Loyalty to Chaos Is No Ag Policy

— April 18, 2025 —

Let’s be clear: rubber-stamping Trump’s chaotic agenda is not the same thing as supporting Montana agriculture. It’s not leadership. It’s cowardice.

Senator Steve Daines recently sent out a letter to Montanans bragging about his role in confirming Trump's cabinet nominees and cutting taxes for billionaires—all while claiming he’s fighting for Montana farmers and ranchers.

Our farmers and ranchers don’t want more political theater. They don’t want “emergency payouts” hastily slapped together after a complete market collapse. They want predictability. They want policies that level the playing field against corporate consolidation. They want fair markets, stable trade relationships, affordable land, and a government that works for rural America, not against it.

Producers don’t need political theater. They need leaders who listen.

Daines' letter praising his role in confirming President Trump’s cabinet nominees and doubling down on tax cuts for billionaires. In the same breath, he claims to be fighting for Montana’s farmers and ranchers.

If Daines were serious about helping Montana’s ag economy, he wouldn’t be applauding cabinet appointees who are already dismantling the very programs our producers rely on. He wouldn't be touting a Secretary of Agriculture with no deep experience managing farm crises in a global economy marked by volatility, climate stress and monopolistic practices.

Instead of fighting for real solutions for Montana, Daines is working for Trump. Our ag industry pays the price.

Today, four corporations control over 80 percent of the beef packing industry. A handful of global giants dominate seed and fertilizer markets. Corporate consolidation drives up costs for Montana’s producers while driving down the prices they receive. It’s squeezing family operations out of business and concentrating wealth and market power elsewhere.

Instead of cozying up to multinational agribusiness giants, a real advocate would push for antitrust enforcement to restore fair competition. Yet Daines has done nothing but stand by while corporate lobbyists tighten their grip on rural America and fill his political coffers.

The story is no better when it comes to trade. Montana’s farmers and ranchers rely on open and reliable foreign markets, from beef to barley. Trump’s reckless trade wars hammered Montana’s economy. Export markets vanished overnight.

Instead of preventing the damage, Daines cheered it on, posting chirpy YouTube videos full of smiles and praise for Trump.

When farmers were left holding the bag, he offered them a band-aid: a rushed emergency relief program instead of the stable market access they deserved. Montana farmers deserve trade policies that don’t sabotage their markets in the first place.

Montana’s ag economy is also deeply tied to our public lands. Ranchers depend on public grazing leases that keep family operations viable across our open ranges. Yet Daines aligns himself with efforts to privatize or offload federal public lands—undermining not just ranchers, but every Montanan who treasures our outdoor way of life.

Does Daines know you can’t be “pro-agriculture” and “pro-land selloff” at the same time.

If Daines were truly listening to Montana’s producers, he’d be investing in our local and regional food systems. He’d be pushing for more meat processing cooperatives, regional food hubs, and rail improvements that keep more economic value here at home instead of shipping it off to out-of-state corporations.

Montana farmers should be feeding Montana first—and getting a fair price for it. Washington has ignored the power of local markets to build resilience.

Real leadership for Montana agriculture would mean standing up for water rights and climate resilience. Agriculture doesn't happen without water, and in Montana, hotter summers, declining snowpacks, and increasing wildfire risk are already taking a toll.

Our farmers and ranchers need investments in drought resilience, irrigation upgrades, and soil health—not a government pretending climate change doesn’t exist. Ignoring reality won’t save rural Montana. Facing it head-on will.

The bottom line is this: Daines’ message about Montana agriculture is simple. Trust Trump. Trust corporate America. Accept a few crumbs when the market collapses. Hope for the best.

That’s not leadership. That’s surrender.

Montana farmers and ranchers deserve better. They deserve policies that strengthen rural economies, not policies that hollow them out. They deserve elected leaders who understand that real support for agriculture isn’t about campaign slogans or last-minute bailout checks—it’s about creating fair markets, respecting local control, and defending the very land and water rural families depend on.

Daines had plenty of chances to stand up for Montana. Instead, he stood down and Montanans across the state know this.

It’s time for a new kind of leadership. Leadership rooted in respect, fairness, and real solutions—not loyalty to chaos, corporate lobbyists, or political insiders.

Montana farmers and ranchers have carried our economy, our communities and our culture for generations. They deserve more than empty promises. They deserve a government that fights for them—every day, not just at election time.

Come November 2026, that’s exactly what they’re going to get.