population growth among Montana counties for that period. With that growth comes more...

Feature photo of Savannah Sparrow and cow is World Wildlife Fund-US/Clay Bolt. Beef and Birds: Grazing Cattle Benefits Grassland Birds By Laura Nowlin Some of the highest densities of grassland birds make the Northern Great Plains (NGP) their home.   “You...

Multi-generational Allens of Lewistown show how it’s done Photos and writing by August Schield In a high pasture on his ranch just east of Lewistown, rancher Russ Allen rides across his land in near silence. The only audible movement emanates...

Campground offers bicyclists warm showers, camaraderie, sleeping quarters Writing and photos by Eliza Donahue   Touring bicycles might seem out of place in a rural agricultural conclave like Beaverhead County. But in Dillon, Bike Walk Southwest Montana co-founder Larry Volkening...

A Hard-Working Rancher Heads into the Bob for Rest, Rejuvenation By Lisa Schmidt The hardest part of a guilty pleasure is getting started. Taking time for myself means leaving the projects that need to be done before haying starts and...

Independence Day in Montana remains a high draw for residents. During an incredibly busy summer season, folks of all stripes come together to celebrate our nation's freedom while dressed in red, white and blue. Prairie Populist again attended the Ennis...

Feature Photo: The Bozeman-based nonprofit, One Montana, teaches serious hunters ages 17 to 84 the ethics of hunting for sport and principles of hunting on private land. Here a recent class listens to an instructor at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch,...

Lewis and Clark, Rosebud, Lincoln, Carbon Share Their Projects Across the state, Montana’s 58 Conservation Districts support farmers, ranchers and landowners in local, voluntary, on-the-ground conservation efforts in protecting our soil, water and natural resources. Check back each month as we highlight...

Feature photo: Sue Pluzynski (rear) and her friend Linda feed a young mare on June 22 at the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program adoption event in Hamilton. Only Serious Adoptive Owners Need Apply to Program By Laura Lundquist Sue...

Ruby Valley Produced Upset Winner; Bets Taken Now on Bolt D’Oro   Before tractors, hydraulic combines, dirt bikes, and trucks, we Montanans relied on horses for every aspect of life: combining wheat in the fall, tilling the land in the...

There’s Many Fish in the Sea, But There’s Only One Big Spring Creek Lewistown, Montana has some of the most pristine water in the entire country. Big Spring Creek -- the main source of their water supply -- originates seven...

Lawmaker questions whether violence against nurses is really a problem after hearing directly from nurses The recent violent arrest of a nurse in a Salt Lake City hospital, caught on police video, reminded the world what a dangerous job it...

The Value of Agriculture: Welcome to the Ruby Valley Story and Photos by August Schield In Montana, people are bound together by a common landscape. It is the single most underlying substance that all life shares. Air and animals. People...

Feature photo courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management These days, you can easily drive from Billings to Glendive without stopping. At 80 miles per hour, the plains are a blur. But should you choose to slow down, you may...

Written by Laura Nowlin. Feature photo by Reba Ahlgren I have read several stories recently that make life in rural America seem pretty dismal – the population is aging and decreasing, everyone is poorly educated and addicted to drugs, and the land is either not...

Hard Work, Ambition, and Community I’ve lived in Montana my entire life, and the first thing from Montana I ever heard mentioned on TV was Butte. It was mispronounced (as “Butt, Montana”), but it still was on television. I was...

RANCHERS : THE LOCAL CONSERVATIONISTS Story and Photos by August Schield Ranchers are the local conservationists in the Ruby Valley. Here, conservation isn’t only a part of the culture, but also a part of the community. Meet Rick Sandru and...