Distinctly Montana Magazine

Locally, sustainably, and seasonally grown food is easy to find here in Montana. It is as close as your local grocery store and farmers’ market, and it is available year-round. For people in Missoula and the Bozeman area, it is also as close as your computer. “Locally-grown” is a term that covers a lot of ground, from food grown within 100 miles of where you live to food produced within your watershed—such as the Clark Fork or Yellowstone River watersheds. Here locally- grown refers to food that is grown or raised in Montana. “Sustainable agriculture” means good stewardship of soil, plants, animals, and the environment. It promotes economic prosperity and strong, healthy communities. “Eating seasonally” means eating food when it comes into season where you live. It gives you an appreciation for time and your locale. THE BENEFITS Locally, sustainably, and seasonally grown food is better for you all the way around. It tastes better because it is bred for flavor rather than ease of shipment and because it is picked when it is ripe. It is fresher and more nutritious since it takes a short time to get to market. It is healthier because sustain- able farming and ranching practices do not include spray- ing fruits and vegetables with pesticides or feeding cattle antibiotics along with their corn. Purchasing locally-grown and produced food keeps your dollars circulating locally, supporting and strengthening your community. Supporting local farms and ranches offsets the economic pressures on farmers and ranch- ers to grow houses instead of food. Supporting the local economy reduces the amount of oil used and emissions produced by long-distance trucks and planes, and reduces the amount of packaging that goes into landfills. WHAT IS AVAILABLE AND WHEN? In addition to vegetables and fruits that ripen from late spring to early fall, beef, lamb, and pork as well as chick- en, turkey, and fish are found throughout the year. Milk, butter, eggs, cheese, and grains also are available all year long. Montana farms and ranches raise a variety of beef. Grass and alfalfa-fed beef has a strong flavor and texture. Some claim it is more nutritious than corn and antibiotic-fed, mass-pro- SUSTAINABLY, AND SEASONALLY IN MONTANA BY DOROTHY GREENE CROCKER 102 DISTINCTLY MONTANA • SUMMER 2011 TO EAT LOCALLY, IT’S EASY

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