Innovative funding model preserves vital agricultural land, local food production, wildlife habitat, and open space northeast of Belgrade.
GVLT joined the Brown family and key project partners to celebrate the permanent protection of 150 acres northeast of Belgrade, located between the East Gallatin River and the Bridger Mountain Range. The property is critical to the ongoing operations of Amaltheia Dairy.
Susan and Melvyn Brown began their renowned dairy operation in 2000 with 90 goats. Initially selling milk to a gourmet cheese distributor, they expanded in 2002 to operate their own cheese factory, introducing their beloved local organic goat cheese to the region. As their operations grew, Susan and Melvyn’s children, Nate and Sarah, joined the family business.
Today, Amaltheia raises goats to craft organic goat cheese sold throughout the region. Beyond dairy, the farm grows fresh produce to sell to local stores and restaurants and through its Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, alongside seasonal U-pick offerings including flowers, strawberries, and pumpkins. Deeply rooted in community, Amaltheia also regularly hosts groups from 4-H, Montana State University, and local schools to learn about the land and the operation.
Susan, who taught school for over 30 years, describes their community outreach: “Starting in March, students from local elementary schools, homeschools, and Montessori schools come to the farm. They get to play with the baby goats and learn about farming. We talk about what it means to be organic and why it’s important to know where your food comes from.”
The Browns leased the neighboring 150-acre property for over 20 years. In 2021, they learned the landowner intended to sell. While the Browns wished to purchase the land, Gallatin County’s rapidly rising property values presented a major barrier.
“It was very scary when it went up for sale,” shared Nate. “Without this property, we wouldn’t be able to graze our goats and would lose our organic certification. We would have had to make really hard decisions.”
To bridge the gap, the Browns partnered with Dirt Capital Partners, an investment group that works with regenerative farmers to secure long-term land access. Dirt Capital raised the necessary funds to purchase the property and entered into a lease-to-buy agreement with Amaltheia, allowing them to continue to graze their goats and farm some of the land.
To permanently protect the 150-acre parcel, the Browns partnered with GVLT to create a conservation easement on the property. This easement ensures the land will remain open and available for agriculture forever. In exchange for limiting future development rights, the Browns will receive partial compensation from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Gallatin County Open Lands Program that will enable them to complete the purchase, while also donating a substantial amount of property value.
“With many subdivisions opening around us, we talked about conserving the land for years,” said Susan. “On Penwell Bridge Road, there are many conservation easements. From the Bridger Mountains, there is a natural pathway for animals all the way to the East Gallatin River. Our land is so fertile. Putting a subdivision on it would be detrimental—not only to wildlife, but to people trying to grow things.”
Beyond supporting Amaltheia Dairy's operations and community outreach, the permanent protection of this scenic property, visible from Penwell Bridge Road, expands a contiguous block of conserved land, joining over 5,250 protected acres within a five-mile radius.
“This unique partnership demonstrates an effective way for farmers to utilize the proceeds from creating a conservation easement to expand their operation, especially in areas with extremely high property values like the Gallatin Valley,” explained GVLT Executive Director Chet Work. “Funds from the NRCS and the Gallatin County Open Lands Program will secure a productive agricultural property while supporting a local farming family in building a sustainable future.”
“NRCS continues to put farmers first in preserving and protecting our nation’s productive working lands to safeguard the long-term viability of our agricultural landscapes,” said Gayle Norman Barry, NRCS State Conservationist. “We support working lands by partnering with Montana ag producers and land trusts through conservation easement programs like the Agricultural Land Easements to help make farms, ranches, and the rural communities that depend on them more ecologically and economically sustainable.”
“Compliments to the Brown family and everyone who has helped them through this process,” added Gallatin County Commissioner Zach Brown (no relation) following the vote to approve Open Lands Program funding. “I am grateful they figured out how to make it work and am impressed with the creativity.”
“We understand the challenges faced by small- to medium-scale farmers,” added Work. “As a local land trust committed to protecting the region’s prime agricultural land and rural character, we are honored when we can work with families like the Browns to support ongoing operations and local food production.”
Since Montana’s Open-Space Land and Voluntary Conservation Easement Act was enacted in 1975, over 3,500 Montana families have chosen to place conservation easements on their properties to permanently protect productive, wildlife-rich, and scenic open spaces.