Farm to Market

Farm to Market supplies consumers with local, fresh, seasonal goods produced by members of their own region, creates and retains revenue within the community, promotes sustainable agriculture and preserves open space. Farm to Market strives to promote local, healthy and sustainable products.

How do I shop Farm to Market?

It’s easy — we’ve already done all of the work for you! We asked all of our regional producers to answer our thorough sustainability questionnaires.  We used that criteria to evaluate their products and awarded stars for Organic, Local, Sustainable, and Nothing Added. You decide which stars are the most important to you when shopping.

Sustainability Criteria

Farm to Market is a “good faith” program. The Co-op trusts our producers to fill out the sustainability criteria truthfully and to let us know promptly if changes in their practices occur. We do not, however, act as a third-party certifier. While we try to visit as many of our producers as possible, we are not conducting official inspections at their production sites.
 
Some of the questions we ask:

Produce:

• Do you knowingly use genetically modified (GMO) seeds or crops in your food product? 
• Are you certified organic by the Montana or national Organic Certification program? 
• Have you eliminated chemical inputs such as insecticides, solvents, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, etc.?
• Do you control noxious weeds and pests through integrated pest management, thus significantly reducing the use of synthetic chemical controls? If so, how?
• Do you work to protect water resources from sediment and chemical contamination? If so, how?
• Do you actively attempt to prevent erosion? If so, how?
• Do you follow sanitary post-harvest practices, including proper transport, storage and use of only potable water for washing?

Meat:

• Do you feed livestock animals by-products as protein?
• Do you use chemical fertilizers on grain or hay fields? 
• Do you use feed grown with pesticides and herbicides?
• Do you protect rangelands, riparian and other sensitive areas from overgrazing?
• Do you use time controlled grazing?
• Do you finish livestock on grass?
• Do you protect water resources from sediment, manure and chemical contamination? 
• Do you control noxious weeds and pests through integrated pest management, thus significantly reducing the use of synthetic chemical controls?
• Do you provide fish and wildlife habitat?
• Do you provide humane livestock conditions such as access to the outdoors, suitable shelter, balanced feed rations and low-stress animal handling techniques?
• Do you enhance production by aligning with natural cycles, such as spring calving?
• Do you produce the raw product within the state of Montana?
• Do you produce the finished product within the state of Montana?

Questions?

Contact our Produce Manager, Grant McGuire, at grant@bozo.coop or 406-587-4039 ×3055.