Resources for Food Producers & Processors
Please check out our producer’s database.
If you have a resource you would like to add to our list, please send it to nancym@ncat.org.
Power in Numbers!
As a Montana food producer or processor, you may consider joining a growers’ cooperative or using an online distributor to market and sell your product. One such organization is Market Day Foods, which offers distribution throughout Gallatin county and has worked with Bozeman Public Schools, Livingston Schools, and Livingston Healthcare.
Another option is the Western Montana Growers Cooperative, an organization that offers online ordering and is available throughout most of Western Montana. The Co-op has worked with the University of Montana, Kalispell School District, Community Hospital in Missoula, and other institutions in western Montana.
Certification
Get your product certified as Made in Montana or Grown in Montana for free! Simply fill out the application here and begin using the recognizable logo on your products.
Value-added Products
The Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center in Ronan is a great resource for food producers in Western Montana who want to market products that require processing and/or packaging. The center offers assistance with business plan development, food safety training, commercial kitchen space rental, and much more! Check out their website for more details or email Lindsay Howard at lhoward@mmfec.org.
New Markets for Your Crops is an ATTRA publication that includes tips and ideas for ways producers can enter the institutional market, including information about the cooperative model and special considerations when selling to an institution.
Distribution
If you’re looking for a way to get your product out there, try getting in touch with a distributor that carries Montana products. A few of them are listed below:
Quality Foods Distributing in Bozeman, Montana 406-551-2231 info@qfdistributing.com.
Charlie’s Produce in Spokane, WA (509) 535-7393 Charlie’s has a commitment to local growers and serves as distributor for the Western Montana Growers’ Cooperative
Sysco and FSA also carry Montana products and have expressed commitment to carrying local items. Vendors are required to meet insurance requirements to have their product carried by one of these broadline vendors.