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Episode 337: ATTRA and SARE: Building Local Food Systems in Montana

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About Voices from the Field

From cover crops to regenerative grazing and organic production to marketing, ATTRA - Voices from the Field is your sustainable agriculture podcast. Voices from the Field is produced by NCAT. Since 1976, NCAT has provided trusted information, individualized technical assistance, and in-depth resources to support sustainable agriculture and accessible energy solutions.

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This episode of Voices from the Field was produced in partnership with ATTRA and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. To learn more about SARE’s library of practical information and available grants to fund projects that advance sustainable agriculture, visit sare.org.

In this episode, Maura Henn, an NCAT Local Food Systems Specialist, talks with Michal DeChellis of the Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO) in Montana. Michal is AERO’s Program Manager for the Montana Food Economy Initiative (MFEI), a project that has been funded through a Western SARE Grant.

Maura and Michal talk about the process of conducting Community Food Assessments around Montana and the importance of bringing together multiple stakeholders from different parts of community food systems when building a coalition for food systems work. Maura and Michal also talk about some of the first projects, which were launched in 2020, and adaptations and improvements made to the 2023-2024 round of community assessments.

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Other Resources:

Montana Food Economy Initiative

Montana Food System Resource Library

Butte Community Food Assessment Video Story

Iowa State Food Assessment Training Certificate Program

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