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ON THE FARM less methane. And business is hopping. In mid-January, Cowboy Cricket expanded, adding a 1,500-square-foot commercial kitchen next to the farm and now produces 4,000 pounds of crickets per month. The couple also works with a chef and food scientist. Inside the facility, the insects are raised in 2-by-4-foot plastic bins where they get water from a sponge and eat certified organic Montana-grown feed. The facility is a constant 85 degrees with 40 percent humidity — conditions that are ideal for the insects to thrive, reproduce and grow quickly. If it’s too humid, they will die. And more expansion is happening. The company has seven letters of intent to purchase from larger corporations that use cricket powder in their products, Kathy said. To meet the demand, Cowboy Cricket Farms is in the process of creating a network of cricket farmers who will utilize the farm’s automated bin systems to raise crickets to sell. The idea for Cowboy Cricket Farms came to Kathy in the spring of 2016 while she was studying nutrition at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman. She attended a “bug buffet,” a long-running event put on by MSU entomologist Florence Dunkel to increase awareness about the benefits of eating insects. Kathy learned that crickets are a top source of protein and a logical alternative to beef. “I just thought it was a great idea,” she said. “I was amazed to see people being excited about eating bugs. I thought it was something I wanted to be a part of ... especially learning about the environmental benefits of it.” She did some research and discovered there were very few cricket farms in the United States, and those that did exist were always sold out. She was ready to jump at the idea, but James needed convincing. “At first, he thought I was crazy,” Kathy said. After researching the economic model for cricket farming, he agreed it was a good business opportunity. But the couple would have to be trailblazers — there are economic models that farmers and producers can follow for many other agricultural products, such as wheat and corn, but not for raising crickets, he said.
They also liked that cricket farming is easier on the environment because it utilizes less land, water and feed. The Rolinses view the insects as a sustainable alternative to many other animal products, such as beef and chicken. In January 2017, the farm officially launched with 20,000 crickets living in 13-foot-high wooden racks for vertical farming. In the early stages, James worked closely with 406 Labs and Blackstone LaunchPad, which are business support centers at MSU that offer mentors and advisers and serve as sounding boards for new and existing businesses. More recently, student graphic designers at Blackstone developed new packaging art that Cowboy Cricket Farms will debut later this year. Prior to building their own commercial kitchen facility, the Rolinses relied on the Livingston Food Resource Center in Livingston, Mont., to make their products and develop their brand. The center allows farmers, caterers and entrepreneurs to use the community kitchen on a timeshare basis. “They designed their kitchen for a co-working space,” Kathy said. “So we have that implemented in ours.” More than 80 percent of the world already eats insects as a regular part of their culture and diet, James said, though the practice has been slow to catch on in the United States. But Cowboy Cricket Farms is making inroads. “We’re constantly sold out,” James said. So far, the company sells whole roasted crickets, cookies and cricket powder, which is often sold to food manufacturers. They also sell frass, or cricket poop, which works as a plant fertilizer to naturally ward off destructive insects. Although the powder is sold to food manufacturers, people can also buy smaller portions for home use for $45 a bag. The powder can be used as a protein supplement or substituted for 20 percent of the flour in baked goods, Kathy said. Companies in the state are also experimenting with incorporating the products into their inventory. One uses the powder to make dog treats, while a medical marijuana producer in Livingston, Mont., is selling a “chronic cricket cookie.” A Bozeman-based company is using the
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY COWBOY CRICKET FARMS
Ground cricket powder can be added to a number of foods for an added protein boost.
powder for high-protein pierogies. In 2017, Cowboy Cricket Farms was awarded a $57,384 research grant by the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology to create a “super cricket” with enhanced nutritional value. The company also was awarded a $20,000 grant in August 2017 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a feasibility study, which the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center conducted. In late February, Kathy said they were also awarded a Growth Through Agriculture grant from the Montana Department of Agriculture, which offers investments for new and innovative agribusiness developments or agriculture marketing programs. The grants will help the Rolinses cover costs
of experimenting with selective breeding, essentially creating an insect with higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 assists in proper brain, heart and body function and omega-6 is tied to lower levels of inflammation. Consumers can eat grass-fed meat and oily fish to meet their omega-3 needs, but some fish species also carry high levels of mercury. Crickets can be a solution. “We are a family farm,” James told the MSU news service in August. “We care about the health and nutrition of families in an affordable fashion. We think that these super crickets are the answer.” Karl Puckett is a natural resources and weather reporter at the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune.