MONTANA SCHOOLS CELEBRATE MARINARA MADNESS MONTANA

Montana students are enjoying a new local food product on their menus this spring, called Montana Marinara.

Montana Marinara is the result of a partnership between the Northwest Food Hub Network and the Montana Office of Public Instruction to bring nourishing food to schools and support investment in the state’s small farms and their communities. The marinara is a win-win-win product that benefits schools, producers, and the local food economy.

The sauce is made at Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center in Ronan and features locally grown butternut squash, carrots, and onions, offering a nutritious and price-conscious product. More than 150 school districts ordered Montana Marinara this school year and will be incorporating the sauce into their existing menus.

To assist schools in celebrating Montana Marinara and local food in schools, Mission West created a “Marinara Madness” toolkit filled with sample newsletter and social media language, menu and taste test ideas, and outreach tips. Mission West had the opportunity to see Marinara Madness in action during several school visits, including Anderson School in Bozeman, Somers Middle School, and Hardin Middle School.

“Montana Marinara has been a great project to be a part of,” said Ian Barry of Lowdown Farm in Moiese. “Not only do we love putting delicious local food into our school systems but reliable markets like the Farm to School program gives us the security of a guaranteed sale and an outlet for produce that might otherwise be composted due to aesthetic standards.”

Montana Marinara is available to K-12 school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program. It is the first in a line of valueadded products designed with schools in mind by Northwest Food Hub Network— a new network of three food hubs in Montana and Washington, which includes the Western Montana Growers Cooperative in Missoula. Schools across the state will again have the opportunity to order the product for the 2023-2024 school year with support for distribution provided by the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

-MONTANA FARMERS UNION-