A Local Favorite: Wild Montana Foods

A few years ago, while wandering through the Whitefish Farmers Market on a warm summer Tuesday evening, I discovered one of my now favorite local brands, Wild Montana Foods. Between admiring the Montana-grown fruits and vegetables, picking out fresh baked goods, and browsing the beautiful handmade products and local art, I stumbled upon Meggen Wilson’s booth.

At the time, she had just a few products available: her incredible vanilla extract, vanilla paste, and a white vinegar cleaning spray. I decided to give them a try, and I’m so glad I did.

Everything we baked with that vanilla extract turned out amazing, and we quickly used up the cleaning spray too. The next time I visited her booth, there were even more products to try. I picked up her vanilla bean sugar, maple syrup, and of course, another bottle of vanilla extract.

Honestly, the vanilla bean sugar made some of the best cookies I’ve ever had. It was absolutely to die for, and we loved the maple syrup just as much. As someone who is a huge vanilla bean fan, I’ve been consistently impressed with every single product she creates.

Then at Market Beautiful, I spotted Wild Montana Foods again and immediately made my way over, encouraging my friends to stop and try her products too.

This time, I picked up one of her newest products, Shrub. If you’re unfamiliar with shrubs, I had just learned about them myself. Meggen initially sold me with the words “glowy skin,” and as an upcoming bride, anything related to hair, skin, and wellness instantly gets my attention.

And honestly, who doesn’t love a good glow?

Shrubs are vinegar-based fruit drinks that have been around for years and are known for their refreshing flavor and wellness benefits. Many people enjoy them for digestion support, gut health, antioxidants, and promoting glowing skin.

I chose the honeyberry flavor and also grabbed another cleaning product while restocking some of my favorite items. Every product feels thoughtfully crafted and unique.

Meggen herself is always so kind and welcoming to chat with, which makes supporting her business even more enjoyable. Her passion for quality ingredients and small-batch crafting truly shines through in everything she creates.

Originally from Tangerine, Florida, Meggen has spent more than 40 years cooking and entertaining. She and her husband moved to Northwest Montana in 2002, where she now creates premium small-batch vanilla products and seasonal specialties in Whitefish, Montana.

Wild Montana Foods focuses on using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, including Flathead Lake Honeycrisp apples, Glacier Distilling spirits, raw honey from Babb, Montana, Big Sky Honeyberries, and maple syrup from family-owned orchards.

One of the most impressive parts of Wild Montana Foods’ growth is that the brand can now be found in 26 stores across Montana. Meggen and her products have also been featured on nearly a dozen podcasts, including an appearance on Tom Douglas’ Hot Stove Society podcast in Seattle,  an exciting milestone for the company, as Tom Douglas is a James Beard Award-winning chef.

Her recipes have even won awards at the Flathead County Fair and Rural Montana Magazine and have been featured in the Whitefish Pilot’s Annual Recipe Cookbook and Abundant Montana.

If you haven’t tried Wild Montana Foods yet, I highly recommend checking out Meggen’s products and recipes for yourself. You can also visit her blog at www.pineandpalmkitchen.com to learn more and discover delicious recipes featuring her incredible products.

Products can be found online here:Shop Now.

For our readers and subscribers, Wild Montana Foods has generously offered a special discount code! Use code AMANDA25 for 25% off your online order for the next 30 days

Thank you again to Meggen and Wild Montana Foods for creating such thoughtful, high-quality products and for sharing a little extra sweetness with our community.