Governor Steve Bullock and the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) today announced that over $1 million in grant funding has been awarded from the Montana Agriculture Adaptability Program (MTAAP). The grants are designed to provide relief to small and medium-sized food and agriculture businesses in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“Agriculture drives our economy in Montana, and the COVID-19 crisis has shed new light on the importance of our local food systems,” said Governor Steve Bullock. “The adaptability grants directly support producers and value-added food and ag businesses affected by the pandemic. From Missoula, to Two Dot, to Scobey, Montanans across the state are finding innovative ways to strengthen and expand our access to local foods at a time when we need it most.”
Funding for the MTAAP totals just over $1 million, with a maximum award of $10,000, and is derived from the federal relief dollars made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Over 100 businesses received funding. Successful applicants showed how financial assistance would make an immediate impact to their operation in adapting to COVID-19. Projects aimed to increase community resilience to pandemics and other economic disruptions, while also bolstering food security. In many cases, businesses are pivoting their plans to accommodate local markets through new equipment, storage, and certifications to provide direct sales to consumers.
A full list of funded projects is available with this release and will be posted to the department’s website soon.
The Montana Department of Agriculture’s mission is to protect producers and consumers, and to enhance and develop agriculture and allied industries. For more information on the Montana Department of Agriculture, visit agr.mt.gov.
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Montana Agriculture Adaptability Program (MTAAP) Recipients
A Land of Grass – $9,960, Conrad
Ag Processing Solutions – $10,000, Great Falls
Allen’s Meat Processing – $10,000, Augusta
Amaltheia Organic Dairy - $10,000, Belgrade
American Harvest – $10,000, Sidney
Amsterdam Meat Shop – $10,000, Belgrade
Bad Betty’s Barbeque – $10,000, Helena
Baltrusch Angus Ranch – $6,750, Havre
Bar TZ Land & Livestock – $10,000, Acton
BarbedWire Land - $4,890, Polson
Becky’s Berries – $9,000, Absarokee
Big Mountain Ciderworks – $10,000, Kalispell
Billings Seafood Guys - $5,500, Billings
Black Dog Farm – $10,000, Livingston
Briarwood Farm – $7,367, Missoula
Buffalo Canyon Feeders – $10,000, Buffalo
Carlton Creek Organic - $10,000, Florence
Cathey Cattle Company – $10,000, Polson
Celtic Farmlands – $9,545, Stevensville
Clark Fork Custom Meats – $10,000, Plains
Clark Fork Organics – $7,203, Missoula
Clear View Ag – $10,000, Denton
Colt James Ranches – $10,000, Billings
Conservation Grains - $10,000, Choteau
Cooper Creek Ranch Grass Finished Beef – $10,000, Helmville
Coulee Creek Ranch – $10,000, Lavina
Contour Garden and Farm – $9,829, Missoula
Crazy Woman Cattle – $10,000 – Two Dot
Crescent Ridge Farm – $8,779, Alberton
Dahl Ranch – $10,000, Clancy
Delpine Farms – $10,000, Martinsdale
Diamond H Livestock – $10,000, Charlo
Diamond S Cattle Company – $10,000, Ryegate
Dirt Rich Compost and Food Scrap Pick Up - $9,559, Columbia Falls
Dry Fork Farms Tribal Corp. – $10,000, Box Elder
EG Strand Partnership – $10,000, Colstrip
Ehlke Herefords – $10,000, Townsend
Faltree Farm – $10,000, Loma
Farmented Foods – $10,000, Belgrade
Farm-to-Market Pork – $10,000, Kalispell
Farver Farms – $10,000, Scobey
Felton Angus Beef – $10,000, Springdale
Flare Pops - $8,147 – Polson
Flatiron – $10,000, Thompson Falls
Fleming Farm and Hog – $10,000, Big Timer & Livingston
FMR – $10,000, Cohagen
Full Bin Farms – $10,000, Rudyard
G & T Farms – $10,000, Conrad
Gallatin Valley Botanical – $10,000, Bozeman
Garden City Harvest – $10,000, Missoula
Gollehon Ranch – $10,000, Choteau
Harlequin Produce – $10,000, Arlee
Hathaway Family Ranch – $5,000, Potomac
Heart Rock Ranch – $8,598, Stevensville
Heritage Custom Farming – $10,000, Kalispell
Hoot Owl Farm – $10,000, Libby
KD Farms - $6,183, Kalispell
Keep Cool Greens – $8,493, Lincoln
KMC – $10,000, Columbia Falls
KW Beef – $10,000, Sunburst
Larry Klingaman – $10,000, Harlem
LeVeque Ranch – $10,000, Great Falls & Cascade
Loni Judisch Fine Art – $10,000, Ledger
M & R Services – $10,000, Kila
McCafferty Ranch Company – $10,000, Belt
Midland Bull Test – $10,000, Columbus
Moe Ranch - $6,200, Two Dot
Montana Co-op – $10,000, Polson
Monte McNally – $9,122, Ovando
Mountain Meat Shares – $10,000, Arlee
Nelson Farms – $10,000, Homestead
O’Hara Commons & Sustainability Center – $10,000, Hamilton
Olive Branch Pork – $10,000, Bridger
Oswald Farms – $10,000, Joliet
Outdoor Traditions Apiary - $10,000, Fairview
Paradise Garden – $10,000, Paradise
Pioneer Meats – $10,000, Big Timber
Pleasant Valley Cattle Company – $10,000, Marion
Pondering Geese Hospitality – $9,784, Helena
Purple Frog Gardens – $8,450, Whitefish
Rafter H Show Pigs – $10,000, Baker
Rainbow Gulch Farm – $10,000, Clinton
Ranchland Packing – $10,000, Butte
Red Hen Farm and Orchard – $9,100, Missoula
Reedfly Farm – $10,000, Emigrant
Ridenour Ranch Company – $10,000, Plentywood
River View Livestock – $10,000, Melrose
Rockingrose Farm – $10,000, Florence
Silvertip Craft Salami – $8,000, Butte
Snow Country Gardens – $7,953, Whitefish & Kalispell
Stroh Cattle – $5,582, Glendive
Sugar Beet Row – $9,872, Whitehall
Superior Meats - $10,000, Superior
Swanky Roots – $10,000, Billings
Tabletree Montana – $10,000, Polson
Terrapin Farm – $5,945, Whitefish
The Geyser Farm – $9,819, Livingston
The Great Alone Cattle Company – $5,910, Two Dot
Timeless Seeds - $9,292 – Ulm
Tom Maltby – $10,000, Bynum
Turner Farms – $9,990, Missoula
Uffelman Land & Livestock – $8,875, Hardin
We Grow – $3,432, Wolf Point
Western Montana Growers Cooperative – $6,781, Missoula
Wicked Good Produce – $10,000, Whitefish
Willow Homestead – $10,000, Ennis
Wired Wild West – $10,000, Dillon
Yellowstone Processing – $10,000, Bozeman
Yellowstone Valley Food Hub – $10,000, Billings