Hello Donors!

Thanks to your generous support, we have 102 animals in this year’s program. The contest began February 4, 2026, at Yellowstone Cattle Feeders in Shepherd, where starting weights and TSUs were recorded to kick off the competition.

Donors should have already received an email with your tag number(s) and starting weight(s). If you did not receive that information, please reach out and we’ll make sure you have everything you need. You can find all starting weights organized by tag number below.

We also want to extend a sincere thank you to our donors and the leadership from the Montana Stockgrowers Association Board of Directors and the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation Board of Trustees who generously volunteered their time to help haul and deliver steers to Yellowstone Cattle Feeders. It’s a true team effort, and we’re grateful for your hands-on support.

Below you’ll find photos from the official start of the contest, including the weigh-in and TSU collection. We’re excited to share the kickoff with you and look forward to keeping you updated as the contest progresses. Thank you again for your commitment to the Cattle Drive Program and to the future of Montana ranching!

Questions? Please reach out to Rachael Green at rachael@mtbeef.org or (406) 442-3420.

Happy New Year!

The 2025 Cattle Drive Program is nearing its official kickoff as we have 99 steers already delivered to Yellowstone Cattle Feeders (YCF) as of this week.

Next, the crew at YCF will process, tag your donation steer, and take a weight to begin the competition. 

As we move into the new year, the Cattle Drive is once again providing exciting partnerships that should add even more anticipation as we continue this ever growing program. Neogen will be a partner again, offering DNA services for donated steers. Each steer will have a tissue sample taken from their ear and will then be sent off to the lab where they will be able to make early predictions and markers of how your steer will perform. 

Along with Neogen adding the genetic insight, we have partnered with our very own Leoma Donsbach from Data Genie LLC to add another facet in better understanding the DNA predictions and how you can tie it all back to your own herd. The Montana Stockgrowers Foundation (MSF) is extremely excited to have Leoma as a partner offering her skillset for our donors.

Lastly, we’re excited to share the  announcement of this year’s Grand Prize sponsored by MJE and Western Ranch Supply (WRS). Both MJE and WRS have been very generous with their support and MSF is fortunate to continue our partnership with them again this year. The Grand Prize is a portable loading chute package valued at $19,000. The prize will come with the portable loading chute, panels, two gates, and an alley frame. A prize any producer would gladly welcome on their ranch!

As we launch the 2025 Cattle Drive Program for the year, we will continue keeping you updated on your donation’s progress and other events that you can take advantage of through MSF and MSGA.

Questions? Contact MSF at foundation@mtbeef.org or (406) 442-3420.

Final Update for the 2024 Cattle Drive

Questions? Contact MSF at foundation@mtbeef.org

The second group of cattle has been harvested, and the data is now available for you to download using the button below. With this final round of animals, the 2024 Cattle Drive officially comes to a close. MSF extends our sincere gratitude to all of our donors for making this program possible.

Contest winners will be announced during MSGA’s Annual Convention & Trade Show in Billings, December 10–12, 2025. Thanks to the generous partnership of Western Ranch Supply and MJE Livestock Equipment, the overall winner of the 2024 Cattle Drive will receive a portable panel trailer package valued at more than $17,000.

Questions? Contact MSF at foundation@mtbeef.org or (406) 461-0642.

The Montana Stockgrowers Foundation (MSF) partnered with AgriBeef to provide a capstone experience which allowed its Cattle Drive Program donors to follow the full lifecycle of their donated steer. Tour participants were also joined by agency directors from the Montana Department of Agriculture, Montana Department of Livestock, and Idaho Department of Agriculture. This exclusive opportunity offered attendees the chance to review valuable information on their donated steers, including genetic analysis and carcass data. The educational event culminated at TrueWest Beef’s processing facilities in Jerome, Idaho.

The Ribeye Road Trip represented the final step in this year’s Cattle Drive journey, which started in early 2025. The first day, the group traveled to Jerome, Idaho, for an evening dinner and discussion with AgriBeef leadership. The following day, attendees toured the TrueWest Beef meat processing facilities and the Intermountain Beef feedlot, before returning back to Montana.

The experience allowed participants to witness firsthand carcass grading, how value is determined at the processor level, and how decisions made at the ranch translate into outcomes at harvest. Forty of MSF’s Cattle Drive steers were shipped to AgriBeef in advance of the tour so donors could see their animal data. By engaging directly with plant personnel and seeing the carcass evaluation process up close, participants gained valuable insight into how premiums, discounts, and quality metrics are tied back to ranch-level practices.

The Ribeye Road Trip reinforced the Cattle Drive Program’s goal of developing well-informed, forward-thinking cattle producers who understand each link of the supply chain and are equipped to make data-driven decisions that strengthen both their own operations and the future of Montana’s beef industry. 

This event was made possible by the generous support of AgriBeef, Animal Health International, Compass Ag Solutions, Elanco, Northern Livestock Video Auction, NW Mixer Feeders, Rabo AgriFinance, TrueWest Beef, Y-Tex Corporation, and Yellowstone Cattle Feeders.

MSF’s Cattle Drive Program is an immersive, start-to-finish experience designed to give cattle producers a comprehensive understanding of the modern beef supply chain—from pasture to plate. MSF is now accepting donations for the 2025 Cattle Drive. To learn more or to participate, visit www.mtbeeffoundation.org.

Our partners at NEOGEN hosted an educational webinar for our Cattle Drive donors. Dr. Paige Pratt, PhD, genomics specialist with NEOGEN, walked through the genomic results from donated steers. This session showcased real data from Igenity Beef, Igenity Feeder, and Igenity BCHF results, highlighting what these insights mean for cattle performance – especially around terminal values and days on feed. If you were not able to attend, a recording of the webinar can be found below. Follow the registration steps and once completed, the webinar will be available.