Area Development Online. It has the fourth-largest land area in the country 93 million acres, made up of mountains, deep valleys, and plains. More than one third of the land in Montana is government-owned, and there are an estimated 5.5 people for every square mile. The 59.7 million acres of farmland rank second in size in the nation, with farms making up 62 percent of the state s total land. Because of the diverse climate, the variety of products produced includes beef and dairy cattle, wheat and barley, sheep, swine, hay, honey, and cherries.
Wheat is the largest crop, and honey, sugar beets, and alfalfa hay are also raised.
The value-added sector produces such products as bread and cereal, processed meat and fish, pasta, jams and syrups, and soup mixes. About 2.7 million head of cattle, including 20,000 milk cows and 1.6 million beef cattle, are raised in the state. Montana s 432,000 head of sheep and lambs produce 4.1 million pounds of wool, ranking it fourth in production nationwide. The pork-processing plant has the potential to double the number of market hogs produced in the state. The state s economic expansion is being fueled by high tech, tourism, light manufacturing, and value-added processing.