Get Involved / 33×33
The 33×33 for Montana Initiative
History of 33×33
In October 2023, Abundant Montana began holding listening sessions around the state to explore the question, “What would it take to get 33% Montana-grown food on all Montana plates by 2033?”
Stakeholders across all sectors joined these conversations, representing Tribal Nations, trade organizations, food and farm businesses, human health organizations, philanthropic changemakers, the Department of Agriculture, Montana’s Office of Public Instruction, economic development centers, MT Food and Agriculture Development Centers, institutions of higher education and research centers, and a wide range of nonprofits.
The sessions concluded with three findings:
- Montana has the resources to solve the production, processing, and distribution pinch points that currently keep us dependent on imported food
- Solving these pinch points will require a collaborative network of individuals, communities, and private and public enterprises working together
- If everyone takes action to increase the amount of local food on their own plate, we will get to 33 x 33 and rebuild our food security
The strong and positive response to these listening sessions reflects a common recognition among Montanans that a vulnerable food supply chain and an insecure food future for Montana are critical emerging crises. While Montana produced 70% of its food in 1950, that number has plummeted to just 3% today. When we import 97% of our food, we’re at the mercy of impacts on a vulnerable supply chain that occur outside our borders and beyond our control. Montana experienced this firsthand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the moment, Abundant Montana will continue to lead the initiative. However, we envision the initiative to be a collaboration: a network of individuals, communities, and private and public enterprises committed to filling Montana plates with Montana-sourced food and working together to solve the production, processing, and distribution pinch points that currently keep us dependent on imported food.
We can get 33% Montana-grown food on all Montana plates by 2033 with everyone’s help! Here’s how you can participate:
1. MAKE YOUR PLATE 33% MONTANA-SOURCED
- Households – filling your plates with 33% local food you grew, harvested, foraged, or purchased. Can you shift 33% of your food purchasing budget to local products?
- Institutions – schools, hospitals, MT state government (our largest food purchaser), how can we get 33% local food on your plates?
- Businesses – when purchasing food for your staff or events, make it 33% local!
2. LEND YOUR SKILLS TO A WORKING GROUP
On April 15, 2025, we hosted a conversation called “Looking ahead, Planning Ahead – Powering Local Food Without Federal Dollars. Thirty people from around the state joined the call and engaged in open dialogue, exploring current issues and how best to take collaborative action towards greater Montana food self-reliance. Six Working Groups were developed to address a focus for action at different scales. If you’d like to join one or more of these groups, please complete this Google Form, and we’ll connect you with your group(s). The groups are:
- #1: Small Community Grassroots: This group will focus on the impact to, and opportunities for action and support in, small and rural communities (“neighbor-to-neighbor”).
- #2: Urban Community Grassroots: This group will focus on the impact to, and opportunities for action and support in, Montana’s urban (micropolitan and metropolitan) communities.
- #3: Institution Purchasing / Value Chain Coordination: This group will focus on the impact to, and opportunities for action and support in, Montana’s institutional buyer sector – hospitals, schools (university and/or K-12), food banks, and other. The lens includes purchasers, sellers (producers and food hubs), and value chain coordination.
- #4: Advocacy: This group will focus on the impact to, and opportunities for action and support in, advocating for local food at the state and federal government levels.
- #5: Communication/Education: This group will focus on communicating the value of local food, the successes of the work done to date, and the impact of the current challenges to that work. This could include white papers, Op-Ed letters, and 1-pagers for the Working Group audiences.
- #6: Asset Mapping: This group will focus on identifying the best ways to aggregate and share current Montana local food assets, gaps, and opportunities, including value chain resources.
3. ATTEND THE 2026 GOVERNOR’S SUMMIT
Did you know that in 2007 and 2016, Montana hosted statewide ‘State of the Food System‘ events, known as the ‘Governor’s Summit on Local Food and Agriculture‘? The Grow Montana Food Policy Coalition organized these multi-day summits to examine Montana’s food system and develop 10-year visions and collaboration plans for achieving common goals. Here is a summary of the two Summits.
A pre-planning task force has been established to develop the logistics required for a successful 2026 event that will help launch the next decade of work. If you have event planning, marketing, fundraising, content thought-partnership skills you want to offer, email Robin with the subject: “Invite me to 2026 Summit.”
4. JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP
For the 33 x 33 for Montana Initiative to be successful, all Montanans must take the time to consider where the food on their plate is sourced. Join the Facebook group to share your thoughts or a picture of your Montana-sourced plate!
5. JOIN THE CONVERSATION
We host a monthly group call designed to support collaboration and action, particularly in response to the uncertainty and disruption stimulated by abrupt federal funding freezes, cuts, and program cancellations. What other resources and directions can we explore to continue making progress on the work? Rather than silo and pull back, let’s lean in together and link arms now.
When: The second Tuesday of the month from 2-3 pm on Zoom. Would you like a calendar invitation and a reminder email? Email Robin with the subject: “Invite me to Looking Ahead“.
6. CHECK OUT THE RESOURCES FOLDER
Abundant Montana hosts a public folder containing collected resources on Montana’s local food resources, as well as reports and studies conducted by various organizations and public agencies over the last 20+ years. It’s a wealth of information that everyone can draw on to understand the current picture and build upon it. Currently held in a Google Drive, it requires sending AMT a request to get access. In the near future, we anticipate making the folder available directly from this page. In the meantime, to gain access, email Robin with the subject: “Local Food Resources Folder.”
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