U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has issued a USDA proclamation to recognize October 2024 as the department’s 60th anniversary of National Cooperative Month. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested more than $17 billion in loans and grants to spur economic development, catalyze rural prosperity and advance equity through rural cooperatives.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry reminds Montana businesses and workers that the minimum wage will increase from $10.30 to $10.55 beginning on Jan. 1, 2025. Montana law requires the minimum wage to be adjusted annually for inflation using the August estimates of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers. The CPI-U increased by 2.53 percent from August 2023 to August 2024. The

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Montana is accepting applications for Ag Lands Easements, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, Regional Conservation Partnership Program and Wetlands Reserve Easements. To be considered for funding in the current cycle, producers and landowners should apply by: • ALE Inflation Reduction Act: Oct.

The U.S. Senate passed Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester’s bipartisan resolution marking Sept. 20 as National Service Dog Day in honor of service dogs in Montana and across the nation. The resolution received unanimous bipartisan support. “For thousands of veterans and servicemembers across the country, service dogs play an incredible role helping our fighting men and