“Montana Crunch Time” Set for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20

BOZEMAN — Individuals across Montana are invited to participate in Montana Crunch Time, a celebration of local food and National Farm to School Month, set for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20.

Montana Crunch Time is a statewide event where participants crunch into locally and regionally grown apples. The event is designed to encourage healthy eating habits and support local food-based initiatives throughout the state, according to Aubree Roth, Farm to School coordinator at the Montana Team Nutrition program based at Montana State University. It is also intended to help people learn through healthy food and nutrition choices. All Montanans are encouraged to participate.

This year, states throughout the Mountain Plains Region – Colorado, Montana, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming – are competing to see which state can get the most “crunches.” The state with the most crunches per capita wins the Crunch Off crown. Crunches must be registered online to count toward the total.

Montana Crunch Time started as a school-based event in 2013. In 2020, a total of 13,745 Montanans joined in. The event is hosted by Montana Office of Public Instruction and Montana Team Nutrition Program at MSU, in collaboration with the Montana Farm to School Leadership Team and several partners.

Individuals can participate, too.

To register a crunch, click HERE.

Remember to snap a "Crunch Time" selfie and share it on social media with the hashtag #MTCrunchTime.