New Report Highlights Best Practices In Montana ‘Beef To School’ Partnerships

BOZEMAN — A team of Montana State University researchers, stakeholders and community partners known as the Montana Beef to School Project has written a case study report to help Montana beef producers, meat processors, schools and communities explore what factors make beef to school programs successful and encourage the use of local beef in every Montana school. The report was released online this week to coincide with National Farm to School Month in October.

‘Farm to school’ efforts are increasing nationwide and, as beef is one of Montana’s top agricultural products, ‘beef to school’ efforts are increasing in Montana, according to Carmen Byker Shanks, assistant professor in the MSU Department of Health and Human Development and principal investigator of the USDA Western SARE-funded Montana Beef to School Project.

Montana has just over one million residents, approximately 2.5 million cattle, thousands of beef producers, approximately 20 state and federally inspected beef processors and about 145,000 students across 821 schools, Byker Shanks noted.

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