GREAT FALLS — A new cooperative based in Great Falls is working to change how food moves across Montana. The Montana Food Hub is a multi-stakeholder cooperative designed to connect producers, wholesale buyers, value-added businesses and community members through a centralized model.
Lyndsay Laursen, a director of and board member of the food hub, says the effort is about strengthening Montana’s local food system and keeping more food dollars circulating within the state.
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“Around the 1970’s, around 70% of the food consumed in Montana was grown here,” Laursen explained. “Now, it’s closer to just three percent.”
Laursen pointed out a dramatic shift over the past several decades. In the 1950s, roughly 70 percent of the food consumed in Montana was grown in-state. Today, that number is closer to three percent, according to Grow Montana.
That change, she says, has left the state increasingly dependent on out-of-state distribution networks.
“Most of the state of Montana is served by one line out of Salt Lake City,” Laursen said. “Once you cross those mountains, it’s a really fragile system.”
She explained the idea came to her during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many rural grocery stores struggled with disruptions tied to a centralized distribution system. She saw those challenges as highlighting the need for additional in-state coordination in her eyes.
Alongside Mike Vetere, owner of 2Jay’s in Great Falls, the Montana Food Hub was designed to help fill that gap.
A new co-op model
Unlike traditional producer co-ops, the Montana Food Hub operates as a multi-stakeholder model. That means membership is open not only to farmers and ranchers, but also to wholesale buyers, value-added food businesses and community supporters.
“It’s a co-op… it’s owned by everybody that’s in it,” Laursen said.
Through an online platform, growers would list available products. Wholesale buyers, including grocery stores, restaurants and schools, can place orders. Producers then deliver their goods to a central location, where they are distributed to buyers.
The Montana Food Hub will be utilizing Fresh Rescue Kitchen in Great Falls to facilitate much of this process as the co-op begins operations.
She says the goal is to help producers scale their operations beyond farmers' markets, while offering wholesale buyers more consistent access to Montana-grown food.
“There’s a big gap,” Laursen expressed. “You’re either small and direct-to-consumer, or you have to be big enough to work with a major distributor. We’re trying to help fill that middle space.”
Keeping value in Montana
Montana is a major agricultural producer, growing significant volumes of lentils, peas and other pulse crops, as well as beef, grains and specialty products. However, much of that food is shipped out of state for processing or distribution before returning to Montana shelves.
Organizers say strengthening local aggregation and distribution could help keep more economic value in-state.
“If we can grow the food here and get it to the people who are living here to eat, now you’re getting fresher food,” Sara Hawley explained. “And we’re keeping that money here.”
Sara Hawley, who handles outreach and social media for the cooperative, said the effort is about supporting both producers and consumers.
“It’s so important to keep what we’re growing in Montana in Montana,” Hawley said. “It keeps our money here, supports our farmers and gives people access to high-quality food.”
The co-op does not require producers to be certified organic, but they say transparency is key. Growers are expected to clearly communicate their production practices so buyers can make informed decisions.
Building a statewide network
Organizers say they are also in conversations with other food hubs operating in western, eastern and northern Montana, with the long-term goal of creating a more coordinated statewide system.
Food distribution, they acknowledge, is complex. But they believe additional in-state infrastructure can add stability and provide new market opportunities for producers.
First annual meeting set for March 16
The Montana Food Hub Cooperative will host its first Annual Members Meeting on Monday, March 16, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
The meeting will be held in person at the Fresh Rescue Kitchen in Great Falls, with an online attendance option available for members across the state.
Board members will share updates on progress, outline priorities and open nominations for two Producer Board positions. Organizers say member input will help shape the co-op’s next phase as it moves toward consistent operations and expanded onboarding.
More information, including the Zoom link and nomination form, is available at montanafoodhub.com.
