Voices of Montana

Voices of Montana
Voices of Montana
Inbody Farms, Others Added to Centennial Farm & Ranch Program
Loading
/

The Montana Historical Society has tabbed three more Montana legacy homesteads to the Centennial Farm and Ranch register: Birkeland Farms and the Woodmansey Ranch in Chouteau County, and Inbody Farms in Teton County.

Siblings Kristen and Scott Inbody join the program to share some family history and talk about their Centennial Farm, northeast of Choteau. Scott has been operating the Inbody Farms since 2006 after taking over from his father, Roy, who is the grandchild of original settlers Ray and Hannah Inbody.

From the Montana Historical Society:

Northeast of Choteau, in Teton County, the Inbody family just celebrated 100 years of farming the same land, despite terrible loss, drought, low prices, and a century of change. Roy and Hannah Inbody began farming leased land near the current farm acreage, which he purchased in March 1924. Roy added land to his holdings and by 1934 had amassed 1,200 acres.

Tragically, Roy and Hannah were killed in a car accident while on vacation in California in 1934. Their children, ages 12 to 18, were determined to stay together on the farm, although neighbors suggested otherwise.

Brothers Glen and Clark Inbody farmed together after World War II and grew the farm to 2,200 acres. The brothers created Inbody Farms Inc. in 1979 after Glen’s son, Roy, came home to join the farming operation. Roy continued growing grains and adding more land to the farm. His son, Scott, graduated from Montana State University with an agriculture business degree and returned to the farm in 2006, taking over the full operation of Inbody Farms with occasional help from Roy.

“Wise money management and controlled growth have been factors in the farm staying in the family for 100 years,” said Roy Inbody. It also helped that his wife Diane’s teaching career provided health insurance. One of the central philosophies of the family has been making things better for the next generation, even if that means a life off the farm. The legacy is not meant to be a shackle but an opportunity to create a life close to the land with flexibility and community.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *