In a Nutshell: Montana Farm to Food Bank Program will build access to local, fresh food

Montana is home to almost 28,000 farms that produce beef, lentils, wheat and a wide variety of fresh produce. Sadly, many of our food-insecure neighbors don’t have access to this abundance of local, nutritious food.

House Bill 276 (sponsored by representative Marty Malone R – HD59), proposing the Montana Farm to Food Bank program, paves the way to change that. The bill would establish a Farm to Food Bank grant program administered by the Montana Department of Agriculture and provide a million dollars in funding to food banks and food pantries to create a new market for local farmers and ranchers, support the local economy, ensure everyone has access to fresh, local food and improve the health of our communities.

Food pantries like North Valley Food Bank often rely on products rescued from grocery stores for fresh produce and other food items, as purchasing local meat, vegetables and fruits can be cost-prohibitive. But grocery rescue options are inconsistent, have decreased significantly in recent months, products often have a short remaining shelf-life and there is not always enough to meet demand.

In the last two years, North Valley Food Bank began forward contracting with local farms. Our Director of Operations, Lauren Jarrold, shares that “when we put fresh, local fruits and vegetables in the store, they fly off the shelves.” Our most recent survey shows that 79% of our customers get most of their produce from us. Therefore, when our customers cut back their food budget in lieu of not paying rent or utilities, they often can’t afford fresh produce.

The proposed Bill would result in food banks like ours purchasing more fresh, local items. Imagine our customers receiving 6,400 pounds of fresh potatoes, 5,500 pounds of colorful summer squashes, 6,300 pounds of crunchy cucumbers, 7,400 pounds of juicy pears, and 7,700 heads of vibrant lettuce throughout the harvesting season. A $50,000 grant could provide just that. This amount equals more than 25,000 meals of nutritious Montana vegetables and fruits for our food-insecure neighbors and covers three months of our produce costs. Looking at possible partnerships with local ranchers, a grant of $50,000 could buy more than 8,500 pounds of Montana beef, which translates to more than 7,000 nutrient-dense, protein-packed meals for our communities.

House Bill 276 will also ensure that smaller food pantries with less capacity are not excluded and will demonstrate the above benefits of the Farm to Food Bank model. Moreover, it would likely result in private funding and create sustainability beyond the timeline of funding provided by the Bill. House Bill 276 will create a strong market for Montana farmers and ranchers, paying fair market value for their products and distributing it to food pantry customers. Buying local will keep food acquisition funds in our local economies, support farmers and drive the development of local food systems such that they are protected from national production and supply chain issues. Most importantly, it will make nutritious, minimally processed food available to Montana communities. You can urge your legislators to support the Bill and visit mfbn.org/actioncenter for updates and opportunities to take action.

Sophie Albert is the executive director of North Valley Food Bank. Albert provides insights into happenings at the food bank, rural food insecurity, stories of the community and more in the monthly Whitefish Pilot column titled, In a Nutshell.