<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<title>Local foods in Montana</title>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Lucida Grande";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Lorie Higgins [mailto:higgins@uidaho.edu]
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, October 19, 2007 11:12 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> medowlrk@sitestar.net; Larry Van Tassell; Wilson Gray (E-mail);
Christopher McIntosh; Steve Hollenhorst; Stephen Cooke; Larry Makus; Cinda
Williams; Aaron Johnson; J. Wulfhorst; Priscilla Salant; Joe Guenthner;
Charlotte Eberlein; 'Valdasue'; Kathleen Tifft; Sarah Howe; 'Ben Eborn';
Stephen Drown; Paul Patterson<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Local foods in Montana<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Timely,
given our discussions the past two days. Montana is kicking our hiney on
this one....<br>
<br>
Grow Montana Receives National Award (<a
href="http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/grow_montana_receives_national_award/C520/L40/)">http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/grow_montana_receives_national_award/C520/L40/)</a>
<br>
Over the last two years, it has become difficult to talk about the creation of
local food systems in Montana without discovering a project or policy supported
by Grow Montana. In a short time, the broad-based coalition that promotes
Montana-owned food production, processing and distribution as a sustainable
economic development strategy has catalyzed and coordinated efforts to support
a vibrant Montana food system. New West; Oct. 2<br>
<br>
</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Lucida Grande","serif"'>Spade
& Spoon: Localizing the Way Westerners Eat<br>
Grow Montana Snags National Award<br>
<br>
By Kisha Lewellyn Schlegel, 10-02-07<br>
<br>
<br>
Over the last two years, it has become difficult to talk about the creation of
local food systems in Montana without discovering a project or policy supported
by Grow Montana. In a short time, the broad-based coalition that promotes
Montana-owned food production, processing and distribution as a sustainable
economic development strategy has catalyzed and coordinated efforts to support
a vibrant Montana food system. <br>
<br>
Led by the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s (NCAT), Nancy Matheson
and coordinated by Crissie McMullan, Grow Montana’s work is directed by a
steering committee, which includes members from across the state. Through
university research and reports about the distance food travels, the coalition
has revealed the conventional food system’s inefficiencies and the potential
economic benefits of a state-based system.<br>
<br>
To strengthen local food systems, Grow Montana also created FoodCorps with four
AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers who work to create Farm to School institutional
buying programs at schools and institutions around the state. This year, the
coalition also worked with the Montana legislature to pass a procurement bill
that allows state institutions to more easily purchase Montana made food,
opening a $33 million market to local farmers and ranchers.<br>
<br>
Because of this work, the Coalition was recently awarded the national 2007 Good
Neighbor Harvest Award by the Glynwood Center, a nonprofit organization
supporting community stewardship through educational and community-based
agricultural initiatives. The annual award is given to an individual or
organization that supports regional agriculture in innovative ways. And
although the Center received over sixty nominations from twenty states for the
fifth annual awards, the Center found that, “Although a young project, Grow
Montana has accomplished a tremendous amount through its joint efforts and
tremendous drive. The project demonstrates the potency of using economic
development as a cornerstone argument for building regional food systems.
The project also is a model for the importance and power of
collaboration.”<br>
<br>
Such success has come quickly, but not always with ease. According to Crissie
McMullan, Project Coordinator for Grow Montana, the coalition’s bill to allow
institutions to purchase more Montana-grown food actually died during the 2005
legislative session.<br>
<br>
With this lesson, the coalition prepared for the 2007 session (the legislature
meets every two years in Montana) by holding fifteen community meetings across
the state to better understand the food policies people wanted to change. The
Coalition also focused on building relationships between nonprofits,
individuals and institutional food purchasers. According to McMullan, Grow
Montana solidified relationships that already existed in the state that many
refer to as a small town with long streets. But Grow Montana solidified those
relationships around localizing our food system. With urban and rural,
broad-based and state-wide support, the coalition passed the procurement bill
with unanimous support from Democrats and Republicans.<br>
<br>
For Grow Montana, strengthening Montana’s food system is a continuing
challenge. Even with the new procurement law, many large purchasers still face
challenges when buying local food because Montana lacks the infrastructure for
a local food system. Large purchasers such as universities have trouble finding
the quantity of food they need and experience issues with processing and
distribution of Montana-made food. But for Grow Montana, even these issues
provide possible opportunities for economic development in the state as new
processing facilities and distribution networks are formed.<br>
<br>
With these and other issues in mind, Grow Montana has already begun preparing
for the 2009 legislative session. But for now, McMullan will travel to New York
City to receive the prestigious Good Neighbor Harvest award for all of her and
Grow Montana’s work.<br>
<br>
<br>
Check back each week for Kisha’s Spade & Spoon column at
www.newwest.net/spadeandspoon.<br>
<br>
<br>
Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.</span> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>