Fay Ranches Announces Partnership with the Dan Scott Ranch Management Program, Seeks Ranch Partners

 Contact: Rachel Frost, 406-994-3724 or frost@montana.edu  

“The success of the Dan Scott Ranch Management Program is dependent on a close relationship with industry and ranching partners, such as Fay Ranches. Without the ranching community’s participation and support of the program, we cannot provide the educational experience that will prepare students to meet the challenges facing tomorrow’s managers of investment properties and family ranches.”

Dr. Rachel Frost – Program Lead, Dan Scott Ranch Management Program, Montana State University

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 BOZEMAN — The Montana State University College of Agriculture’s newest bachelor’s degree program in ranching systems is actively seeking partner ranches for student internships. 

The degree is part of the new Dan Scott Ranch Management Program and provides the academic foundation needed for ranch management while developing students’ leadership, business, and communication skills.  

 The Dan Scott Ranch Management Program aims to produce graduates equally equipped to work with landowners or major ranches. It is the only degree program of its kind in the intermountain West, offering students an interdisciplinary combination of scientific information, experiential learning, and financial knowledge. 

 The program, which is limited to 10 students per academic year, began accepting students this fall. Students apply to the program during their sophomore year. Those accepted are then matched with a host ranch for a two-year internship.  

 The first class of ranching systems students will intern on Montana ranches beginning in May 2020, and the College of Agriculture is seeking additional ranches to partner with the program by hosting interns, as well as suggesting education needs that would benefit Montana’s ranching community.  

 “By turning young people’s passion for ranching into a profitable profession, the ranching systems degree at Montana State University is carrying the legacy of Montana agriculture into the next generation and beyond,” said Rachel Frost, who leads the Dan Scott Ranch Management Program.  

Frost joined the MSU faculty earlier this year, specifically to direct the new program. Her background includes research examining the role of grazing in enhancing rangeland health and noxious weed management. She spent six years working with conservation districts along the Missouri River in Montana, focusing on local conservation projects, rural community stability, and invasive species prevention.  

“Having grown up on a family ranch and working closely with ranchers my whole career, I am excited about the opportunities for graduates of this program,” said Frost. “The ranching community deserves our best and brightest students, and the Dan Scott Ranch Management Program is the perfect conduit to help these students become the ranch managers of the 21st century.” 

In addition to the undergraduate degree in ranching systems, Frost said the Dan Scott Ranch Management Program will strive to foster an exchange between MSU and the Montana ranching community that enriches the lives of ranching families and improves the economic viability and cultural sustainability of ranches. The program is built on donations from Montana landowners and industry partners. Continued involvement and support will be key to the program’s success, said Frost. 

For more information about the Dan Scott Ranch Management Program,  contact Frost at 406-994-3724 or frost@montana.edu.