Year of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Environmental Studies

Department or School/College

Environmental Studies

Committee Chair

Margiana Petersen-Rockney

Commitee Members

Hilary Faxon Kyle Bocinsky

Keywords

beginning farmers, agriculture, land, drought, adaptation, access theory

Subject Categories

Environmental Studies

Abstract

Montana is home to a growing number of beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers (BSDFRs), yet they face substantial barriers to accessing resources, from farmland to federal farm support programs. Rising land prices and climate-induced drought further exacerbate the challenges that farmers already face, posing a “twin crisis” that is especially severe for beginning farmers who have operated their farms for fewer than 10 years. This research draws on ethnographic data, including 24 in-depth interviews with BSDFRs and five informational interviews with farm service providers in Western Montana. I find that while federal USDA programs support farmers on paper, they often fall short in providing support to those most in need. Many BSDFRs are not aware of USDA support programs and do not receive outreach from, or have relationships with, local USDA staff. BSDFRs also often face program eligibility barriers that stem from operating on leased land. Many farmers frame access to both land and federal support as the product of "luck," rather than the structural (in)effectiveness of programs administered by the USDA. As climate change intensifies, farmers increasingly rely on informal community networks and local nonprofits as mediators for support. Using access theory, I argue that this framing of “luck” is both a pivot away from structural reform efforts and an everyday resistance strategy in a landscape of exacerbating challenges.

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