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Hello!</div>
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If you have an interest in creating resilience and self-reliance in Montana's food supply chain, consider voicing your ideas and concerns at the upcoming listening session. If you can't make that, consider filling out the survey. Note the deadline to fill out
the survey is Thursday, July 27th. </div>
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<p style="font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; margin:0in"><b><span style="margin: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 20, 137);">TAM</span><span style="margin: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 20, 137);"></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 20, 137);">MY
HOWARD </span></b><br>
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<p style="font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; margin:0in"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">Agriculture Specialist</span><br>
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<p style="font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; margin:0in"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:11pt; font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif">National Center for Appropriate Technology</span></p>
<p style="font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; margin:0in"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">NCAT.ORG</span></p>
<p style="font-size:12pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; margin:0in"><span style="margin:0px; font-size:10pt; font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Direct line: 406-494-8683</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">Dear Montana Agriculture Stakeholder, </span></p>
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<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) is collecting feedback for the Resilient Food System Infrastructure (RFSI) Program. The purpose of this
outreach is to collect public input or program priorities and identify critical needs to expand food supply chains in the state. </span></span></p>
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<li style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"><span style=""><b><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">The listening session will take place July 31 at 10:00 am MST </span></b></span></li><ul style="list-style-type:circle">
<li><span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">Topic: RFSI Listening Session</span></span><span style=""><b><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"> </span></b></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">Time: Jul 31, 2023 10:00 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)</span></span><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
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<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">Join Zoom Meeting</span></span><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
<a href="https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/87497819322?pwd=dDVXZGI0SnYxQmF0MW1FRVhWdGJyQT09" data-auth="Verified" originalsrc="https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/87497819322?pwd=dDVXZGI0SnYxQmF0MW1FRVhWdGJyQT09" shash="WcmvKTR5csujQwsFBGKmxRhynD9b9+eiPbWt8kRLs9NAoGU0fRjKr4oV0M0QBAbuOfB8T80yBD/7jocQBDPwv5dca0kArG8iZT8FxXY2rrQ/d2+W6fY7/xDSFt0jroXJZ9IIr+5sBbhsGhrjSwLMIjgVmQEka90rwb3RGPGg9Vs=" class="x_ContentPasted0"><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/87497819322?pwd=dDVXZGI0SnYxQmF0MW1FRVhWdGJyQT09</span></span></a><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">Meeting ID: 874 9781 9322</span></span><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">Password: 268407</span></span><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
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<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">Dial by Telephone</span></span><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">+1 646 558 8656</span></span><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">Meeting ID: 874 9781 9322</span></span><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">Password: 268407</span></span><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0">
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<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: black;">Find your local number:
</span></span><a href="https://mt-gov.zoom.us/u/kbsbu95bMd" data-auth="Verified" originalsrc="https://mt-gov.zoom.us/u/kbsbu95bMd" shash="hKRmtTmbfQfLFeXZZiLcqK5bjlH/cgG9t/a5hiEKW+0DGS5/4GteyZfRsvwNYuBN3LzsnVlPD+0VL/ZvAquYq2yhCzryqgRIH1VIMUsaUCpw5qGUQY70ZnfacNDY4LLDfOJfIJ/r/9fRL/f2jtlzAlDix43mVTSpH7NEUndJUhM=" class="x_ContentPasted0"><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">https://mt-gov.zoom.us/u/kbsbu95bMd</span></span></a><span style=""><b><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"> </span></b></span>
<div style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"><span style=""><b><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"><br>
</span></b></span></div>
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<li style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"><span style=""><b><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">The survey form can be found at the link below and must be submitted
by July 27: </span></b></span></li><ul style="list-style-type:circle">
<li><span style=""><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style=""> </span></span></span><a href="https://forms.office.com/g/Hsw8mwCm29" data-auth="Verified" originalsrc="https://forms.office.com/g/Hsw8mwCm29" shash="H1ClCdd6zzmwV7e6xhHZa3fxotVSKnbW1PH74eaoFGGVevKNd13EKnVUJgaI75/hkF0mwWzFyLxmA2af/bkgwsO7VYYq0cvOUtXVITMUkaIMXrylK3aiGRooY0UghyvmG31b577Ds71f7pCkjWaHJKDmRcm2n5RBJd5kWWY0MJ8=" class="x_ContentPasted0"><span style=""><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">https://forms.office.com/g/Hsw8mwCm29</span></span></a><span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">
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<span style=""><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"><br>
</span></span></li></ul>
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<div><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">MDA has entered a $4.3 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service under the RFSI program. <span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="">
</span>RFSI will support middle of the supply chain projects that improve capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food products. </span></span><br class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">
<br class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">
<span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);"><span class="x_ContentPasted0" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; color: rgb(33, 37, 41);">Industry partners and stakeholders are crucial to ensure RFSI delivers a significant
impact for producers, businesses, consumers, and rural communities statewide. </span></span></div>
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<span class="x_ContentPasted1" style="font-size:12pt">Thank you, </span></p>
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<span class="x_ContentPasted1" style="font-size:12pt">Jim Auer</span><span class="x_ContentPasted1" style=""><span style="font-size:12pt"> </span></span></p>
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<span class="x_ContentPasted1" style="font-size:12pt">Food and Agriculture Development Specialist</span><span class="x_ContentPasted1" style=""><span style="font-size:12pt"> </span></span></p>
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<span class="x_ContentPasted1" style="font-size:12pt">Montana Department of Agriculture</span><span class="x_ContentPasted1" style=""><span style="font-size:12pt"> </span></span></p>
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