A Season of Giving

Support robust community food systems this season! On Giving Tuesday, AERO kicks off our End of Year Giving Campaign with a goal of raising $15,000 by December 31st. We invite you to join us in our mission to build a more sustainable Montana for all by making your year-end gift. Here’s how your contribution directly supports our programming today and in the coming year: 

• AERO is celebrating it’s 50th birthday in 2024! Since 1974, our community of social entrepreneurs has remained dedicated to building a bright future for all Montanans. We are proud of what we have accomplished, and look forward to continuing our work with communities. Learn more about our values and visions and help us celebrate this milestone year during our 2024 Expo in Billings in mid-October.
• Abundant Montana serves as Montana’s megaphone for local food, farms, and businesses, building the demand for Montana-made foods. Abundant Montana provides marketing services and assistance to food and farming enterprises so they can build successful, well-connected, and thoughtful businesses. Browse our 2023 Local Food Guide here!
• AERO’s Value-Added Producer Success program provides education, trainings, resources and toolkits to maximize the success of businesses selling home kitchen-produced, value-added goods direct to consumers. Check out our free resources for producers through our Montana Food System Resource Library. 
• With a producer centric focus, the Montana Food Economy Initiative (MFEI) facilitates whole-community efforts in building resilient, climate-smart food systems that support that community’s economic, environmental, social, and human health. Over the past year and through 2025, we are working with three communities (Helena, Fort Belknap and Billings) to facilitate comprehensive Community Food System Assessments and assist in the implementation of the resulting action steps.
• Convening people is one of our super powers. Our annual Expo brings together Montanans committed to the culture of stewardship to explore developing issues and solutions in stewarding our planetary resources, our communities, and our food systems. This October, we gathered with over 150 people in Helena to explore the theme of “Moving the Needle: Building Whole-Community Engagement with Local Food, Stewardship Agriculture & Renewable Energy”. You can view recordings of our Expo sessions here. 

Together we can build greater health, wealth, and security in communities across our state. Many thanks and warm wishes to you and yours this winter season.

With gratitude,

Your AERO & Abundant Montana Team