Grow MontanaStrengthening our Food

and Agricultural Economy

PurposeTo enable Montana’s food producers to meet more of

our state’s food needs.

Montana produced 70% of its own food through the

1940s.

68%

45%

10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1941 1960 1980 2006

Employment in the Processed Food Industry

Source: US Census Bureau 2003

The Agricultural Commodity Marketing Challenge

1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990Source: 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)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

MT Idaho Wyoming North Dakota South Dakota

Source: US Department of Commerce (2004)

Types of Farm Operations

Value-Added

Commodity

VerySmall

VeryLarge

1. Specialty

Farm StandsFarmers Markets

CSA's

2. Opportunity

* Differentiate with value-addedattributes.

* Preserve local/regional focus.

* Aggregate value chains.

3. Price and Scale

ADM, CargillBrazil, China

3. Hard-Pressed

CommodityFamily Farmers

Source: Ag of the Middle

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 HospitalsOther 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.

Given what you know about Farm to College, what do you think is the most important benefit? N=383

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

Very Important

61%

Not Important

22%

Somew hat Important

17%

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 22-23Food Production

Hunger Reduction

Grow MT’s Consensus Policy Areas

1. Rebuild supply infrastructure production—processing—distribution

2. Market developmentpublic institution’s food services

3. Food access, food security

Grow Montanaa project of the

National Center for Appropriate Technology(406) 721-1664

www.growmontana.ncat.org