Agriculture and Food
From Farm-to-Glass: Meet the Local Hops Farmer Revolutionizing the Craft Brewery Industry
By KaydeeAnn TeSelle
Hops were not commonly grown in Montana, as the climate and growing conditions were not considered optimal for this crop. Montana's harsh winters, high altitude, and short growing season make it a challenging location for cultivating hops. Compared to other states, Montana has approximately a one-month shorter growing season, which poses significant obstacles for farmers looking to grow hops. Nevertheless, Jake TeSelle embraced the challenge and undertook the daunting task of growing hops in Montana. He dedicated himself to understanding the unique growing conditions of the region and adapted his methods accordingly. Through trial and error, he discovered which hop varieties were more resilient in Montana's intense climate and which hops matured faster during the growing season. Jake's perseverance and adaptability have allowed him to cultivate high-quality hops despite the challenging conditions.
The concept of sourcing locally-grown hops was foreign to even brewers who never thought this could be an option. However, Jake saw an opportunity to take a risk in trying something new. Using his engineering background to develop innovative techniques for maximizing yields, Jake continued to improve the quality of the hop yards and capitalized on this opportunity as microbreweries became more popular and sprung up left and right in communities all around the state; TeSelle pioneered the way
Love for Local: The Farm-to-Table movement in the Gallatin Valley
By Mandy Brandt
Did you ever think you’d live in a town that focuses so much on supporting local farmers? I never thought I would, and I don't want to ever return from that. I’ve always been around agriculture. My mom's family produces almonds and my dad's family grows corn. However, I didn’t start my own journey in the world of agriculture until high school, which created a different outlook for me. Fast forward four years, I have had the ability to understand the pressure and stress it takes to raise animals, rely on weather for my home gardens, maintain community connections throughout it all, and overall stay positive. It was not until I was in college that I really connected to Bozeman’s farm-to-table community. I started off working on a project for class, then quickly realized this city thrives on its community, and the people that are producing agricultural products are helping the city flourish.
Farm-to-table is a social movement, that persuades consumers to source natural, often organic, and natural foods within their local community. There are five main steps within the process of farm-to-table. The journey from farm-to-fork starts at the root of the farm, with production. The next two steps are processing and distribution, focusing mainly on the steps it takes to produce.
Farm-to-table has boomed in popularity and has captured the eyes of many that wish to see a more sustainable, healthy, and honest form of grocery shopping. Businesses in Bozeman are directly supporting local farmers and ranchers. One of the number one misconceptions in our time is where your food comes from and how that process comes to be.