Grow Montana Strengthening our Food and Agricultural Economy Purpose To enable Montana’s food producers to meet more of our state’s food needs.

Montana produced 70% of its own food through the 1940s.

Employment in the Processed Food Industry Source: US Census Bureau 2003

The Agricultural Commodity Marketing Challenge Source: ATTRA 2005

Market Value of Agriculture: Products Sold (2002) Source: US Census Bureau (2002)

Value Added as a Percentage of Total Agriculture and Food Exports (2004) Source: US Department of Commerce (2004)

PROFIT SECTOR COST SECTOR - Restaurants - Bars - Leisure Public Institutions - Education - Health Care - Welfare/Corrections

Montana’s Public Institutions Spend $ 32.7 Million Annually K-12 MSU UM State prison UM Butte, Helena, Dillon Other prisons Public Hospitals Other Department of Administration

Montana’s opportunities are in: Fruit and vegetables Meat Bakery Dairy Other: vegetable oil, salsa, tortillas, cereal, salad dressing, confectionary Source: Mcleay and Barron. Unlocking the Food Buying Potential of Montana’s Public Institutions.

Supports MT Farmers and Ranchers More money stays in MT communities I know where my food comes from Don’t Know No benefits Less pollution Higher quality

How Important is FTC to Vendors? ( phone survey N=23 )

Importance to UM Farm to College helps the University “ demonstrate [that]…we do in a direct, absolute way have something to do with rural Montana.”

Insert 2 slides for Maps (US first then MT) Conventionally Sourced Meal (Sysco)

Conventional Meal Traveled 3 Times More Miles than the Farm to College Meal. Used 3 Times More Fuel.

Public Institutions $32.7 Million Food Service $1.4 Billion Montana $3 Billion

“A person in my position can’t change the world, but I can change a little piece of it.” --UDS Staff

Governor’s Food and Agriculture Summit March Food Production Hunger Reduction

Grow MT’s Consensus Policy Areas 1. Rebuild supply infrastructure production—processing—distribution 2. Market development public institution’s food services 3. Food access, food security

Grow Montana a project of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (406)