Groups across Montana are working to increase the amount of locally-grown food consumed in the state to 33% by the year 2033.
Currently, Montana imports an estimated 97% of the food its residents eat. Two groups - Abundant Montana and Grow Montana - are hosting regional meetings, including recent discussions in Great Falls, to build a roadmap to change that.
Madison Collier reports - watch the video here:
Olivia Wood, a regional food coordinator for Abundant Montana, said the state's reliance on outside food sources is a concern: "We’re importing 97% of the food we’re eating, and this puts us in a very vulnerable position."
To achieve this, organizers are gathering data community by community to understand challenges, barriers, and possible solutions.
Organizers want to ensure the solutions fit the specific people and areas they are meant to serve.
The regional meetings will culminate at the Governor’s Summit on Local Food & Agriculture in Helena in Autumn 2026; the summit will bring these ideas together in one room for the first time in 10 years.
The final regional meeting takes place tomorrow, March 26, in Lewistown at the Central Montana Head Start building from 5 to 7 p.m.
This article has been lightly edited with the assistance of AI for clarity, syntax, and grammar.
