Last week, Montanans from across the state came together for the third annual Local Food for Local Families Summit, hosted by Hopa Mountain, at Arrowpeak Lodge in Highwood, MT. The meeting brings together Montana food hubs, producers and food pantries. 

One of the past summit successes was the formation of the Montana Food Pantry Collaborative to increase collaborative work across the state, increase our food purchasing power and create a unified approach to addressing food insecurity and its root causes in our communities. The collaborative meets monthly and has been able to establish an online pantry resource hub for capacity building. North Valley Food Bank serves on the Steering Committee and our choice model operating procedures as well as our efficient food hub logistics have become an example for food pantries across the state. 

This summer, the Montana Food Pantry Collaborative collaborated with Hopa Mountain, the Montana Food Bank Network and Redwing Research to develop and disseminate a Montana Food Pantry Survey. Ninety-four food pantries participated, and the results show that 1. the demand for food assistance continues to rise across the state, and 2. the most common challenges in operations and funding are similar for all participants.  

Eighty-four percent of pantries reported a significant rise in the number of individuals served since 2020. Most often new customers were families or seniors. Other major challenges included decreased funding opportunities and increased operational costs. Ninety-three percent of pantries rely on private donations as their main funding source and nearly half of the surveyed pantries experienced significant fluctuations in funding availability. Issues such as increased operational costs and a shortage of volunteers were also frequently mentioned. 

Most common operational struggles included insufficient storage, no transportation, and supply chain disruptions. One survey participant shared an urgent need for infrastructure improvements: “We only have two small refrigerators and lack the space to handle large volumes of food.” These limitations impact the efficiency of food distribution and the overall quality of service.  

Collaborations between pantries and with local businesses are the key solution to solving these issues. The Montana Food Pantry Collaborative can work on combining resources and shared capacity support statewide. Another approach is to establish regional community of practice meetings like we have done in NW Montana since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Every quarter, we meet with all our food bank and food access partners from Flathead, Lincoln and Glacier County. We share donations, purchase local food in bulk together and work on shared advocacy strategies. 

The survey also highlighted the potential for enhanced collaboration with local farmers, businesses, and tribal entities to build a more resilient food system. Further, food pantries need to diversify their funding streams, including pursuing public sector support at various levels. Strengthening partnerships with local businesses and donors could provide essential financial backing. Increased funding for paid staff at smaller pantries could help alleviate the burden on overextended volunteers and improve operational efficiency. Investments in infrastructure—such as refrigeration units and storage facilities— is critical to provide sustainable services. 

As Montana continues to grow, so must its food security systems. The findings from the 2024 Montana Food Pantry Survey illustrate both the critical needs and the potential for impactful change. Addressing food insecurity requires a comprehensive approach that includes strategic investments, enhanced collaboration, and robust support systems. By recognizing the intersection of food security with broader social issues—such as economic stability, affordable housing, and employment opportunities—policymakers and community members can develop more inclusive solutions. Ensuring that Montana’s food pantries are well-equipped to meet the rising demands of their communities will help build a more equitable and resilient food system, ensuring that no one goes to bed hungry. 

In closing, I think of a fellow food pantry manager from a rural community in East Montana. She closed our last Local Food Summit meeting with the following words:  “I often think I dream too much, but here I feel like our dreams are possible!”  

To learn more about the Montana Food Pantry Collaborative or the 2024 Montana Food Pantry Survey, visit https://www.mtfpc.org or reach out to sophie@northvalleyfoodbank.org. 

MISSOULA — Expectations were through the roof for the Montana Grizzlies soccer team thanks to their success a year ago.

Safe to say, with nonconference now ending, they’re living up to it so far as Montana is 6-2-2 to end the non-league slate, and now the Griz turn their attention to Big Sky Conference play.

The preseason favorites to win the Big Sky, Montana has had its ebbs and flows this season, but has weathered a number of adversities.

Namely, the injury bug.

“It’s a testament to everybody that’s on this team,” UM head coach Chris Citowicki said. “I remember at Air Force telling them that a lot of people think, because we’re losing key players, that we’re not going to be good, but they’ve forgotten what makes us special, and what makes us special is the depth.

“Every time one steps out and another one steps in, and that’s what we’re seeing right now, just brilliant performances from young players, from people who haven’t seen the field for a while.”

A few weeks back at Wyoming, the Grizzlies lost last year’s Big Sky Golden Boot winner Delaney Lou Schorr for the rest of the year, plus goalkeeper and last year’s conference freshman of the year Ashlyn Dvorak has also been out indefinitely after only playing in five games, among many others who have been lost or missed time, which includes seniors Mia Parkhurst and Bella O’Brien.

Still, the Grizzlies, have adapted.

“I think in the beginning of season for all teams, there’s a lot of building and learning from each other,” senior defender Ava Samuelson said. “And I think we did a really beautiful job at kind of taking on other people’s skills and bringing them into our team, and having other players or new players learn our culture. And I think we kind of all just did it really beautifully and with kind of like a flow. And I think it ended really well.”

The plethora of injuries was an early and unseen blow, and after being thrown those difficult challenges, the team altered its style of play because of the injuries, and has thrived from it.

At keeper, Bayliss Flynn has shined.

Transfers Jen Estes and Chloe Seelhoff have stepped up as experienced leaders, while other young talents have been called upon to fill roles, alongside program staples like Skyleigh Thompson, Charley Boone, Maddie Ditta, Reeve Borseth and Samuelson.

“It really showed us our strengths and also where, like, our weaknesses lied,” Boone said. “I mean, we had to go through a formation change due to injuries, and we were able to adapt. But this nonconference schedule definitely tested us more than any past ones, but I think it prepared us in the best way possible.”

With wins over Oregon State, North Dakota and Boise State, the Grizzlies have been everything as advertised in 2024. The Griz are 6-0 at home and haven’t allowed a single goal in Missoula. They’ve out-scored opponents 17-8, and hold ties with Air Force and Wyoming and their lone two losses came to Washington State and Fresno State, all of which came before their new formation strategy that has completely blitzed teams the past few weeks.

Now its on to Big Sky play starting Sunday against Northern Arizona, as they gear up for a run toward November’s conference tournament in Missoula.

“Early on, we got hit with Wazzu, 3-0, and that really shook us up a bit,” Ditta said. “So we were able to fix our mentality with confidence, and I think we’re way more confident now going into conference, which is honestly great. It means everything to have a high, confident head going in.”

“We come out, we train hard. We’ve been really focusing on keeping the training environment super high and not being too hard on each other, but just keeping each other to a standard where that’s not gonna fly in a game, so don’t do it at practice,” added Seelhoff, who was recently named the Big Sky player of the week. “Kind of that, and we just build each other up.

“We’re so excited. So bringing that energy all week to lead into our first conference game will be huge.”

About that ‘white farmer’ ad

The Discrimination Financial Assistance Program was designed to address generations of racial injustice in federal farm policy.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Montana Free Press

This story is excerpted from Capitolized, a weekly newsletter featuring expert reporting, analysis and insight from the reporters and editors of Montana Free Press. Want to see Capitolized in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up here.

The Crow community was still fuming over a leaked audio recording of Senate candidate Tim Sheehy talking about tribal members “drunk at 8 a.m.” when a new TV ad began circulating about “white farmers” being excluded from a federal farm aid program.

“They’re just saying it out loud, now,” Rae Peppers told herself in disbelief. The ad struck the Crow tribal member and former Democratic state legislator as blatant race-baiting, and it arrived as Tribal Chairman Frank White Clay was being pressured to call out Sheehy about a campaign anecdote that had offended many Indigenous Montanans.

Though the ad never identified the aid program, Peppers recognized it. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had set up a booth at Crow Native Days in June. Tribal members with small farm and ranch operations inquired about debt forgiveness. Peppers said she collected USDA literature to learn more about DFAP, short for Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. In the American West, the 228 Montana farmers who qualified for the assistance are second only to California’s 1,059, according to USDA data.

Just as the ad said, Montana’s incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester had voted for the program, twice, the second time to fix it. Senate Leadership Fund, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell’s $124 million unaffiliated super PAC, used for supporting candidates and non-coordinated expenses, paid for the ad.

“You know, the USDA runs more than 60 direct and indirect programs for farm aid. And we’re talking about two, possibly just one, for Indians, farmers that have Indianness in them,” said Susan Webber, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe. Webber, a Democrat, serves on the Agriculture Committee in the state Senate. “They [non-Indigenous farmers] get direct payments, they get crop insurance. In 2019 they received $22 billion in government payments. Indians don’t get that.

“The average market value for products sold by a Native American-owned farm is around $50,000 a farm, compared to white-owned farms and ranches, which is approximately $187,000. They’re not the big conglomerates,” Webber said of Indigenous farmers. “They’re just regular farmers. Really, it confirms that Native Americans are just eking out a living. And the commercial has these white disadvantaged farmers saying they’re disadvantaged? They got $22 billion.”

Montana ranks 18th nationally as a recipient of farm aid, according to the Environmental Working Group, a subsidy watchdog. Payments to Montana farmers in 2023 totaled $450 million, with crop insurance accounting for 48%. Ten different programs issued payments to 20,377 applicants, some of whom are counted in more than one program. Two of them are featured in the “white farmer” ad. Still, 61% of Montana farmers received no subsidy.

In eastern Montana, where 82% of the state’s agricultural products are produced, the 2022 ag census counted 640 Indigenous farmers and 29,053 white farmers.

The Discrimination Financial Assistance Program wasn’t a slam dunk for Congress. The first version — the one referenced by McConnell’s leadership fund ad, stalled in court. The $4 billion program was part of the American Rescue Plan, which passed in March 2021.

Scott Wynn, a white farmer in Florida, sued USDA because he didn’t qualify under DFAP’s race-specific loan forgiveness terms, which were designed to address generations of racial injustice in American farm policy. The U.S. District Court, Middle Florida District, blocked the program before it started. Later, Wynn prevailed.

Congress then retooled the program and passed a smaller version within the Inflation Reduction Act in late summer 2022. The terms were broadened to accommodate non-racial forms of discrimination. Tester voted for the Inflation Reduction Act.

The decades-old backstory of the loan-forgiveness program’s funding involves lawsuits filed by minority farmers who suffered decades of discrimination. For Indigenous farmers, the case was George and Marilyn Keepseagle v. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The Standing Rock Sioux couple proved that because of race they had been denied low-interest loans and other USDA services. The government settled, agreeing to forgive $80 million in loans, while also paying $680 million in damages to 3,600 Indigenous farmers.

Two years before Keepseagle was filed, Black farmers sued on the same grounds in Timothy Pigford v. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, leading to a $1.06 billion settlement for nearly 16,000 Black farmers.

Note: This story originally appeared on Montana Free Press. It is published under a Creative Commons license.