Farm406

"One thing I've noticed at the food drops is the community and connection and people want that as much as they want good food. They want to be able to talk to and know their producer. Camaraderie is built," Annika said. Annika emphasizes the need for producers to come together and begin the process of developing their own markets. "A lot of producers are struggling. They are selling into the commodity market and barely making it. We can work on improving the soil so we can run more animals and we need to create a different market for ourselves. It's the only thing that makes it viable for my family and I to keep ranching out here." Annika said. Steve and Annika both stress the importance of working together with other producers and consumers to both restore the soil and bring Montana food back to Montanans plates. "One guy doing something neat over here and another gal doing something great over there, is good but we have to come together to be able to learn from each others mistakes and successes.... We can't just work in isolation." Steve said. Their message for other producers? "All of us in agriculture need to start thinking about this stuff and at some point, even if it's on a small scale, we have to start doing it," Steve said. "You don't have to change your whole operation in a year, just start trying some of these things." For more on the Yellowstone Valley Food Hub: https://www.Yvfoodhub.com/ 23 farm406 Annika Charter and her daughter take a walk on the Charter Ranch. Annika is one of the driving forces behind the formation of the Yellowstone Valley Food Hub (YVFH), a co-op of eleven local Yellowstone Valley farms and ranches that aim to get the food they raise on plates of Montanans. Steve Charter with his kids Annika Charter and Ressa Charter examine the soil on the ranch. The three are looking for ways to both increase profitability of their operation and bring local, nutritious food to the local community. Photo: Northern Plains Resource Council Photo: Alexis Bonogofsky

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