REAL Montana Class VI Gains Federal Policy Insights During D.C. Seminar
Froid resident Bailey Christoffersen traveled to Washington, D.C. Feb. 24-March 1 as part of REAL Montana (Resource Education and Agriculture Leadership). For Christoffersen and other members of REAL Montana Class VI, this was the fourth seminar in their two-year educational program.
Class VI focused on “Federal Policy” during their Washington, D.C. seminar. The week began with a Monuments by Moonlight tour, where their March 2026 trip to Morocco was announced. They then visited the American Farm Bureau Federation, hearing from speakers on agriculture, policy, economics, labor, and infrastructure, followed by meetings at the Embassy of Morocco and the National Mining Association. On Capitol Hill, they met with the Montana congressional delegation, received staff briefings, toured the Capitol, and observed Senate and House floor sessions.
“The Washington, D.C., seminar was an incredible follow-up to the Helena Capitol seminar. Getting the chance to meet and network with groups such as the American Farm Bureau, the National Association of Wheat Growers, and the American Petroleum Institute was a great opportunity to connect with the people advocating for issues impacting Montana’s agricultural and natural resource industries.” said Christoffersen. Class members organized small group meetings with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service. The group also met with the National Association of Wheat Growers and the American Petroleum Institute. The week concluded with a Gettysburg Battlefield tour, focusing on leadership lessons.
Nineteen of Montana’s top natural resource industry leaders from across the state were competitively selected to take part in REAL Montana Class VI. The program’s mission is to build a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the natural resource industries in Montana. The two-year leadership program features eight in-state seminars; a six-day national study tour in Washington D.C.; and a 12day international trip to Morocco.
