Mountain Girls Who Eat: Kate Stoddard of Orchestra Provisions

I have to say the best part of my job is probably connecting with other female entrepreneurs. I actually didn’t consider myself a “girl’s girl” growing up, I didn’t necessarily feel welcome with other women. But I want to clarify - I think women are amazing. Women are capable of incredible things…once we realize we aren't each other’s competition.

Over the last couple months, I have had the pleasure of connecting with so many women across so many different realms - skiing, business, social media, etc. I have partnered with Julie Balsamo, another registered dietitian based in Jackson Hole to create nutrition education that is accessible & relatable for all - not just those in our community. We started Mountain Girls Who Eat (listen to the first episode here) as a way to provide free nutrition education to those who might not be able to afford our services & also as a way to highlight local businesses, entrepreneurs, athletes, & citizens in our community who inspire us.

I can’t quite remember exactly how Orchestra Provisions first came across my radar, but if I had to guess, it was through social media. After connecting with Kate behind the scenes, sampling her protein powders and her spice blends, I asked her if she would like to be the first guest interview on our podcast. I could gush about her & so many other amazing badass females in the Jackson Hole/Teton Valley communities, but at the end of the day, I am just so grateful to support other women & to also have so many women who are building me up as a budding female entrepreneur & nutrition educator within my community & beyond.

A little more about Kate & Orchestra Provisions…

“Orchestra Provisions was founded by Kate Stoddard, a native Idahoan with intertwined passions for nature and the nourishment it provides. Kate's career as a wilderness river guide instilled a keen sense of stewardship and duty to protect, and educate people about the importance of wild, natural spaces. Kate obtained a masters in the science of nutrition from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. It was here that Kate focused her energy toward food systems and necessary education regarding the search for regenerative solutions. This inevitably led to the great matter of feeding a flourishing population of humans. 

While studying lifecycle nutrition and iron deficiency anemia, Kate came across such a solution. Her research resulted in an obsession regarding tribal communities in Zimbabwe who, despite their vegetarian diets, were able to avoid this number one global public health concern. The answer? They weren't completely vegetarian, they ate grubs that were incredibly rich in heme-iron, and when dehydrated, very shelf stable. This led her to an onslaught of research including a UN and FAO report on the viability and sustainability of feeding billions of mouths with insect protein.

Kate instantly ordered all of the insects she could find for her kitchen, and it probably won't come to a surprise that they were challenging to incorporate into her diet. This is where Orchestra was born and a philosophy that insects can be used as ingredients and don't have to be eaten whole to reap the nutritional and sustainable benefits of this incredible superfood staple, and so Orchestra's delicious superfood blends were created!

Kate is mother to an amazing child Wren, and as all mothers, incredibly dedicated to the future.”