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Last week, the US Undersecretary of Agriculture Jenny Lester Moffitt came to Bozeman for a field day organized by my friend Nate Powell-Palm.
Nate has been working to advance organic ag for most of his life, starting with raising his first 4-H steer at age 9. He earned organic certification during high school, and began farming crops while studying soil health at Montana State University.
In addition to cows, he grows flax, spelt, yellow peas, lentils and durum wheat in Belgrade, Montana, and Sheridan, Wyoming. He is chairman of the National Organic Standards Board and works as an independent organic inspector. Annie’s Mac & Cheese is one of Nate's customers, and he's working to enter the direct market for whole grains, lentils, peas and flour.
As if that weren't enough, Nate is helping the USDA build a mentorship program to help folks get into or transition to organic.
It’s exciting to see the connections he’s helping spark, and be part of them myself.
As he told me for a story I wrote a few years ago, he envisions a future where farms and ranches are integrated into the Gallatin Valley as it develops, helping to mitigate climate change and solving food insecurity.
“I think the point of farming is to ultimately feed my community.”
Local reporter Isabel Hicks covered the field day in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
