2024 Community Grants

Brovold Community Orchard

Location: Alberton, MT

Award: $1,000

Brovold Community Orchard is a forty year old apple and pear orchard with a fourfold mission: to give away free fruit to anyone who wants it, to provide youth and adult education on agricultural topics, to provide outdoor recreation in an orchard setting, and to provide a venue for community events. In 2023, they gave away over 6,700 pounds of delicious organic fruit to nearly 500 people within a 50 mile radius of the orchard.

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Women in Ranching

Location: Browning, MT

Amount: $3,000

Spirit of the Horse Leadership Initiative, a youth leadership horsemanship clinic to empower indigenous girls age 12-14 on the Blackfeet Reservation, is a gathering that will be curated and led by Tiffany St Goddard in service to youth on Blackfeet Land as part of Women in Ranching's Rooted in the Land programming. A mixture of horsemanship, culture, and stories will provide profound space for learning, fun and relationship building.

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Choteau Community Partners

Location: Choteau, MT

Amount: $1,500

Get Your Kicks at 6 is a summer music series in response to what Choteau residents say they have been missing – affordable and local opportunities to dance to live music. A collaborative production of Teton County MSU Extension, Choteau Lions Club, and Choteau Chamber of Commerce, these events in July and August of 2024 will enliven the park and newly constructed bandshell on Thursday evenings.

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Forsyth Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture

Location: Forsyth, MT

Amount: $1,500

This year the Forsyth Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture is expanding their downtown business district revitalization efforts by building partnerships with local farmers and agricultural organizations to kickstart a family friendly Community Market. The goal for this market is to support local farmers, expand the community's agriculture knowledge, and create a stronger sense of community with deeper ties to the community’s agricultural roots. 

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StrongHer Together

Location: Fort Benton, MT

Amount: $2,500

StrongHer Together: A Conference for Women in Agriculture is a biennial event held in the heart of the Golden Triangle. The goal of this event is to provide rural women in Montana with opportunities to network, learn, and collaborate. The two-day conference, November 11-13, 2024, brings together women who might not otherwise meet and allows opportunities for networking, connecting, and learning from speakers.

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Havre Art and Beautification Committee

Location: Havre, MT

Amount: $2,000

The Art Alley is an ambitious project that develops an overlooked space into an attraction filled with a variety of public art, lighting, and beautification. This summer a full color mural designed by local artist, Madison Ruff, will be completed. Other local artists, along with high school and university art students, will also be transforming businesses’ “back doors” into murals. All these creative threads help tie the community of Havre together with positivity and pride.

 

Lavina Community Partners

Location: Lavina, MT

Amount: $1,000

Livin' Large in Lavina is a community event on June 15th, 2024 to bring awareness and create pride in Lavina’s community, help organizations and historic buildings fundraise for future projects, and to have a fun filled family day. The full day of activities include a pancake breakfast, a car show, 4-H children's games and crafts, vendors and food trucks, historic building tours, and a street dance in the evening.

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Danvers Homemakers Club

Location: Lewistown, MT

Amount: $1,000

Founded in 1938 as the Danvers Extension Homemakers, the primary purpose of the club is to improve the quality of living for all people. After the Danvers School closed, the 1900’s school building became the club’s meeting hall and was eventually purchased by the club. The building will be renovated by members of the club and community to include painting the exterior and restoring and weatherizing the windows. 

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Trailhead CattleWomen

Location: Pompeys Pillar, MT

Amount: $500

Trailhead CattleWomen are hosting their second annual Longest Table event on August 3rd, 2024. This event is a farm- and ranch-to-plate project, which showcases local community producers. Two hundred attendees receive samples of beef, lamb, vegetables, grains, and flowers. Those attending have an opportunity to ask questions, receive recipes, learn about local agriculture, and connect with others across urban and rural areas of the community.

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Fort Peck Tribal Elves

Location: Poplar, MT

Amount: $2,000

The Fort Peck Tribal Elves is a non-profit organization focused on providing a better community for the children of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Every year they host two Music in the Park events in summer and fall. These events are enjoyed by all ages and include live music, local vendors, bingo for elders, and games for children.

 

River Arts & Books

Location: Roscoe, MT

Amount: $2,500

River Arts & Books, founded in 2023, is a community organization dedicated to the literary arts in Carbon and Stillwater counties. Their mission is to foster connections and inspire creativity through reading and writing. They have secured the use of the small town's original post office, built in 1894, and are going to revitalize the historic abandoned building to use as their permanent home and a creative hub for the rural community.

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Troy Farmers Market 

Location: Troy, MT

Amount: $1,000

The Troy Farmers Market is all about embracing the joy of locally grown and expertly crafted foods. It is a lively gathering where the community comes together to explore the very best of each season's offerings. Since its inception, it has been driven by a visionary goal to provide a dynamic platform for the talents of small-scale farmers and skilled artisans to flourish. This year's market will host around 15 vendors per week from May through September.

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Meagher County MSU Extension

Location: White Sulphur Springs, MT

Amount: $500

Leadership47 is a subset of Big Sky, Big Leadership to be hosted in Meagher County to help build the skills of community-based leaders so they can work more effectively for positive change in the Meagher County community. Participants of the program will develop their leadership through skill development workshops and community experiences to increase their own capacity to successfully work on growing and complex issues. 
 

Winnett Agricultural Community Enhancement and Sustainability (ACES)

Location: Winnett, MT

Amount: $1,000

The Winnett ACES mission is to strengthen their community by enhancing the health of their land, economy, and traditions for future generations. They are currently working to revitalize the 55 Main building on Main Street in Winnett which will become a first floor public convenience facility. This year they will host summer jam sessions to fundraise to open the public restrooms located within the public convenience facility.