Ranch rodeo is a reminder of the rich history of Western culture, with cowhands racing against the clock and other teams, competing for bragging rights of being the best at what they do. Teams compete in events involving skills they might use on a typical day on a working cattle ranch.

Tia is a custom cinch maker and the owner of Cross N Custom Cinches in Shepherd. Her day job as a brand inspector for the state leaves her with evenings and weekends open to dedicate to her business. Over time, her hobby transformed into a business that has become a sought-after source of cinches for horsemen and -women across the country.

Nestled in the shadows of the Crazy Mountains just south of the town of Melville sits an iconic rural school, Melville Elementary, which was established in Sweet Grass County in 1896. Twenty-seven students attend this rural school taught by three teachers. Seventeen of those students are siblings and/or cousins, and many of them are second- or third-generation Melville School students.

As the snow recedes, nature offers a bounty of fresh food long before the garden has anything to harvest. Take advantage of the warming spring days to search out new additions to your seasonal dishes. Understanding the edibility of wild plants is a nearly lost art, but it doesn’t have to be.

As Yelena Mathias served up a fresh batch of chili to the high school students at Sweet Grass County High School in Big Timber, the teens digging into the hot meal had an appreciation of just how this tasty meal ended up on their plates.