Summary poster of a research project I co-authored investigating commercial food production viability (assets and barriers) and producer / consumer concerns in Missoula County, Montana

1. Our Agricultural Future Effects of Development
Warning Signs: Loss of Working
Farms and Ranches
OD
MATTE Nearly 58% of the farmers and
ranchers surveyed felt that their
Missoula County is losing
its working farms (includes
O RS operations are affected by
development trends. Of those
F
ranches). Consider these 30 respondents, 22 (74%)
indicators from the 2002 U.S. considered those effects
Census of Agriculture and other negative, four saw development
government sources: as positive, three were neutral,
and one was undecided.
• Officially, there were 641
farms in Missoula County in “Growth is making the
2002, but 60% of them had place worth more, which
sales of less than $2,500. makes it tempting to sell
• Fewer than half of the farms for development. You just
actually harvested crops from don’t make money from
the land. The number of acres ranching, but love to do it.”
where crops were harvested – local rancher
dropped by 20% between 1997
and 2002.
• Farms are becoming smaller in
size. By 2002, the average farm
size was 403 acres, a drop of 9%
since 1997.
• Over 10,000 acres were
subdivided between 1990 and
2000. Flat lands previously in
Highlights from the
agriculture are among the most
common areas to be developed.
Missoula County “The biggest thing that
weighs on my mind is that you
have his grandfather, my
These and other trends suggest
that many of our smaller farms may
Community Food Assessment grandfather, my dad, and now
me. And I don’t want to be the
be primarily rural residences with one that goes, ‘Okay, let’s just
agricultural enterprises playing a fairly Why Food Matters cash out, put the money in the
minor role. bank’ and you know, live high
Food is a basic need. Yet, most of us know little about off the hog… I feel a sense of
Hearing from Farmers
and Ranchers where it comes from, the conditions under which it was responsibility… If you think
produced, and how it got from there to here. To understand about all the blood, the sweat,
Community food security
the tears, the child death, cold
requires that we have farmers and food issues in a community, we need to learn about the entire winters, hot summers, the
farmland. Therefore, one of the food system from production, processing, and distribution to Depression, two World Wars,
central aims of the CFA was to
food consumption. One way to build our understanding is to all those things. That weighs
identify what is needed to sustain
heavily on me.”
agriculture in Missoula County. We conduct a community food assessment.
decided to ask farmers and ranchers – local farmer
themselves, in order to draw on their
experiences and knowledge. To do What is a Community Food Assessment? According to Farmers and
this, we conducted a telephone survey Ranchers (N=52), to Protect
with 52 farmers and ranchers (80% of A Community Food Assessment (CFA) is a systematic, Farmland, Missoula County...
those we asked agreed to participate). participatory approach to investigating a wide range of local Doing right Is doing too
To go more deeply into relevant issues and assets related to food and farming and the links amount much (7.7%)
topics, we also conducted in-depth (7.7%)
Don’t
interviews with 13 other farmers and between these and community goals. Its broad purpose is to know
(3.8%)
ranchers, as well as a focus group inform and build support for change actions to make the
with 11 Hmong vendors from the Missing
community more food secure. (15.4%)
Missoula Farmers’ Market. Here are Should do
just a few of the many findings. more (65.4%)
State of Agriculture in What is the Missoula County
Missoula County Hmong Market Gardeners
Community Food Assessment?
As the chart below illustrates, the Members of the Hmong
vast majority of survey respondents In spring 2003, University of Montana faculty initiated a community make up about 40% of
think that agriculture in Missoula CFA to gain a better understanding of Missoula County’s all vendors at Missoula’s Farmers’
County is struggling. The source Market, and they contribute much
of that struggle is often two food system. To incorporate community input, a diverse food to the Missoula Food Bank.
interconnected problems: low steering committee representing 15 different organizations Gardening is interwoven into Hmong
economic returns from farming and and interests in the local food and farming system came culture, and is an especially important
development pressures. activity for families, including both
together to plan the CFA. The committee identified the young and old. Some of those we
Farmers’ and Ranchers’ Views following questions to investigate: spoke with are concerned about
on the State of Agriculture in
Missoula County (N=52)
accessing land for their market
• What is needed for viable and sustainable, commercial gardens, and they would like to see
Don’t Know Missing (1.9%) the Farmers’ Market grow and extend
(1.9%) Doing well food production in Missoula County? What are the its hours.
(3.8%)
existing assets and barriers to creating a more viable
Just OK
“[Gardening’s] important
(21.2%) and sustainable production system? because for the Asians like
us…It makes us happy when
Struggling • What concerns do Missoula County residents of you walk through the gardens
(71.2%) and see everything growing up,
various income levels have about food? What do they
it makes us feel so happy and
perceive as the County’s food-related assets? excited. Also food for our
Low Economic Returns
families, we are the kind of
Of those we surveyed, 98% said The committee also provided input into the research people who eat a lot of
that the cost of producing their crops
or livestock was a “very significant”
process, and developed recommendations based on the vegetables, so that is
important to us. So always
or “somewhat significant” problem findings. UM undergrad and grad students were key
we are reminded of what we
when it comes to keeping their farm participants in the process. We highlight some of the findings did in Laos, its not that much
or ranch in operation. For 88% of
the respondents, recent prices for
here. For more information, see Food Matters: Farm Viability different here.”
their crops or livestock was viewed as and Food Consumption in Missoula County. – Hmong market gardener
a problem.

2. What Do Eaters Think Community Food Security
About Food?
Understanding eaters’ food-
Farmers and Consumers Share “Community food security is a
condition in which all community
related concerns and assets is a first
step toward addressing community
Goal of More Local Food residents obtain a safe, culturally
acceptable, nutritionally adequate
food security. To learn about eaters’ diet through a sustainable food
concerns, we administered 624 system that maximizes community
surveys to County residents with self-reliance and social justice.”
various income levels and we Montana is among five other states
conducted two focus groups with 19 whose relative hunger status has
low-income County residents. worsened since 1996. A number of
recent trends compromise food
Food Quality Concerns Loom
security in Missoula County:
Large for Eaters
• Only 30% of the students eligible
Food quality issues such as food
to participate in the Free and
safety, pesticide residues on food,
Reduced School Lunch Program
eating organic, food freshness and
in the County actually participat-
nutritional value were the most
ed from 1999 through 2002.
important food-related concerns.
Of all these issues, food safety is • About 6% of the County’s
paramount on eaters’ minds. Almost population received food stamps
82% of survey respondents perceived in an average month; but nearly
food safety as at least somewhat of a 15% of the population lived
In today’s global food system, food changes hands about
problem or concern for them. below the poverty line.
33 times between the farm and the supermarket shelf, and
How Much of a Problem • Most emergency food providers
is Food Safety for
travels an average of 1,300 miles to reach our plates. in the County have seen an
Survey Respondents? (N=624) Interestingly, in our study farmers and ranchers want to increase in the need for and use
Very much Missing (.2%) shorten the distance between the field and the consumer. of their services.
a problem Not at
(42.6%) all a Seventy-one percent of the farmers and ranchers surveyed • In 2002, clients made nearly
problem 31,300 visits to the Missoula
(18.1%) are interested in marketing more of their produce and
Food Bank; that number was up
Somewhat livestock locally. Farmers and ranchers see advantages in 19% from four years prior (1998).
a problem terms of profits, as well as increasing connections between
(39.1%) Sixty-five percent of survey
producers and consumers; however, they also see barriers in respondents identified that having
terms of access to local markets and limited food processing enough money to buy the food they
“I think a lot of pesticides and
infrastructure. needed for themselves and their
preservatives cause a lot of our
families was at least somewhat of a
health problems today.” At the other end of the food chain, 60% of consumers problem or concern for them. Forty-
– consumer
were concerned about how far away the food they eat comes three percent of survey respondents
Tough Choices for indicated that they limit meals at least
from. They expressed a strong interest in buying locally
Low Income Residents some of the time due to a lack of
Any discussion of hunger or food
grown and produced food with 55% indicating they would money and approximately 35%
insecurity must address the ability to like to see more local foods in the grocery stores. Consumers, skipped a meal at least some of the
purchase food. Wages have not kept however, are also concerned about the price of locally grown time due to lack of money.
up to cost-of-living increases in
food. A major challenge is to devise strategies that meet the How Often Survey Respondents
Missoula County. Close to 77% of the
survey respondents identified that the economic needs of both farmers and consumers. Limited the Size of Meals Due to a
Lack of Money (N=618)
price of food they like to eat is at least
40
somewhat of a problem for them.
Low-income respondents were more “It’s frustrating how… month and having to make tough 30
likely to consider the price of food too survival has become a money choices about whether to pay heating,
20
high, especially those foods they felt thing...the ones that have the medical and housing bills or buy
were healthier and more nutritious. money can afford food.” food. Medical bills, rising utility rates, 10
– consumer high rents, underemployment, job 0
How Much of a Problem Never Rarely Some Most Always
is the Price of Food for
loss, and transportation costs were
of the of the
Survey Respondents? (N=624) The top cost-of-living concern for common themes addressed by time time
Missing (.3%)
survey respondents was personal participants that compromised their
Very much
a problem Not at wages being too low. Almost half of ability to eat well.
(28.0%) all a the 19 focus group participants “Purchasing
problem reported running out of food each “Which is more important, food would not
(22.8%)
having my house warm or be as much of a
Somewhat having food in my belly and problem if
a problem working wages
(48.9%) my daughter’s belly?”
– consumer were higher and
health insurance
“I have to eat foods that are “Well, do I put gas in the car and dental were
very cheap like potatoes, or do I buy a gallon of milk?” available.”
breads... a lot of that type – consumer – consumer
of stuff.” – consumer
CFA Reports Available
Food for Thought and Action: Recommendations
Food Matters: Farm Viability and Food
The Steering Committee for
the Community Food Assessment 1 Create a multi-stakeholder, food
policy coalition that addresses
community needs related to food
4 Develop a strong community-
based food system that supports
local farmers and ranchers, and
Consumption in Missoula County.
Presents studies designed to understand what
it will take to keep agriculture going in
and its University of Montana Missoula County and to document concerns
and agriculture in a comprehensive, meets consumers’ interest in access consumers have about food.
partners hope these recommenda- systematic, and creative way. to locally-grown food.
tions will inspire community Grow, Eat, and Know: A Resource Guide
dialogue about the future of food
and farming in Missoula County.
2 Improve food quality and
access to healthy foods at
emergency food services and
5 Identify and assess strategies for
protecting and assisting working
farms and ranches, and for keeping
to Food and Farming in Missoula County.
Helps you locate organizations and
businesses – everything from agricultural
The first recommendation elsewhere in the County. agricultural land affordable for programs to food assistance agencies to a
describes how the specific policies farming and ranching. diner’s guide for local and organic food.
and activities in the other 3 Work with relevant advocacy
organizations to create public
education campaigns around the 6 Investigate further the extent to
which transportation to grocery
Our Foodshed in Focus: Missoula County
Food and Agriculture by the Numbers.
recommendations could be
human right to food, and expand the stores and food pantries is a concern Uses existing statistical information to
brought about. See the full report, current dialogue around cost-of-living for low-income residents throughout describe patterns in seven major areas of the
Food Matters, for more details. local food system and how these have
concerns to include food issues. the County.
changed over time.
For More Information Contact: Neva Hassanein at 243-6271 or Maxine Jacobson at 243-6384. Or, on the web, go to www.umt.edu/cfa to download the reports.