Appetite comes with a conscience these days.
The demand for delicious, fresh foods is accompanied by a commitment to reducing the distance between farm and fork. That’s where we come in. Root Cellar Foods turns locally grown and organic vegetables into ingredients that both large-scale institutions (grocery stores, universities, restaurants) and retail consumers can use to prepare meals. Farmers do the planting, growing and harvesting. We do the washing, chopping, shredding, and slicing. Our new online market (implemented June 2020) increases accessibility of local produce, as well as local meat, dairy, grains, and other value-added items to the Gallatin Valley community.
Root Cellar Foods Owner, Managers and Staff are deeply connected to the local food system in Montana. We bring a wealth of experience in food production, processing, distribution, marketing and food writing. We are a passionate team dedicated to making it easier for businesses and home cooks alike to serve fresh, locally grown food.
A note on sourcing local:
So… what’s the deal? Do we source locally year round? And what does local even mean?
We exclusively sell grains, meat, dairy and value-added goods that are grown, raised and produced in Montana. But what about our veggies? In the height of the growing season almost all of the produce we purchase comes from farms within 15 miles of downtown Bozeman. Here in Montana, farmers are presented with a short growing season and challenging climate. As the seasons change and our local farmers sell out of their produce, we find we need to get creative to stay in operation year round and supply our customers with the quantity of food they need.
During the winter months, we source as much as we can from Gallatin Valley farms, particularly storage crops like carrots, beets, parsnips and onions. Only when we have exhausted local availability do we source produce through Western Montana Grower’s Coop in Missoula and Organically Grown Company in the Pacific Northwest to fulfill our orders.
We are firm believers in supporting local, and the expansion of a more robust and sustainable food system throughout Montana. Our top priorities are providing our community with the freshest local food available and supporting our local farmers and producers. Sometimes this means sourcing outside of the Gallatin Valley or Montana due to limited local availability. We also believe in transparency and letting our customers know where their food comes from, which is why we include the source for each product on our website when ordering.
Our goal is to play an integral role in creating a more inclusive, secure, and sustainable food system in the Gallatin Valley and throughout Montana. However, our customers also play a critical role in making this goal a reality. Where you spend your dollar matters! Choosing to support local producers creates demand as well as market opportunities, thereby increasing the chances of local food being available year round. Together we can help our community grow and thrive.