News

Consumers overpay for beef while underpaid ranchers are squeezed out of business FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 27, 2022 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture conducted a hearing analyzing the lack of competition and transparency within the beef industry. Four corporations – National Beef, JBS, Cargill, and Tyson –  control approximately 85% […]

Consumers overpay for beef while underpaid ranchers are squeezed out of business FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 22, 2022 Who: Northern Plains Resource Council, Gilles Stockton, U.S. House Agriculture Committee What: Congressional hearing on meat packing industry, cattle market transparency, diminished prices for ranchers, and rising cost of food Related issues: corporate monopolies; antitrust law enforcement; […]

Local Food Challenge commences as farmers, ranchers, and consumers find more opportunities to connect FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2021 BILLINGS, Mont. – Northern Plains Resource Council is hosting the sixth annual Montana Local Food Challenge. The event is held online during the entire month of August, where Montanans are encouraged to eat something local every day of the month, participate in […]

Legislation bolstered by statewide grassroots organizing FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2019 BILLINGS, Mont. – The Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, drafted by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and eventually supported by Montana’s entire congressional delegation, was passed on the floor of the United States Senate today. The bill is part of a broad public lands package, the Natural […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2018 Northern Plains Resource Council successfully pressures Montana congressional delegation to pass Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act Billings, MT – The Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, drafted by Senator Jon Tester, was passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today after a House version introduced by Representative Greg Gianforte passed out of the […]

By Terry Punt Northern Plains Resource Council, and Leland James Turner Powder River Basin Resource Council A federal judge ruled in March that the federal government’s plans to open up the entire Powder River Basin to 10 billion tons of coal leasing violated the law. As ranchers in the Powder River Basin who deal with […]

Do you like knowing where your food comes from? Do you feel a sense of pride and fulfillment when you see “Grown in Montana” and “Made in Montana” labels? Well, you can kiss them goodbye with HR 4879. Local food programs have brought millions of dollars back to local economies nationwide and Montana food entrepreneurship continues to […]

By Jeanie Alderson Northern Plains Resource Council Montana has been shaped by the image of the cattle industry. Cows grazing, hardy ranching families working the land and the rough-hewn hands of butchers are all iconic images of our state’s heritage. We represent two different ends of this heritage – the rancher who raises the cattle, […]

Good Earth Market co-op is one of the sponsors of the Montana Local Food Challenge organized by Northern Plains. The Local Food Challenge ends Aug. 31 so you can still participate! Local matters because it supports our local agricultural economy and it supports families in our own communities. Since its origin, the Good Earth Market, 3024 […]

HAS AUDIO Eric Tegethoff HELENA, Mont. – After more than four years of urging, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality has released draft rules to oversee the disposal of radioactive oil waste in the state. Since 2013, the Oaks Disposal facility near Glendive has been the destination for more than 250,000 tons of radioactive waste, mostly from North […]