Grazing Expo 2026 Returns to Billings with Expanded Education, Networking and Producer Resources
August 26, 2026
Following a successful inaugural event last year, the Montana Grazing Lands Coalition is preparing to bring Grazing Expo 2026 back to Billings September 10 through 13 with an expanded lineup of workshops, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and producer networking opportunities.
Montana Grazing Lands Coalition Executive Director Kelly Beevers says the response to the first expo created strong momentum for year two.
“Last year was our first year, and it was so wonderful to see the Montana producer community and kind of the greater region get excited about the idea,” Beevers said. “I get to build on the success of the first year as a new executive director and bring it back again this year to Billings, September 10th through 13th.”
Five Major Conversations
This year’s expo will organize its educational programming around five primary themes, beginning with pre-conference workshops followed by concurrent breakout sessions on September 11 and 12.
Beevers says the Business Basics track will cover topics including enterprise analysis, legal and tax considerations, succession planning and generational transfer.
“Everything like enterprise analysis or the legal side of things, the tax side of things, and the succession and generational transfer part,” she said. “All of that kind of nuance working on the business shows up in business basics.”
The expo will also feature a Career Conversations track designed for people entering agriculture as well as those further along in their careers who want to expand their skills and professional networks.
“We designed an entire track that is early to late career,” Beavers said. “Whether you are coming fresh out of college or whether you are in your 30s, 40s and wanting to build your professional skill set and your network, that track is so many different programs and tools and resources packed into the five sessions.”
Livestock, Grazing and Ranch Management
Livestock production will take center stage in the Stock Talk sessions, with discussions centered on nutrition, genetics, genomics and management of both large and small ruminants.
Another track, Management Matters, will focus more directly on grazing management, including winter grazing, supplemental feeding and strategies producers can use when recovering from wildfire.
“We get into the nitty gritty of winter grazing or thinking about your grazing patterns crossing with the supplemental feed conversation, thinking about what tools and techniques you can use in recovering from wildfire when it comes to grazing management,” Beevers said.
The fifth track, Shared Successes, will highlight rancher-led collaborations, conservation districts and regional partnerships.
Beevers says one of the goals is to help producers learn not only from experts, but also from other ranchers who are already putting ideas into practice.
“We are bringing some of those great success stories,” she said. “Our ranchers are working across fence lines and throughout a watershed because the beauty of those groups is their place-based leadership.”
Participants from outside Montana will also share their experiences, including groups such as the Sandhills Task Force in Nebraska and the Eastern Colorado Grassland Coalition.
“We’re really trying to think about how people can go home and have something to apply on their ranch, but also have some good ideas about how they might be able to work with their neighbors,” Beevers said.
Three Keynote Speakers
Grazing Expo 2026 will feature three keynote speakers addressing workforce development, soil health and cattle markets.
First-generation rancher Cassidy Johnston will open the event with a presentation titled Pull Out a Chair: Why Agriculture Needs New People and Why a Seat at the Table Isn’t Enough.
Beavers says Johnston’s message fits directly with the expo’s focus on bringing new people into agriculture.
“We want to create that belonging for anyone who’s interested in contributing in this industry,” Beavers said.
Author and University of Washington professor David Montgomery will focus on soil health and its role in the future of agriculture.
“He’s going to dive deep into some of the applied components of the soil health principles,” Beavers said.
The expo’s third keynote speaker, Holden Ramey, will provide a cattle market update and outlook as producers evaluate strong markets, weather risks and future opportunities.
“There’s a lot of questions of how long will this last, how will upcoming weather patterns affect this, what should we be thinking of and hedging against and what opportunities are out there,” Beavers said. “Holden’s going to dive deep into a market update and outlook.”
More Than 90 Speakers and 60 Vendors
Beyond the formal sessions, Beavers says networking remains a major part of the event.
More than 90 speakers are scheduled to participate, and more than 45 of them are ranchers.
“We have out of the over 90 speakers, over 45 of them are ranchers,” Beavers said. “There’s a lot of people who might be doing the same thing day to day as you are, who you see on the stage that you can connect with at one of the socials.”
The trade show will feature more than 60 vendors representing agricultural technology, services and retail businesses.
Individual tickets are also available for the Land and Legacy Banquet on Friday, September 11, which will recognize longtime leaders who have contributed to the ranching and grazing industries.
Beevers says the full agenda, registration information and event details are available through the Montana Grazing Lands Coalition website at MontanaGLC.org.
For ranchers looking for practical ideas, new connections and a deeper look at the economic and environmental challenges facing grazing operations, Beavers says the 2026 Expo is designed to offer something producers can take home and put to work.
Source: Western Ag Network
