Our Story
Welcome to Yellowstone Farmstead, a locally owned and operated farm nestled at the mouth of Yellowstone National Park in Paradise Valley, Montana.
Founded by Sage LeBlanc, a sixth-generation farmer from Maine, our farm embodies a rich legacy of farming tradition and a passionate commitment to sustainable agriculture and serving our beloved community.
Sage broke ground in Paradise Valley three years ago under her original business name, “Shugabeet Farms”, named from the memorable exchange with her father in which she shared her desire to pave her own path as a farmer in Montana’s notably harsh zone 4 environment. “Montana?!? You sure?!? Nothin f&%$in grows there ‘cept Shuga’beets and criminals!” in his signature, thick northern Maine accent.
At the end of Shugabeet Farm’s third growing season in 2024, Sage worked alongside Allison Larew, former Garden Director at Chico Hot Springs, in tidying her plot for the oncoming winter. Funny enough, the two east-coast natives had been growing produce only miles apart in the same valley for the last several years without crossing paths.
Allison had recently resigned from her position at Chico Hot Springs after its sale to Diamondrock Investment Group, a shift that no longer aligned with her community-oriented farming goals. Together, Sage and Allison laughed the afternoon away cleaning up old mulberry plastic and debris, and something clicked between them. They spoke of their love and devotion to growing for neighbors and businesses they adore, the trials and tribulations that came with striking out on their own in a valley where billionaires collected Montana acres like coins. By the end of the day, Sage let Allison in on her latest negotiations to get a gorgeous plot of land secured at the mouth of Yellowstone National Park. She explained her expansion project that would soon morph Shugabeet Farms into what would soon be Yellowstone Farmstead, and asked Allison if she would join as her partner in tackling this massive passion project, and step into the role of Farm Manager.
Together, they worked tirelessly on an expansion that now encompasses 10 acres of historic land at the base of Devil's Slide, adjacent to Yellowstone National Park, and a geothermal greenhouse and event space in Emigrant. Through the acquisition and steady development of these two locations, Yellowstone Farmstead is proudly serving a dozen local business which include Yellowstone National Park itself, as well as Livingston’s Hospital. As if starting a farm from the ground up wasn’t enough, they decided to fully renovate 10 on-site housing units for their employees that the town of Livingston furnished top to bottom with their generous donations. After Allison and Sage posted a TikTok calling out to the world for farmhands to join for their first summer, they had 4,000 applications to sift through - and the final decisions didn’t disappoint.
Our mission is driven by a devotion to preserve historical land, ensure food security at the local level, and foster a community space for our neighbors and friends to share knowledge, meals, and memories. Agriculture isn’t limited to the production of food alone - we see it as a circular system that can also provide connection between grower, business, consumer, and neighbor.
