Local bison and barley were on the menu at Belgrade School District in Belgrade, Mont., this past fall.
The district is one of six in the state participating in a recipe-testing project with Montana Team Nutrition, a program within Montana State University that provides resources and training to school nutrition programs.
“They're an incredible resource for all schools in Montana,” says Food Service Director Brittany Moats of Montana Team Nutrition. “They hold webinars and will come out and do in-person trainings. They're just a great support system.”
Belgrade’s nutrition team applied to be part of the project and got involved early on.
For close to two years, Belgrade and the five other districts have been trying recipes made with state-grown ingredients. Belgrade’s latest and final tasting event showcased the bison and barley soup and was held at one of its elementary schools earlier this school year.
Getting students excited
For the soup tasting, the district worked with area suppliers to procure local bison and barley, and followed the recipe provided by Montana Team Nutrition.
To build excitement, some students learned about the history of bison and the importance of eating local foods.
During the actual tasting, students who tried the dish could win bison-themed prizes such as books and blankets, and a local company with a bison mascot joined the celebration to take photos and see students during lunch.
After trying the soup, students were able to rate it on a scale of “tried it,” “liked it” or “loved it.”
“Over 90% was ‘liked it’ or ‘loved it.’ The acceptance rate was really high,” says Moats. “They really enjoyed the soup, and then, there was so much smiles and excitement and laughter around the event. They were really excited to be able to win some prizes that were bison themed.”
Reviewing the recipes
The testing phase of the recipe project has now ended, and Montana Team Nutrition is working on getting the recipes published through the U.S. Department of Agriculture so schools throughout the country may use them in their own kitchens.
When the recipes are officially released, Belgrade will decide which ones they want to add to their menu.
“We'll definitely look at all the recipes and add some of them to our rotation,” says Moats.