Tory Johnson
Founder — Mountain Range Markets
I'm an agricultural insurance agent and cattle market analyst based in Montana. My work sits at the intersection of ag risk management, data science, and the livestock markets that define the Mountain West.
I grew up on a small cow-calf operation where I developed a deep appreciation for the agricultural community and the realities farmers and ranchers face every day. That upbringing shaped everything about how I think about markets, risk management, and what meaningful intelligence actually looks like for a working cattle operation.
I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business from Montana State University (Go Cats!) and began my career in agricultural risk management, helping farmers and ranchers alike across the country navigate the complexities of marketing and price risk as a futures broker and risk management advisor. After getting a glimpse into the futures world, why markets were moving, what was moving them, how much they were going to move, I needed to know more. This pushed me to obtain my Master of Science in Applied Economics and Predictive Analytics. This built the foundational knowledge to dive deep into the backbone of the commodity markets.
After seeing a gap in the feeder cattle futures market, I saw an opportunity with Livestock Risk Protection (LRP). With that, I moved on to the insurance world specializing in Livestock Risk Protection (LRP), Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF), Multiple Peril Crop Insurance, and Farm and Ranch insurance policies. I dove deep into how LRP and PRF can help ranchers and completed my Masters degree with my thesis paper, “Buying High, Selling Low: Studying the Effects of Federal Crop Insurance Programs on a Ranchers Decision to Sell.”
Mountain Range Markets was born out of that journey. It's the platform I wish had existed when I started — rigorous analysis, honest forecasts, and risk tools built by someone who understands what's on the line.
Market clarity for the people who earn their living raising cattle.
Mountain Range Markets exists to close the gap between the data that moves cattle markets and the producers and traders who need to act on it. Too much ag market analysis is built for traders in Chicago. We build for operators in Montana, Wyoming, and the Mountain West — people with real exposure and real decisions to make every week.
A fully integrated intelligence, insurance, and risk platform.
The platform you see today — market data, forecasting models, and weekly intelligence — is the foundation. Over the coming years, Mountain Range Markets will expand into a full-service operation: an independent insurance and LRP brokerage, and a systematic trading operation, all built on the same analytical core.
Market Intelligence
LiveWeekly cattle market updates, USDA report analysis, and cash trade summaries — distilled into actionable intelligence for producers and traders who follow the Mountain West markets closely.
Forecasting Models
MembersQuantitative models built on USDA Cattle on Feed data, WASDE beef production figures, export sales, and macroeconomic variables. VAR-based placements forecasts, COF inventory projections, and price outlooks — members-only access.
Risk Tools
Coming SoonLRP coverage analysis, PRF rainfall index tools, and basis tracking designed for livestock operations that need to understand their exposure and hedge intelligently. Coming as the platform matures.
Mountain Range Market Update
A weekly audio breakdown of Montana and Mountain West cattle markets — cash trade, futures, USDA reports, and what it all means for producers navigating the current environment. No fluff, no filler. Just the numbers and what they're telling us.
Listen on Spotify →intelligence — Montana
Questions? Let's talk markets.
Whether you're a producer looking for better market intelligence or a trader interested in the MRM platform — reach out directly.