Every second matters. Urgency pressures action and response time is immediate when the pagers release their call. The siren sounds and the Big Timber Volunteer Fire Department is ready to spring into action. Volunteers from every corner of the county will be responding because someone needs help.  

Across the driveway from the ranch house is a beautiful new building that any rancher would be proud to own. Ranch business is not done there, however.  The building houses Canty Boots, a business that Nikki Edmundson founded, owns and operates.  And though young, the business has already found its way to international markets.  

Carson Kuehn rubs his hand across the horse’s back and down her hip before settling on the mare’s fetlock. As he picks up her hoof and rests it on his chap- covered knees, he begins the process of trimming hooves and replacing her shoes.     

It was a typical day for Jake Brown. The sun had  barely peeked over the mountain and the temperature was brisk as he stepped outside his home, whistled for his dog and started the ATV.  His day had started and he had a long to-do list. 

Being a saddle and chap maker by day and a blanket weaver by night allows K.T. Monson, of Shepherd, an outlet for his artistic side. K.T. has spent the last 30 years working at Swanke Saddle Co. and Boot Repair. He’s instrumental in the saddle-making process that takes place at the company as well as in the custom chap division.

A nice peach cobbler for summer days and elk chili for the first sign of fall.

The culinary scene in Montana is as spectacular as its scenery. With the Taste Our Place program, visitors and locals have the opportunity to connect with the agricultural heart — and flavor — of the state. 

Ranch rodeo is a reminder of the rich history of Western culture, with cowhands racing against the clock and other teams, competing for bragging rights of being the best at what they do. Teams compete in events involving skills they might use on a typical day on a working cattle ranch.

Tia is a custom cinch maker and the owner of Cross N Custom Cinches in Shepherd. Her day job as a brand inspector for the state leaves her with evenings and weekends open to dedicate to her business. Over time, her hobby transformed into a business that has become a sought-after source of cinches for horsemen and -women across the country.

Nestled in the shadows of the Crazy Mountains just south of the town of Melville sits an iconic rural school, Melville Elementary, which was established in Sweet Grass County in 1896. Twenty-seven students attend this rural school taught by three teachers. Seventeen of those students are siblings and/or cousins, and many of them are second- or third-generation Melville School students.

As the snow recedes, nature offers a bounty of fresh food long before the garden has anything to harvest. Take advantage of the warming spring days to search out new additions to your seasonal dishes. Understanding the edibility of wild plants is a nearly lost art, but it doesn’t have to be.

As Yelena Mathias served up a fresh batch of chili to the high school students at Sweet Grass County High School in Big Timber, the teens digging into the hot meal had an appreciation of just how this tasty meal ended up on their plates.