GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) -- Officials with the Montana Organic Producers Cooperative say the state's organic beef growers had a rough year in 2009.

Mark Smith, the cooperative's administrator and a Lavina rancher, says sales of organic beef were down 47 percent compared to the previous year. He says two factors contributed to the drop -- the grocery store chain Whole Foods Market changed buyers, purchasing only 20 percent of what it had been buying from the Montana co-op, and consumers bought less organic beef as they looked for ways to stretch their budgets.

Smith says the cooperative has reached a new deal with Whole Foods Market and expects to ship more beef to the chain soon.

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Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com

Copyright 2010 The AP.