MONTANA BUSINESS QUARTERLY

Volume 49, Number 2, Summer  2011

Green Business

Reducing Carbon Footprint Cuts Costs and Provides Opportunities

by

Lisa Swallow and Jerry Furniss

Montana businesses are discovering that engaging in sustainable business practices increases worker productivity, reduces costs, preserves the environment, offers opportunities, and provides competitive advantages.

Organic Farming

More Montana Farmers are Venturing Toward the Organic Marketplace

by

George Haynes

Organic farming is on the rise in Montana as farmers respond to increased demand and an increasing willingness to pay higher prices for organic products. As the economy rebounds, the future looks strong for high-quality, locally grown, and organic farm products in Montana.

Real Estate Market Still in a Slump

by

Patrick M. Barkey

Three years into its real estate slump, Montana's housing markets do not yet show definitive signs of improvement. The symptoms of the real estate malaise differ in their severity across the state, but they are depressingly familiar to all: soft or declining prices for new and existing homes, increased time on market for homes offered for sale, and continued low levels of new home construction activity.

Several Regions Show Explosive Growth in the First Half of the Decade

by

James T. Sylvester

Vacation homes are a major part of several Montana communities, and the numbers have increased; however, most of the growth occurred before the recession. Sales of vacation homes have been nearly nonexistent the last couple of years.