UM Farm to College Program

Food/beverages

32 Campus Drive
59812 Missoula
United States

Phone: 406-243-4042

Website: http://life.umt.edu/dining/farm_to_college/default.php

UM Farm to College Program - The UM Farm to College Program supports agriculture and economic development statewide by purchasing Montana products to serve in our dining venues.

University Dining Services initiated the Farm to College Program in the spring of 2003 with the help of four graduate students from the Environmental Studies Program. It was the first such farm-to-cafeteria program in Montana and was following a national movement to serve local and regional ingredients in schools while educating students about food and farming. Then, from 2007-2010, UM hosted three Americorps Vista volunteers as part of the Montana Food Corps to strengthen and build the FTC Program.

The UDS Farm to College purchasing criteria includes food products that meet one or more of the following criteria:

1) Raised, grown, or wild harvested in Montana or unique to the state
2) Processed or manufactured by a Montana-owned business
3) Processed or manufactured by any business that primarily uses raw materials from Montana.

Since its inception in 2003 the FTC program has grown immensely. In 2003, the first year, UDS purchased 7.9 percent of its total food budget from a handful of vendors. In 2012, we now purchase over 20 percent of our food from local sources through 75 vendors and partners.

The benefits of such farm-to-institution programs are many. They serve to:

• Increase marketing opportunities for small-scale food producers
• Circulate money in the local economy
• Educate eaters about local farming and food systems
• Increase access to healthy food
• Improve the quality of foods served
• Improve nutrition and prevent obesity and obesity-related diseases
• Improve institute-community and urban-rural relations
• Decrease the carbon footprint of institutions by reducing the distance that foods travel

All of these benefits above support the Montana community and rural landscape that define the state. From supporting sustainable agriculture to community food security, programs like Farm to College are one of the most evident and tangible form of action towards a local food economy.

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