Page 38 - Flathead Beacon // 10.29.14

38 | OCTOBER 29, 2014 BUSINESS MONTHLY FLATHEADBEACON.COM Food Manufacturers Staying Busy as Demand Grows
From creameries to breweries and distilleries, the demand for local food products continues to surge
By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
The cows are staying busy at the Ka- lispell Kreamery.
Every day, the 220 Holsteins at the 80-acre family farm on the rural out- skirts of town produce roughly 1,500 gallons of milk. After being pasteurized, the milk is bottled in various forms, from creamy non-homogenized whole milk to 2 percent and skim milk, as well as heavy cream. It’s also now being made into all-natural yogurt, including honey flavors and a Greek style yogurt.
The herd of cows living off Farm to Market Road and the all-natural dairy products they produce have become popular across Montana, from Kalispell to Billings and almost every major city in between. In fact, grocery stores are having a hard time keeping Kalispell Kreamery products in stock.
“Our production can’t keep up with the demand,” said co-owner Mary Tuck. Since Tuck transformed her fam- ily’s dairy farm into a full-scale cream- ery five years ago with her husband Jared Tuck, the Grade A certified pro- cessing facility has blossomed into one of the leading food manufacturers in
Northwest Montana.
There has been a noticeable shift to-
ward supporting local food producers in recent years, as well as the growing “Farm to Market” trend, which can be seen through the growth of area farm- ers’ markets and new businesses such as Two Bear Farms.
Earlier this month, the Montana Co- Op announced it was planning to ex- pand into the Flathead Valley with a new hub in Bigfork that will promote buying locally produced food products.
The quality of local food manufac- turers and the valley’s increased pro- duction was on full display at last week’s Kalispell Chamber of Commerce lun- cheon, which invited Tuck and other food and drink producers to share their
Whole milk is bottled at Kalispell Kreamery. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
success stories.
Kalispell Kreamery was featured
alongside two other thriving busi- nesses: Tamarack Brewing Company, based in Lakeside, and Glacier Distilling Company in Coram.
Tuck said the Kreamery has suc- ceeded because it remains devoted to its core ideals, which are focused on keep- ing a high-quality all-natural product. That is why the business won’t buy cows from other herds to increase production or make other changes that risk dimin- ishing the creamery’s integrity.
“We know it’s frustrating for grocery stores when they run out of milk, but the reason why we’re popular is because of our dairy practices and quality and if we change that we jeopardize our integ- rity,” Tuck said.
Tamarack Brewing Company has expanded with a new popular site in downtown Missoula and increased pro- duction significantly since opening near
Flathead Lake in 2007.
Co-owner Josh Townsley said the
widespread support of the valley and the quality local products, especially the crystal-clear water that is used to make Tamarack’s craft beers, have helped the business lay strong roots and grow healthily from Lakeside.
With all of its success in recent years, Tamarack is maxing out its capacity and is in the process of considering expan- sion ideas, Townsley said.
Nic Lee has a similar success story about the growth of Glacier Distilling Company, nestled in Coram near the western entrance to Glacier National Park. Since the business was founded four years ago, it has grown in size and production. The distillery has a busy tasting room that fills up daily dur- ing summer tourism then transitions to more production during the quiet- er winter months.
There are plans in the works for
products that include local fruits from across the valley, Lee said.
The topic of alcohol licensing came up during last week’s luncheon, and both Lee and Townsley agreed that the state’s system for regulating businesses such as theirs was flawed, but both men agreed that there isn’t an easy solution.
“The liquor laws and the exemptions and the tiffs and fights you’ve probably seen or followed through the years, be- tween small manufactures and taverns, it’s silly. It’s a no win situation for any- one,” said Townsley, who is also presi- dent of the Montana Brewers Associa- tion. “We all need to work together in the industry, and try to figure out a solu- tion. But it’s not going to be easy. We’re not just going to be able to say ‘throw it away.’ We all started our businesses in Montana knowing what that system was. We can complain about it, but it is what it is. It won’t be an easy thing to change.”
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