The Montana Made Program is a local food buying initiative to optimize the use of Montana grown and/or processed products. By implementing the Program, University Food Services and Montana State University are directly improving the lives and prosperity of Montana farmers and ranchers and promoting wise stewardship of natural resources.

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The 3rd annual Local Food Bazaar was a big hit in February 2009. With over 30 vendors and hundreds of participants, the event was a true success. To see the Bozeman Chronical coverage, click here. The event was also featured in local news on NBC and CBS. We look forward to an even more successful event on Monday, February 8th 2010!

A 2007 EcoStar Award for reducing harmful vehicle emissions and increasing Montana's sustainable agriculture, was presented to Grow Montana's Food Corp August 20, 2007. The Grow Montana Food Corp is comprised of AmeriCorp VISTAs that are stationed at schools and universities in Montana (including MSU-Bozeman). Buying local food reduces the mileage traveled by vehicles thus eliminating harmful emissions and contributes to a sustainable Montana agricultural system. For addtional information about the award, click here to view the Bozeman Chronicle article.

University Food Service is committed to seeking out more food products that have been grown or raised, and processed within the state of Montana. UFS would like to increase the amount of local foods that are served on campus in order to contribute to the longer term sustainability of our University and region. By becoming a part of the state & local efforts to help build a stable and competitive local food economy in Montana, UFS will be able to give students and the campus community a taste of the rich agricultural state in which they reside.

MSU currently spends 12% of its food budget on products that are grown & processed in Montana - which means $460,000 per year goes towards Montana farmers, ranchers, processors and distributors. While 12% is a phenomenal percentage for buying local, MSU Food Service has developed the Montana Made program in an attempt to continuously increase the amount of local products purchased.

Benefits to the MSU Food Service customer of the Montana Made program are numerous and significant. These benefits include; fresh and healthy local products, educational opportunities to learn about food, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and the local & global food systems, reducing the use of fossil fuels by decreasing the miles for food to travel, helping to create a sustainable food system that would increase the overall food security in Montana, and the list goes on and on.