Chinook, MT — Even as the school year begins to wind down, something special is taking shape for Chinook students.
Building on a tradition of local support for Chinook schools, community members are coming together in a more coordinated way to provide consistent, locally raised beef for students.
“This community takes pride in its kids,” said local rancher Christie Nissen. “When ranchers know they can help feed students with something they raised themselves, it means a lot. It is a way for agriculture to give back to the next generation.”
Momentum is already building. Local rancher and Chinook School Board Chairman Kevin Elias has stepped forward with an animal ready for processing that will soon be donated to the school. A past contributor to the program, Elias is once again putting his commitment behind Chinook students.
The school has been just as engaged. Superintendent Fred Hofman and the Chinook school kitchen staff have welcomed the opportunity to incorporate local beef into school meals while helping students better understand where their food comes from. The school is also working to add more cold storage so donated beef can be kept on hand and used throughout the year.
Ranchers Stewardship Alliance is helping behind the scenes by connecting producers, processors, and the school. By helping coordinate the details, RSA is able to take some of the extra work off ranchers and school staff and keep things moving forward.
The goal is simple and within reach. About seven animals per year would provide enough beef to meet the school’s needs.
Through the Beef Into Schools program, producers donate a finished animal to the school, where it is processed at a USDA-inspected facility and delivered back for use in student meals. Producers can choose to work with Producer Partnership in Livingston, which provides free processing and coordinates pickup and delivery, or Bear Paw Meats, which offers a reduced processing rate and allows animals to be processed locally.
All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Community members who do not raise cattle can still take part through cash donations. Those contributions can help cover local processing costs or contribute toward the purchase of additional freezer space.
Across the Hi-Line, communities are showing what can happen when agriculture and schools work together. In Malta and Saco, local ranchers have already stepped up to fully meet the schools’ annual beef needs, and efforts in Glasgow are also off to a strong start.
Chinook now has the opportunity to keep that same spirit going, strengthening the connection between local ranchers, local students, and the community that stands behind them.
Those interested in donating beef or contributing financially are encouraged to reach out.
Mary Oxarart
Education Program Manager
Ranchers Stewardship Alliance
406-301-0429
or
Christie Nissen
406-262-4125
Together, we can continue supporting students, agriculture, and the communities that bring them together.
