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.

The Montana Stockgrowers Foundation (MSF) today announced an exciting new feature to its Cattle Drive Program. In partnership with Western Ranch Supply and MJE Livestock Equipment, MSF will award the overall winner of the 2024 Cattle Drive Program a portable panel trailer package, valued at over $17,000.

The Cattle Drive program allows ranchers and businesses across Montana to donate a calf directly or donate the market value of a steer calf. Steers are then transported to Yellowstone Cattle Feeders in Shepherd, Montana, where they are put on contest and finished. The top three animals in average daily gain and carcass data, as well as an overall champion steer are recognized at MSGA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show each December.

“We are thrilled to partner with Western Ranch Supply and MJE Livestock Equipment to announce yet another great feature to the Cattle Drive Program,” said Monty Lesh, Cattle Drive Committee Chair. “Our goal is to provide as much benefit to our donors as possible and we can’t wait to see how this year’s program stacks up with this added bonus.”

The grand prize portable panel trailer package, sponsored by Western Ranch Supply and MJE Livestock Equipment, will include 36 10-foot panels, four 10-foot overhead gates, and a panel trailer. MSF has also partnered with Montana breed associations to provide incentives for the quality cattle genetics raised by Montana producers. Montana Angus, Hereford, Red Angus and Simmental associations have pledged a combined $20,000 in award money for the program.

Harvest for the 2024 cattle crop is expected to begin in June 2025 and continue into the fall as the steers reach their optimum weights. Once a steer is harvested, donors receive valuable data on their steer’s performance against some of the best cattle in the state.