The Producer Partnership started in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic after one of Matt Pierson’s ranch hands at Highland Livestock Company made a joke about feeding the hungry with all the hamburger walking around on the ranch. The comment caused Pierson to launch an effort to get donated cattle from area ranchers, process them and then donate the meat to local food-based nonprofits.
Area ranchers, meat processors, and the Park County Community Foundation worked to provide high-quality, locally raised beef to feed the hungry. A large swath of Park County’s ranching community donated cows; others donated money to pay for the processing of the cattle, which is being done locally. The Park County Community Foundation quickly partnered with Pierson with a seed funding from the Park County COVID-19 Resilience Fund and established a Fund to help facilitate donations. Within the first week they had raised over $10,000. Producer Partnership has provided beef to The Livingston Food Resource Center, The Gardiner Food Bank, Counterpoint, Loaves and Fishes and others.
The Producer Partnership was granted nonprofit 501(c)3 status by the IRS in October, 2020. Please visit their website for more information.
