Connecting Producers, Food Pantries & Families
Hopa Mountain, Mission West Community Development Partners, Western Montana Growers Cooperative, Livingston Food Resource Center, Great Northern Development Corporation, Community Food and Agriculture Coalition and the Montana Food Bank Network have cooperatively launched Local Food for Local Families to support and connect producers, food hubs, food pantries and others to increase access to Montana grown and processed agricultural products. The outcome of this collective initiative is to develop a more strategic, equitable and sustainable food system model statewide.
For Food Hubs and Producers:
Monthly Montana Food Hub Network Community of Practice meetings
Monthly co-facilitated Zoom meetings share resources and opportunities to strengthen Montana’s food hubs. These online meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. MT. These meetings are open to emerging and established food hubs.
Local Food Marketplace Training and Support Services for Montana’s Food Hubs
Local Food Marketplace is offering a series of online training programs for food hubs along with business support services for new food hubs that want to use LFM software. To sign up for a demonstration of LFM software or participate in their training programs, please contact Stefanie Jaeger, LFM Director of Sales and Customer Success.
Certified Farm Start-Up Program
The Community Food & Agriculture Coalition is offering a series of classes for beginning farmer and ranchers that includes one-on-one training. They are also offering peer mentoring support with established local food producer for internship/apprentice ‘in the field’ training. For more information or to register for a future class, email Mary Ellis, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program Director.
For Food Pantries:
Montana Food Pantry Collaborative
The Montana Pantry Collaborative was formed in 2023 by self-selecting pantries interested in working collaboratively together to increase purchasing power, acting as economic drivers in their communities, and creating a unified voice as leaders in addressing food insecurity and poverty. Food pantry staff and Board members are invited to join the Collaborative and participate in monthly online meetings on the second Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. MT. For more information, email Marie Hirsch, Executive Director of the Arlee CDC.
Reimagining the School Snackpack Program with Local Food
A group of food pantries and others are working to support a school backpack program focusing on locally sourced foods. Kim Dale, of Helena Food Share, is the contact and facilitator for this initiative. This group is working on acquiring, developing and packaging 2 - 3 local foods that can be included to kids’ backpacks in the 2024-2025 school year. For more information, or to get involved, email Kim Dale, Helena Food Share Programs Operation Director.
Questions?
For more information please contact:
Ali Moxley
Local Food Outreach Coordinator
(406) 586-2455
