Unlike corporate agriculture, family farms are run by people who live on the land and care deeply about it. They protect the soil, because it sustains them. Tomatoes are grown for flavor, not shelf life. All the food is days - sometimes weeks fresher than anything trucked in across state or national borders.

Family farms help preserve America's most cherished historical, cultural, and family values. Respect for hard work, the importance of neighbor help neighbor, and a deep appreciation for the land are just a few of the values that grow strong in the fertile soil of the family farm.

FarmHands has chosen to include any farm that wants to be on the map. Our number one priority is farmland preservation. Farm land is lost to development in the Flathead Valley every day. While all of the farms on the map are valuable in the culture and open space of the Valley, no all practice organic methods of production. As a consumer, feel free to contact any farm/ranch to ask about their growing practices.

Each year thousands of acres of farmland in Flathead Valley are taken out of production. You, as a consumer, have a powerful voice in preserving Flathead Valley agriculture. When you grocery shop or eat at a restaurant, ask your server or cashier, what products are locally grown. Thank them for buying locally grown food and encourage them to purchase more.

Sometimes it is difficult to find local agriculture products. Don't be discouraged. It has taken more than a genreation for us to distance ourselves from the source of our food. Many growers have disappeared. if you help create the demand, local farmers will eventually diversify their farms and attract the next generation of farming.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Many producers in the Flathead Valley participate in CSAs. Under CSA agreements, farmers sell directly to consumers, who typically prepay for a set quantity of food every week of the season. The farmer spends less time marketing and the consumer gets the freshest food possible. For information on how to participate, contact any of the CSA farms listed on this map.