GREAT FALLS — Students in Mr. Ramsey’s business class at C.M. Russell High School are turning entrepreneurship lessons into a real-world product by creating a Kamut-based snack bar they hope to eventually sell.
Taking inspiration from a similar hands-on program in Box Elder schools, the class partnered with Big Sandy Organics to develop the product from the ground up. The goal is to give students firsthand experience in marketing, branding, budgeting, and product development while supporting local agriculture.
Brianna Juneau reports - watch the video here:
“I used to work for Kellogg’s and I was working with breakfast foods. I always thought a product with Kamut would work great,” said business teacher Mr. Ramsey. “I never got the idea going up the pipeline but now that I’m a teacher, I devised a plan to try several different variants of a bar and then have my marketing class market what they come up with.”
The bar is made using Kamut, an ancient grain grown in Montana that is full of both fiber and protein, supplied by Big Sandy Organics. The class developed 10 flavors of a Kamut bar product, settling on one that mixes Kamut, nuts, rice crispy treats, and chocolate – a product healthy enough that would be able to be sold within the school.
“It's been really cool. I mean, they have the design, the bar, the recipes, all the things and I think that's been one of the most satisfying parts,” said Heather Dilworth, one of the owners of Big Sandy Organics. “Just to see another school taking a real life Montana business to a real life school and doing something with it is the most exciting.”
Students in the class were responsible for every part of the project, including flavor development, packaging design, cost analysis, and marketing strategy. Many say the experience feels different from a typical class assignment.
“It’s cool knowing that this could be sold to the school and we could see other students walking around with one,” said Nolan, one of the students who worked on the project. “It was hard and we butted heads a lot, but it’s cool to see where it is at and how far we’ve come this year.”
Pending funding later this year, the class hopes the Kamut bar can be sold as a fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting CMR and Great Falls High’s DECA chapters. While approvals and logistics are still being worked out, Ramsey says the educational value is already clear.
“To see how young minds work, to see how they can just work through problems and find those solutions was very interesting to me,” Mr. Ramsey said. “It’s great as a teacher to seem them work hard, and there might be some future business or marketing careers ahead.”
Beyond business skills, the partnership also highlights the importance of supporting Montana-grown products and local companies. For students, it’s a lesson in entrepreneurship rooted close to home.
As the semester continues, the class will refine the product and explore next steps, proving that at CMR, business education is becoming more than theory. It’s becoming something students can create, brand, and possibly sell.
