Montana Food and Agriculture Centers
The Bear Paw Development Center, based in Havre, is operated by Bear Paw Development Corporation and focuses on renewable energy in partnership with Montana State University-Northern.
Successful projects include food processing, biofuels and biolubricants, timber processing, wind energy, high-value crop production, greenhouse construction, and other value-added industries.
Bear Paw Development Corporation is committed to making northern Montana a better place to raise a family and make a living by focusing our resources on business financing, entrepreneurial training, infrastructure development and community planning.
Contact the center for information related to product development, regulatory compliance, and other assistance in developing new products from farm to market, as well as information on farm-based energy production and other value-added agricultural enterprises.
Michael Peter
Michael Peter is a native of Circle and comes from a farm and ranch family. Michael graduated in May 2018 from MSU-Northern with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Operations and an Associate’s Degree in Business. He previously worked at the Northern Ag Research Center in Hill County and was the Farm Manager at Schutter Seed Farm in Manhattan. Michael also served as President of the Collegiate Stockgrowers Club while a student at MSUN.
Contact Bear Paw
Bear Paw Development Corporation
Michael Peter, Director
Michael Peter
48 Second Avenue
Ste. 202
Havre, MT 59501
Phone : 406.265.9226
E-Mail : mpeter@bearpaw.org
Website : www.bearpaw.org
Facebook : www.facebook.com/BearPawDevelopment
Contact the FADC Network
Phone : (406) 444-5424
E-mail : fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601
The Beartooth Food and Agricultural Development Center, based in Joliet, is operated by Beartooth Resource Conservation & Development Area. They offer assistance with value-added businesses including farm-derived energy and food projects and efficiency testing of seedstock cattle.
Established in 1969, the Beartooth RC&D serves as a regional entity for the cooperative efforts of five counties in Southcentral Montana in rural and economic development. Leadership is composed of elected officials and community leaders from the counties, incorporated towns and cities, conservation districts and tribal reservations in the region.
Joel Bertolino
Meet Joel Bertolino, a fourth-generation Montanan who grew up on a "typical Montana ranch" just south of Roberts. He has continued his family’s tradition of agriculture by working for the USDA Farm Service Agency for seven years, then becoming director of the Food and Agriculture Development Center at Beartooth Resource Conservation & Development in 2009. Joel specializes in the business, marketing, and financial aspects of running a business. With his background in production agriculture, he is able to assist businesses in a variety of ways. He has a solid knowledge of the tools and opportunities available to start-ups, as well as expanding businesses.
Joel enjoys working with many diverse and innovative ag-related industries. "It’s never the same. Every project is different and we all learn a lot." Joel encourages his clients to ask him for help regardless of their situation. "Our Food and Ag Development Center network has a lot of knowledge and resources at their disposal. If I don’t have the answer to a client’s question, I’ll do the research and find the answer."
Contact Beartooth
Beartooth RC & D Food & Ag Center
Joel Bertolino
128 South Main Street
Joliet, MT 59041
Phone : 406.962.3914
E-Mail : jbertolino@beartooth.org
Website : www.beartooth.org
Facebook : www.facebook.com/beartoothdevelopment
Contact the FADC Network
Phone : (406) 444-5424
E-mail : fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601
The eastern Montana FADC focuses on providing technical assistance to producers who are diversifying their operations to include value-added agriculture production, and increase access to locally grown food products. The center is operated by Great Northern Development Corporation in Wolf Point and through a partnership with Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation serves the 12 most eastern counties of the State. A full time FADC Director will oversee the FADC and provide one-on-one business development, webinars, and training to producers. The FADC will also work closely with communities to develop farmer’s markets in the region where new products can be sold, and will establish a mentorship program between existing value-added ag producers and emerging producers.
Hailey Vine, Director
Hailey Vine recently joined Great Northern Development Corporation as the Food and Ag Development Center Director. Her experience within the ag industry encompasses work in small business management as well as carrying out disaster assistance programs. Hailey brings to the company a passion for serving rural communities and assisting producers in reaching their goals. She is no stranger to the challenges many producers face daily and is prepared to provide guidance and resources to aid in success. Hailey holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science with a Minor in Business Administration from Montana State University. She is encouraged daily by her husband, Tyler, and enjoys helping him with their farm operation in Circle, MT. Outside of work, she likes to attempt new meal recipes, catch up with friends and family, and spend time outdoors with their dog, Millie.Contact Great Northern
Great Northern Development Corporation
Hailey Vine
233 Cascade St # 3
Wolf Point, MT 59201
Phone : 406.653.2590 ext 201
E-Mail : fadc@gndc.org
Website : www.gndc.org
Facebook : www.facebook.com/GreatNorthernDevCorp
Contact the FADC Network
Phone : (406) 444-5424
E-mail : fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601
As a Food & Agricultural Development Center, Headwaters is part of a statewide network that provides assistance in food and value-added agricultural product development, marketing, and farm-based energy development. With centers in Joliet, Havre, Ronan and Butte, the network focuses on adding value to existing agricultural resources within Montana.
Headwaters works to support economic development by ensuring that more of the state’s food, agricultural and energy dollars circulate in Montana by keeping more agricultural products within the state by processing them locally.
Courtney Loeffler, FADC Director
Contact Headwaters
Headwaters RC&D
Courtney Loeffler
Thornton Building, 5th Floor
65 East Broadway
Butte, MT 59701
Phone : 406.533.6781
E-Mail : cedwards@headwatersrcd.org
Website : www.headwatersrcd.org
Facebook : www.facebook.com/headwatersrcd
Contact the FADC Network
Phone : (406) 444-5424
E-mail : fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601
The Food and Agricultural Development Center in Ronan operates as a division of Mission West Community Development Partners under Mission Mountain Fooid Enterprise Center.
The center, which includes food processing facilities, serves as a multi-dimensional local, regional and statewide development resource that has influenced changes in the value chain from farm and ranch production, to food innovation processing, to distribution of local food and finally to the consumers' plates
The purpose of the center is to:
- assist in development of food and value-added agricultural business;
- collaborate in statewide efforts to increase Montana's capacity to produce food, farm-derived renewable energy and other value-added agricultural products;
- and enhance local food system development within our local communities.
Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center offers:
- Food product and market testing & development
- Food safety
- Food labeling, packaging development & sourcing
- Processing for farm-to-cafeteria markets
- Food business assistance & co-op development
- Guidance on organic certification
- Food Science Technical Assistance
Contact the center for information related to product development, regulatory compliance, and other assistance in developing new products from farm to market. The center also has information regarding farm-based energy production and other value-added agricultural enterprises.
Jan Tusick
Jan Tusick, the director of the Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center in Ronan, has a degree in Agricultural Science and more than 30 years of solving problems in food and agriculture enterprise development. In addition to assisting with business and marketing plans, Jan’s areas of expertise include cooperative development, food safety, and farm to institution programs.
The Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center is Montana’s first community-based food processing center, with 13,000 square feet of production space, laboratory, cold storage, and warehouse. "Our facility is unique, in that it gives people the ability to start manufacturing food on a big scale," says Jan. Helping people develop business plans, scale up their recipes, create new labeling, gain access to funding, and take their dreams to the next level is very rewarding. "What I do isn’t work," affirms Tusick. "It’s more of a passion and a lifestyle than a job. In a nutshell, we at Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center are excited about the work we do."
Contact Mission Mountain
Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center
Jan Tusick
407 Main Street SW
Ronan, MT 59701
Phone : 406.676.5901, ext. 111
E-Mail : jan.tusick@missionwestcdp.org
Website : https://missionwestcdp.org/mission-mountain-food-enterprise-center/
Contact the FADC Network
Phone : (406) 444-5424
E-mail : fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601
The new Food and Ag Development Center at Prospera Business Network in Bozeman will serve primarily those in Park and Gallatin counties. Prospera has a 35-year history of helping people start and grow their business – and the new center will support emerging businesses in the value-added supply chain with no-cost business counseling and technical support, business development grants (like Growth Through Agriculture grants), loan financing, and targeted professional trainings with our partners at the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center.
We will also be forming a new FADC Business Cluster that will support and grow the value-added agriculture industry in southwest Montana.
Paul Reichert, Director
Paul serves as the Executive Director of Prospera Business Network. Paul brings over twenty-years of nonprofit and community development experience to Prospera having served as the Executive Director for both the Helena and Bozeman Downtown Business Districts, and as the agency Director for the Montana Heritage Commission.
His diverse accomplishments in downtown redevelopment, project funding, and a variety of local economic development efforts help him serve business clients, entrepreneurs and local governments that Prospera serves right here in Montana.
Contact Prospera
Prospera Business Network
Paul Reichert, Executive Director
2015 Charlotte Street, Suite 1
Bozeman, MT 59718
Phone : 406.587.3113
E-Mail : fadc@prosperamt.org
Website : www.prosperamt.org
Facebook : www.facebook.com/ProsperaBusinessNetwork
Contact the FADC Network
Phone : (406) 444-5424
E-mail : fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601
The purpose of the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority (RCEDA) is to promote, stimulate, develop and advance the general welfare, commerce, economic development and prosperity of local citizens, Ravalli County, and the State of Montana.
A primary goal of the RCEDA is to create the foundation and infrastructure for knowledge-based businesses in the Bitterroot Valley to thrive. RCEDA provides cost-free business and financial planning and entrepreneurial support services which include grants, loans, technical expertise, relocation assistance, quality workforce and more.
Julie Foster, Director
Contact RCEDA
Ravalli County Economic Development Authority
Julie Foster
274 Old Corvallis Rd Suite A
Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone : 406.375.9416
E-Mail : julie@rceda.org
Website : rceda.org
Facebook : www.facebook.com/RCEDA
Contact the FADC Network
Phone : (406) 444-5424
E-mail : fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601
The Central Montana Food and Agriculture Development Center is operated by Snowy Mountain Development Corporation located in Lewistown, Montana. The purpose of the center is to support economic development through assistance in the development of new businesses and retention of existing production and value-added agriculture businesses in Central Montana and to further develop local food structures. This center recognizes the hard work of existing organizations and will collaborate through partnerships within the community and across the state. In addition, the center offers trainings and courses to further support food and agriculture in Central Montana.
Specifically, the Central Montana FADC will work to further the reach of value-added ag products within Central Montana, create an even larger focus on local food through implementation of local sourcing to schools and expansion of the local farmer’s market, encourage sustainability of agriculture operations through succession strategies and mentorship programs and support of numerous organizations and events already working to promote Central Montana’s thriving agriculture sector.
Snowy Mountain Development Corporation was established in 2001 to build community and economic capital in an rural six-county area of Central Montana.
Abby Majerus, Director
The Central Montana FADC is led by Abby Majerus. Abby was raised on a farm and ranch in Central Montana and continues the tradition of production agriculture raising beef cattle, hay and wheat on the Judith River. She graduated from the University of Montana with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. She is an accredited small business counselor and an accredited agricultural consultant.
Contact Snowy Mountain Center
Snowy Mountain Development Corp
Abby MAjerus
507 W Main St
Lewistown, MT 59457
Phone : 406.535.2591
E-Mail : majerus@snowymountaindevelopment.com
Contact the FADC Network
Phone : (406) 444-5424
E-mail : fadc@mt.gov
302 N Roberts
Helena, MT 59601