Growing food, agriculture, and community success in Eastern mOntana
Food & Ag Development Center
Food & Ag Development Center
Montana's agricultural producers and food businesses carry a lot — managing land, navigating regulations, developing new products, finding markets, and running a business all at the same time. The Eastern Montana Food & Ag Development Center exists to lighten that load. We provide free technical assistance, business planning support, and connections to financing and grants for ag producers and food businesses across 11 eastern Montana counties.
Working to help Ag producers & food businesses in Eastern Montana
Whether you're a rancher exploring value-added products, a food business navigating licensing, or an agritourism operation getting off the ground — we've got resources for where you are.
- Product development, testing, and analysis
- Food processing guidance
- Market research
- Access to financing and grants
- Regulatory compliance and licensing
- Business planning and development
- Grant writing assistance
- Cooperative development
- Business networking and industry connections
- Education on ag technologies and industry trends
How We can help
Details Around Food & Ag Production
Value-added agriculture is the process of taking a raw agricultural product and increasing its worth — through processing, packaging, branding, or direct marketing. A rancher selling beef directly to consumers, a farmer turning grain into flour, or a producer developing a branded food product are all examples.
For Montana producers, value-added products open up new revenue streams, expand customer bases, and help keep more of the profit margin at the farm level rather than down the supply chain. If you're exploring what this could look like for your operation, we can help you evaluate the opportunity and build a plan around it.
For Montana producers, value-added products open up new revenue streams, expand customer bases, and help keep more of the profit margin at the farm level rather than down the supply chain. If you're exploring what this could look like for your operation, we can help you evaluate the opportunity and build a plan around it.
Farmer's markets give producers a direct path to consumers — and keep more revenue at the local level. If you're interested in selling at a market or starting one in your community, we can point you toward the right resources.
Starting a Farmer's Market in Montana →
Starting a Farmer's Market in Montana →
Through a partnership with Montana State University, Montana Team Nutrition, AERO, and funding from Save the Children, the Eastern Montana FADC is connecting schools with local beef producers across northeast Montana. Schools in Valley, Roosevelt, McCone, Daniels, Garfield, and Sheridan counties are currently eligible to receive $440 to purchase local beef from regional producers.
If you're a school food service director or a producer interested in participating, reach out to Shaylee for more information.
View the Beef to School Project Guide →
If you're a school food service director or a producer interested in participating, reach out to Shaylee for more information.
View the Beef to School Project Guide →
Several feasibility and economic studies have been conducted on eastern Montana's food and ag economy. We've made these publicly available because understanding the regional landscape helps producers, businesses, and communities make better decisions.
(406) 653-2590 ext. 207
From business planning to diversification, we're here to help.
Whether you're starting a food or agricultural business, developing a value-added product, expanding your operation, or exploring new opportunities, you'll work with someone who understands agriculture and the challenges facing rural businesses.
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