Montana Farmers Union

What Montana Farmers Union does

Montana Farmers Union is a grassroots, non-profit agricultural organization founded in 1900 and headquartered in Great Falls, Montana, operating across the state on three stated pillars: education, legislation, and cooperation. It serves family farmers, ranchers, and rural community supporters as a membership-based advocacy and program-delivery body, affiliated with the National Farmers Union and part of the Farmers Union Enterprises consortium with neighboring state Farmers Unions. The organization is governed by a board with district representation and staffed by a small executive team including a President, Chief of Staff, Education Directors, and Member Services/Government Affairs Director.

MFU's product surface consists of programs rather than technology products: residential Summer Camps at the Arrowpeak Lodge in the Highwood Mountains, day camps, a first-time Ag for Classroom Teachers Camp offering OPI renewal credits, two annual Women's Conferences (Western and Eastern Montana), a quarterly book club with author discussions, a quarterly magazine, weekly email newsletter, podcasts (Lunch & Learn), and a video library. Educational programming scaled materially in 2025, reaching more than 5,200 students across 57 schools versus 1,160 students at 16 schools earlier that year. The organization also runs a Centennial Farm and Ranch Program that has recognized nearly 200 multi-generation farms and ranches since the mid-1990s.

The business model blends member dues, foundation grants and donations, Business Booster corporate sponsorships, and returns from preferred stock held in Montana-based cooperatives (over $300,000 deployed to date). The MFU Foundation disburses scholarships and grants (over $50,000 awarded in 2023, with 24 of 70+ applicants receiving over $33,000 in 2024), funded in part by charitable gifts from CHS Inc. via the CHS Foundation and other donors. Pricing for educational programs is intentionally low-cost, with camperships available, and member dues are not publicly disclosed. Legislative advocacy is delivered through policy positions, congressional primary debates, a legislative scorecard, Washington DC fly-ins, and formal involvement in federal litigation, including a challenge to IEEPA-based tariffs in which MFU President Walter Schweitzer filed a supporting declaration.

Name

Montana Farmers Union

Legal name

Montana Farmers Union

Website

https://montanafarmersunion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Montana Farmers Union is a 100-year-old grassroots non-profit headquartered in Great Falls, Montana, serving family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through membership dues, educational programming, legislative advocacy, and cooperative development support across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Advocacy

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)

Keywords

• Agricultural advocacy services
• Cooperative development support
• Agricultural education programs
• Farmer membership organization
• Rural community support

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from family farmers, ranchers, and supporters of rural communities
2. Foundation Grants and Donations: MFU Foundation distributes grants and scholarships funded by donations. In 2023, over $50,000 in grants and scholarships were awarded. Foundation funded by charitable gifts from CHS Inc. and other donors.
3. Sponsorships and Business Boosters: Business Booster Club program where businesses sponsor MFU to show support for Montana farmers, ranchers and communities
4. Cooperative Investment Returns: MFU supports cooperative development by purchasing preferred stock in co-ops. Returns benefit member communities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Montana Farmers Union is a grassroots non-profit organization that delivers annual membership services, agricultural education programming (residential and day camps, teacher training, school classroom visits), cooperative development assistance (including preferred-stock investment in local co-ops), and legislative advocacy on behalf of family farmers, ranchers, and rural Montana communities. MFU also produces a quarterly magazine, hosts annual conventions and Women's Conferences, and runs sponsorship and grants programs through the affiliated MFU Foundation.

Product overview

Montana Farmers Union is a grassroots non-profit organization offering educational programs, advocacy services, and cooperative development support rather than a technology product. The portfolio consists of youth camps (Summer Camps at Arrowpeak and Day Camps), women's empowerment conferences, a book club, educational teacher training, congressional debates, scholarship programs, and cooperative development assistance. These programs are centered on the organization's pillars of education, legislation, and cooperation to support family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MFU Membership Annual individual membership for family farmers, ranchers, and supporters of rural Montana communities, providing grassroots advocacy representation and access to MFU programming.
• MFU Summer Camps at Arrowpeak Award-winning residential summer camp programs at Arrowpeak Lodge in the Highwood Mountains for youth ages 7-18, teaching agricultural principles and the cooperative business model through hands-on experiential learning, with camperships available.
• MFU Day Camps Day camp programs held throughout Montana providing hands-on agricultural education and cooperative learning experiences for youth.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2023, 4-H clubs received more than $12,000 in Sentence Grants; Over $50,000 in grants and scholarships awarded; Over $30,000 in travel expenses covered for leadership training
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Montana Cooperative Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner for developing and implementing agriculture-focused cooperative curriculum and educational programming for youth.
• MSU ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering to develop and implement agriculture-focused cooperative curriculum and educational programming focused on food systems and agricultural issues.
• Cascade Conservation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering for developing and implementing agriculture-focused cooperative curriculum and educational programming.
• Montana Fish, Wildlife & ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering for developing and implementing agriculture-focused cooperative curriculum and educational programming.
• Montana Premium Processing CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking cooperative where youth learn how cooperatives are formed, governed by boards, and operated for member benefit. MFU supports through cooperative development assistance.
• Glacier Processing CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking cooperative where youth learn how cooperatives are formed, governed by boards, and operated for member benefit.
• National Farmers UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFU is affiliated with National Farmers Union, participating in NFU conventions, policy development, and advocacy campaigns including Fairness for Farmers. NFU represents family farmers and ranchers nationally.
• Farmers Union EnterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFU is part of Farmers Union Enterprises along with Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota Farmers Unions. Partners on FUEL Leadership cohort program.
• Montana Cattlemen's Association Foundation for Research, Education and EndowmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated cost of processing for MFU President's beef donation to Havre Community Food Bank through Beef for Every Plate program.
• Montana 4-HcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMontana Farmers Union is a proud supporter of Montana 4-H and the next generation in agriculture.
• Montana FFAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMFU supports Montana FFA through sponsorship and created new chapter sponsorship program awarding $2,500 each to FFA chapters in Florence, Frenchtown, Harrison, Havre, Augusta, Belt Valley, Scobey, Nashua, Whitehall, and Jordan.
• Montana Agriculture in the ClassroomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMFU is a proud supporter of Montana Agriculture in the Classroom.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Minnesota Farmers Union: Co-member of Farmers Union Enterprises with MFU. Provides identical three-pillar services (education, legislation, cooperation) to Minnesota family farmers and ranchers through grassroots membership and cooperative development.
• National Farmers Union: National parent affiliate of MFU, also a grassroots membership organization representing family farmers and ranchers. Operates the same three-pillar model of education, legislation, and cooperation, and provides the policy platform that MFU state chapters implement.
• Wisconsin Farmers Union: Sister state Farmers Union and co-member of Farmers Union Enterprises. Operates the same cooperative development, education, and advocacy model for Wisconsin family farmers, making it the most directly comparable state-level peer.
• North Dakota Farmers Union: Co-member of Farmers Union Enterprises with MFU. Runs comparable education programs, cooperative development support, and legislative advocacy for family farmers and ranchers in North Dakota.

Broad incumbents

• Farm Aid: National nonprofit focused on family farm advocacy, with overlapping interests in fair markets, anti-corporate consolidation, and rural community support. Operates at a broader national level and complements MFU's state-level advocacy work.
• American Farm Bureau Federation: Larger, national agricultural advocacy organization representing farmers and ranchers. Operates overlapping policy advocacy and educational programming but is broader in scope (includes large agribusiness interests) and is not structured as a cooperative-focused grassroots membership model.

Emerging players

• National Young Farmers Coalition: National nonprofit advocating for the next generation of farmers. Shares MFU's focus on youth pipeline programs and policy advocacy for family farm viability, though with a narrower demographic focus on young and beginning farmers.
• Center for Rural Affairs: Nonprofit organization advocating for rural communities, family farms, and cooperative enterprise. Shares MFU's focus on rural community development and family farm sustainability, with comparable policy advocacy on antitrust and fair markets in agriculture.

Others

• Cooperative Development Services: Cooperative development center providing formation and consulting services to rural cooperatives, closely aligned with MFU's cooperative development pillar. Comparable in enabling cooperative formation but operates as a service provider rather than a membership advocacy body.
• National 4-H Council: National youth agricultural education organization partnered with MFU. Comparable in delivering youth agricultural education programming (similar to MFU's Arrowpeak camps and classroom visits), though 4-H is a broader youth development organization rather than a farmer advocacy body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MFUfarmers
• Facebookfacebook.com/MFUfarmers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-farmers-union

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Montana Farmers Union