Farm to
Institution
Connecting Montana's agricultural producers to local schools, hospitals, and universities, putting fresh, locally grown food on cafeteria trays and building lasting relationships between farmers and the communities they feed.
Fresh. Local. Montana-Grown.
Mission West CDP's Farm to Institution program connects agricultural producers in western Montana with large-volume foodservice programs across the region. We help farmers and food businesses access institutional buyers, and help community-based food programs source fresh, locally grown produce and products for their cafeterias.
We participate in the USDA Foods in Schools program, which allows schools to direct federal entitlement dollars toward products incorporating locally sourced produce. This creates reliable, funded market access for Montana producers while increasing the quality and freshness of institutional meal programs.
Our program works alongside the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI), Western Montana Growers Cooperative (WMGC) and Montana Team Nutrition to support producers, build purchasing relationships, and expand local food access in communities across Lake, Sanders, and Mineral counties and through the broader region.
What We Do
We connect producers and schools at every step, from aggregation and ordering to delivery coordination and food safety compliance.
Producer Connections
We work with Western Montana Growers Cooperative's network of Montana farmers and ranchers to aggregate local products and create reliable market access to food service buyers who need consistent supply and food safety documentation.
USDA Foods in Schools Program
Through the USDA Foods in Schools program, participating schools can use federal entitlement funds to purchase products incorporating locally sourced produce. We help schools and producers navigate this program and maximize its impact.
Local Food Promotion
Through seasonal campaigns, events, and outreach, we create numerous ways for foodservice directors to highlight the impact of their local sourcing efforts to consumers and key decision-makers.
Food Safety Support
Institutional buyers require food safety documentation. We help producers understand school purchasing requirements, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and documentation standards needed to sell to schools and institutions.
What's Available
& How It Works
We aggregate Montana-grown products for school buyers on a weekly order cycle. Contact us for current product availability and pricing.
Available Products
Seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, including greens, root vegetables, squash, apples, berries, and more, sourced from local farms and aggregated through our producer network. Availability varies by season. Contact our team for current product availability and producer sourcing information.
Weekly Ordering
School food service directors place orders on a weekly cycle. The order cutoff is Monday at noon for that week's delivery. Orders are confirmed with producers and coordinated through Mission West's program team to ensure accurate fulfillment and delivery documentation.
USDA Foods Entitlements
Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program can use USDA Foods entitlement funds to purchase eligible locally grown produce through our program. We work with your food service director to ensure orders are properly structured and documented for reimbursement.
For Producers: Getting Started
Producers interested in selling into school markets should contact us to discuss volume, food safety requirements, and pricing. We can connect you with WMGC and NCAT for additional technical support and help you understand what documentation schools require before your first sale.
Downloads: 2025 Product Guide & Spec Sheets (PDF) · Local Food for Local Kids report (PDF)
Work with
Our Program
Whether you're a school food service director looking to source local produce or a producer interested in selling to schools, we want to hear from you.
Start the Conversation
Tell us about your operation, whether you're a school, a producer, or a food business interested in institutional markets. We'll follow up to discuss how we can work together.
The Montana Marinara Toolkit
Placeholder copy: Blake’s one to two paragraphs introducing the Montana Marinara value-chain toolkit go here. Fill out the short form to download the full PDF.
Other Programs
Ready to Grow
Your Market?
Whether you're a producer looking for institutional buyers or a school food service director sourcing local food, our Farm to Institution team is here to help make the connection.