Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 10 A S THE MONTANA SNOWPACK YIELDS to rising temperatures and swells our rivers and streams, the hills and mountains will once again begin their annual slow-motion metamorphosis from snowcapped to wildflower spray paint. It's a time of renewal but also a time when Montanans give a tip of their hats to the tradi- tions and rites that are perhaps the most Montana things of all. This issue of Distinctly Montana focuses on Montana's ranges and ranches, their people, their culture, and the essential products they deliver. Over the centuries, Montana's ranchers have become inseparable from the land and indispensable to our economy, not to mention making some of the tastiest beef that's ever graced a plate. Montana has always been a place where the annual renewal of traditions continues to defy the endless elbowing-in of what some call progress and others call cultural decay. I sometimes try to imagine our Montana ranchers and cowboys jacked into that so-called Metaverse that technocrat fetishists are endlessly bloviating about, but then I wonder—can you fit a Stetson over a virtual reality headset? The Metaverse may take root in places where the view out the window is so ugly that you'd rather put on a helmet than see it. But here in the beating heart of Mon- tana, where our cowboys wrangle their herds and make their homes, I can't see that kind of nonsense taking off. I, for one, am grateful for that and will stand shoulder to shoulder with our incredible Montana ranching families, buying directly from them instead of the beef in the grocery stores imported from Argentina and Brazil. The same people telling us to put on helmets to talk to one another also tell us that we must, for the sake of the well-being of the planet, obliterate the ranching indus- try, replacing it with factories that belch out mechanically assembled insect protein patties and fake meat manufactured from a list of unpronounceable chemical ingre- dients. But like our legendary Old Broke Rancher, who has a hilarious take on the subject on page 59 of this issue, I think I'll stick to a good steak. This spring, as you enjoy the glory and bounty of Montana coming into full bloom, I invite you to not only thank a Montana rancher but also to place an order from one of the many farm-to-customer ranches like www.shieldsvalleyranchers.com/ and nurture your family with delicious, renewable, sustainable meats shipped direct from Montana ranchers to your table, no VR headset necessary. Support Montana's ranchers as you celebrate spring this year! A N O T E F R O M T H E P U B L I S H E R P U B L I S H E R CHRIS MUHLENFELD, PUBLISHER chris@distinctlymontana.com ©2002-2022. Distinctly Montana is owned and published by Thunderstruck Media LLC, a Montana company. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, without our written permission is prohibited. Distinctly Montana welcomes freelance contributions—please contact us to inquire about submitting your work. PRINTED IN THE USA. Published by Thunderstruck Media LLC • 280 West Kagy Blvd, STE D286 • Bozeman, Montana 59715 www.distinctlymontana.com • info@distinctlymontana.com • (406) 600-7660 WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS! The paper content of this publication has been certifiably reforested via PrintReleaf – the world's first platform to measure paper consumption and automate reforestation across a global network of reforestation projects. LEARN MORE AT PRINTRELEAF.COM photo: flickr.com/nicholas_t | CC BY PUBLISHERS Chris & Pattra Muhlenfeld EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joseph Shelton ART DIRECTOR Robert Rath COPY EDITOR Shannon Page PROOF EDITOR Lindsay Tran SALES EXECUTIVE Larry Sem, Gary Shelton PRINT MANAGEMENT Pam Koehler, Koehler + Co. fb.com/distinctlymontana instagram.com/distinctlymontana twitter.com/distinctlymt S U B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E T O D AY T O D AY W E D E L I V E R ! W E D E L I V E R ! SUBSCRIBE TO SUBSCRIBE TO DISTINCTLY MONTANA DISTINCTLY MONTANA MAGAZINE MAGAZINE DISTINCTLYMONTANA.COM/SUBSCRIBE TO SUBSCRIBE BY MAIL, SEND A CHECK FOR $39.95 PER YEAR TO: DISTINCTLY MONTANA 280 WEST KAGY BLVD, STE D286 BOZEMAN MT 59715 OR USE THE ENCLOSED BUSINESS REPLY CARD

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