http://www.newwest.net/topic/main/C82/L40/ New West Network: The Voice of the Rocky Mountains en info@newwest.net Copyright 2011 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:55:46 MST Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:55:46 MST http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/can_missoula_volunteers_help_plant_1000_veggie_gardens/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/can_missoula_volunteers_help_plant_1000_veggie_gardens/C82/L40/ Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:42:27 MST Got lawns? Yep, most homeowners do, in Missoula and nearly everywhere else. Thanks to a national lawn obsession that has roots deeper than leafy spurge, America holds about 40 million acres of lawns and turf, a vast green carpet that’s a huge source of wasted water, CO2 and air pollution (thanks to gasoline-powered mowers), and toxic run-off from pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers. Enter former Missoula Redevelopment Agency director Geoff Badenoch, who had an idea this February during a meal with Max Smith, a freshman at the University of Montana: Why not get a group of gardeners, a generous bunch at heart, to help other people grow foods instead of lawns? The notion took root and grew. By April 26, dozens of volunteers for a new group, 1000newgardens, held a “Dig Day” and helped transform 10 local backyards into food plots. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/downtown_starbucks_grinds_to_a_halt/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/downtown_starbucks_grinds_to_a_halt/C82/L40/ Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:16:20 MST Here's the skinny: the Starbucks coffee shop in downtown Missoula is slated to close. The three-year-old business in the Trailhead building is the only one of the five Starbucks in the area that will shutter its doors owing to the global financial slowdown, which (apparently) no amount of caffeine has been able to cure. Last summer the company announced it would close more than 600 stores in the U.S.; this winter, it announced it would close an additional 300 locales in the U.S. and abroad, due to lackluster performance. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/missoula_chef_paul_myers_a_finalist_for_national_honor/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/missoula_chef_paul_myers_a_finalist_for_national_honor/C82/L40/ Fri, 07 Mar 2008 09:35:00 MST Paul Myers, executive chef at 515 on the Hip Strip in Missoula, is a semifinalist for a James Beard Foundation Award, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for culinary professionals. Thousands of entries were received but Myers made it into the top 20 for Best Chef Northwest. The top five finalists will be announced March 24 and flown to New York City to be honored at the Lincoln Center. “I’m really honored to be in the listing,” says Myers, 37, a native of Billings. “I feel like what we’re doing is on point with those guys [in bigger cities], but I didn’t expect to get the nod out here because there’s just not as much exposure in an area like this versus a Portland or Seattle market.” http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/camelina_biofuel_development_center_slated_for_bozeman/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/camelina_biofuel_development_center_slated_for_bozeman/C82/L40/ Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:00:01 MST Sustainable Oils, a new joint venture between Seattle-based Targeted Growth and Houston-based Green Earth Fuels, will be expanding in Bozeman soon. The research and development center will provide genetically refined seeds to Montana camelina producers and will also purchase camelina crops produced from those seeds through contractual agreements. The harvest will then be refined to produce biodiesel – 100 million gallons worth by 2010, according to the company. The European Camelina sativa plant is particularly suited for Montana’s cool, arid climate. Recent support for biofuel production of camelina from Governor Brian Schweitzer and Montana Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester is creating a friendlier environment for camelina producers in Montana; first-time camelina growers in the 32 counties covered by Montana's Agro Energy Plan can now recoup some of their seed costs. “I believe Montana is going to be the poster child for developing a crop like this because of the great support from Helena and the industry at large,” Sustainable Oils President Donald Panter posits. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/resolutions_for_a_new_year/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/resolutions_for_a_new_year/C82/L40/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 09:27:00 MST There’s no time like New Year’s to take one’s self confidence and bash it to the ground. It’s that time of year where we can all reflect upon what horrible, gluttonous, self-absorbed jerks we have been over the past year and make unrealistic resolutions to find salvation, health, love and spirituality. At a recent trip to a Chinese lunch buffet, I sat in a savory MSG-induced food coma; somewhat pleased that I had literally overcome the challenge to, “eat all that I could eat,” I realized that 2008 was nearly upon us. My fortune cookie read, “To achieve happiness, one must achieve moderation.” As the fat cells multiplied in my body and the cellulite rolls began to take form, I reflected upon a year of overindulgence and self-gratification, with little to no motivation to achieve moderation. Now that that we are ready to ring in a New Year marked with the purchase of clean, unmarked calendars, it is time yet again to turn over a new leaf and strive for optimal physical and emotional health, putting behind my days of overeating, overdrinking and chasing dirt-bags. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/bozeman_gets_a_homeless_shelter/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/bozeman_gets_a_homeless_shelter/C82/L40/ Wed, 21 Nov 2007 05:00:00 MST For over seven years, Rev. Paul Thomas has tirelessly provided Bozeman’s homeless and down-and-out with a meal, a cup of coffee, clothing, company and any other kind of help he can through his mobile soup kitchen named HIS Soup. Thomas’ white Econoline van and those who flock to it are fixtures on the east and north parts of a town that has never had an official homeless shelter or mission. This month Thomas received a permit to create a historic rescue mission in the very same place he serves his complimentary home-cooked Thanksgiving meals. Not so long ago, Bozeman police used to “float” homeless residents and transients by buying them a ticket on the next Greyhound out of town. City officials say they haven’t floated anyone for many years, but when a homeless man froze to death in a U-haul truck here last winter, the homeless issue became hard to ignore and elicited a strong community response. Bozeman, “the most livable place,” is the only major city in Montana to not have a homeless shelter or rescue mission, but thanks to Thomas and his supporters, this is about to change. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/worldwide_hop_and_barley_shortages_put_the_pinch_on_brewers/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/worldwide_hop_and_barley_shortages_put_the_pinch_on_brewers/C82/L40/ Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:00:00 MST Since humans began making beer nearly 6,000 years ago, few things have stood between them and the beloved beverage. Here in the U.S., Virginia Colonists first brewed ale from corn in 1587, and any given beer commercial today is proof beer still hasn't gone out of style. Even though taps went dry by decree during Prohibition, it did not last long (easy for us to say). Today Americans are just as in love with suds as ever, and their pallets are becoming more and more discerning too. Craft brewers are cranking out many different flavorful beers, and Americans are thirsty for them. According to the Brewer’s Association, the craft beer industry’s sales have grown 31.5 percent over the last three years. The bad news is, craft beers take a lot of hops to make, and a worldwide shortage of the ingredient is killing the buzz of craft beer brewers and drinkers everywhere. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/montana_brewing_company_brings_home_coveted_awards_from_great_american_beer/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/montana_brewing_company_brings_home_coveted_awards_from_great_american_beer/C82/L40/ Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:38:00 MST Montanans are not afraid of beer, nor are they afraid to brew the stuff. There are 18 breweries in Montana, and though it may not seem like a huge number, it is significant for a state with less than one million citizens. Per capita, only Nevada, North Dakota and New Hampshire consume more beer per capita than Montana. One brewery in particular is celebrating one of the top brewing honors in the United States: the Montana Brewing Company in Billings recently won the “Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year” award at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. The Billings brewery also took home a gold medal for its Whitetail Wheat and two silvers for its Custer’s Last Stout and its Sandbagger Gold Ale. For head brewer Travis Zeilstra, brewing doesn’t get any better. “This is the ultimate goal, to be one of the brewers of the year,” Zeilstra says. “Not many people can say they’ve done that.” http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/lament_of_a_montana_gardener/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/lament_of_a_montana_gardener/C82/L40/ Sat, 29 Sep 2007 08:34:00 MST Ahh, autumn, my favorite season; the tourists (God bless ’em) are gone, the subtle but beautiful colors are changing, snow is in the mountains, and the subsequent cold is callously slaughtering my garden leaving nary a ripe tomato, squash or cucumber to consume. This summer’s was my very first garden, and for a brief moment it held much promise; big, bright sunflowers towered above; deep green squash, pumpkin and cucumber vines crawled across the yard; jalapeno and habanero peppers glistened in the sun; and basil and rosemary smelled so sweet they would make your olfactory weep. I took damn good care of my garden, but I did so with the naïve notion that come autumn I would sink my teeth into the natural little miracles that grew therein. The bounty would fill my belly and nourish my body through the long, hard winter. Nein! In the end, my once-vibrant garden plot became but a sad cemetery for shriveled, stillborn vegetables. Please forgive the callous pun. I am grieving. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/shore_lunch_the_anglers_gourmet/C82/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/shore_lunch_the_anglers_gourmet/C82/L40/ Sat, 22 Sep 2007 06:00:45 MST Many people haven't even heard of shore lunch, but if somebody started a restaurant and served it, I suspect he or she might be quite successful. In early September, I spent a week at an angler's paradise called Oliver Lake Wilderness Lodge. During my stay, I not only had great fishing but I was reminded how really great shore lunch can be. And I am not talking about the little boxes of breading for fish you buy at the supermarket. I'm talking about the real deal. Most Canadian and Alaskan fishing lodges include a daily shore lunch in the package, and I suspect most first-timers have no clue what it is. Fortunately, for us, our guide at Oliver Lake, Mike Pundyk, was as skilled at cooking shore lunch as he was at finding fish.