Conversations about the future of Montana’s food system have been happening across the state, including in Great Falls, as part of a series of regional meetings leading up to the Governor’s Summit on Local Food and Agriculture this fall.
The meetings are designed to gather input from producers, consumers, and community members to help shape a long-term strategy aimed at strengthening Montana’s local food systems.
According to Olivia Wood, the Central and Eastern Montana local food coordinator for Abundant Montana, the effort is rooted in a major shift in how food is sourced in the state.
“In the 1950s, 70% of the food Montanans were eating was grown here in the state… and today, that’s just 3%,” Wood said.
That change means the vast majority of food consumed in Montana is imported from outside the state, something she says creates vulnerabilities.
“We’re importing 97% of the food we’re eating… and this puts us in a very vulnerable position,” Wood said.
In response, organizations like Abundant Montana and Grow Montana are working toward a goal known as “33 by 33,” which aims to increase the amount of Montana-grown food consumed in the state to 33% by the year 2033.
Learn more about the Abundant Montana "33x33" initiative here
“This is a simple but bold goal to get that 3% up to 33% Montana-grown food on Montana plates by 2033,” Wood said.
The regional pre-summit meetings are a key step in that process. Both Abundant Montana and Grow Montana say they are focused on gathering real-world insight from communities across Montana, including identifying barriers, challenges, and potential solutions.
“We’re hosting regional meetings across the state to gather data… and have a better understanding of the challenges and barriers and possible solutions,” Wood said.
Those conversations are intentionally happening at the local level to reflect the wide range of challenges and successes producers are seeing across the state.
“We want to make sure we’re getting all those voices… and what’s going to work in different areas in Montana,” Wood said.
Wood says the information gathered during these meetings will help guide discussions and priorities at the Governor’s Summit on Local Food and Agriculture, which will be held in Helena in October for the first time in 10 years.
“This will guide how we build the questions… and things that we want to address once the summit’s here,” Wood said.
While much of the focus is typically on producers, Wood emphasized that the issue affects all Montanans.
“We all eat… and we all have the opportunity to impact our local food system,” she said.
The final regional pre-summit meeting will take place in Lewistown on Thursday, March 26th, at the Central Montana Head Start Building, located at 825 Meadowlark Lane, from 5 to 7 p.m. Community members are encouraged to attend and share their input.
