Co-op offers county fresh, locally-grown produce

By Ali Bronsdon / Leader Staff

This spring, the Western Montana Growers Cooperative is reaching out to the Lake County community in a whole new way. A coalition of 23 local farmers, WMGC has been working to develop a new retail delivery system that will provide Lake County families with a fixed selection of fresh, quality produce each week from May through December. Meat, organic dairy, organic eggs and various other items can be added to the basic box at a reasonable cost per item.

The selection of fruits and vegetables varies from early season crops like asparagus and baby spinach to cherries, melons, peppers, apples, corn and dozens of other items during the summer growing season and into the fall harvest. Eggs, butter, cheese, milk and meats like bison, chicken and lamb are available year round.

According to Dixon farmer Jane Kile, WMGC has been delivering local products up and down the Flathead Valley from Missoula to Whitefish since 2003, providing a wholesale marketing and delivery service to grocery stores, restaurants and institutions in Western Montana all year long. Now, WMGC is offering a way to eliminate the middle man and allow individuals access to the same local food on a weekly basis without a trip to the grocery store.

For three years, WMGC held a weekly farmer's market in Ronan, but at the time, there was just not enough business to make the venture worthwhile. This new system targets devoted customers who plan to stick with the program throughout the entire year, which will ensure consistency for both farmers and consumers.

"We are looking for people who are willing to work with us because this is a pilot year," said Kile. "We're also asking for feedback because we want to develop a system that works."

According to WMGC's website statistics, if every Montana household spent $10 a week on locally grown food, $186 million would go back into Montana's economy. Buying locally-grown produce not only strengthens the local economy, but helps to reduce environmental impacts on air quality, eliminates wasteful packaging and would cut national oil consumption. Today, the ingredients for an average meal travel over 1,500 miles. Food from WMGC only travels between 30 and 190 miles. Since local foods spend less time on the road, the emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants is reduced, the website said.

A number of families and individuals have already signed up for the service, like Polson resident Karen Swan. "It's nice for the grower to know who's eating their food and it's nice for the consumer to know where the food is grown," she said.

Products will be delivered to the Salish Kootenai College Three Wolves Dining Service cooler on Wednesday mornings and buyers will have until the end of the day on Wednesday to pick up their food. Each order will be in a labeled crate with the week's invoice outlining what was ordered and how much it all costs.

Buyers place an initial deposit for two reusable plastic crates that the growers fill with food each week. Then, at the end of the season, the co-op reclaims the crates to be used again the following year and returns the deposit to the customer.

The system works like a pre-paid credit account. Everyone is required to pay a minimum amount to begin receiving food. The value of each week's food will be deducted from the account automatically. WMGC estimates the first payment will cover basic box deliveries through July.

"We have to be a partnership of consumers and growers here," said Kile. "The growers are ready. We've all planted and if it does not go through the retailers, we do have wholesalers to fall back on."

Interested buyers should visit www.wmgcoop.com or contact Patrick Murphy at 275-4941 for more information.