Mission
Growing fresh, delicious leafy greens all year long in our sustainable, aquaponics greenhouse while connecting the community with local, healthy food and education.
Goals
Swanky Roots is committed to producing our product through sustainable methods. With the world population growing and the amount of productive land decreasing, our aquaponics system as the ability to produce multiple products within one greenhouse. And the best part--it's year-round production right here in Billings, Montana! We want to share the wonderful world of aquaponics with our community and why we believe it is important for the future of agriculture.
01.
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Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics.
02.
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Water Saving - no water lost to runoff or soil absorption, and there is less loss from evaporation!
03.
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Efficient Plant Growth - can grow more than twice as fast, and often much larger because the roots given all the water and nitrogen they need!
04.
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Beyond Organic - creates and uses its own natural fertilizer and keeps it contained within the system.
“We can grow lettuce with six times less water than in the field.”
Veronnaka Evenson | Co-Founder
History
Swanky Roots is a local, family-owned small business that was founded in 2016 by mother - daughter team Ronna Klamert and Veronnaka Evenson. Ronna had a vision of growing great food for her loved ones and Veronnaka agreed this seemed like a fantastic adventure.
We are a small team with big dreams that is dedicated to providing fresh, healthy food for our community!
Veronnaka graduated from Montana State University in 2016 with degrees in Plant Science and Agricultural Education with a minor in Biology Teaching. She loves being outdoors with her four doodles Harley, Moose, Bailey and Clint. She met her husband in third grade, they were high school sweethearts and married in 2017. They welcomed their first child April 2023. Her dream is to see the 60 acres the greenhouse sits on turn into an agricultural oasis for the community. She loves helping people connect with nature and understand where our food comes from.
Ronna has always loved gardening and instilled a love of plants and a passion for people in Veronnaka from a young age. She enjoys helping her husband with their angus beef cattle operation, connecting with friends, and serving her community. Through some research the mother-daughter duo decided that aquaponics would be their best option to combine their passions.
Hope Stott has been with Swanky Roots since the very beginning, helping install the system from the ground up. She is now the Operations Manager and helps keep the day to day running smoothly. She has two adorable pugs, Aurora and Phillip and enjoys spending time with them and her husband.
Voted Best Place to Buy Produce in Billings!
When it comes to produce, quality products without harmful chemicals at a reasonable price is hard to come by – but not at Swanky Roots.
The incredibly affordable farm and produce store uses an aquaponics system in their green- house. The result is a delicious, sustainable, fresh array of homegrown vegetation like butter lettuce, oakleaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, super greens mix, kale, rainbow swiss chard, herbs, mint, basil, arugula, microgreens, edible flowers, and an array of vegetables.
Longevity, price, and unbeatable fresh taste make Swanky Roots the best place to buy produce in Billings. Greens can last three times longer than regular store-bought greens, so no more tossing out lettuce a couple days after you buy it. Shop local and stay healthy.
