Artemis Provisions connects local food with local consumers

Based in Mount Horeb, Artemis Provisions and Cheese is a hub for locally-sourced and sustainably-raised products—meat, cheese, eggs, chicken, pork, lamb...the list goes on.

The business got its start around 10 months ago. Owner Kingsley Gobourne said it was created out of a “reaction” to the challenges many producers are facing.

“I’m from Blanchardville,” Gobourne said. “Many of my friends and people I associate with are the same people I grew up with there. And for those that are in the farming industry, especially those who are raising beef or pork or chicken, it’s getting really difficult . . . . We wanted to find ways to fight back and help distribute their products.”

“We purchase animals directly from the farmer and from there on out we control the processing, packaging, labeling, and distribution.”

Gobourne first had the idea while working as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator at Meriter Hospital. Prior, however, he worked in sales and finance.

“That background in marketing is something I thought I could bring to this group,” he said.

This prompted Gobourne to pilot his idea and see what kind of a response he would get from the community.

“What we learned was that there was an interest and an opportunity for my family to do this and actually make a business of it,” he said.

Artemis Provisions now partners with several local farms, providing a connection between producer and consumer. Selling online, they offer free delivery for those in Dane County. Many customers regularly stock up on produce, though gift boxes have been especially popular during the holiday season. In addition, Artemis Provisions sells wholesale at a few grocery stores, one of which being Miller and Son’s.

A goal they have, Gobourne said, is to show consumers how to incorporate the produce into their cooking.

 “We realize the average consumer is used to a really finished product—a boneless, skinless chicken, for example. So for us to come in with a natural, locally raised product, we want to fill in the gaps consumers have with preparing their own recipes at home.”

Artemis Provisions hopes to make working with the produce a little less daunting by partnering with area chefs to create instructional videos. Sharing recipes, they also give consumers creative ways to add variety to their meals. Some of these dishes were even inspired by the Jamaican cuisine Gobourne’s mother frequently made.

And among the chefs are two chefs in training.

“My wife and I both have jobs. [Artemis Provisions] is our third job, basically, so it does create a time crunch . . . . Our sons are our sous chefs . . . . We’ve really asked a lot of them and expected a lot of them during this process. They have been so engaged and so excited to participate.”

Though the Gobournes have their hands full with deliveries right now, they have been thinking about what the future might look like.

“Our goal, eventually, is to find an opportunity in Mount Horeb to have a physical location where we would be able to have a deli or butcher shop to showcase all of our products.”

Gobourne said they are excited to continue engaging and contributing to the community.

To learn more, visit artemisprovisions.org.