Missoula Farmers’ Market
Missoula Co-op The Missoula Community Co-op (1500 Burns St.) looks like a small grocery store, but it’s packed. You can find local meats, dairy products (including Lifeline Farm products from the Bitterroot Valley), and produce, plus a nice little bulk section. You have to be a member to buy (though you can “try out” the store a couple of times before committing), which means you pay a fee and volunteer work hours. Lifetime memberships are $125, but those qualifying for assistance can get a substantially lower rate. Membership fees drive down
Photo by Chad Harder
prices, so the groceries stay pretty cheap. And the real reward is that people of all economic levels and backgrounds work side-by-side to keep the Co-op running.
Eat out When you go into Biga Pizza (241 W. Main), you’ll notice that those pizzas listed on the specials board mimic what’s growing in people’s gardens. Winter sees squash, chutneys and sausages, while other seasons bring local arugala, morel mushrooms and fresh peppers. Places like Scotty’s Table (131 S. Higgins), The
Pearl Café (231 E. Front St.), The Catalyst (111 N. Higgins), The Hob Nob Café (531 S. Higgins) and The Red Bird (120 W. Front St.)—just to name a few—are also pretty proud of their local selection, so take the time to ask what’s from close-by on their menu.
Good food shopping Beyond memberships and restaurants, the Good Food Store (1600 S. 3rd St. W.) is the hub of local food shopping, though other supermarkets around town are slowly getting into the game (country of origin labeling has made it eas-
ier to find local food in chain stores). At the Good Food Store you’ll find plenty of organic food from elsewhere, but it’s just as easy to find inseason produce, meat and fruit from in and around western Montana. Winter months make eating local tough in Montana, so be prepared. The Good Food Store offers canning and preserving classes just in time for the cold snap. You’ll be proud to pop open that can of local fare when the snow falls and other folks lament boxed dinners and less tasty, imported produce.
Missoula Independent Fresh Facts, 2009
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