State of Montana Newsroom
This National School Lunch Week, Superintendent Hedalen Is Pleased to Announce the Continuation of Montana Marinara Program in Partnership With Departments of Commerce, Agriculture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15th, 2025
Helena, MT – Superintendent Hedalen is pleased to announce that the Montana Marinara program will continue thanks to the support of the Montana Department of Commerce and the Montana Department of Agriculture. This popular initiative ensures that schools across the state have access to locally sourced, nutritious foods, strengthening Montana’s agricultural economy while providing students with healthy meals. This initiative is in alignment with President Trump’s efforts to “Make America Healthy Again” by expanding access to fresh, nutritious foods in schools. By connecting local farmers with school meal programs, Montana Marinara advances our shared goals to improve student health and strengthen regional food systems.
The Montana Marinara program is a cornerstone of the Office of Public Instruction’s efforts to bring fresh, food products to school districts. USDA Foods tomatoes are sent to the Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center in Ronan, where they’re mixed with locally sourced carrots, onions, squash, and safflower oil from the Western Montana Growers Cooperative in Missoula. The end product is a vegetable-rich, affordable option that schools can receive through OPI’s distribution system.
Superintendent Hedalen expressed gratitude for the collaboration that makes this program possible. “We are proud to join Secretary Kennedy and President Trump in the effort to make America healthy again. The Montana Marinara program is a great example of how local partnerships can strengthen our schools and our agricultural communities. By bringing Montana-grown produce into school meals, we ensure students receive nutritious, high-quality food while supporting farmers and food producers across the state. When grant funding was lost, we worried that this valuable initiative might come to an end. Thanks to the Montana Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture, this program will continue, providing districts with affordable, locally sourced meal options that benefit our children and our economy "
“Assisting this effort to connect Montana students with locally sourced foods is a great benefit for our state,” said Marta Bertoglio, director at the Montana Department of Commerce.
“Nutrient dense foods are absolutely essential to our children’s well-being and future health,” said Montana Department of Agriculture Director, Jillien Streit. “Through this program and local value-added processing, we are supporting our agricultural producers while giving our kids the building blocks to succeed,” continued Director Streit.
Despite the loss of a USDA grant, we successfully secured $70,000 through the generous collaboration of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce to sustain our program. Montana Marinara, a flagship product in our line of locally sourced, value-added foods for schools, exemplifies this effort.
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