John Youngberg has a pretty short list of what he hopes the Department of Agriculture will focus on during Gov.-elect Greg Gianforte’s tenure: more support of large, commercial scale agriculture and less emphasis on crops sold locally on a folding table.

For the last decade, Phillips County ranchers have protested the development of a large buffalo commons, the American Prairie Reserve, which has the been developed on land previously occupied by cattle. And they associate that transformation with Democrats. This is also Upper Missouri River Country, not far from the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument designated by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.