Aspiring rancher Bayley Becker, a student in the Worden Riverdale 4H, has raised a Black Angus steer named Lamar. At the recent 4H Livestock Sale and Auction at MontanaFair, this Angus weighed a whopping 1,381 pounds. Bayley should be pleased to know that her dedication and efforts in raising Lamar will help feed families in need in the Billings community and Yellowstone County.

The Montana State Fund, which provides workers’ compensation insurance for employers and employees in the event of accidents or deaths on the job site, was awarded the contract for this black bull. The purchase of the bull is part of the 4H Community Spotlight Program, which educates and promotes workplace safety among the younger generation in agriculture.

Farming and ranching is a high-risk sector, and off-road vehicles are often the leading cause of accidents. Thanks to the work of the Montana State Fund, the number of injuries has decreased by 13% over the past decade.

So what will MSF do with Lamar? They could have a huge barbecue, but instead the beef will be donated to Family Service and their food program.

For 118 years, Family Service has helped people stay in their homes and escape abject poverty through food boxes, rent and utility assistance, clothing, a back-to-school program, and other services. They network with other organizations in the immediate area and with the Montana Food Bank Network. Family Service is located at 3927-3931 1st Avenue South in Billings.

For Miss Bayley, this is an experience of the free market and of caring generosity. I wish her every success in farming or whatever field she enters, and I hope she expresses her caring through actions, not because she has to, but because she wants to.

Montana Harvest 2024