Rurally located and beginning producers farmers markets and onfarm agritourism opportunities are abundant in western montana but regional strategic marketing and promotion plans and resources that…

Rurally located and beginning producers farmers markets and onfarm agritourism opportunities are abundant in western montana but regional strategic marketing and promotion plans and resources that drive both local residents and tourists from overvisited more densely populated cities and towns to more rural farm ranch and farmers market locations are lacking. This project includes two marketing and promotion campaigns that connect rural and beginning farmers and ranchers across five western MT counties to individual consumers tourists and wholesale buyers located in more densely populated hub locations. This project includes activities in all five turnkey marketing objectives and works to increase producer engagement and promotion within a diverse array of market opportunities centered on both individual consumers and wholesale buyers of local food. Local food farm adventure passports guides and maps will be used as the foundational components of planning regionally specific marketing campaigns that are fun interactive and breathe new life into experiencing montanas local agriculture in the flathead missoula and bitterroot valleys. The partners on the plate component brings together wholesale buyers and producers to forge new connections that result in increased market location opportunities and helps producers market their farmranch offerings in a way that maximizes networking time and quality.