In southwestern Fallon County near Ismay, a long, gravel road crisscrosses a landscape reminiscent of the Badlands. Twenty miles down the road through a beautiful valley brings one to Crescent Cross Ranch, home to a fourth generation Montana ranching family, the Lanes. 

Their grass fed, grass finished Black Angus beef cattle are the source for a growing woman-owned rural small business - Lane Legacy Beef, owned by Katie Lane.

An ICU nurse by training, Katie travels Montana, visiting farmer’s markets and trade shows to sell Lane Legacy’s assortment of beef products, beef jerky, and beef sticks.   

“I love going to farmer’s markets and telling our story,” said Katie. “I found there is a demand locally, and people want to know where their food is coming from.”

Katie’s husband Bill, who runs the ranch says, “Katie builds relationships easily, and that helps her sell. Her personality was made for this business.”

But establishing a business isn’t easy, and Katie needed help to cover costs like processing and packaging, marketing, and delivery. 

She learned about the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant program through Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation in nearby Baker, and then approached the Rural Development team in Montana to apply.   

“About 50 percent of the grant went to processing costs and 50 percent went to marketing and travel expenses,” said Katie. “This has had an impact on growing my customer base and expanding sales through local grocery and convenience stores throughout the state.”

Katie received her grant in 2022 and says it had an immediate impact. She used the funds to help setup a website and publish a newsletter and pursue opportunities to sell products at select retail locations in Montana.   

She bought a trailer and freezers to take perishable products to farmer’s markets, trade shows and make deliveries, which during a typical month involves stops at up to 50 different locations around Montana.

Next, Katie plans to figure out how to ship both frozen and shelf-stable and frozen products – opening even more value-added markets for Lane Legacy Beef. 

“The grant helped get my business going with funding that I didn’t otherwise have,” said Katie. “I wanted to bring the beef we raise on our family ranch to the consumer, and the Value-Added Producer Grant helped that dream become a reality.”