There May Be Hope: What the Rain Means for Montana Ranchers

We finally had a glimmer of hope in what has been one of the most challenging and frustrating years ever. The heat and drought have taken an unprecedented toll on Montana.

I was hauling hay yesterday out of the field and thought that this might be the most expensive load on that trailer I've ever had. The rain last week will help until the fall with some late grass, but winter will be another hurdle. Many ranchers like myself will be forced to cut back herd size this fall, but you have to learn to roll with the punches. Hay is really hard to come by, and if you do find it, it's almost impossible to pencil it out. You wouldn't think that something as simple as an inch of rain could be better than a visit to a shrink, but in Montana it is. Just the attitude of "now we are going to have a chance" has really lifted the spirits of many.

Some, though, are not so lucky. They have deflated to the point where they will throw in the towel and give up. I hate to think what that would be like calling it quits after you put all you had into it. This humbles me knowing that there is a greater power out there that controls our destiny, and no matter if I drive an electric car or not, there are some things that you will never have control of, and the weather will ALWAYS be one of them.