Beef to School
This project was developed to continue the efforts of getting Montana beef into local area schools. The Eastern Montana Food & Ag Development Center (FADC)created a liaison position in conjunction with Abundant Montana and AERO that would aid in communication between producers and schools. Thanks to funding made available through the Save the Children Fund received by Great Northern Development Corporation, schools received $440 to purchase local beef for their students from regional producers who chose to participate in the project.
Oswald Farms
Oswald Farms of Joliet, MT operates a generational ag operation that raises cattle and feeds them out to be processed at a local USDA plant. Owners, Melissa and Justin Oswald, sell their own branded beef products, Oswald Farms Beef, to local restaurants and direct to consumers through Facebook. They offer multiple beef products including specialty cut packaged meats, sausages, and snacks. Oswald Farms developed a retail location to sell their meat products and other local foods located near the intersection of Highway 310 and 312. Be sure to check them out!
Ravalli County Beginner Farmer Tractor Course
Missoula and Ravalli County have dozens of ambitious beginning farmers, many of them becoming the first generation in their family to work in agriculture. Because many of these beginning farmers may not have been raised farming and ranching, they need to learn technical field skills on their own. After hearing several women farmers tell RCEDA’s FADC that there were very few places to learn these skills, RCEDA decided to help offer courses clients could benefit from.
Unwaffle
Unwaffle makes the best toaster waffles on earth and now you can find them in a growing number of retail stores and restaurants! The Bozeman-based company is focused on community health and environmental sustainability. To help bolster their mission, the team at Unwaffle have developed partnerships with many like-minded organic growers who also focus on clean supply chains and reducing their carbon footprint. Unwaffle sources as many Montana-grown ingredients as possible with an average of 65% of all ingredients sourced from within the state. Montana-grown, organic, gluten-free oats and organic lentils are the key ingredients to all of their waffle products.
Skattum Dairy
Currently raising a fifth generation in the Paradise Valley, Skattum Dairy is a testament to a multigenerational commitment to providing wholesome food to our local communities. Skattum Dairy is a pasture-based dairy founded in the 1950’s. Lily Andersen, an owner-operator, graduated from MSU with degrees in Animal Science and Livestock Management. Lily is committed to producing high-quality milk for the local community. “Last fall, our buyer told us ‘I need more Montana milk.’ I sat my family down and asked ‘what do we need to grow?’
Montana Survival Seed
Montana Survival Seed is a small, regionally adapted seed business out of the heart of the Bitterroot Valley. They source flower, vegetable, herbal, and native seeds from growers across Montana and Oregon. The seeds the company sells are sourced from plants grown with organic practices, without synthetic fertilizers and herbicides. Each seed packet has a colorful and unique hand-illustrated picture, making them the perfect gift for any home gardener.
To learn more about Montana Survival Seed, visit their website: MONTANA SURVIVAL SEED helps those who need surivival foods. – Montana Survival Seed