Economic Impact of Agriculture

Agriculture has been considered the foundation of Montana economy.  Over the last few years, other sectors of the economy, especially tourism and business services, have become increasingly important to the Montana economy.  While studies in other geographic regions explore on-farm activity and food processing, this study focuses on the contribution of on-farm activity.  This agricultural impact study utilizes data from the 2017 Census of Agriculture and the IMPLAN economic impact model to assess the impact of farmers and ranchers on the Montana economy.  This study examines agricultural land use, finance (including revenues, expenses, and taxation), producer profiles, and agriculture production’s impact on jobs and gross state product for each county in Montana.