Montana State initiative invites Montanans to ‘crunch’ their way through October

BOZEMAN - Montana residents can participate in Montana Crunch Off throughout October to celebrate National Farm to School Month, local producers and nutritious foods.

Montana Crunch Off encourages participants to "crunch" - or bite - into locally grown and raised food. The program is designed to support Montana producers and local food-based initiatives across the state, said Haley Scott, program lead for Montana Team Nutrition, which is based at Montana State University. Montana Crunch Off is also intended to help participants learn about healthy food and nutritional choices.

This year, Montana will compete against Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to be recognized as the Mountain Plains Crunch Off Champion. Crunches can be registered online throughout October.

"Participants can crunch at any time that works best for their schedule throughout October," Scott said.

Montana groups such as schools, early care and education sites, and workplaces can organize crunch events, or individuals can crunch on their own throughout the month. Last year, more than 23,000 Montanans joined the collective crunch, including over 20,500 participants ages 6-18. The statewide crunch goal this year is 30,000.

New this year, participants can stay up to date on the total crunch tally across the state with a dashboard and map. The site is updated in real time as new registrants submit their crunches.

"The Montana Crunch Off is a fun and meaningful way to connect students, families and communities with the incredible agricultural resources we have right here in our state," said Susie Hedalen, Montana superintendent of public instruction. "It's a celebration of healthy choices, hands-on learning and the hardworking Montana producers who help feed our families."

The Montana Office of Public Instruction and Montana Farm to School host the Montana Crunch Off. This year will be the 12th iteration of the program, which began in schools in 2013 before expanding to include all Montanans.

For more information, to register a crunch or download the crunch guide, visit montana.edu/mtfarmtoschool/mt-crunch-time.html.