When Dave Prather joined Local Food Marketplace in 2025, he brought 17 years of food hub leadership with him. His path started even earlier though: “I grew up helping my grandfather in his garden and developed a love for getting my hands dirty from him.”
Before LFM, he ran Western Montana Growers Cooperative, growing it from a two-person operation into a farmer-owned food hub serving more than 100 farms, 350 wholesale accounts, and 580 CSA members.
He’s now a Sales Specialist on our team, and often the person you’d talk to first if you’re evaluating LFM for your operation.
“Food is at the heart of so much of what it means to be human. Small-scale, local and regional food economies generally embrace this and make space for dignity for the land, the food, and the people who produce and deliver it. For this reality to exist, we must have successful farms and successful hubs to build and maintain these connections.”
— Dave Prather, On why local food matters
17 years running a food hub, distilled.
Dave joined our sales team in 2025 after 17 years at Western Montana Growers Cooperative. Here’s what he brings to every conversation with a prospective food hub, farm, or CSA.
Food hub operations
17 years leading WMGC, growing it from a two-person operation into a farmer-owned food hub.
Wholesale distribution
Worked with the WMGC team to build and grow its wholesale program to 350 accounts.
CSA management
Guided the growth of WMGC’s CSA program from a pilot project to 580 members.
Producer relationships
Managed a cooperative network of more than 100 producer farms.
Fleet & logistics
In Dave’s own words, one of the two hardest parts of running a food hub. He spent years figuring out how to do it well.
Food Safety & Lean Management
Formal training in both, applied to over a decade of hands-on operations.
What 17 years of leadership built.
Founding member, Northwest Food Hub Network
Dave was a founding member of the Northwest Food Hub Network, a group of farmer-owned cooperatives dedicated to building regionally-scaled local food systems that support farmers and improve access to good food.
That experience shapes every conversation Dave has with a prospective food hub, farm, or CSA. When a hub asks about wholesale workflows, CSA management, producer payments, or how to scale without falling apart, Dave is drawing on years of running exactly the kind of operation you’re building.
He was also an LFM customer before he was an LFM employee. Dave and his WMGC team transitioned onto our platform in 2015 and implemented multiple LFM modules over the following decade.
“Treat people with respect, know a good mechanic, and always have a backup plan.”
— Dave Prather, On 17 years running a cooperative
Book time with Dave.
If you're evaluating LFM for your food hub, farm, or CSA, he'll walk you through how it fits your operation.
