U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) announced on Wednesday that he has hired Conrad farmer Jacob Cowgill to serve as his new state agriculture liaison.

Cowgill will serve as a point of contact for Montana farmers and ranchers, and Tester said that Cowgill will travel across the state to hear from farmer's on Tester's behalf.

Tester, a third-generation family farmer from the Big Sandy area, is one of only two farmers currently serving in the U.S. Senate.

In a press release, Tester said,  "Jacob knows ag issues inside and out, and he's ready to work hard to expand opportunities for farmers and ranchers."

Cowgill hails from Sand Coulee, just outside of Great Falls, and is a graduate of the University of Montana, where he earned a Master's Degree in Environmental Science, with a focus on food and agriculture.

Cowgill and his wife raise wheat, lentils, vegetables and heritage turkeys on a farm near Conrad. Cowgill plans to work full-time out of Tester's Great Falls office.