Montana Resources & Publications
Buying & Selling Local Foods
Grow, Eat, and Know: A Resource Guide to Food and Farming in Missoula Countyby Community Food & Agriculture Coalition
As one component of the Missoula County Community Food Assessment, this guide is a collection of organizations, programs and businesses that are involved in the Missoula County food system--the complex web that incorporates all things food, from growing to distribution to eating.
Within the pages of the guide, you will find brief descriptions and contact information for a variety of groups. You'll find entries for agriculture and food assistance groups, but also for land trusts and business development. All these groups play an important part in supporting the Missoula County food system.
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Our Foodshed in Focus: Missoula County Food and Agriculture by the Numbers
by University of Montana, Missoula
As one of our components of the MCCFA, this report utilizes existing statistical data, primarily from U.S. census reports and other government sources, to describe patterns in the local food system and how these have changed over time. Seven chapters, all authored by students, detail relevant trends in the following areas: demographics; agricultural production; environment; food distribution; employment in farming and food-related businesses; consumption; and food security and access. Each chapter also discusses why these trends might be occurring and explains why these measures are important.
Food Matters: Farm Viability and Food Consumption in Missoula County
by Community Food & Agriculture Coalition November 2004
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Farm to School Fact Sheet for Montanta
by Sleeping Giant Citizens Council December 2009
The basics of Farm to School for Montana citizens: healthy kids and healthy farms.
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Other Resources
From Farms to Schools Fundraiser 2009 Final Reportby Aubree Durfey December 2009
Elementary students peddling lentils and winter squash door to door? Third-graders advocating for the benefits of eating locally-produced food? Such scenes became reality as six area elementary schools participated in the 2009 From Farms to Schools Fundraising Program. Gallatin Valley Farm to School administered the second annual offering of this “alternative school fundraising program” and, while doing so, addressed the Gallatin Valley’s desire to support Montana farmers, help local schools, and purchase beautiful holiday gifts for friends and family. The fundraising program, offered at Irving, Hawthorne, Gallatin Gateway, Whittier, Morning Star and Longfellow elementary schools, was a squashing success with total sales of $37,700 – forty percent of which goes to support a host of valuable school programs!
This report provides the resources, tools, and information used in the fundraiser. Gallatin Valley Farm to School along with Montana Team Nutrition, encourages others to use this model as a healthier alternative to school fundraising.
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K-12 School Garden Projects in Montana
by Mary Stein, MS and Juli Louttit, BS, Program Assistant for MT Team Nutrition Program
This document lists and describes approximately forty school garden projects in Montana.
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Case Studies & Feasibility Analysis
Unlocking the Food Buying Potential of Montanaby Drs. Fraser McLeay and Nicola Barron
Drs. Fraser Mcleay and Nicola Barron analyzed Montana's public institutional food service markets, and Montana's food and agricultural producers' capacity to serve those markets. Their final report, Unlocking the Food Buying Potential of Montana's Public Institutions Towards a Montana-based Food Economy, calls Montana public institutions an important stepping stone for Montana food producers to tap into the broader food service market. It also describes the need for investment in food system infrastructure to meet the needs of these markets. The Executive Summary of the report is available here.
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Tracing the Chain: An In-Depth Look at the University of Montana
by Dr. Neva Hassanein
Dr. Neva Hassanein, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, and 10 graduate students, followed the food chain of the University of Montana Farm to College program's purchases of local and regional food for campus dining halls and retail outlets. The research team looked at the social, economic, and transportation-related benefits and challenges associated with supporting local agricultural economic development. Some of these findings span across all types of Farm to Cafeteria programs in Montana, including Farm to School.View the Executive Summary Below.
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