GREAT FALLS — A familiar Montana crop is getting a new purpose… this time, in kitchens across the state. Inside a small processing facility, safflower seed grown by local farmers is being cleaned and pressed into cooking oil, creating a product that stays close to where it started.
For Andrew Bishop, owner of Montana Safflower and founder of Ag Processing Solutions, the goal goes beyond producing oil. It’s about creating more opportunities within agriculture by keeping more of the process and the value local.
Madison Collier reports - watch the video here:
“This is just your seed that you grow on your farm, minimally processed and making a great tasting oil,” Bishop said.
The operation is part of a partnership between Ag Processing Solutions and the Montana Farmers Union, which helped revive the former Montana Oil Barn.
Together, they’re working to build a system where crops grown in Montana can also be processed and sold closer to home.
Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer said the collaboration is a natural fit.
“It was just a natural fit when he brought this opportunity to Montana Farmers Union… and our board was excited about it,” Schweitzer said.
Right now, much of the safflower grown in Montana is used for birdseed. But this project is focused on expanding its use as a cooking oil, one that offers a high smoke point and a neutral flavor for everyday use.
Beyond the product itself, both Bishop and Schweitzer say the effort reflects a larger shift in agriculture. With ongoing challenges in global markets, there’s growing interest in developing stronger domestic and regional supply chains.
“We need to get back to where we are growing our food locally, processing it in our communities to be eaten by our neighbors,” Schweitzer said.
Bishop sees that same opportunity in safflower.
“We need more domestic markets… so we’re not reliant on all of the issues that come with trade,” he said.
Montana Safflower oil is currently available online with plans to expand into grocery stores across the state.
The company is also inviting people to learn more. Montana Safflower will host an open house on Monday, April 13 at 3 p.m., opening up the operation for a chance to tour the facility and see the process firsthand.
The open house will be at 16 Liberty Lane, just west of Great Falls (see map below).
For now, it’s a small-scale operation… but one built around a simple idea: taking what’s grown here and turning it into something that can stay here, too.
