Fw: March 15 talk ag.
Kelly Ware
The High Stakes Foundation, Alternative Energy Resources Organization, Community Food and Agriculture Coalition, Nourish the Flathead, New West, and Lake County Community Development’s Food and Agriculture Center are thrilled to invite you to an evening with Ken Meter, a farm and food system analyst from the Crossroads Resource Center in Minnesota. Meter recently completed a Western Montana Local Farm and Food Economy study that covers Flathead, Lake, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders Counties. Meter will be presenting the study’s findings March 15th in Kalispell at the KM Building theatre, 40 2nd St East, and March 16th in Ronan at the Ronan Middle School auditorium, 421 Andrew ST NW. Both events are free and open to the public and are from 6pm – 8pm. His presentation will highlight the significant economic opportunities and challenges that exist in our western Montana food and farm economies.
According to Meter’s study, 73% of western Montana’s farms and ranches reported net losses in 2007. Moreover, western Montana farmers lose approximately $31 million each year and spend nearly $80 million buying farm supplies from suppliers outside the region. While western Montana’s farmers are losing money, Montana consumers are spending approximately $749 million buying food each year and purchase $680 million on food from outside the region.
Despite the gloomy picture of our overall farm economy there are reasons for optimism. In 2007, 489 farms sold $2 million of food directly to consumers. This represents a 22% increase since 2002. Statistically, direct sales represent only 1.4% of the region’s farm product sales. Yet, direct sales in western Montana are 3.5 times the national average. Farmers and consumers in western Montana are innovating ways to recreate our regional food and farm economies. For example, 36% of state of Montana’s organic farms and community supported agriculture farms operate in western Montana. Robust farmers markets operate in Whitefish, Kalispell, Polson and Missoula. In addition, western Montana has the only fruit and vegetable marketing and distribution cooperative in the state as well as the only value added fruit, vegetable and meat community food processing facility.
If there was clear planning and investment in our region’s farm and food infrastructure could our agricultural economies stimulate economic recovery? According to Meter’s study, if western Montana consumers purchased only 15% of the food they need for home use directly from the region’s farmers, this would generate approximately $66 million of new farm income to the region.
Ken Meter is president of Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, a community-based nonprofit offering research and training tools for neighborhoods, communities and others working toward community self-determination. Meter is one of the most experienced food system analysts in the United States. His work integrates market analysis, business development, systems thinking, and social concerns. Meter’s study of the farm and food economy of Southeast Minnesota, Finding Food in Farm Country, helped strengthen a collaborative of food producers and led to the creation of the Hiawatha Fund, a regional investment fund. Ken’s work serves as a national model for analyzing rural economics and has been adopted by 45 regions in 20 states across the U.S. and in one Canadian province.
If you would like more information on Meter’s study, the presentations or to schedule an interview please contact Karl Sutton at Lake County Community Development, 406-676-5901 x114 or ksu...@mmfec.org.
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Karl Sutton
Program
Coordinator
Mission Mountain Food
Enterprise Center
A program of Lake County Community Development
407 Main Street SW
Ronan, MT 59864
406-676-5901
www.mmfec.org
www.lakecountycdc.org