Sherwin Leep | 2024 Gallatin County Rancher Farmer Award Winner

Published: March 8, 2024

Author/Pilot: Dallas Fischer

Category Tags: AGRICULTURE

Sherwin Leep is a co-owner of Leep Hay & Grain Company and a native to the Gallatin Valley. His family has been farming in the Gallatin Valley since the 1920’s. In the early 1970’s, Sherwin and his brother Greg started Leep Hay & Grain operations on a 240ac parcel of leased land which is now the present-day location of the retail shopping complex immediately south and west of E. Valley Center and N. 19th in Bozeman. Since that time, the operation has grown to be 5500ac in size with 4000 of those acres owned by the operation. Now headquartered at its Cobb Hill Rd facility, the operation extends to include non-contiguous tracts about 10 miles in each direction from Four Corners.

Sherwin, Greg, and three of their adult sons who are now working in the operation, are very skillful and successful hay and grain producers in the valley. Defying the trend of taking farmland out of production and selling it for housing and development purposes, Sherwin has been able to acquire and conserve productive ground by utilizing conservation easements and working hard to ensure the land continues to support a profitable farming enterprise.

Leadership, stewardship, integrity, and relationship building are key traits that Sherwin has and continues to exhibit in his career in the Gallatin Valley. Sherwin has been a supervisor with the Gallatin Conservation District since 1985 and continues to serve today. He has been a director of the Big Sky Mutual Farm Insurance Co since 2020, has served multiple terms as a Manhattan Christian School board member, and serves as an AgWest Farm Credit advisory board member. And most commendably, Sherwin and his spouse Tamara have raised a family of four successful children who have blessed them with many grandchildren.

Recognizing Sherwin Leep as the 2024 Outstanding Farmer/Rancher award recipient is an honor for the Gallatin Chamber Ag-Committee. He is longstanding member of the Gallatin Valley’s farming community, a man of integrity, a good friend, and great neighbor. Congratulations to Sherwin Leep.

Sherwin Leep | 2024 Gallatin County Rancher Farmer Award Winner