At Feast, we’re big proponents of shopping locally and sourcing fresh, high-quality ingredients. Locally sourced ingredients are great for the local economy, great for the environment, and great quality. We’re proud to partner with several local purveyors, and to weave their locally produced ingredients into the dishes we create. We’ve put together a little bit of information on the “eat local” movement and the local purveyors we work with, and we’re always happy to chat more so feel free to ask us any questions about our ingredients and purveyors when you’re next at Feast.
Local Purveyor Highlights
- The Great Alone Cattle Company – These ranchers offer a premium beef product from a multi-generational ranch dedicated to the land, the cattle, and Montana’s people. We love their ethos, and we use their beef in our Feast burger. Our forever favorite burger is as amazing as it is because of The Great Alone.
- Amaltheia Organic Dairy – Amaltheia is a sustainable, organic company that sells goat cheeses and farm products. We love working with them because their products are high quality and their priority is the land, their property, and keeping Montana beautiful. You’ll find their goat cheese in our salads, and we like to rotate their fresh vegetables into our seasonal vegetable side dishes.
- Wickens Ranch – Wickens Ranch raises its cattle using holistic and sustainable ranching practices. Their animals are humanely tended, grass-fed, and finished on local, food-grade peas on a fourth-generation, family-run ranch, before being processed and dry-aged here in Montana. You’ll find their beef in our Butcher’s Cut, and in more and more of our menu items. We love locally sourced ingredients and can’t get enough of their beef!
- Gallatin Valley Botanical – Gallatin Valley Botanical is a small farm in Bozeman, Montana. They’re dedicated to high-quality, organic produce, and have a shared love of each other, eating well, and the earth. We love their salad greens in the summertime, and we add their microgreens as garnishes for beauty, extra flavor, and extra nutrition. They also offer wonderful edible flowers and a variety of seasonal vegetables like carrots and zucchini, which we rotate into our veg of the day.
- Timeless Natural Food – Timeless helps support dozens of organic family farmers throughout Montana and the surrounding region with soil-building crop rotation options and new markets for their quality crops. They also provide education about transforming family farms into organic farms, and about farming crops like lentils that used to be considered “cover crops” and now offer great value. At Feast, we’re huge supporters of the work that Timeless is doing for the local food movement, and we’re proud to use their lentils and chickpeas in our specials.
Why are locally sourced ingredients important?
- They bolster the local economy – Buying locally sourced ingredients has a profound impact on keeping money in the local economy. While it is often not the cheapest possible option, it pays to think about the bigger picture. When you buy local produce, you’re supporting local farmers and ranchers and keeping the dollars in-state, in your community. There’s a great deal of evidence to show that this helps bolster your local community’s economy and wellbeing.
- They’re great for the environment – Locally produced ingredients put less strain on the environment since less food transportation is needed. What’s more, organic foods are pesticide-free, reducing water and air pollution. On which note, Montana has the second-highest certified organic acreage in the US! Plus, local farmers and ranchers often work hard on sustainable farming that protects the land.
- They’re high quality – Local food is fresh food. Because of this, locally sourced ingredients are often of higher quality— and have higher nutritional value— than those that have traveled long distances to reach you. Produce that isn’t grown and cultivated in-state (or locally) has to travel and is often frozen along the way, losing a lot of its freshness by the mile. Meanwhile, local produce gets to you faster, is typically free of pesticides and preservatives, and remains higher in nutrients.
Locally sourced ingredients make the world of difference for our community, our environment, and our dishes. Finding the best food often involves a paradigm shift; moving away from thinking about just the costs of food and towards thinking about the big picture and where your dollar goes when you buy that food. Buying local food involves investing in local farmers, supporting our community, and moving towards eating high-quality, sustainable, nutritional food.
We work hard to find the best ingredients and make the best food in Bozeman, and we’re proud to partner with fantastic local farmers and ranchers. We would love to tell you more about where the food on your plate comes from when you order your next meal. Bring your friends and family with you and enjoy some locally sourced, quality food at Feast this weekend! Your table is waiting for you.