There’s gold – and more – in those hills. Rich deposits of minerals, including gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, coal and oil, earned Montana its nickname as the Treasure State.

Proper noun A state in the Mountain West region of the United States. Capital: Helena. A place in the United States, named after Montana Territory: A town in Buffalo County, Wisconsin.

The closest Spanish word is montaña — meaning “mountain” and pronounced “mon-TAHN-ya.” Montana is a Latin adjective meaning “mountainous.”

Big Sky Country

5 Unique Facts About Montana

• Montana’s largest county by population is Yellowstone County, home to almost 159,000 people according to 2017 estimates.
• No state has as many different species of mammals as Montana.
• The Montana Sapphire is the only American jewel included in England’s crown jewels.

Montana is known for its open expanses and beautiful wilderness. That natural bounty yields exceptional food, including bison, huckleberries, chokecherries, morels and some of the best beef in the country, along with local favorites worth a detour.

The origin of the name “Montana” comes from the Spanish word for “mountainous.” Montana is the fourth largest state in the U.S. with the 44th largest population. Montana is the only state in the U.S. with a Triple Divide, which allows waters to flow to Hudson Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.

44 notable, famous and infamous people who have called Montana home

• Bill Pullman. Actor Bill Pullman taught film and photography at Montana State University before becoming a full-time actor, and owns a ranch near Whitehall.
• Brad Bird.
• Brent Musburger.
• Bud Luckey.
• Calamity Jane.
• Carroll O’Connor.
• Chan Romero.
• Charles Lindbergh.

the Catholic Church

Montana’s economy is dominated by the primary sector—agriculture, forestry, mining, and energy production—and by services. About one-third of the state’s workforce is employed in the service sector. The outdoor recreation industry has become important, and some high-technology industries have come to the state.

Black Feet Tribe

That dollar amount reflects a -15% decrease from 2019 to 2020 and an -11.3% drop since 2017. Montana’s biggest exports in 2020 are coal and copper accounting for 25.8% of the state’s aggregated exports revenue. Those commodities suggest a relatively concentrated range of exported goods.

Producing a wide range of commodities, wheat and beef top Montana’s list. However, you’ll also find sweet cherries, sugar beets, seed potatoes and hay, to name a few. Montana is a national leader in the production of certified organic wheat, dry peas, lentils and flax, and ranks No.

wheat

Beets, carrots, potatoes, corn, green beans, spinach, onions, radishes, turnips, and herbs like chives, parsley, dill, and cilantro can be planted in your outdoor garden as seeds.

Cattle and wheat remain Montana’s largest commodities, and together account for three-fourths of the state’s agricultural cash receipts. Montana also ranks within the top 10 states in production of honey, beef calves, winter wheat, alfalfa hay, garbanzo beans, sheep and lambs, wool and sugar beets.

Agriculture is an essential part of Montana’s economy. Of the livestock portion, cattle make up the largest fraction. In fact, there are 2.6 million head of beef cattle in Montana. That means there are about three head of cattle for every human in the state of Montana.

Rather than sales taxes, Montana depends more on income taxes to raise the money the state government needs to operate. About $1.2 billion of the $2.6 billion in taxes the state collected in 2013 came from individual and corporate taxes, by far the state’s largest source of income.

When you read our story in the August issue of Cotton Farming, you’ll notice the positive remarks from the cotton farmers who traveled to Montana. We now know that Montana farmers are just as dedicated to their industry and have much in common with their cotton farmer friends to the south.

It has been suggested that an individual cotton plant requires about 10 gallons of water to achieve maximum yield potential. If an acre-inch of water contains 27,193 gallons, a crop with 50,000 plants per acre would require slightly more than 18 inches of water to maximize yields.

spring

Cotton is Illegal to Grow in Some US States In states where cotton is a cash crop, growing it in your backyard can be illegal to grow cotton in your backyard. This is thanks to a little beetle called Boll Weevil, or more accurately the Boll Weevil eradication programs.

Cotton is a wonderful plant. Not only does it look great in your garden, but it produces fiber that you can spin for thread or yarn and make clothes with. You will need a long growing season, fertile soil, and adequate moisture, plus plenty of heat, particularly later in the season.

Growing cotton at home is not legal in all states. Growing cotton in your garden is illegal in the states that consider it a cash crop. This is due to the Boll Weevil Eradication Program.

Comments: It is related to commercial cotton, and the USDA attempted to wipe this plant out in Florida in the early 1900s due to the fact that it is a potential host to the boll weevil. It is now illegal to grow wild cotton in Florida for this reason. It is also listed as endangered by the state of Florida.

Comments for Growing Cotton in Florida. Just got off the phone with the department of agriculture and it is completely illegal to grow any kind of cotton in Florida… you can apply for a personal permit, but “we do not tend to issue them for spinning purposes” is what the guy told me.

Florida accounts for one percent of cotton grown in the U.S. (4). In 2008, the average yield for the U.S. cotton crop was 803 pounds per acre, while it was 916 pounds per acre in Florida (2,5). All of the cotton acreage in Florida resides in the panhandle area.

Cotton harvesting starts in July in the southern states and may extend into November in the north and will be ready to harvest over time for about 6 weeks. You will know when the cotton is ready to be picked when the bolls crack open and the fluffy white cotton is exposed.

cotton plant for soil nutrients, sunlight and water. Since hand labor is no longer used in the U.S. to harvest cotton, the crop is harvested by machines, either a picker or a stripper. Cotton picking machines have spindles that pick (twist) the seed cotton from the burrs that are attached to plants’ stems.

The cotton plant is by nature a perennial, but is grown as an annual because commercial crops must be turned under each year shortly after harvest to prevent diseases and to help combat the boll weevil.