Montana agriculture director outlines trade push, grain‑lab overhaul and apprenticeship plan

Director of the Montana Department of Agriculture opened the committee’s agency oversight session with a broad progress update and priorities for 2026.

Director Street said the department supported Montana producers through trade missions that brought international buyers into the state and by issuing thousands of export documents last year — 2,765 phytosanitary certificates and 5,933 certificates of origin in 2025 — which she said helped move Montana commodities amid tariff uncertainty.

The department reported distributing more than $2.7 million through its specialty‑crop block grant program and highlighted the long‑running Grow Through Agriculture program, which the director described as a national model for producer and value‑added development. Street said the department works with commodity groups and federal partners under cooperative agreements to leverage additional funds for market development.

Street described the State Grain Lab as a critical operational challenge. The lab has been chronically understaffed, she said, and the department is hiring and training new graders while assembling a programmatic approach to expand capacity. To retain qualified graders and build capacity, Street proposed working with the Department of Labor and Industry to create a federally accredited apprenticeship so newly trained graders receive recognized certification and are more likely to stay in those positions.

On risk‑management programs, Street defended the hail insurance program’s conservative management, saying it prioritized availability of funds when claims spiked. She also noted the department is tracking trade and bridge payments to producers and preparing for planting projections into 2026, including anticipated shifts toward pulses and oilseeds.

Members of the committee pressed for details on the grain lab plan and funding options. Senator Mark Noland asked whether the department had ideas to recruit and retain graders; Street said the lab historically has been run like a business with little extra funding and that seasonal hiring is difficult because grading is a specialized skill. Street urged looking at budgetary support and youth outreach through FFA competitions and vocational pathways.

The director also previewed the department’s role in the governor’s October food summit and said the agency expects to host more than a dozen foreign delegations this year to promote Montana proteins and other value‑added products.

What’s next: Committee members asked staff to follow up with the department on a more detailed plan for the State Grain Lab, including budgetary options for staffing and the apprenticeship timeline.