A collage of Extension related images placed in the outline of the state of Montana. A Montana State University Extension banner runs through the middle of the collage.

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Meeting the needs of the people and places of Montana

Montana State University Extension’s network of faculty and staff on the MSU-Bozeman campus and in county and reservation offices serve the people and places of Montana in fulfillment of the land-grant university mission. MSU Extension partners with others to serve local needs, improving the lives of Montana citizens with trusted education and information to strengthen the social, economic and environmental well-being of individuals, families and communities. MSU Extension offers education in leadership, agriculture, horticulture, healthy living, estate planning, youth development, and more.

REIMAGINING RURAL

Reimagining Rural is a program to help invigorate rural communities with discussion and action. The focus on positive stories and data increases volunteer engagement in rural communities and helps people think bigger about possibilities for their community.

In 2022, 16 communities participated including Boulder, Cascade, Cut Bank, Forsyth, Glasgow, Glendive, Lewistown, Malta, Rudyard, Columbus, Terry, Valier, Wheatland County, Whitehall, Wibaux and Worden/Ballantine.

Worden/Ballantine, with a combined population of 833, created a sense of community for local residents with food truck nights throughout the summer. Events culminated in the Beef, Beets and Barley festival that attracted more than 500 community members in late September.

DROUGHT RESPONSE

In response to severe drought in 2021 and 2022, MSU Extension summarized drought and wildfire resources (www.montana.edu/extension/aboutus/wildfiredrought/WildfireDroughtDrought.html) to provide Montanans information for critical decision making. Crop and livestock producers have dealt with low yields and significant herd reductions, and face continued challenges without above-average precipitation.

MSU Extension provided 55 teaching seminars that informed 1,532 people on drought response.

MASTER GARDENER

The Montana Master Gardener program provides education and volunteer service opportunities in consumer horticulture. The program has 34 active county associations and more than 325 active members, including 189 new members in 2022.

In 2022, Master Gardener volunteers donated more than 3,900 volunteer hours, valued at approximately $100,000 and more than 800 pounds of food.

THE MONTANA IPM PROGRAM

Integrated Pest Management (a combination of techniques to manage pests) faculty produced 45 publications in 2022. With media contacts and televised appearances on Montana AgLive, published alerts, and in-person (68) and online video (20) presentations, they reached more than 407,000 people with IPM-related education.

Diagnostic services and management recommendations from the Schutter Diagnostic Lab in 2021 had a direct economic impact of $1.8 million USD on approximately 810,672 acres.

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID

Mental Health First Aiders are people trained to respond in supportive ways to someone experiencing a mental health problem, as well as suggest and connect people to community resources, especially professional help.

Since 2020, MSU Extension Instructors trained 246 total Mental Health First Aiders.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER

The MSU Extension Local Government Center strengthens the capacities of local governmental units and provides training, technical assistance, and research services to elected, appointed, and administrative officials.

The center’s training supports 11,000 employees and nearly $1.2 billion in budgets that are managed by Montana officials.

MONTANA 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

MSU Extension is the home of the Montana 4-H program, which represents youth, families and volunteers from rural, urban, and suburban communities. 4-H projects support the personal growth and development of youth through hands-on learning.

Montana 4-H reaches more than 17,000 youth from every county and reservation.

3,100 trained and certified volunteers support and mentor youth.

While American Indians in Montana make up 6.5% of the general population, more than 10% of Montana’s 4-H enrollment is American Indian youth.

Skills learned through Montana 4-H Congress support youth in other areas of their lives:

94% Learned skills that will help them do better in school.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY

MSU Extension conducted a statewide needs assessment in 2022 with input from more than 3,000 Montanans. Survey results will help MSU Extension identify and prioritize local needs and inform strategic allocation of resources.