It’s a philosophy that drives the local utility to this day, evidenced by their multipronged charitable efforts ranging from scholarships and blood drives to safety grants and eco-conscious innovations. Powering their community of 56,000 member households is one thing – empowering it is something else entirely.

In June 2022, Carrie and Scot Chisholm and Craig McViney opened the doors to Haskill Creek Farms – a natural alternative to the traditional pharmacy – stocked with over 200 American-grown herbs, along with a host of other natural wellness items ranging from kitchen supplies to skincare products. The retail market and cannabis farm occupy a scenic perch along Voerman Road, while the hemp farming operation takes place near Edgewood Drive in Whitefish.

The Haskill Creek team is rigorous when it comes to selecting items for the shop. Chisholm said they dig into ingredients, sustainability practices and company ethics before granting a product their seal of approval. The mercantile’s offerings fall under three umbrellas: self care, healthy home, and lifestyle, driving home their philosophy of health as a holistic practice. Among their most popular curations are CBD pain relief creams, adaptogen mushroom blends to help reduce anxiety, and a host of coffee alternatives.

“We also discovered that a lot of the naturopathic doctors were sending their patients here to get fresh herbs that they can’t find at Walgreens or other pharmacies,” Chisholm noted. “We’re really leaning into that.”

The farm has since hosted a number of wellness workshops led by local naturopathic physicians on topics like immunity and adaptogens. Sam Madeira, a naturopathic physician who operates Apollo Health Clinic in Kalispell, considers Haskill Creek “a true gift” for the local community “to have access to this caliber of herbal supplements, herbal teas, and high quality natural medicines.”

Nestled in the back of the shop is the Cannabis Counter, the dispensary arm of the holistic operation, which carries 10 strains of flower and also specializes in low-dose cannabis edibles.

“What we’ve found is a huge consumer demand for lower-dose THC products, but higher quality,” Chisholm said. “They want a nice, body high feeling and to naturally fall asleep. The edibles have been extremely popular, I think, because of that approach.”

Chisholm also wanted to make cannabis products easy to navigate for the newcomer, so the farm’s offerings are categorized by desired feeling, such as sleep, create or socialize.

At Haskill Creek, creating quality cannabis products began from the ground up. Head grower and co-founder Craig McViney uses organic, regenerative farming techniques, which allow him to reuse soil from one harvest to the next.

“It would have been way easier for us to grow with chemicals – we’d certainly be making more money right now – but that’s not how you build a lasting, durable brand that people respect,” Chisholm said.

In fact, Haskill Creek is one of just three growers in Montana to be recognized as Clean Green Certified – signifying that the farm underwent a rigorous on-site inspection of organic cultivation practices and plant quality. They did so voluntarily and at their own expense by hiring a federally-accredited organic certification company to review farm operations. There are no regulations across the cannabis growing industry, leaving quality control largely up to the producers themselves, but it was vital to Chisholm to be transparent with his customers from the get-go.

“Sustainability, philanthropy, community – those three things are core values of the company,” he explained. “Not compromising on those standards is really important.”

In Chisholm’s eyes, this is only the beginning. Haskill Creek is set to open a second location in downtown Whitefish next spring, occupying the 3,500-square-foot space adjacent to Markus Foods.

“The natural health side will be probably five times bigger and it’ll really dive into self care,” Chisholm said.
While he’s certainly growth-minded, giving back is also an integral pillar of Chishom’s business mindset. He founded the nonprofit Save Farmland Fund to help preserve and promote small farmers in Northwest Montana. The organization is raising funds to acquire local farmland and is developing programs to help entry-level farmers get their start. In addition to contributing the first parcel of land for the project, Chisholm donates one dollar from every order at Haskill Creek to the nonprofit.

The farm also hosts regular community events, geared at uniting local residents. Their Wednesday evening Summer Series featured live music, drinks and food trucks, with 100% of drink proceeds going to the Save Farmland Fund.

It all circles back to the holistic approach that Haskill Creek Farms and the Cannabis Counter were founded on. Take care of the land – and it takes care of you.

Scot Chisholm, co-owner and founder of Haskill Creek Farms

The Haskill Creek hemp farm