Twenty-two local ag-based projects receive boost from MFU Foundation Community Grants

Montana Farmers Union Foundation is pleased to announce more than $43,000 has been awarded through its Community Grant program 22 Montana projects that create new opportunities and contribute to the growth and enhancement of Montana agriculture and rural communities.

“MFU Foundation’s grant program has been a huge success so far. This year, we were excited to see more than 100 applications,” MFU Chief of Staff Matt Rains said. “This grant program has filled a needed niche of support for local community projects that are too small to build a robust grant application packet for state and federal opportunities, but valuable enough to have a positive impact for a schools, fairgrounds, FFA community projects, or similar groups.”

Since beginning in 2022, the Foundation has awarded and leveraged more than $60,000 for projects in rural communities.

This year, the Foundation awarded an additional $43,146 and leveraged another $4,600 from MFU Locals to support the projects that range from installing hydroponic gardens to teaching kids to cook to equipment purchases for classes about cooking and food production to meat processing shop conversion projects.

Awards are:

Fergus High School, meat processing shop conversion, $10,000

Fergus FFA, purchase equipment to teach meat science courses, $2,500

Hays Lodge Pole Schools, purchase upright freezer for school lunches, $2,500

Fairfield Public Schools, tables for ag mechanics/metals classes, $2,100 MFU Foundation, $650 Teton Local

Corvallis School District, install hydroponic garden for cafeteria, $2,000

Arlee School District, purchase equipment for school gardens, $2,000

Malta High School, rehabilitate school garden, $2,000

Choteau Elementary School, build greenhouse, $2,000 MFU Foundation, $650 Teton Local

Scobey Schools, purchase welder for shop classes, $3,396

Broadview Public Schools, convert shop to classroom, $2,000

Belgrade FFA, develop school farm land, $2,000

Farm Connect Montana, support for program that teaches kids to cook and provide food to local schools, $2,000

Shields Valley Elementary, purchase equipment to teach farming techniques, $1,500

Be The Change 406 Coalition, youth-led greenhouse project, $1,500

Bigfork Foodbank, expand foodbank garden, $1,250 MFU Foundation, $1,250 Flathead Local

Center for Sustainability and Entrepreneurship, purchase refrigerator for microgreen program, $1,000 MFU Foundation, $1,000 Flathead Local

Geraldine FFA, educate public on local plants, $800

Victor FFA, enhance poultry classes, $750

Power School, purchase oven and freezer, $650 MFU Foundation, $650 Teton Local

Open Range 4-H Club, create and donate 360 birthday cakes for community, $500

Liberty County 4-H Council, fund 4-H Fun Fridays, $400 MFU Foundation, $400 Liberty-Toole Local

Superior School District, purchase weed sprayer for school garden, $300

Learn more about the grant program at www.montanafarmersunion.com.