308-Acre Historic Wheat Ridge Farm Permanently Protected West of Four Corners

Over a century after the Anderson family began farming in the Amsterdam-Churchill area, their 308-acre Wheat Ridge Farm has been permanently conserved through a voluntary land protection agreement created in partnership with GVLT. Located just three miles west of Four Corners, the productive and scenic land near the Gallatin River will remain forever open and available for agriculture.

In 1917, Peder Anderson started farming in Gallatin County with his two sons, Lee and Leslie. After Lee tragically died during service in World War I, Leslie took over the operation before passing it on to his son, Peter. Peter then passed the multi-generational family farm on to his children, who continue to manage it today.

Wheat Ridge Farm is primarily irrigated cropland, rotated between wheat, barley, and alfalfa, with some rangeland for cows. In addition to its agricultural value, the property also provides critical habitat, forage, and connectivity for many wildlife species.

“We are excited to know that our beautiful farm is preserved as agricultural land in Gallatin County,” wrote Peter’s family members, Shad and Crystal Van Dyken and Connie Anderson. “GVLT is made up of an amazing team who patiently walked us through every step along the way.”

The project expands a significant block of protected open space, joining 23 nearby conservation easements encompassing over 12,000 acres—21 of which were also backed by the Gallatin County Open Lands program.

“Not only is that connectivity important for wildlife and ecological benefits, but it’s also critically important for sustaining our agricultural production,” said Gallatin County Commissioner Jennifer Boyer. “We know that when our farms and ranches are surrounded by development, it becomes much more difficult to continue to operate… Thanks to the Anderson family for their long dedication to agriculture and community.”

The Andersons donated a substantial amount of property value to create the easement. This donation and funding from the Gallatin County Open Lands Program were matched with federal funds from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Gallatin County voters have renewed funding for the local Open Lands Program three times, most recently in 2018.

“It was an honor to partner with the Anderson family to permanently protect this property,” said GVLT Conservation Project and GIS Manager Zane Ashford. “We are deeply grateful for their commitment to preserving the rural character and agricultural heritage of the Amsterdam-Churchill area.”

Since Montana’s Open-Space Land and Voluntary Conservation Easement Act was enacted in 1975, over 2,500 Montana families have chosen to place a conservation easement on their property to permanently protect highly productive, wildlife-rich, and scenic open space.

Founded in 1990, GVLT has partnered with landowner families throughout the past three decades to complete 141 conservation easements, protecting more than 76,000 acres of open space in Southwest Montana.