The Montana Department of Agriculture on Wednesday began accepting pre-application submissions for its Growth Through Agriculture Grant and Loan Program, a statewide effort to direct grants and low-interest loans toward projects that expand processing capacity, improve farm infrastructure and increase in-state value capture. The move is intended to give officials a preliminary measure of demand and to shape the department’s priorities before formal applications are invited.

“The purpose of this program is straightforward: help Montana producers and processors expand capacity, create jobs and capture more value here at home,” Logan Kruse, communications director for the department, said in an interview. Kruse emphasized that the pre-application phase is a planning tool designed to identify projects ranging from meat and grain processing to storage, refrigeration, and renewable energy installations on farms.

While the department has not yet released a final schedule for awards, Kruse said pre-applications will inform a competitive selection process to follow later this year. Applicants are encouraged to outline project scope, estimated costs and potential community impact. The department is offering technical assistance through local extension offices to help smaller operators prepare submissions.

For the Hi-Line, where towns such as Havre serve as regional service centers for a wide swath of grain and livestock producers, the program could be consequential. Local economies in Montana have faced decades of consolidation in agriculture, shrinking rural populations and pressure on commodity margins. State officials say targeted investments in processing and storage can retain a greater share of agricultural dollar flows within communities, support seasonal employment and reduce dependence on distant processors.

Economic analysts note that value-added agricultural investments tend to produce broader local multipliers than commodity exports alone. By creating processing capacity closer to production, rural economies can capture processing margins that otherwise accrue to firms outside the state. “Even modest investments in processing or cold storage can change whether a community benefits from a supply chain,” Kruse said.

The department’s outreach materials list eligible applicants broadly to include producers, processors, cooperatives and local governments, though final eligibility criteria and match requirements will be defined when full applications open. The state will prioritize projects that demonstrate measurable economic impact, job creation, and resilience to market or climate shocks, Kruse added.

Local producers and business groups have signaled interest. Area economic development officials said they view the program as an opportunity to pursue projects that have stalled for lack of capital, from capacity upgrades at a regional meat plant to expanded grain-handling equipment that could smooth seasonal bottlenecks.

Program leaders plan webinars and regional meetings after the pre-application window closes to help prospective applicants prepare competitive proposals. Farmers and business owners on the Hi-Line should view the pre-application as a low-cost, strategic step: even if full awards are months away, early submissions can help shape project rankings and mobilize matching funds from local partners.

As rural economies seek to diversify revenue sources and blunt the effects of consolidation, the Growth Through Agriculture program represents a state-level bet that public investment in infrastructure and processing can translate into steadier incomes, more local jobs and a more self-reliant agricultural economy.