Montana Food and Agriculture Centers
The Ravalli Food & Ag Development Center is hosted by Ravalli County Economic Development Authority (RCEDA) in Hamilton, MT. RCEDA is a 501©3 non-profit economic development organization that’s been serving the Bitterroot Valley for over 27 years. RCEDA offers expertise in providing a variety of technical assistance to diverse businesses and corporations, small business counseling, expansion and retention services, grant writing and project capitalization. Other specialties include development of local infrastructure, land use and zoning for economic development purposes, as well as establishing effective regional partnerships. They serve Ravalli and Missoula counties.
Meet the FADC Staff
Julie Foster is a 30-year veteran of small entrepreneurial Montana business with 23 years of experience in rural economic development. She has been the executive director for RCEDA since 2005 and the FADC Director since 2019. She understands business, the cooperative business model including cooperative housing, the art of putting together complex finance strategies and the relationships necessary to succeed. She has attended training and conferences around the nation and one international visit to Laos on these topics. Professional and personal interests include innovative economic development, cooking and outdoor recreation, particularly long distance back packing, with friends and family. Julie has lived in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley of Western Montana for 40 years with her best friend and husband Steve.
Grace Nichols is the Specialty Crop Business Development Program Manager at RCEDA. Originally from Chugiak, Alaska, Grace has a B.S. in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems from Montana State. Grace has worked in agriculture and the food industry food for ten years, providing technical assistance to ag producers, conducting food product development research, fruit tree and berry research, and making morning pastries in a professional bakery.
Grace supports farmers growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, nursery crop, and beekeepers, assisting them with business planning, access to funding, networking, and other technical assistance. She also hosts Women in Ag networking and education events, assists with farm to school activities, and puts on stress management courses for producers. Grace’s favorite part of her job is talking to passionate producers about their crops!
Contact RCEDA
Ravalli County Economic Development Authority
274 Old Corvallis Rd Suite A
Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone: (406) 375-9416
E-mail: julie@rceda.org
E-mail: grace@rceda.org
Website: rceda.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RCEDA
Contact the FADC Network
E-mail: fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601
The Central Montana Food and Agriculture Development Center is hosted by Snowy Mountain Development Corporation located in Lewistown, Montana. For over 20 years, Snowy Mountain Development has been building community and economic capital in the rural six-county area of Central Montana. Situated in the geographic heart of Montana, SMDC maintains strong partnerships at the regional, state, and national level and believes in the importance of these collaborative efforts to see projects through to a successful completion. The staff at Snowy Mountain Development takes a wholistic approach to implement key community and economic development projects in support of local governments, community organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs. They serve Fergus, Golden Valley, Judith Basin, Musselshell, Petroleum, and Wheatland counties.
Meet the FADC Staff
As a farmer, rancher and small business owner, Abby Majerus excels at supporting Central Montana's production agriculture operations in diversification of income streams and to ensure they remain sustainable and viable. She brings strong experiential knowledge to the FADC network, from her involvement on her family ranch to international businesses experience from her time with the Montana World Trade Center. Abby has a passion for keeping generational family operations productive and profitable while encouraging new ideas and endeavors. The Central Montana FADC supports new and existing food, agriculture and renewable energy businesses through coaching and business technical assistance including business planning and development, access to financing, market research, grant identification, industry specific trainings and business networking. Specifically, the Central Montana FADC works to further the reach of value-added ag products, strengthen local food systems through infrastructure and marketing improvements, and encourage sustainability of agriculture operations through succession strategies and mentorship programs.
Contact Snowy Mountain Development Center
Snowy Mountain Development Corp
507 W Main St
Lewistown, MT 59457
Phone: (406) 535-2591
E-mail: majerus@snowymountaindevelopment.com
Website: https://www.snowymountaindevelopment.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snowymountaindevelopment
Contact the FADC Network
E-mail: fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601