We are on
stolen land.
County Rail Farm and Field Five Flowers are located just west of Missoula Montana on the traditional lands of the Bitterroot Salish (Séliš), Pend d’Oreille (Ql̓ispé), Nez Perce (Nimíipuu), Coeur d’Alene (Schi̲tsu’umsh), and Kootenai (Ktunʌ́χɑ̝) peoples. Many other indigenous peoples also passed through and cared for this space as it was often a corridor to and from lands and communities.
What That Means
Stolen Land
This land was unfairly and brutally stolen from the peoples who nurtured and cultivated it for centuries before us. We recognize them and many BIPOC ancestors for their work, practices, care, patience, and knowledge. And we owe reparations for the atrocities our white ancestors have committed.
How We’re Giving
We donate a portion of our Farm Share sales as well as portions of our market sales to local indigenous run organizations and local BIPOC mutual aid funds (see the numbers below)
More than words
The acknowledgement of this land and our history is step one. And the work is lifelong. We are committing time and resources as well as our words to local Indigenous communities and other BIPOC led organizations.
REACH OUT
If you are involved in an Indigenous, Black, or POC-led project or organization that works with food access, security, and sovereignty, please reach out! We want to hear from you and support what you’re doing. Montana-based projects preferred.
What We’re Doing
County Rail follows tribal and community leaders in our local area to support food security projects. This means some surplus food donation and, more importantly, creating sustainable working relationships with tribal food security & food access organizations. (see the numbers below)
Personal Anti-Colonialism Work
We are constantly processing our own privilege and white settler mentality. We, personally and nationally, have benefited from the brutal history of this nation. The emotional work to untangle the resulting knots and habits is ongoing. Please get in touch if you see something on these pages or our other social media that you feel needs to be addressed.
2022 Numbers
$450 funds directly distributed
$150 to the CKST MMIP Fund, fund for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons through the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation
$250 to the People’s Food Sovereignty Program, “a Native led grassroots organization on the Flathead Reservation. We serve CSKT Tribal members and other tribal people, through food projects that promote Tribal Food Sovereignty and Self-determination.”
$25 to Montana BIPOC Mutual Aid Fund. “A community fund for BIPOC in Montana”
$25 to various farm / land funds and organizations from BIPOC farmers across the country.
Food & Plant Donations ~$500
Various foods and vegetable plant starts to Seedlings for Solidarity / People’s Food Soverignty Program / Missoula Free Fridge / Missoula Food Bank
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In 2022 chose to raise wages and extend hours for our crew, by their request and to allow us time to acclimate to our new roles as parents – a privilege we are grateful for and do not take lightly. With that focus on our staff, working on the farm less ourselves, and infrastructure project costs, we were able to contribute substantially less to our reparations funds this year. Almost all funds distributed this year were from our Farm Share program.
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2021 Numbers
$2535 funds distributed
$350 to the Flathead Rez Community Action (FRCA) “a group of individual community members who are trying our best to help those in need during this time”) This group is no longer active. Funds redirected to the People’s Food Sovereignty Program
$400 to the Montana Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative, “a grassroots group of Native youth/young professionals and elder-mentors who have come together with a vision of strengthening the work we all are doing to build healthy and resilient food systems among MT Native nations.”
$850 to the People’s Food Sovereignty Program, “a Native led grassroots organization on the Flathead Reservation. We serve CSKT Tribal members and other tribal people, through food projects that promote Tribal Food Sovereignty and Self-determination.”
$675 to Montana BIPOC Mutual Aid Fund. “A community fund for BIPOC in Montana”
$200 to various farm / land funds and organizations from BIPOC farmers across the country.
$410 to Missoula Community Free Fridge. “Expanding the mutual aid system to increase equitable access to food”
*** Avenues we work with to sell/distribute specifically to and through local food security programs ***
$250 donations to the Missoula Food Bank / People’s Food Sovereignty Program / Missoula Free Fridge
~$1500 salad mix for “Farmers to Families” food boxes through the Western Montana Growers Coop. Food boxes go to families in need through LCCDC in Ronan, FRCA food distribution, and other food security organizations and hubs in Western Montana.
2020 Numbers
$1,120 funds distributed
$400 to MMIW (national) through our Farm Share program
$200 to When They Were Here, a Montana produced, Indigenous-led and directed documentary on the MMIW crisis
$320 to Montana BIPOC Mutual Aid Fund
$70 to BLM Missoula
$200 to various farm / land funds and organizations from BIPOC farmers across the country. Including: Kiley Clark’s Black-led Regenerative Farm Fund, Amber Tamm’s Future Farm Fund, Handewa Farms, Soul Fire Farm, and others.
***Avenues we work with to sell/distribute specifically to and through local food security programs ***
$890 produce sales to the Flathead Rez Community Action (FRCA) food distribution projects
$300 donations to the Missoula Food Bank / FRCA
$7,867 salad mix and cherry tomatoes sold for “Farmers to Families” food boxes through the Western Montana Growers Coop. Food boxes go to families in need through LCCDC in Ronan, FRCA food distribution, and other food security organizations and hubs in Western Montana.