GALLATIN COUNTY, Mont. — Fresh produce is not always easy to find outside traditional grocery store and farmers market hours. But one Gallatin County farm is giving customers another option with an honor-system farm stand open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Amaltheia Dairy's farm stand, located off Frontage Road, stocks a variety of locally grown produce and other goods, including beets, carrots, greens and cheese.
For Belgrade resident Ashley, the stand has become a convenient stop over the past few weeks.
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"It's nice to just be able to come here," she said.
On a recent visit, Ashley had a lengthy shopping list and plans to put some of her purchases to use in the kitchen.
"I am going to make some soup today," she said.
Ashley said shopping at local farm stands is nothing new for her, especially with options close to home.
"I live just a few miles away and there's two farm stands," she said.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, on-farm stores and farm stands account for more than $1 billion in direct-to-consumer sales.
At Amaltheia Dairy, that interest has translated into more customers than the farm initially anticipated.
Nate Brown, the farm's vegetable grower, said the stand has been a success since opening in May.
"It surpassed all our expectations for sure," Brown said.
The demand has also meant restocking the shelves more frequently than expected.
The family business has operated as a dairy farm since 2000 and expanded into vegetable production about 15 years ago. Farmers markets have traditionally been one way the farm gets its produce to customers, but Brown said the honor-system stand offers more flexibility.
"They don't have to schedule themselves around a farmers market," he said.
Just behind the farm stand, the farm stores this year's harvest, which recently wrapped up for the season. The stand provides another way to get that produce into the Belgrade and Bozeman communities.
"Sell our produce kind of conveniently to the Belgrade Bozeman area," Brown said.
The purchasing process is designed to be simple. Customers select the items they want, calculate their total and pay on site. Payment options include cash, Venmo and contactless payment.
"You can tap your card," Brown said.
For Ashley, the convenience is only part of the appeal. She said shopping directly from local producers also gives her a way to support the people and businesses in her community.
"Supporting your neighbors and that whole community part of it too," she said.
Amaltheia Dairy's farm stand is located off Frontage Road in Belgrade and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The address is 20900 Frontage Road, Unit A-2.
