Project Overview
Examining, Optimizing, and Building Capacity for Montana’s Local Beef to School Supply Chain
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Animals: bovine
- Animal Products: meat
Practices
- Education and Training: extension, networking, participatory research, technical assistance
- Farm Business Management: farm-to-institution
- Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems, partnerships, social networks, values-based supply chains
Abstract:
In Montana, and across the country, producers and consumers are beginning to see benefits (e.g., social, environmental, and economic) from local procurement efforts that link ranchers and local beef processors with schools in their community and region. These “beef to school” (B2S) efforts involve support of local beef from a variety of actors, including producers, processors, and foodservices and students at K-12 schools. The long-term goal of this project is improving Montana beef producers’ and meat processors’ viability and sustainability, while increasing the availability and consumption of local beef in Montana’s schools and communities.
Project objectives:
Objectives for Year 3 are indicated below.
May – July 2017
• Develop, print, and distribute written and web-based material for producers based research, outreach, and educational materials, including Extension bulletin
• Develop, print, and distribute written and web-based material for school based research, outreach, and educational materials, including curriculum and Harvest of the Month
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• Develop and host school training 2 (at Montana School Nutrition Association Conference in June)
• Present at conference
August – October 2017
• Develop, print, and distribute written and web-based material for post-secondary education • Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• Present at conference
November 2017 – January 2018
• Develop, print, and disseminate final case study materials, including fact sheets and associated written reports • Develop and host producer/processor training 2 (at Montana Beef Council in November or December)
• Development and disseminate webinars based on producer/processor and school trainings
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• Present at conference
February – April 2018
• Submit research to scholarly publications
• Present at conference
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• Conduct evaluation of efforts in year 3 which includes assessment of objectives through Western SARE reporting
Objectives for Year 2 are indicated below.
May – July 2016
- Conduct local beef utilization in schools research (including plate waste and recipe analysis)
- Write case study findings
• Develop larger B2S market primary evaluation tool based upon case study findings
• Collect data and conduct secondary data analysis about cattle production and processing
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• Develop and host school training 1 (at Montana School Nutrition Association Conference in June)
• MTB2SC conference call meeting
August – October 2016
• Conduct research about school-level logistics regarding local beef utilization in schools
• Test larger B2S market primary evaluation tool
• Conduct larger B2S market primary evaluation survey research
• Collect data and conduct secondary data analysis about cattle production and processing
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• MTB2SC conference call meeting
November 2016 – January 2017
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• Analyze data from B2S primary evaluation tool
• MTB2SC conference call meeting
February – April 2017
• Analyze and write report about larger B2S market evaluation, including primary and secondary data
• Analyze and write report about school-level logistics regarding local beef utilization in schools
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• Submit conference presentation proposal
• MTB2SC in person meeting
• Develop and host producer/processor training 1 (at Montana Meat Processors Association Meeting in April)
• Conduct evaluation efforts in year 2 which includes assessment of objectives through Western SARE reporting
Objectives for Year 1 are indicated below.
May – July 2015
• Conduct outreach to at least 20 stakeholders to inform research plan, including relevant associations and groups for producers, processors, and school administration and foodservice
• Develop Montana Beef to School Coalition’s Facebook, Twitter, and blog
• Post one tweet and one Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• MTB2SC conference call meeting
August – October 2015
• Select case studies for five different procurement models for local beef in schools • Create travel plan for case study research
• Conduct a comprehensive case study of two of the B2S systems
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• MTB2SC conference call meeting
November 2015 – January 2016
• Conduct a comprehensive case study of three of the B2S systems
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter • MTB2SC conference call meeting
February – April 2016
• Analyze case study findings
• Post one tweet and Facebook post per week; one blog posting per quarter
• MTB2SC in person meeting
• Conduct evaluation of efforts in year 1 which includes assessment of objectives through Western SARE reporting
