OLLI

Fall_2023_OLLI Newsletter (1)


Belgrade Community Library & Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Belgrade Community Library is once again to host a season of free community events with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at MSU.

These programs are made free and open to the public thanks to generous sponsorship by Belgrade Community Library Foundation.

Registration is optional but encouraged for these events. There are links below for registration for each event, but once you’ve created an account you can register for all three at the same time. You will be asked to create an account if you do not have one already, but there is no charge for this event and it is open to the general community. While you’re there, please browse through the other great OLLI @ MSU offerings and consider joining them for more events as a member (a cost of $45 per year).

If you have questions about these events please call the library at (406)388-4346 and ask for Liz or email [email protected]. If you have questions about OLLI @ MSU in general or need help registering for these free events, please call them directly at (406) 994-6550.

Event Information and Descriptions

  1. Sept 21 - Montana Crops
  2. Oct 19 - History of the Pasty
  3. Nov 9 - Grain to Glass

Sept 21 from 6:00-7:30PM Jack Riesselman presenting “Montana Crops: Past & Present.” 
Register for this event

Changing markets have had a huge influence on what crops Montana producers grow.  In the pre-prohibition era there were numerous local breweries in Montana that depend on barley grown in  Manhattan and Townsend,  Montana.  With prohibition that changed and new crops replaced barley such as sugar beets which were grown for years in the Townsend valley along with spring wheat and alfalfa.  Post prohibition saw the rise of major breweries and  barley reappeared as a major crop but in different areas of the state.  Now with craft breweries in the picture local specialty barleys are again being grown in the state. There are many other examples of markets driving what crops were grown in the state including carrots and canning peas in the Gallatin valley, Flax in N.E. Montana,  mint and dill oil in N.W. Montana,  safflower in our eastern counties, hemp a world war 2 crop which has reappeared in central Montana.  Those are but a few of the many crops that have been grown commercially over the years that changing market needs have affected.