Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger

05/30/2026

🌾 Can you guess our newest Montana Harvest of the Month item?? 👀

What’s packed with fiber, thrives in cool climates, and has been grown for centuries 🤔

✨ It’s RYE! ✨

Rye is a hearty grain often used in breads, crackers, and cereals—and Montana farmers grow some of the highest-quality rye around! 🌱

We’re excited to celebrate this delicious local grain in school meals and learning activities this season!

Continue following for rye recipes, activities and more. Find these all on https://mtharvestofthemonth.org/

05/29/2026

05/27/2026

CALLING FOLKS IN CONRAD! This wonderful event is happening tonight!

We’re looking forward to Wednesday, May 27th!

It’s going to be a great evening of community, connection, and conversation, and we’re excited to share the story behind Whisk Takers and the impact it continues to have. We hope to see you there!

05/21/2026

05/18/2026

Stories for Action was honored to produce this video series for Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger . The series highlights some of their partner programs, where local people are taking action to connect their community members with nutritious, local, and cost-effective meals, cooking knowledge, and food access.

I don’t use the term “hero” lightly. But after speaking with these local leaders, it was clear their selfless dedication to the wellness of their community deserves such a title. From school kitchen staff who show up at 4am every morning to make sure their students have a nourishing meal, and who lend a hug or listening ear when a kiddo is having a tough day. That is such a high-impact role for a child.
The MSU Extension agents offering free classes that teach nutrition and cost-effective cooking skills to all ages. There aren’t words for how empowering it is to provide a healthy meal for your children, when you may not have much else. And the intergenerational community connections sparked in these classes can be the healing some folks need. School programs that train teens in the kitchen on food preparation, giving them life skills for personal and professional success. The local work that happens around food touches every aspect of our lives…it is what creates the strong communities we all strive for.

The six videos in the series (7 minutes each) are available on ’s YouTube Channel and at https://www.mtpech.org/community-film-project

📸The episodes from Hinsdale & Conrad were produced remotely, with photos provided by folks featured; Adam Zopp, Joyce Leatherberry, and Jennifer Greyn.
📸 Fairview episode Camera & Audio by Scott Smoker, Smoke Signal Studio . Co-Edited by John Nilles with Shoot Montana
📸 All other Camera & Editing by Lara Tomov

Thank you to Headwaters Foundation for supporting the production of the series (and for supporting MT PECH’s work as well).

Featuring:
Two Eagle River High School
Montana State University Extension Pondera County
Pondera County Insurance
Nkwusm - Salish Language School
Fairview Schools Dist. 13&3
Hinsdale Public Schools
Mabel Mx & Joyce Leatherberry
MSU Extension Nutrition Education Program

05/15/2026

Many thanks to Public News Service and Laura Hatch for sharing the story about the Community Film Project. MT-PECH is incredibly proud of Montana schools and to be a part of this collaborative project! "It started with one person who got interested and inspired and said, 'We can do something,'" KayAnn Miller, co-executive director at MT-PECH shared. "They just started gathering like-minded people around them and created a solution that fit their own community."

This was followed by Lisa Lee, co-executive director at MT-PECH, stressing the importance of this work because Montana is an agricultural state. Lee adds, "The food is right in front of us, and how much hope does it give our producers and our schools if we just start seeing meals that are reflective of the food that's grown in front of us?"

Check out the article and please continue to spread the word about the Community Film Project!

https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/montana-filmmakers-spotlight-efforts-to-improve-kids-health-with-food/e4cb6abf-1748-405b-bf00-9ba505171271?

Montana filmmakers are lifting up stories of people improving kids' health through food.The Community Film Project is six short films about rural schools and communities getting creative to teach kids

05/13/2026

Check out this community event — Whisk Takers is an amazing program and if you haven’t watched the Community Film about it yet, head on over to our website! 🎥

What started as a simple cooking class turned into something much bigger — connection, confidence, community, and unforgettable stories. Join us for a special evening as we premiere The Story Behind Whisk Takers, a short documentary highlighting the heart behind this incredible local program and the impact it has made right here in our community.

Enjoy dinner, snacks, bingo, prizes, and an inspiring night celebrating the people, partnerships, and purpose that brought Whisk Takers to life. We would love to have you there!

05/12/2026

We've been celebrating a lot lately through the Community Film Project. Let the celebrations continue, we say, because Hinsdale Public Schools, and the infamous duo, Joyce and Mabel, were selected as School Lunch Heroes by the Newman's Own Foundation to receive national recognition!

In Hinsdale, Montana, a community of just 200 people, sisters Mabel Mix and Joyce Leatherberry have turned the school cafeteria into a place of joy, belonging, and genuine nourishment. Together, they’ve built a scratch-cooking program featuring Montana-grown ingredients alongside beloved homemade staples: chicken pot pie, breakfast burritos, and soups made from potatoes grown in the school garden. They celebrate food days and school milestones with costumes, decorations, and special menus that make every occasion feel festive.

Joyce, who became head cook in 2005 and recently stepped back to the assistant cook role, shared her vision for food justice: “When I became the head cook, my goal was that no kid left my lunch room hungry. I wanted to make [the cafeteria] a happy, friendly place, where they could hear laughter and see smiles from us.”

Read the article here: https://newmansown.org/news/school-lunch-heroes-2026/

Photo of Joyce & Mabel: https://newmansown.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JoyceMabel-e1777583481951.webp

05/08/2026

Today we're celebrating the community of Fairview and their dedication to advancing health through food. “We are really lucky to have such an awesome school meal program in Fairview. I tell people all the time that we have the best food in town,” says Brandy Spitzer-Tjelde, principal at Fairview High School. The ‘best food in town’ happens because the Food Services Director Staci Skogas, also known as Chef Staci at the school, shifted from serving highly processed foods to prioritizing cooking meals from scratch and incorporating quality and fresh Montana-grown food.

“When I first started a lot of stuff was packaged, they were kind of a heat up and serve program, and my main focus was just to go back to old fashioned cooking from scratch,” Skogas explains “It was pretty daunting at first, to try to cook a home cooked meal for 300 kids. Once we got into the groove of things, we would try one new thing a week, and I just used my home recipes multiplied by 10 or 15. We just did it! That was five years ago and I’ve been absolutely loving every minute of it.”

Please watch this film and spread the word about the Community Film Project! https://www.mtpech.org/community-film-project

05/07/2026

Today we're celebrating the community of Polson and the initiative through Montana State University Extension to hold community cooking classes. "It’s so exciting to see people make healthy choices and be empowered to make those choices that nourish not only their bodies but also their souls and their whole family,” said Havilah Burton, MSU Nutrition Education Program. Community cooking classes led by MSU Extension are aimed at improving food knowledge and cooking skills to support healthy eating.

One popular class, inspired by youth, focuses solely on Instant Pot recipes and after completing the class series, participants are sent home with an Instant Pot to apply their knowledge. “One day when I move out, I’m taking that Instant Pot with me,” shared Cozy, a class participant, and a big fan of cooking with the Instant Pot. The Instant Pot class has expanded to all six high schools on the Flathead Reservation and is now growing statewide.

Please watch this film and all community films from throughout Montana! https://www.mtpech.org/community-film-project