Montana Agritourism Conference set for Nov. 5-6 in Lewistown

BOZEMAN - The third annual Montana Agritourism Conference will be held on Nov. 5-6 at the Yogo Inn in Lewistown, bringing together farmers, ranchers, tourism professionals, educators and community leaders to explore opportunities to strengthen Montana agriculture through agritourism.

Hosted by the Montana Agritourism Association, this year's conference, "Cultivating Opportunity: Growing Montana Through Agritourism," will feature educational sessions, keynote speakers, networking opportunities and optional farm tours designed to help participants build and grow agritourism businesses.

The first day will include farm tours around the Lewistown area along with an evening social, followed by a day of keynote speakers, panels and breakout sessions on Friday, Nov. 6. The sessions will feature producers, industry professionals and representatives from state agencies and organizations discussing a range of topics related to developing, marketing and growing agritourism businesses. A full schedule and list of sessions can be found on the conference website.

Shannon Arnold, a professor in MSU's Department of Agricultural and Technology Education, said the conference is designed for anyone interested in the intersection of agriculture and tourism. Bringing together producers, tourism professionals, educators, community leaders and others from a variety of fields helps participants share ideas that expand agritourism, increase visitation to agricultural operations and support stronger rural communities, Arnold said.

The Montana Agritourism Association was established in 2025 to support agritourism businesses and strengthen connections among agriculture, tourism and rural communities. This year's conference is sponsored by the Montana Department of Agriculture specialty crop block grant at MSU.

Registration is open now and closes Oct. 19. Early bird pricing is available through Aug. 31. Registration options and pricing can be found at https://www.montanaagritourism.com/registration.