![]() They started out renting grass to Bruce years ago, then swapped bulls for grass when Neill noticed the quality of the cattle grazing on his land. They know what they’re getting with them,” Neill says. “Bruce just has really good cattle – I think that’s why Losekes keep coming back for ours, too. Like Bruce – and largely because of him – Neill also holds a longstanding relationship with Nebraska cattle feeder Ryan Loseke. The breed has come a long way, and we know that’s what Losekes want.”Ībout two thirds of Neill’s bull battery is sourced from Keaster. “We don’t crossbreed anymore – it just seems like if it has a black hide, it has more value, plus, we feel like we can get enough growth out of those black calves and not worry about it. “We know Bruce is looking out for us in that area, so we can focus on what matters to us and know that’s built in,” Neill says, referencing friend and seedstock provider Bruce Keaster. It can, however, be somewhat put on “auto-steer.” That doesn’t mean cattle quality is compromised. “We try not to compromise what we do on the farm with the cows.” ![]() “We definitely consider ourselves farmers who also raise cattle,” Neill says. This is the view from Neill’s dad’s old house, overlooking the Belt Valley. Neill Sweeney’s grandad bought their farm overlooking Belt Creek in 1911, where they raise winter wheat, barley and hay for the cattle. In town, breweries and bakeries alike boast Montana-grown signs. This is the region in north-central Montana known worldwide for high quality and abundant grains. It’s subtle, but there’s no doubt the rougher mountains and forest to the west are giving way to the “Golden Triangle” to the east. Up here on the high plateau where checkerboarded farmland overlooks the steep valley carved by a meandering Belt Creek, you can feel the change.
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