Ksanka Food Pantry

05/29/2026

Ksanka Food Pantry will be open tomorrow Friday May 29th from 9am to 4pm.

05/28/2026

We are seeking volunteers to help with the Elmo garden, particularly for tasks such as clearing dead grass and roots after tilling, it can be during the week or the weekend. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. It is already a little late in the planting season however I would prefer late planting over weeds taking over. DM me if you have questions.

05/21/2026

We will be working on the Elmo Garden this Friday May 22nd. Any help would be appreciated. If you aren’t able to work and just want to come enjoy some conversation or enjoy the sunshine bring a lawn chair. We will have drinks and snacks.

05/15/2026

We are open today Friday May 15th from 9am to 6pm.

05/07/2026

It's amazing to me how many people are completely unaware of the abundance of currants and gooseberries growing across the continent. However, that ignorance was intentional. In 1911, the US made growing plants in the Ribes genus illegal because they act as a carrier of a blister rust that kills white pine trees (therefore threatening the timber industry). Mass eradication efforts were started and the commercial sweets industry never incorporated currant flavors into candies, soda, pies, etc.
This article mainly references Blackcurrants because that's what typically used in Europe but all our Ribes plants were threatened by this policy.
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2022/10/americas-blackcurrant-ban/
In Montana alone, we have 15 varieties, all edible!

🫐Alpine Prickly Gooseberry
Ribes montigenum

🫐Bristly Black Currant
Ribes lacustre

🫐Bristly Gooseberry
Ribes oxyacanthoides ssp. setosum

🫐Canada Gooseberry
Ribes oxyacanthoides

🫐Golden Currant
Ribes aureum

🫐Henderson's Gooseberry
Ribes oxyacanthoides ssp. hendersonii

🫐Idaho Gooseberry
Ribes oxyacanthoides ssp. irriguum

🫐Northern Black Currant
Ribes hudsonianum

🫐Northern Red Currant*
Ribes rubrum
*Non-native

🫐Sticky Currant
Ribes viscosissimum

🫐Swamp Red Currant
Ribes triste

🫐Trailing Black Currant
Ribes laxiflorum

🫐Wax Currant
Ribes cereum

🫐White-stem gooseberry
Ribes inerme

🫐Wild Black Currant
Ribes americanum

05/02/2026

We are open today Saturday May 2nd from 12-4 pm

05/01/2026

Food pantry is closed today Friday, May 1 for a community event happening. We will be open tomorrow Saturday, May 2 from 12 to 4 PM.

04/29/2026

04/18/2026

We recognize and appreciate the generosity of one of our community volunteers who brought in some amazing homemade banana bread to giveaway at the pantry yesterday. Thank you Lucinda Michel for consistently showing your care and consideration. ❤️

04/17/2026

We are open today Friday April 17th from 10am to 4pm.