MISSOULA — The owners of the Oxbow Cattle Company’s farm-to-market stand in Missoula are promoting sustainability and intergrity with their unique beef operation.
Situated off the Bitterroot River just 15 minutes from Missoula, sits a cinder block shed that houses a hidden gem known as the Farm to Market stand.
Grass-feed beef is sold at the small location, “f2m”, which operates 24/7, 365 days a year.
Owners Bart and Wendy Morris told MTN News that the honor system is how they’re able to offer such hours.
“We don’t have to have an individual in here to take money or hand out beef,” Bart Morris said. “We believe that people have the integrity to do it on their own.”
When asked if he worries that someone will ever rob his unique setup, he responded that it’s just the exact opposite of everyone’s worries.
"It’s a healthy place from the beef to the way that people treat it," he said. "There’s a lot of integrity that walks in and out of here."
The Oxbow Cattle Company is changing the way people purchase their beef by selling the meat straight from their farm.
They’re also showing consumers directly where the product is coming from. Morris said, this just makes sense.
“It makes sense for us from a sustainability standpoint, an economic standpoint, and it allows us to put more time into raising a quality product the way people want us to,” said Morris.
That quality product Morris prides himself on is the herd of all-natural, grass fed cows that inhabit his 5,000 acres of farmland. According to Morris, the cows never see a grain and they’re always out on pasture.
“They’re moving around through some of the most beautiful countries in the world,” said Morris. “It’s unbelievably diverse in what it produces.”
He explained that the land boasts of different forbs and grasses, giving the cows a more diverse and healthier diet. In his mind, healthy land equals healthy cows, which is then passed on to the consumer.
“The goal is to connect people to where their food comes from, and to make money for us, and to not have a lot of costs in getting those proteins to the consumers,” said Morris.
You can check out Oxbow’s farm to market stand in person at 6215 Haugan Drive in Missoula, or learn more through their website.
