Montana Value-Added Agriculture
The Montana Department of Agriculture is keenly focused on expanding value-added agriculture opportunities to allow producers to capture more of the value they create. The following are Montana ag businesses and organizations from across the state that are modeling innovative practices and adding value to Montana agriculture.
41 Grains
Circle, MT
41 Grains owners Kacie and Rex Sikveland mill and process chickpeas grown on their family farm in Circle, MT into a variety of value-added, naturally gluten-free products packed with protein and nutrition. This multi-generational family farm business is successfully modeling how value can be added to raw ag commodities, like chickpeas, through processing and promotion.
Ag Processing Solutions
Great Falls, MT
A Growth Through Agriculture grant recipient, Ag Processing Solutions aims to add value to raw Montana commodities such as hemp through innovative and customizable processing techniques.
Aspen Grove Farm
Corvallis, MT
Melissa Allred started Aspen Grove Farm to share her passion and love for the land and beautiful berries. Aspen Grove is nestled in the Bitterroot Valley of Western Montana. Their feature product is the Honeyberry a super fruit, rich in antioxidants and has five times the phenols of blueberries . Honeyberries have a unique sweet tart flavor that could be described as a combination of raspberry and blueberry. The farm also grows strawberries and raspberries. Jams, syrups, and bulk berries are available for purchase at the farm and online.
Becky's Berries
Absarokee, MT
Becky Stahl began selling her small batches of handcrafted jellies at the local farmers market. With help from a Growth Through Ag grant and support from Joel Bertolino at the Beartooth Food & Ag Development Center in Joliet, she is now operating a certified processing facility that ships an assortment of specialty products including pepper jellies and barbecue sauce across the nation.
Big Mountain Ciderworks
Kalispell, MT
With their orchard situated right outside the ciderhouse, Big Mountain Ciderworks’ vertically-integrated and hyper-local business model crafts hard ciders from Montana-grown apples and pears. The DeSmul family incorporates other local products on their menu whenever possible and took home the Governor’s Choice Award at the first annual Montana Beverage Show in 2021.
Big Sky Hops
Bigfork, MT
bigskyorchards.com/hop-varieties
The Jones family’s Ramsfield Hop Yard grows over six different varieties of hops that are processed and oftentimes pelletized on-site before being crafted into value-added Montana craft beers. Big Sky Orchards received a grant through the Growth Through Agriculture program in 2020 to expand their hops processing capacity which allowed the local business to offer pelletized hops year-round.
Blue Creek Marbled Meats
Buck 'N Dave's Eggs
Corvallis, MT
Buck Lunak and David Whitmoyer raise brown-shell, free range natural eggs with no antibiotics, hormones or chemicals in the Bitterroot valley. It is their true goal to provide the best quality farm-to-table eggs for customers and their community. They are proud to be made in Montana. Farm fresh eggs.
Duckworth Co.
Helle Rambouillet Ranch, Dillon, MT
“Like any true-blue Montana brand, Duckworth Co. was founded on a local ski hill - a ski lift, to be precise. Those fateful conversations between runs formed the cornerstones of their ethos and mission: to create versatile Merino Wool products made exclusively in the USA with Montana-grown wool. Using best-in-the-world- quality Merino Wool - produced by fourth-generation sheep ranchers, The Helle Family from Dillon, Montana – Duckworth’s apparel is designed for superior performance with stewardship, sustainability, and American-made craftsmanship at front of mind.”
Farm to Market Pork
Kalispell, MT
Farm to Market Pork & Beef’s on-farm butcher shop owned and operated by Duane and Janette Braaten provides a variety of artisan Montana meat products, including everything from hickory smoked pork products to artisan beef cuts. The business expanded to serve more local consumers in response to supply chain disruptions brought on by COVID-19 with help from a Montana Meat Processing Infrastructure Grant awarded by the MT Dept. of Agriculture.
Gallatin Valley Malt
Manhattan, MT
Gallatin Valley Malt (GVM) is a vertically integrated, multi-generational family and farmer owned operation adding value to their high-quality barley by producing specialty single-sourced malt for craft breweries. GVM’s flagship Gallatin Pale earned a silver medal at the 2022 Craft Maltsters Guild Convention this year!
Grains of Montana
Billings, MT
Grains of Montana breads and pastries begin with quality Red Hard Spring Wheat grown at Nielsen Farms in Nashua, Montana. The commercial bakery provides a wide variety of quality goods for numerous loyal accounts including Montana Five Guys which source their fresh-baked burger buns.
Hamilton Packing Co.
Hamilton, MT
Hamilton Packing Company adds value to Montana-raised beef, pork, and lamb through their custom slaughter and butcher processes. Owner Jason Schlange is building community resilience by increasing efficiencies and expanding their signature product.
Hi-Country Snack Foods
Lincoln, MT
Hi-Country Snack Foods Inc. was started back in 1976 by founder Jim Johnson and has become known around the state and beyond for their popular beef jerky product. In 2019, the company was sold to Travis Byerly who has made substantial investments in equipment to automate many integral processes that have been done by hand in the past. “Hi-Country is investing in their product quality, infrastructure, processes, as well as their people. I am excited to see where this company goes and what they do in years to come,” said MDA Director Christy Clark. “Their innovation and commitment to Montana and its agricultural producers is making a substantial positive impact and will only continue to grow from here.”
Hidden Legend Winery
Victor, MT
Hidden Legend Winery is owned by Ken Schultz who has been perfecting his craft for handmade mead since 1979. “Mead is the father of all other alcoholic beverages,” said Ken. “It predates beer and wine.” At Hidden Legend, they strive to use natural and local ingredients such as honey, tart chokecherries, huckleberries, apples, and more to produce a flavor profile like none other. “We get our honey from up in Arlee at Arlee Apiaries and we’ll use around 60,000 lbs. of their honey a year to produce our mead.”
Hollenbeck Ranch / High Five Meats
Molt, MT
The Hollenbecks employ innovative marketing to capture more of the value they create for their Montana-raised lamb and beef. Sara and Henry Hollenbeck have identified unique, value-added markets for their live lamb and wool. Plus, they are strengthening local supply chains as co-founders and contributors of the Yellowstone Valley Food Hub and Cowboy meat Company.
Kalispell Kreamery
Kalispell, MT
Sourcing farm fresh milk from Hedstrom Dairy located next door, Kalispell Kreamery owners Mary and Jared Tuck embody their belief that knowing your farmer means knowing your food. Kalispell Kreamery produces a wide variety of value-added Montana dairy products, including cream-on-top milk and creamer, Greek yogurt, and ice cream.
Living River Farms
Stevensville, MT
Living River Farms mission: "Create a great environment where people can start fresh from the river of life." Living River Farms is located just east of Stevensville. Beau McLean and Christopher Green, longtime friends and business partners, bring their individual education and experience together to lead Living River Farms. They formulate and grind their own feed with grains sourced from a local family farm in Corvallis. Pasture Raised Chicken and Grass Fed Beef they raise never receive antibiotics, added hormones or steroids.
Lower Valley Processing Co.
Kalispell, MT
The Plummer family’s meat processing business provides value-added, customized cuts of Montana meats directly to consumers. With help from a MT Meat Processing Infrastructure Grant, Lower Valley Processing scaled up operations in 2020 to meet increased demand, bolster food security, and inspire community resilience.
McCafferty Ranch Beef
Belt, MT
The McCafferty Ranch is a third generation (with the fourth and fifth generations living on the ranch) ranch outside of Belt, MT that has been family owned and operated ranch since 1926. The McCaffertys have a goal to provide affordable, quality beef directly to our customer. This "ranch to table" concept allows the customer to know where their beef came from and how it was raised. Their goal is to provide affordable, quality beef directly to our customer. Setting the McCaffertys apart is the fact that their animals are finished on fresh grass fodder (sprouts), year-round.
Read MoreMidland Bull Test
Columbus, MT
With over 50 years of performance testing under their belts, Midland Bull Test remains a family operation dedicated to adding value to the beef cattle industry. Steve and Amy Williams utilize feed efficiency measurements and data to position Montana producers for success.
Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center
Ronan, MT
missionwestcdp.org/mission-mountain-food-enterprise-center/
A designated Montana Food & Ag Development Center, the Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center facilitates value-added agriculture by assisting food and agriculture businesses with expansions, product developments, and innovations. MMFEC Director Jan Tusick has been instrumental in establishing a certified shared-use food processing and manufacturing facility to allow Montana producers and entrepreneurs develop markets and achieve their goals.
Molson Coors
Power, MT
Molson Coors sources more than one-third of its barley from Montana. 2021 marked the 75 th anniversary of its barley program which has provided multiple generations of Montana farmers with reliable contracts for their high-quality malting barley.
Montana Craft Malt
Butte, MT
Montana Craft Malt is strategically positioned at the intersection of two interstate highways and a railway spur to ensure the strength of their supply chain from Montana producers to consumers. The state-of-the-art facility produces 10,000 tonnes of malt annually using Montana-grown barley to be used in craft beers and spirits , adding value to ag supply chains.
Montana Ciderworks
Darby, MT
Montana Ciderworks was started in 2002 by founder and owner Lee McAlpine. Since, the cidery has become known around the state and beyond for their English-style ciders and as “Montana’s oldest cidery”. After working as a firefighter in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, Lee saw the opportunity to create a value-added product specifically with the McIntosh apple variety. While Montana Ciderworks products can be found in many local shops and on tap across Montana, the cidery has created a name for itself through winning countless awards and intentional accolades in the cider industry.
Read MoreMontgomery Distillery
Missoula, MT
Montgomery Distillery was established in 2012. Their family farm in Heath, Montana has been in the family going on 90 years. It sits at the geographical center of the state on one of the largest spring creeks in Montana, an ambling trout stream which also irrigates their wheat and rye. Along with sourcing local Montana grain, Montgomery Distillery boasts being one of the few distilleries in the state to use 100% Montana ingredients in many of their spirits.
Read MoreMSU Food Product Development Lab
Bozeman, MT
The Food Product Development Lab at MSU works together with Montana agricultural producers and businesses to develop food products utilizing state-of-the-art technologies such as extrusion to add value to Montana crops. Recent product developments include chickpea puffs, lentil muffins, and cold-hardy berry smoothies.
Pasta Montana
Great Falls, MT
Pasta Montana’s manufacturing facility combines Montana-grown durum wheat that has been custom-milled into semolina by General Mills located next door, pure mountain water, and old-world craftsmanship to produce over 70 kinds of world-class dry pasta . Value-added Pasta Montana products are enjoyed by customers across the nation and throughout the world.
Ranch House Meat & Sausage Co.
Billings, MT
Ranch House Meat & Sausage Co. support local Montana ranching families by processing quality grass-fed beef into a wide variety of artisan value-added products. Building on their successes, owners Shane and Tanya Flowers recently expanded their operations to include custom butchering at Pure Montana Meats in Miles City, MT with help from grants awarded through MT Dept. of Agriculture.
School House Meats
Missoula, MT
Students at the Missoula County Public Schools Agriculture Education Center are taking the opportunity to see livestock through a full food cycle – from conception to consumption. Ag Education Teacher Tom Andres founded the meat processing facility incorporating state-of-the-art processing equipment to model butchering techniques and demonstrate how local processing allows producers to capture more value.
Smoot Honey
Power, MT
Established in 1964, Smooth Honey is a multi-generational family business producing and packaging 100% natural Montana honey sourced primarily from yellow sweet clover and alfalfa located along the Rocky Mountain Front. Many local Montana businesses add value to their products by including Smoot Honey as an ingredient in everything from breads to meats, beers and body care products.
Swanky Roots
Billings, MT
Swanky Roots Owners Veronnaka Evenson and Ronna Klamert provide fresh produce to Billings and its surrounding areas using their water efficient aquaponics greenhouse operation. This closed-loop system allows them to produce a wide variety of nutritious leafy greens, herbs, and edible flowers year-round.
Western Cider Co.
Missoula, MT
Western Cider is located on the banks of the Clark Fork River in Missoula, Montana. Their dream was seeded in 2012 when co-founder Michael Billingsley planted 2,500 cider apple trees in Montana's Bitterroot Valley - just south of Missoula. Now, they have nearly 5,000 trees and over 50 varieties of apples. They use those apples, as well as apples from Northwest orchards, to produce easy going and traditional ciders. As a company, Western Cider aspires to create an institution of great cider, good times, and a life worth living in this far-flung region of the American West.
Whistling Andy Distillery
Big Fork, MT
Whistling Andy Distillery, located just off HWY 35 in Big Fork, opened its doors on New Year’s Day in 2010, marking the opening of Montana’s oldest operational distillery. Whistling Andy boasts some of Montana’s finest handcrafted spirits using select local grains, local cherries, and true first cut cane sugar. Their spirits start only a couple miles down the road where they source their grains from family farms to get the process running. Along with priding themselves on their “Grain to Glass” capabilities, Whistling Andy also uses age old recipes and unique new blends derived from what’s in season to create innovative spirits that set them apart from the rest.
Read MoreWhite Raven Winery
Columbia Falls, MT
White Raven Winery is one of several wineries making up the Winery Association of Montana that crushes, ferments, packages and markets wine made with Montana-grown grapes, also referred to as Totally Montanan wines. Located outside Columbia Falls, White Raven’s vineyard grows Vitus riparia varietals known for their cold hardiness which are then crafted into value-added wines.
Willie's Distillery
Ennis, MT
Willies distillery was established in 2010. Founders Willie and Robin Blazer set out to create a brand and develop products that embody the independent spirit and authenticity of the American West while supporting its local farmers, economy, and residents. By leaning into the character of their small hometown and emphasizing local ingredients, Willie’s Distillery has become considered to create some of the best Spirits in Montana. Additionally, Willie’s has grown to be the third largest local employer in Ennis, MT. Their local impact is undeniable and has become known as, “one big family.”
Read MoreWillow Mountain Winery
Corvallis, MT
Winner of the Governor’s Choice Award at the 2021 Montana Beverage Show, Willow Mountain Winery sources Montana grapes for their fine wines from their own vineyard in Corvallis. Owners Roxann and Brian McGuire recognize the importance of adding value to the state economy as they continue to play a part in enhancing Montana’s vineyard and winery industry.
Yellowstone Valley Food Hub
Billings, MT
Yellowstone Valley Food Hub is a grower’s cooperative consisting of over 35 Montana producers providing direct access to local, quality food. From fresh produce to Montana-raised meat, eggs, dairy, baked goods and honey, Yellowstone Valley farmers and ranchers work together to aggregate and distribute value-added agriculture goods throughout central and eastern Montana.