s 



338.13 

 A7MVA 

 MAR/APR 2004 * 



M D N T A N A 



Value 



Montana State Library 



3 0864 1003 0477 6 



Added 



N E W S ITE T T E R 



Montana Department of Agncultiire 



March-Apnl 2004 



The M 



ontana A^i'icvilture Developnient Council Announces Latest Round of Awards 



The Montana Agnculture Development Council oversees the Montana Growth Through Agriculture Program; which is the 

 Council's funding source for investing in appropriate projects. Nine agricultural development projects were recently awarded 

 S360,000. Projects approved at the December 2003 council meeting in Helena included both marketing and business development 

 proposals and intend to pro%'ide investment fiinds to: 



Montana Tamale Company — Mon/a/ia Tama/e production expansion project, Co/strip; 



Peaks & Prairies Oilseed Growers Cooperative - adding value to Montana grown oilseed crops, Malta; 



Laid in Montana Emu Products — expand distribution of emu oil and other haid in Montana emu products, Kalispell; 



Montana Mountain Smoke, Inc. — development of marketing plan and marketing materials for smoked fish products, Montana City; 



Lolo Peak W mery — consultant services and mnery production expansion, Missoula; 



Cream of the West, LLC. —product expansion mth market enhancement, Harlowton; 



Montana Farmers Union —feasibility analysis of marketing Montana agricultural products in Sacramento, California, Great Falls; 



Montana Cooperative Development Center. Inc. — revolving capitali:^ation fund for privati-^tion, Helena; and 



Governor's Office of Economic Oppormnit}- -feasibility analysis to assess conditions affecting rail freight competition in Montana 



and to analy^ possibilities to improve rail freight competition, Helena. 



The next deadline for project applications to the Montana Growth Through Agriculture program is April 30, 2004. The councU 

 will re\-iew the January 31, 2004 deadline applications March 16-17, 2004 in Great Falls, Montana. For more information and 

 application materials, contact Matt McKamey, GTA Program Manager of the Agriculture Marketing & Business Development 

 Bureau at the Montana Department of Agriculmre at 406-444-2402 or by email at agrfg),state.mt.us . 



Value Added Opportunities 



Ine Atkins diet, touting a kigli-protein and low carbokydrate diet, 

 exploded onto tke scene in 2003, spawning tke entrance oi low 

 car bokijdrate products into tke locd and beverage industnj. Newlow^ 

 carbokvjdrate product stores are opening evenj daij across tke nation, 

 providing opportunities upon wkick small nicke companies can 

 capitalize. 



Tke influx ol Atkins-friendlij products is evidenced bij researck 

 indicating tkat low- or no-carbok\jdrate lood and beverage products 

 numbered 339 in 2002, compared to only 47 in 1999. Furtkermore, 

 according to Atkins Nutritionals, 12.7 percent ol tke U5. adult 

 population (or rougklij ZJ.4 million people) eitker lollows or claims to 

 kave tried tke Atkins diet. Anotker 18.4 percent, or 36.7 million, saij 

 tke\j plan to tnj Atkins. 



To meet tke demands of Atkins followers, Montana companies could 

 tout tke low-carbokijdrate nature of products tkat are alreadij sugar- 

 and carbokijdrate free, suck as ckeese and meat products. 



Witk questions about Atkins or otker value-added opportunities, 

 contact Angelijn DeYoung at (406) 444-2402 or bi) email at 

 aAr@state.mt.us . 



T 



Business Developnient and 

 Marketing Assistance 



As in most small businesses, production of your products 

 likely consumes most of your time, leaving little room for 

 marketing and otker vital business development activities. 

 Tke Montana Department of Agriculture s Marketing and 

 Business Development staff can kelp. We offer one-on-one 

 individual consultations at your facilitij to discuss kow we 

 can kelp you develop and expand your company. 



We will be visiting Billings area businesses on April 27- 

 29; Glasgow area on May 12-14; and Miles City area on 

 June 2.— A. If you would like us to call on you and see your 

 facility or to discuss your business needs, please let us know 

 of your interest. 



If you kave any questions, feel free to contact Angelyn 

 DeYoung at 406-444-2402 or by e-mail at 

 agr@state.mt.us . We look forward to assisting you witk 

 developing and expanding your businesses. 



Free Nutritional Anakjsis 



Montana companies can obtain a FRF.F. nutritional analysis of food products, ready in two weeks, from Montana State University - 

 Extension Nutrition. Tkis could mean a savings of an average of $800 in lab analysis fees. Tke resulting analysis complies witk 

 information necessary for state and FDA nutritional labeling requirements, and it s free. 



For more information, contact Lynn Paid, Ed. D, RD, Montana State University - Extension Nutrition, (406) 994-5702, fax 

 (406) 994-7300, email at lpaul@mon tana.edu . More information is also available at www.montana.edu/extensionnutrition/docs/ 

 nutritionanaylsis.ktm . 



Tkanks to MSU-Extension for tkis very valuable and cost-effective service for Montana s value-added businesses! 



