The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced 75 winners of the 2010 Blue Ribbon Small Business Award®, honoring their critical role in creating jobs and growing the economy. 

One of those chosen was Montana’s own Huls Dairy.  Huls Dairy is a 5th generation sustainable dairy farm in the Bitterroot Valley.  Some years ago, they invested in a methane digester to save energy, reduce pollution, and make their farm more productive by using the energy from the digester to power their farm. 

Great-grandparents, Spencer Smith Huls with his wife Inez and their two children Alfred Spencer and Constance, settled on 40 acres north east of Corvallis Montana in 1908. Like many early farmers in the Bitterroot Valley, they had dairy animals; they separated the cream from the milk and took their cream to town in cans. Their son A. Spencer Huls married Marie Sutherland in 1924 and began operating the farm. In 1948, Spencer and his son Dave formed a partnership, and in 1951, they built one of the first grade-A dairy facilities in Ravalli County. Over time land was added as opportunities arose and the farm grew to 226 acres. 

Dave and Jennie Huls remained in the dairy business for many years and raised the family that currently operates the farm together with their wives and families. In 2008, the Huls family celebrated 100 years on the farm and noted that dairy cows have been milked on the farm every day of the 100 years of farm operation.

For more info, go to:  http://www.hulsdairy.com/

Seven of these businesses will be named finalists for the DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam's Club, on Monday, March 15. All Blue Ribbon Award winners will be honored at America's Small Business Summit on May 18 in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, May 18, the winner will be presented with a crystal award by U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue during America’s Small Business Summit at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.

Posted By:  Taylor Brown