These Are The 10 Best Farmers Markets In Montana For 2018

Who doesn’t love a great Farmers Market?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the popularity of Farmers Markets is growing. What was once a niche shopping experience for the wealthy and ultra health conscious has become mainstream. And to appease the diverse populations that have shown interest in farmers markets, vendors have expanded their offerings. You can now get ice cream, homemade soap and even beer to go along with your organic beets and mushrooms.

And they aren’t just popular in liberal enclaves and on the west coast.

Farmers markets are booming in areas that had trouble making inroads in the past. 20 years ago, you’d never think you’d find farmers’ markets in Kansas City, Detroit or St. Louis.

Simply put, farmers markets aren’t just for farmers any more.

So, where are the best farmers’ markets in Montana? We’ve got the answers here. (We’ll explain our methodology below.)

These are the best Montana farmers markets:

1. Clark Fork Market, Missoula, MT
2. Hamilton Farmers Market Cooperative, Hamilton, MT
3. Great Falls Original Farmer’s Market, Great Falls, MT
4. Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market, Bozeman, MT
5. Glendive Saturday Farmer’s Market, Glendive, MT
6. Missoula Farmers Market, Missoula, MT
7. Red Lodge Farmers’ Market , Red Lodge, MT
8. Bozeman Winter Farmers’ Market, Bozeman, MT
9. Polson Farmers Market, Polson, MT
10. Yellowstone Valley Farmers Market, Billings, MT

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how each market ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably live in one of these cities where things are oh-so farmers market friendly.

And after you find a great farmers market, check out the best places to live in Montana or the cheapest place to live in Montana.

How do you decide if a farmers market is awesome or not in Montana?

In order to rank the best farmers markets in Montana, we had to determine what criteria makes for a good market experience. It isn’t a stretch to assume that great farmers’ markets have a variety of options, are up to date with the latest technology, and are in areas with decent populations. Because everyone should be able to take home some homemade jam, right?

So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.

How we crunched the numbers for the Treasure State

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using Department of Agriculture data produced for the state of Montana, along with the government census numbers, we looked at every single farmers market in the state. We paid particular attention to:

• Number of amenities
• Each market’s technology improvements
• Variety of items to buy
• Nearby population
• Number of organic vendors

We then gave each market a HomeSnacks Score. The higher the score, the better the farmer’s market ranked. What we found is there seems to be a balanced number of large farmers markets near major city centers as well as awesome farmers markets in smaller communities. That’s the way it should be!

1. Clark Fork Market

Score: 80.0
City: Missoula, MT
Address: 225 South Pattee Street, Riverside Parking Lot, Missoula, MT 59802
Times: Sat: 8:00 AM-1:00 PM

2. Hamilton Farmers Market Cooperative

Score: 74.3
City: Hamilton, MT
Address: Bedford & 3rd Streets, Hamilton, MT 59840
Times: Sat: 9:00 AM-12:30 PM

3. Great Falls Original Farmer’s Market

Score: 65.7
City: Great Falls, MT
Address: 2 South Park Drive, Great Falls, MT 59401
Times: Sat: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

4. Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market

Score: 65.7
City: Bozeman, MT
Address: 901 North Black Ave., Bozeman, MT 59715
Times: Sat: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

5. Glendive Saturday Farmer’s Market

Score: 65.7
City: Glendive, MT
Address: 313 West Valentine Street, Glendive, MT 59330
Times: Sat: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

6. Missoula Farmers Market

Score: 60.0
City: Missoula, MT
Address: Higgins and Alder, Missoula, MT 59801
Times: Tue: 5:30 PM-7:00 PM Sat: 8:00 AM-12:30 PM

7. Red Lodge Farmers’ Market

Score: 60.0
City: Red Lodge, MT
Address: Lions Park, Red Lodge, MT 59068
Times: Fri: 3:30 PM-6:00 PM

8. Bozeman Winter Farmers’ Market

Score: 57.1
City: Bozeman, MT
Address: Emerson Cultural Center, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Bozeman, MT 59715
Times: Sat: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

9. Polson Farmers Market

Score: 57.1
City: Polson, MT
Address: 3rd Ave West, Polson, MT 59860
Times: Tue:4:30 AM – 7:00 PM Fri:9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

10. Yellowstone Valley Farmers Market

Score: 54.3
City: Billings, MT
Address: Heart of N. 29th & 2nd Ave. N., Billings, MT 59101
Times: Sat: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

There You Have It – The Best Farmers Markets In Montana

If you’re looking for a breakdown of farmers’ markets in the Treasure State ranked by criteria that vendors and customers agree on, this is an accurate list.

For more Montana reading, check out:

• These Are The 10 Safest Places In Montana
• These Are The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Montana
• These Are The 10 Worst Places To Live In Montana

Detailed List Of The Best Farmers Markets In Montana