MSU Leases Bozeman Health Farmland

The roughly 317-acres of Bozeman Health's farmable land within the Highland Glen area, bordered by Kagy and Highland boulevards and Bozeman Trail Road, will be planted this spring with new varieties of peas, chickpeas and durum wheat as part of MSU’s Foundation Seed Program.
The property was previously farmed by the Kraft family, who leased it from the health system starting in the 1960s. The Bozeman Health board had purchased the 500 acres encompassing the farmland in 1956, to ensure essential health services would be available to the communities of southwest Montana, and relocated the hospital to a portion of the property in 1986.
Roughly one-third of the Highland Glen property will be in foundation seed production, with another third in a rotation crop such as barley and the final third kept fallow. The rotation crop and fallow help prevent plant disease and ensure fertility to meet the high standards for seed production.
The health system is thankful for MSU’s partnership in maintaining this open space and for advancing a connection to the region’s agricultural roots, according to Denise Juneau, Bozeman Health chief government and community affairs officer.
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