Gallatin General Store: How It All Started

A couple of roadside tables ready to be refurbished for display tables.

This idea has been bouncing around in my head for years — a simple place where community supports community. For the longest time, I thought it might be a “retirement job.” Something I’d get to someday. But life is short, and I’m finally at a point where I don’t want to put off the things that matter.

So I started quietly asking a few questions. Nothing big — just seeing if this dream was even possible. And before I knew it, pieces started falling into place. I found myself picking up used furniture from Marketplace to turn into display tables, hunting down thrifted treasures, and slowly filling my garage with things rescued from curbs and destined for the landfill. What started as “maybe” quickly became “oh, we’re doing this.”

Montana has been my home since childhood, and the Gallatin Valley has been where I’ve lived, worked, and raised my kids for more than the last two decades. Community is woven into everything I do, whether it’s volunteering, nonprofit work, or choosing to shop small and local whenever I can. I love knowing where my food comes from, supporting local growers, and choosing reuse whenever possible. But the truth is, accessing local goods can be hard. So can finding sustainable options, or affordable outerwear, or a place where handmade, homegrown, and secondhand aren’t separate worlds.

Gallatin General Store is my answer to that. Think of it as a year-round farmers market you can stop into anytime. A place to pick up local meats and produce without buying a half cow or a full summer CSA. A place for gifts and home goods that are made, grown, or found right here. A place where outdoor wear doesn’t have to break the bank — because a secondhand coat with life left in it deserves another winter. A place that keeps good things in our valley and out of the landfill.

At its heart, this store is for locals first. But it’s also a spot I hope visitors wander into — a place where they can see the real Montana, the small-town charm that goes deeper than what’s shown on TV. I want travelers to leave with something that was truly made here, and locals to feel proud of what they’re supporting.

When I look at the growing pile of rescued pieces in my garage, it feels like the perfect mix of hope, community, resourcefulness, meaning, and a little chaos — the good kind. I’ve been searching for the next way to give back, and this feels like the right blend of community and growth.

Five years from now, I hope Gallatin General Store is a hub — a place where neighbors cross paths, families pick up their staples, guests get a taste of the valley’s heart, and our community stays rooted in who we are. A place that reminds us we’re all connected.

Gallatin General Store Opening Spring 2026.

And the fun is just beginning.

My car filled with storage bins, ready to kickstart collection efforts.

Growing pile of clothing collected from our community.

Gallatin General Store: How It All Started