Growers’ co-op gears up for summer bounty
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Throughout the past few years, demand for fresh, local food has grown among consumers in northwestern Montana. To help feed the need, the Western Montana Growers’ Cooperative jumpstarted Community Supported Agriculture to help interested people access the foods they desire in an easy, efficient way.
The co-op was formed by local farmers in 2003 and has grown to include more than 30 diverse farm members who supply the wholesale market. After signing up with the CSA, members receive 20 weeks of produce delivered to various drop-off locations. Current local drop points are located in St. Ignatius, Ronan and Polson, and the co-op also serves Missoula, Helena and the Bitterroot Valley.
On March 14, the co-op met with Charlo residents to inform them of the project at a potluck in the Leon Community Club. Amy Pavlock, who was present at the meeting to talk about the program and its benefits, leads CSA.
“It’s funny; only half had heard of CSA or knew about our cooperative,” Pavlock said.
The program has summer and fall shares, with summer deliveries beginning the first week of June, and resumes in November and December. Deliveries are sent out each Thursday, with much of the food harvested just the day before.
Each box is filled with a variety of foods in season, and members have the option to access the co-op’s website to buy additional locally grown products at discounted prices. These include: fruit, vegetables, herbs, butter, cheese, milk, eggs, beef, lamb, pork, chickens, lentils and barley.
“We offer a good assortment of foods,” Western Montana Growers’ Cooperative general manager Dave Prather said.
All foods are grown without synthetic chemicals or fertilizers and offered at wholesale cost.
Each week, the co-op sends out a newsletter with recipe ideas, along with messages from the growers, so members can know where their food came from. Members also have the opportunity to tour the co-op farms in the height of the season.
In the past five years, CSA has grown from 25 members to more than 150.
“We’re focusing a little more in the Mission Valley now because that’s where the farms are located,” Prather said. “The trend has been growing for years; we’re finding more interest.”
Prather says there is a common misconception that local, fresh foods cost considerably more, but says people are willing to pay more for a quality product, and that farmers are beefing up production to decrease cost.
“We’re working with growers to produce more at a lower price,” he noted.
“Everything is wholesale,” Pavlock added. “It’s cheaper than the grocery and the farmers market.”
The grower-owned cooperative guarantees a market for the farmers and gives them start-up money in the off-season to begin getting their farms ready.
“People pay early, so the farmers have money for seed orders and to prepare for the season,” Pavlock said. “Customers benefit by supporting local farmers, getting the freshest produce possible, and a short turnaround period (from harvest to delivery.) It’s super fresh.”
A full summer share costs $550, or an average price of $26 per week, while a small summer share is $365, or $16 a week. The CSA doesn’t require a full payment up front, but they do need a $100 deposit to hold one’s membership. To sign up, visit www.wmgcoop.com, or contact Amy Pavlock at 544-6135.
