Buying local Local goods brought to you by the Specialty Crop Directory

A comprehensive guide connecting Wyoming residents and visitors to hundreds of local food producers, farmers’ markets and specialty crop vendors across the state, including Newcastle, has been updated by the University of Wyoming Extension.

The 2024 Wyoming Specialty Crop Directory focuses on promoting local producers and the specialty crops they offer, including a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits; culinary herbs and spices; honey; homemade goods such as jams, jellies, salsas, barbecue and hot sauces, pickled and fermented vegetables, and fruit pies; among many other products.

The directory also has listings for outdoor and indoor farmers’ markets; businesses that sell locally produced specialty crops and products; school, community and church gardens; county fairs; garden clubs; and local, state and national organizations and agencies that are directly involved with agriculture, including specialty crops and food production.

The directory was first published in 2021, and this revised edition has many new listings and updates. In all, there are nearly 1,100 listings, including nearly 30 in Weston County. Listings include where people can obtain the locally produced foods.

“The Wyoming Food Freedom Act has opened up new opportunities for many producers and business owners in the state, and there are now some 20 year-round indoor farmers’ markets in at least 10 counties, including Weston,” said Robert Waggener, directory coordinator and editor.

Waggener encourages Wyoming residents and visitors alike to stop by businesses that offer locally produced foods as they travel across the state.

“As you peruse the directory, you will be amazed with the wide variety of products that Wyoming producers — both big and small — are offering,” he said.

Paul Eitel, who co-owns Broken Arrow Farm in Newcastle with his wife, Bailey, established a small farm with the motto “Locally, Naturally, Raised.” They produce fresh vegetables and fruits from February through November in a high tunnel, grow additional produce in an outdoor garden from late spring through early fall, and also offer pastured poultry, beef, hogs, emus and meat rabbits through direct sales “We’ve had this farm for about 10 years now. We started small, and slowly grew our customer base. We have
a lot of repeat customers now,” Eitel says. “It’s just a good feeling knowing you produced a quality product naturally
and locally. That is very im-portant to us, and our customers are also very happy knowing where their food is coming from.”

“Spending money in the local community, instead of spending it elsewhere, helps the entire community. So, when you go into the Sagebrush Market or Wildly Fresh Market in Newcastle, you’re helping not only the local producers but also small-business owners,” Waggener said.

Among the other Weston County listings in the directory is The Garden Table in Newcastle, which offers a variety of in-season fresh produce; homemade sauces, salsas, jams and pickled items; gourmet popcorns; and other products through direct sales and at several venues in town.

“For fellow producers, the directory is a treasure trove of information. Understanding who and where your fellow producers are and what they provide create a great network of colleagues to share experiences and potential pitfalls,” said Dave Ehlers, who co-owns The Garden Table with his wife, Denise.

“For consumers, this is a wonderful resource to know that Wyoming has local producers in their own backyard—willing and able to provide locally sourced goods for their families, to know exactly where their food comes from and to form bonds of friendship with people in this area,” Ehlers added.

“My wife and I have bought quite a few Wyoming-made products that we learned about through this directory,” said Waggener, who lives in Laramie. “The next time we’re in Newcastle, we will be making stops at Sagebrush and Wildly Fresh markets, in addition to the Newcastle Farmers’ Market and other venues that will be part of our trip itinerary.”

The directory is a publication of UW Extension in partnership with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. Funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program through the WDA.

An online database complementing the directory is currently in development and is expected to be released in the coming months. This database will provide an interactive and easily updatable resource for consumers and producers alike, further enhancing the accessibility of Wyoming’s specialty crop information. For questions or comments, contact Waggener at robertw@uwyo.edu.