Big news for 2024: I’ll be the lead farmer for Clark Fork Organics, a long time Missoula vegetable farm, as the owners Kim Murchison and Josh Slotnick move towards retirement. Read more about the transition in this Missoulian article from summer 2023.
Corner Farm Village LLC, spearheaded by Neva Hassanein, currently owns the Clark Fork Organics farm site in the Orchard Homes neighborhood of Missoula. For the benefit of current and future generations, Corner Farm Village is working to permanently protect this agricultural and riparian land, an eight-acre parcel with high-quality, prime agricultural soil, along with an old oxbow of the Clark Fork River and its riparian habitat. Corner Farm Village will transfer ownership of the farm property to Trust Montana, a community land trust (CLT), which will hold the property for the benefit of the community in perpetuity. Learn more about Corner Farm Village here.
I have been stirring the pot with Black Bear Soups since March 2015. Located in the Missoula Valley of Montana, Black Bear Soups & Produce provides local goods to local folks. Myself and some wonderful partners along the way are planting, growing, chopping, dicing, and stirring all season long. We are happiest when we are providing our community with wholesome and delicious food grown by ourselves and our farm partners. Black Bear Soups will be on the back burner while I get things going with Clark Fork Organics. Stay tuned!
Black Bear Soups’ Story
Farming and living in western Montana, I've learned there are a lot of people who are missing out on the wholesome, beautiful, and healthy foods produced in the surrounding agricultural valleys. Black Bear Soups & Produce has been working hard to provide access to these fresh goods, but a few key factors seem to keep local fresh foods from reaching the greatest number of people:
Our growing season is short. Montanans just don't get to have local tomatoes in February.
Some produce items, commonly referred to as "seconds," are high in quality and nutritional value but low in aesthetic appeal.
Montanans are busy. It is rare in our time for anyone to prepare everything they eat from whole foods.
Witnessing these challenges, I decided to make soup.
Black Bear Soups is a way to extend the availability of goods produced during the short growing season. Our future vision is to offer a frozen product that can be consumed through the winter.
We can buy and use "seconds" from other farmers, reducing on-farm waste.
Ready-made soups are a quick and healthy option for Montana's busy eaters. Montanans can take care of themselves and their farmers while still living their busy lifestyles.
Currently, soups are on the back burner while I do some business planning. You can check out what I’m currently offering in the Shop. Feel free to ask questions about what we have this season.
Go well and stay well! - Ellie
The idea for Black Bear Soups & Produce stemmed from a desire to farm and to serve the local community in the best way possible. We love a good bowl of soup, and we hope you'll share in our food and our ideas. Please support the work of those making our foodshed stronger.
