JACKSON, Wyo. — Earlier this week, the University of Wyoming (UW) and the UW Extension announced the release of a Wyoming Specialty Crop Directory (WSCD) online database, a comprehensive resource designed to strengthen Wyoming’s local food industry by connecting consumers and producers across the state.
The WSCD database has over 1,000 listings of producers and other food industry-related organizations, including nonprofits, farmers markets and local shops. Producers of homemade goods containing specialty crops are also listed, such as jams, hot sauces, pickled vegetables and fruit pies. According to a September article by High Country News, Wyoming has more farmers markets per capita than any other state, with 12 per 100,000 people.
“One of the most enjoyable aspects of working on this project is visiting with folks around Wyoming who produce these foods, and who oversee farmers markets, CSAs, community and church gardens, and school horticulture programs,” Project Coordinator and Editor Robert Waggener wrote in the introduction to the database. “I have heard many wonderful stories, and one word seems to follow them all: ‘passion.'”
The database is broken down by county, and Teton County has 70 listings, including the Jackson Hole Community Garden, Hole Food Rescue, Teton County Curb to Compost and much more.
The new database builds upon the original WSCD that was first published in 2021 and updated in 2024. That directory can be viewed here. Each listing on the online database includes an image of the producer, their operation, products or logo. Waggener said that creating an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly product was an important part of the process.
Specialty crops are defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the list includes vegetables, fruits, tree nuts, culinary herbs and spices, medicinal herbs, and edible horticultural products like honey and hops. The project came to life through a partnership between UW Extension and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. Funding came from a Specialty Crop Block Grant Program through the USDA.
Waggener believes that a new food movement is happening in the state, thanks in part to the Wyoming Food Freedom Act, first passed in 2015. He wrote that the legislation “opened up new opportunities for many producers and business owners in the state, and there are now year-round indoor farmers markets across the state.”
This database seeks to connect producers, agriculture agencies, schools, communities and consumers. The rollout comes at a time when the food access outlook across the state and the nation is going through a major shift, as many publicly funded programs are having their funding cut or being terminated altogether.
