Montana’s farmers and ranchers are “hands on” caretakers of the earth. They work on the land 

to provide the food we eat and the clothes we wear from the soil and water of Montana. They 

hold the land, the key to life, in their hands every day.

In addition to raising crops and livestock to feed and clothe us, Montana’s farmers and 

ranchers do a whole lot more. They also care for all the things that the earth produces naturally 

such as forests, minerals, soil, and water.

It’s a big job. Agriculture is Montana’s largest industry, generating $2.3 billion for the state. 

Nationwide, one American farmer produces food and fiber for 129 people—97 in the United 

States and 32 in other countries each year. One-fourth of the world’s beef and nearly one-fifth 

of the world’s grain, milk, and eggs are produced in the United States. The United States is the 

world’s largest agricultural exporter and the world’s largest donor of foreign food aid.

But they don’t have to do it alone. Montana farmers and ranchers have help from many sources. 

One of them is the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency within the United 

States Department of Agriculture (USDA). NRCS employees in Montana work hand-in-hand with 

farmers and ranchers to conserve natural resources on Montana’s private lands. NRCS helps land 

users understand how natural resources relate to each other and to all Montanans, and how our 

activities affect the Earth’s resources.

Taking Care of the Earth and Taking Care of Us
We All Need Water

Water makes all life on Earth possible. It connects all living things today and through time. In a neverending cycle, water is used and reused by animals, plants, and people. The water used in Montana today is 

the same water that was available to the dinosaurs millions of years ago. Only one percent of the water 

on Earth is liquid fresh water available for human consumption. That’s why it is so important for 

Montanans to consider all the uses for water and the impacts on water. Montana’s farmers and ranchers 

do their part by installing conservation practices that help prevent sediments and pollutants from 

entering water sources.
Growing Crops and Conserving Soil and Water

Montana’s farmers and ranchers are some of the most important people on Earth. With their hands, they 

help conserve the Earth’s soil by planting crops that put nutrients back into the soil to keep it healthy. 

They also use "techniques" such as no-till farming that help prevent soil erosion. Since 1995, Montana’s 

farmers and ranchers have cut soil erosion nearly in half by the different conservation measures they 

practice on their land. Color these conservation farming practices in the picture below.

no-till

harvest

strip cropping

stream buffer

windbreak

windbreak

grassed

waterway
1

1 22

3 43

5

6

4

Have you ever 

thought about how 

the loaf of bread you 

ate a piece of toast 

from got to the 

store? It’s because 

Montana’s farmers 

and ranchers grew 

the wheat that was 

ground into flour, 

then baked into 

bread. Follow the 

maze to find the way 

from wheat in the 

field to bread on the 

table. 

• harvesting the 

wheat in the field

• trucking the 

harvested grain 

from the field

• storing the grain

• grinding the grain 

into flour at the mill

• baking the flour into 

bread and selling it 

at the store 

Wheat to Bread 

Maze

ACROSS:

1. The physical wearing of the earth’s surface

2. A species of plant farmers grow that adds 

nutrients back into the soil

3. Crops that are watered with only snow or rain

4. A type of land cultivation where the seeds 

are planted directly into the crop stubble 

left on the field

DOWN:

1. A clear liquid needed for all living things

2. A living resource covering the Earth’s surface 

that supports plant life

3. What warms the Earth’s surface

4. These are planted by farmers and grow into 

crops

5. Gathering the crop after it has grown

6. A conservation practice used by farmers 

when they ¤

alternate crops ¤

from year-to-year ¤

in the same field

Crop Word Puzzle
Raising Livestock and Conserving Plants, Water, and Soil

Montana’s grazing lands provide scenic beauty, homes for wildlife, open space, clean water, food for 

livestock, and a way of life for many Montanans. The health of Montana’s grazing lands lies in the hands 

of Montana’s farmers and ranchers. It is their job to manage and conserve the soil and plants that 

provide food for the animals. Montana grazing lands support many kinds of livestock such as beef cattle, 

dairy cattle, sheep, and horses. It also provides a home for many different types of wildlife. 
Montana’s sheep and 

lambs produce 4.1 

million pounds of wool 

each year.

Sheep’s 

milk is 

made into 

cheese 

called feta 

cheese.

Montana 

has 

432,000 

sheep and 

lambs.

The oil from 

sheep’s wool is 

called lanolin. It 

is used to make 

lotion.

L EATHERCOATS

WOO L G L O V E SQZ

HMN L K R UWV T X Y

E LHAMBUR G E RS

S S P V AWZ C D A I H

NWR J E K M I L K L O

QE IMRNORSE P E

L AMB CHOP SQUS

WT E V E XA E P OT Z

DERLCOEJTHEY

MR I V IHL KQUE E

NS BWC P E F GHNS

• 70% of Montana’s land area is grazing 

lands.

• Montana’s grazing lands support 2.7 

million beef cattle and calves.

• Montana ranks fourth in the United 

States for the amount of wool 

produced by sheep.

• Dairy farms in Montana produce enough 

milk to fill a football field 314 feet 

deep every year.

• Montana ranks sixth in the United 

States for total number of beef cattle.

• A cow will eat about 25-30 pounds of 

grass in a day.

• A cow doesn’t bite the grass that feeds 

her; instead she curls her tongue 

around the grass blades and tears them.

Sheep Count

HAMBURGERS

STEAK

MILK

ICE CREAM

LAMB CHOPS

LEATHER COATS

SHOES

CHEESE

SWEATERS

WOOL GLOVES

PRIME RIB

Livestock Word Find

Find the 

products that 

come from 

Montana’s 

livestock:

Begin at 7, 

count by 7’s. 

Color each 

number until 

the wool is 

made into a 

sweater.

Did you know these facts about 

Montana’s grazing animals?

start here

finish
Crop Word Puzzle

W

A

T

EROS

O

I

L EGUME

S S

N E

D

S

L L I T O

R

T

A

T

I

O

N

N AGE

S

T

RYLA

R

V

H

N D

I ON

R

1

1 2

2

3 4

3

5

6

4

Wheat to Bread Maze

L EATHERCOATS

WOO L G L O V E SQZ

HMN L K R UWV T X Y

E LHAMBUR G E RS

S S P V AWZ C D A I H

NWR J E K M I L K L O

QE IMRNORSE P E

L AMB CHOP SQUS

WT E V E XA E P OT Z

DERLCOEJTHEY

MR I V IHL KQUE E

NS BWC P E F GHNS

Livestock Word Find

Puzzle Answers:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs and 

activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political 

beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all 

programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET 

Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, 

Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20250-9410 or call 

(202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

To request additional copies of this publication: 

USDA Natural Resources Conservation

10 E. Babcock St., Room 443

Bozeman, MT 59715

(406) 587-6971

http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/pas/eday/color.html

4/00 MT

Montana’s sheep and 

lambs produce 4.1 

million pounds of wool 

each year.

Sheep’s 

milk is 

made into 

cheese 

called feta 

cheese.

Montana 

has 

432,000 

sheep and 

lambs.

The oil from 

sheep’s wool is 

called lanolin. It 

is used to make 

lotion.

Sheep Count