Farm to Table: A Traveling Meal in Powell, Wyoming

On the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park, 128 alpacas peer over the latched fences of Powell, Wyoming’s Arrowhead Alpacas. On the day of my farm visit, owner Jan Sapp unlatches the first fence and fills my palms with feed. I crouch down with my arms outstretched, deferential to the curious animals. Most meet my efforts with unimpressed stares. Only after a few minutes does the bravest alpaca — or perhaps the hungriest — step forward, accepting my offer with a tickle of her tongue.

But the alpacas aren’t the only ones getting fed. As a stop on Powell’s agriculture tour, Arrowhead Alpacas supplies me with both a glimpse and a taste of Powell’s varied agricultural heritage. The farm doubles as an alpaca meat supplier, affording me the rare opportunity to taste Sapp’s alpaca goulash, alongside a basil vinaigrette salad made from Shoshone River Farms’ produce.

People tend to struggle with the idea of eating alpaca, acknowledges Sapp, who cares for her animals across their lifespans. During my visit, she addresses each by name, sharing anecdotes of their antics; some are more prone to spitting, while others make known their big personalities.

When it comes time to harvest the alpaca meat, Sapp exclusively uses male alpacas—typically only after they’ve passed the age of 12. That fate is by no means universal, either; Sapp only uses geriatric men whose fiber has turned coarse and lost its fine quality.

Tourists can then find the meat at Heartworks in Powell’s downtown, while anyone who wants to feed Arrowhead’s alpacas can book a tour by phone reservation. You can also get crafty with an alpaca felting session.

More Options for Bringing the Farm to the Table

Arrowhead, however, isn’t Powell’s only business bringing the farm to the table, with options for gluten-free bread, freshly churned butter, and hoppy IPAs across town. My day in Powell also includes visits to the Homesteader Museum, Enchantment Creek Apothecary, and WYOld West Brewing Company — businesses that have leveraged their Powell locations into a well-rounded agricultural network.

Each endeavor, while varied, goes the extra mile, as the entire town of Powell — nevertheless Wyoming’s overarching Big Horn Basin and Cody region — could rest on its laurels. As a major access point to Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres, Powell sits roughly 70 miles from the park’s East Gate. En route to the park, tourists based in town pass through the country’s first national forest, the 2.4-million-acre Shoshone.

It would be easy for Powell to hinge its entire identity on its flashier, well-known surroundings, but the town’s businesses recognize the abundance of their landscapes, which exceed Yellowstone’s 500-plus geysers and hordes of hulking bison. Surely an alpaca ranch and a homestead museum produce very different outputs, but both demonstrate the land’s potential and prowess — and offer up an origin story, or history lesson, in tandem with a good meal.

Reclaiming Agriculture Through Irrigation

My day in Powell starts at the Homesteader Museum, which contextualizes the land through irrigation and the U.S. Reclamation Act. In 1904, the $2.25 million Shoshone Project allowed irrigation via the Shoshone River, resulting in an outpouring of homesteads. You can step inside one of those historic homes and glean insight into how people lived in 1913, right down to the makeshift bathtub in the kitchen.

As for the meal aspect? Once upon a time, butter was made by hand, starting with nothing more than heavy cream. During the visit, the museum’s director and curator, Brandi Wright, teaches me how to make my own butter — and exercise my arms — simply by shaking room temperature cream in a jar. There are a few final steps, but the process is relatively simple … and the butter is best when smothered on gluten-free bread made from locally grown oat flour.

For interested visitors, the Homesteader Museum is open daily, depending on the time of year. The museum doesn’t charge for admission, though it welcomes donations. You can alternatively book a private tour by calling ahead of time.

A Farmacy Like No Other

Enchantment Creek’s founder, Heather Jones, refers to herself as an herbalist first and a farmer second, and her business backs up these priorities. On a sprawling farm just west of central Powell, Jones operates her apothecary — or “farmacy,” per her business card  — by devising from-the-garden teas, tinctures, cosmetics, oils, and more. She grows her herbs on site, focusing on 90 medicinal, culinary species.

Currently, she’s in the process of expanding her business, with plans for a teaching pagoda and a designated tea area. During my visit, I try one of Jones’ homemade blends, a comforting mix of herbs she’s hand-selected. We have something of a rustic, makeshift tea party, snacking on chocolate zucchini bread and a blueberry loaf embellished with fresh flowers. We’re overlooking the gardens, which Jones deems “chaotic.”

“I grow like the forest grows,” she explains. “The herbs are much happier that way.”

To try Jones’ happy herbs for yourself, you can pay the apothecary a visit or check out Enchantment Creek’s online shop. Additionally, you can visit a variety of Powell’s nearby farms to pick up some seasonal goodies.

Cody’s Sippin’ Trail

At WYold West Brewery, the final stop of my traveling meal, I try a flight consisting of the Mule Deer Pilsner, Bronc Buster Blonde, and a jalapeno ale, my favorite of the bunch. The brewery balances both classic and unique flavors, like that jalapeño beer, as well as a peanut butter stout and a red ale deemed “Revenge of the Rodeo Clown.” Many of the beers are made with local barley. This connects the output of the Cody region with the beer in my glass.

The brewery has daily hours and coincides with Cody’s “Sippin’ Trail,” so you can embark on a regional beer crawl in addition to your agricultural tour. For those based in Cody, WYold West also has a taproom in town, so you’re never too far from a drink. Just make sure to save room for a huckleberry margarita: Yellowstone’s unofficial cocktail that, yes, hinges on wild huckleberries straight from the source.

One More Stop

Beyond these agricultural stops, Powell is home to Heart Mountain: a World War II Japanese American internment camp that now houses an educational museum. While a visit to Heart Mountain makes for a heavier stop than a brewery or a chuckwagon dinner, it’s necessary to truly understand the land, which has ties to both Japanese and Native American history.

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