An outpouring of community support helped local food banks meet demand during the government shutdown. But the recent lapse in SNAP benefits is just the latest in a string of adverse events that have increased the need for their services.

By Mariah Thomas

The ongoing government shutdown and the major cuts to SNAP are devastating, but community groups and state politicians are stepping up to fill some of the gaps.

by Eleanor J. Bader

Keshawna Yazzie of FAST Blackfeet proudly earned 1st place in Rural Montana magazine’s recipe contest with her Maple-Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts dish. Her flavorful recipe highlights locally inspired ingredients and reflects FAST Blackfeet’s commitment to nutritious, creative, and culturally connected cooking within the Blackfeet community.

Over 77,000 Montanans - and 41 million Americans nationwide - risk losing access to SNAP food benefits in November if the federal government shutdown continues. For communities like the Blackfeet Nation, where food access is already limited, the potential disruption could be devastating.

NORA MABIE Montana Free Press

Brianna Juneau reports FAST Blackfeet hosted a Community Food Sovereignty event starting with a bison harvest in the morning and a lodge set-up in the afternoon where people gathered to attend workshops about food preparation.

Brianna Juneau reports on FAST Blackfeet, which is dedicated to improving food security, providing nutrition education, and reclaiming and building food sovereignty within the Blackfeet Nation.

Brianna Juneau reports on FAST Blackfeet, which is dedicated to improving food security, providing nutrition education, and reclaiming and building food sovereignty within the Blackfeet Nation. FAST stands for Food Access & Sustainability Team.

FAST Blackfeet recently received donations from country music star Tyler Childers following his 2024 and 2025 tour stops in Whitefish.

Reporter Taylor Inman : Country music singer-songwriter Tyler Childers gave $500,000 from the proceeds of his 2024 Whitefish benefit concert to Blackfeet nonprofits, with the latest round of grant money distributed this summer.

East Glacier Park Lodge is hosting the “North Country Ramble”. The annual gathering for Park employees and seasonal workers is open to the public, features some of Montana’s premiere songwriters. Halladay Quist, Joseph Running Crane, Jack Gladstone and many others perform.

The Blackfeet are rebuilding food security and traditional knowledge through their blossoming bison program

By Hunter D'Antuono

Sachs is one of a growing number of health providers across Montana who now have the option to write a different kind of prescription - not for pills, but for produce. By Carly Graf

BHS students started with fresh hides and worked diligently to tan them the way our ancestors did with actual brains and a lot of elbow grease.

Gardeners of all ages are hard at work growing tea plants for the Blackfeet Nation as part of FAST Blackfeet’s Growing Health program.