080103 “Feed Montana” Programs Put Beef on Every Plate

Montana has 47,000 families who often go to bed hungry. There are 314,000 Montanans, from infants to the elderly, who often are malnourished.

Ten percent of Montanans over 60 are hungry and approximately 45 percent of the hungry live in rural Montana. This state of affairs is unacceptable and unless more is done the problem may worsen.

Presently, the economy seems to be heading toward recession, foreclosures are at an all-time high, unemployment is rising, fuel costs are at historical highs, the inflation index for the month of December is at a one month all-time high, and the trade deficit for 2007 will be $800 billion. Since 1998, 3.3 million jobs nationwide have been outsourced.

What this means to ordinary hard-working Montanans is tougher times for all. However, as always, these circumstances hit the poor, Montanans on a fixed income, the elderly, and the disadvantaged disproportionately hard.

Food costs will rise while for many Montanans their ability to afford marginal nutrition will decline.

Presently our state's poverty rate is nearly 15 percent of our population. Further, USDA reports that nearly 309,000 Montanans live at or below the poverty level.

As a consequence, and despite the wonderful job Montana's Food Bank, church charities, and others have done, over 15 percent of our families had their children skip meals because there simply wasn't enough food available in their households.

Until very recently, food has been cheap, while farming and ranching has been in decline. In Montana, we've been losing 250 ranchers annually. Nevertheless, from 1974 to 2005 food prices on world markets fell by three-quarters.

This dynamic ended in 2006, and 2007 saw dramatic increases in basic food costs. Grain prices some might say have skyrocketed, though I would suggest they are exactly where they should be to keep our farmers in business, invigorate rural communities, and allow our children to remain on the farm and ranch.

So, higher priced food will do both enormous good and substantial harm. Household budgets for many will be stressed as parents strive to feed their families. Food is, or will soon become, the most expensive item in their household budgets.

Rising prices will benefit farmers and agriculture communities by increasing the rewards of our labor; in many poor rural communities it will boost the most important source of jobs and economic growth. In Montana, agriculture remains the largest economic sector.

Government and our politicians play a huge role in the food equation. If government fails to recognize the imbalance I've described, the poor will suffer disproportionately but in the end we will all suffer. We denigrate our state and nation when some of our citizens are hungry. In an effort to keep food costs in check, government wants to open our borders to cheaper supplies.

The United States is now a net importer of food. Will we soon become dependent on foreign sources to meet our food needs?

Well, it's obvious that Montana faces a challenge in terms of feeding our poorest citizens. It's clear that high food prices have a devastating impact on the poor. Anyone who is losing more from high-priced food must gain more from higher income.

However, Montana remains 42nd nationally in per capita income. This exemplifies the real problem; income will fall as the recession relentlessly marches forward while food costs rise.

I challenge Montanans to help feed our hungry. I know ranchers will do something about this paradox.

Montana Cattlemen's Association Foundation for Education, Research and Charity has launched a new program, “BEEF ON EVERY PLATE.”

We are resolved to process 100 cows over the next few months and donate the beef to our food banks across the state.

For cattle producers we ask that you donate a cow, bull, or steer and for those who do not own cattle, we ask for a monetary donation to offset the beef processing costs.

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E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com