If operating two ranches isn’t enough, Cheyenne Wilson also is a writer and photographer specializing in social media marketing and the promotion of agriculture.

Winter is finally behind us and it’s time to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether it’s for work or play, it’s always good to be prepared with some great food!

In today’s changing world, a dozen Sweet Grass County women decided brushing up on gun safety and self-defense may be a good idea.

For her project, Kenny’s plan was to develop a podcast that featured individuals in the ag industry with disabilities. That project launched her into what has become a successful startup company that makes a difference in the lives of farmers and ranchers suffering from injuries, accidents, disabilities, and mental health issues. She even touches on suicide prevention.

There’s something about Montana folks when they rally. It’s an impressive movement. Be it hay for ranchers whose crops burned or to help a neighbor put up their harvest. Generosity is a given when it comes to need.

When residents of Denton, Montana, evacuated on Dec. 1, 2021, in the face of the raging West Wind Fire, no one knew what to expect when they returned. The inferno destroyed more than 20 homes, and many others were severely damaged. In the days and weeks that followed, love of community shone like a lighthouse beacon, and that radiance continues months later.

Kardy and Leonard Eickhoff own the only grocery store in town. In fact, it’s the only store in the county and it’s their commitment to make sure they have what the people of Petroleum County need.

On a recent winter day, three muddy diesel trucks sat idling outside the Melstone Mercantile on main street in Melstone. Inside the warm, inviting store, the owners of those pickups, guys wearing blue jeans, Carhartt coats, cowboy hats and mud-covered boots, were talking and laughing with each other as the proprietor, Becky Stensvad, made their coffees.

For three small communities in eastern Montana, the owners of multi-purpose businesses, or what we call general stores, have dedicated their lives to accommodating their communities by offering as many products as possible. They are unsung heroes as they work to fill the needs of their customers at the cost of long hours, marginal profit and rare time away.

Ski-joring is an action-packed winter sport in which a person on skis is pulled by a horse and rider over a snow-packed course of gates, jumps and obstacles. It’s the bringing together of two entirely different kinds of people, cowboys and skiers, and teaming their talents to compete against the clock and entertain the crowd.  

A trail of people, animals, places, objects and events of various reputation have already illustrated the MCHF mission “to preserve and pass forward our cowboy way of life, American Indian cultures and collective Montana Western heritage.”

Winter months in Glacier National Park provide a sharp contrast to the wall-to-wall people clamoring to soak in the beauty of the park during the summer. A respite for those hardy enough to visit, the frozen landscape beckons intrepid souls to see Glacier in an entirely new light.

People making a difference one person at a time, or a community at a time, giving their heart and sole to make this place we call home a better place to live.

Warm up with Venison Stew and Farmhouse Cookies for desert!

Those familiar with Dougie know him because of one or more of his successful careers – an up-and-coming Saddle Bronc rider, a successful horse trainer, and a motivational speaker.

To honor their baby girl’s memory, Kori and Jeff decided to pay for funerals for other families who have lost babies.

Along the walking trail on the levee fronting the Missouri River in Fort Benton, several bronze statues memorialize characters who brazed a legacy in Montana by foot, hoof, or paw. One of the sculptures is of a Fort Benton sheepdog whose life was a faithful testament to the bond between dog and human. 

With confirmation, it was time to seek treatment, and Lynn believed a service dog might be of help.  So the search began. 

Quickly, we slipped Maggie Oh through the front door and left her by the Christmas tree. Our excited youngsters raced in and stopped in amazement to find a horse in the living room!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and gifts from the heart and home are always appreciated by family and friends. Creating useful and unique gifts prolongs the enjoyment of the Christmas season, and these presents are bound to be favorites people look forward to receiving every year.