The Great Falls Tribune presents a look of the history of farming and ranching in the state of Montana, told through historical photographs.

From early on, Montana’s farmers and ranchers have faced vagaries of weather, economic conditions, encounters with wildlife and competition from around the world. All the same, many Montanans made agriculture their life’s work, forging ahead to raise crops for another season, or bring up cattle and sheep for future sale.

Montana is the fourth-largest state in America. The massive landscape created challenges for residents and governments alike, for the distances that had to be traveled and for the costly maintenance of transportation infrastructure. However, these vast distances also presented potential residents with a myriad of possibilities.

Times have changed, but agriculture remains at the very top among Montana’s industries, and it continues to feed millions of people across the continent and across the oceans.