Trainings and Events

Upcoming Training & Events

Montana Food for Montana Schools

Montana Food for Montana Schools is a local procurement training and a meetup event for producers and schools. Montana Team Nutrition Program, Montana Office of Public Instruction, Abundant Montana, and partners will host three regional events in 2023--the first was held March 14, 2023 in Hardin, Montana. Two are being offered in Fall 2023:

September 28, 2023 at 1:30-4:30pm in Great Falls
October 25, 2023 1:30-4:30pm in Missoula

This project is funded in part by a 2022 USDA Team Nutrition grant. USDA is an equal opportunity provider.

Click Headings Below For More Details

Time + Location

Two events will be held in Fall 2023:

September 28, 2023 at 1:30-4:30pm in Great Falls
October 25, 2023 1:30-4:30pm in Missoula

About This Training

Montana Food for Montana Schools aims to help schools and producers work together to feature local foods in Montana school meals. The event will be divided into two components:

PART 1: A farm to school training for school nutrition professionals and producers focused on buying, serving, and selling local foods.
PART 2: Agriculture producers and food businesses will be able to connect with school nutrition professionals in a casual vendor show format.

Who Should Attend?

This training and meetup event is intended for school nutrition professionals (or anyone involved in administering, preparing, or serving school meals), agricultural producers, and food businesses. Please see the sections below for specific information on which components are intended for each audience.

Please note: this is not a general farm to school training. See the other upcoming and past trainings and events for general farm to school training. The focus will be on buying/selling local foods and not on the other components of farm to school (i.e., school gardens, education).

Information for School Nutrition Professionals

School nutrition professionals attending the event will receive training on how to implement farm to school, in particular how to purchase local foods for school meal programs. The training will be followed by an Abundant Connections Producer + School Meetup where school nutrition professionals will be able to meet local producers from around the region in a casual vendor show style format.

This event counts towards the Montana School Meals Certificate Program.

What to Bring/Prepare

Business cards to share with producers
Consider what local foods you are interested in buying as well as your desired specifications, delivery timing, amounts, etc.

Information for Producers

Food producers attending the event will receive training on how to engage in farm to school, in particular how to work with school nutrition programs. The training will be followed by an Abundant Connections Producer + School Meetup where school nutrition professionals will be able to meet local producers from around the region in a casual vendor show style format.

What to Bring/Prepare

Business cards
Marketing materials—including brochures, product lists, etc.
Packaged product samples (optional) – If you wish to bring product samples, please only bring packaged samples that are intended to be consumed offsite. You will not have access to a kitchen facility to prepare, heat, or serve foods.
Consider what products you can offer to schools including price ranges, quantities, delivery method and timing, etc.

Registration

Registration is free and closes September 26 for the Great Falls Training and October 23 for the Missoula Training.

Great Falls Registration

Missoula Registration

More Information + Questions

Haley Scott

[email protected]

(406) 994-5641

Bringing the Farm to School Logo

Montana Farm to School Producer Training and Panel – August 31^st- September 21st

Farmers, ranchers, processors, and other local food businesses can learn strategies for selling products to schools and child nutrition programs at the Montana Farm to School Producer Trainings. These trainings utilize the Bringing the Farm to School curriculum.

Producers that attend this training will:

Learn about accessing school markets and growing products for schools.
Hear from producers that have successfully navigated school markets.
Gain new knowledge and resources for integrating school markets into a business plan.
Meet local peers and experts.
Experience school markets and farms.

In conjunction with Mission West and Ravalli County Economic Authority’s Food and Agriculture Development Centers, Montana Farmers Union is proud to be hosting the Montana Farm to School Producer Trainings and panel. Producers who register for this virtual and self-paced training series will receive weekly videos from past Montana Farm to School Producer Trainings. Producers may also receive a Montana Farm to School Producer Training workbook if desired (optional). These videos will be emailed once a week, along with a short survey, and place for any questions producers may have. On September 21^stfrom 12:00-1:30pm, Montana Farmers Union will host a virtual panel of producers, distributors, and school food nutrition professionals to answer any questions producers taking this training may have.

Video and panel schedule:

August 31^st- 1^st Producer Training Video

September 7^th- 2^nd Producer Training Video

September 14^th- 3^rd Producer Training Video

September 21^st at 12:00-1:30- Panel Q&A

Deadline to register and receive training workbook is August 17th

We will not be sending a zoom anymore, and will instead be sending just a link to each section of the recorded F2S producer trainings from MT Team Nutrition. We will also be sending a survey to collect questions for the guided panel discussion.