Montana Profile

Montana’s first pilot farm to school program was implemented in August 2005 in the Missoula County Public School district (MCPS), which consists of 12 elementary and 5 high schools. Farm to School efforts in Montana are currently led by the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition, in collaboration with other organizations with similar goals of strengthening Montana’s food system and assuring that all citizens have access to affordable, healthy foods.

The Farm to School program works with local farmers, ranchers and food service staff to feature Montana-grown food items in the school cafeterias when possible. Efforts include incorporating Montana items into the menu on an on-going basis, as well as in special meal events. These events have included a week where the lunch menu featured a Montana-grown item each day, as well as a one-day event where the majority of the meal was made from Montana-grown products.

In addition, the Farm to School program provides educational classroom learning opportunities for students about what types of food are grown in Montana, how these can be a part of a healthy diet, and how food choices affect the broader community.