In a time where social media has simultaneously connected communities as well as relentlessly enhanced comparability, a beautiful concept has emerged. Bear Paw Meats LLC was founded to connect communities, and neighbors. The mission, simple, to provide a high quality product at a reasonable price.
As a child growing up in a household run by dreamers, it has been engraved in me to think outside the box. I grew up with table talk of business growth, and possibilities in our community. It was a commonality to sit silently listening to dad discuss business with a producer or buyer between courses. Tenacity. That is the definition of my mother. As a teen I fought it. As a 20 something I mocked it. Today, I embrace it. There isn't a day that I am not challenged by my mother to push myself outside the box.
I sat in an empty store listing only to the hum of a scarcely stocked freezer and cooler waiting... just waiting to have someone walk through the door. I would call excitedly home to tell my employers (my parents) the sales for the day every time we broke the previous days sales. Tenacity. We built, we listened, and we never stopped our goal. The goal to connect consumers with product that was home grown, good, and consistent. Our customers have driven the product lines of our little store on 5th Ave. We are now able to say yes to other small operations looking to try their ideas. We have coffees, beer, wine, seafood, dry goods, baking mixes, milk, cheese, chips, and pastas from other dreamers. The similarity of these dreamers is quality, and consistency.
What does Bear Paw Meats have to do with your neighbor? Well, we take a product, possibly your calf that you took to the sale, or the lot that you sold privately to Dexter and Travis, and we grow it, finish it, process it and distribute it to communities in Montana. That BBQ that you go to might just offer a burger or hotdog made with beef raised off your neighbors ranch. The feed might just come from a buddy farmer's crop. It takes a community. We pull from the best, YOU, and we turn that product into a consistent end product. That feed truck runs every, single, day. The rations are meticulously calculated. The beef are monitored, and it doesn't stop there! When the beef are harvested they are inspected, and handled with care. When that beef reaches the end user, it is the best that we can offer. That gives a consistency and peace of mind to the consumers.
So, pat yourself on the back, and give your neighbor a high five for producing a foundation of superior beef. Support your local markets. As I continue through my time I will continue to keep dreaming, pushing, and building for our future generations. This industry has my heart, and I hope to share it with a plethora of Montana households.
Ashley (Buck) Callahan