Montana Farmer Field Days planned
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A free summer workshop series in Western Montana will highlight market opportunities and production techniques to help beginning farmers and ranchers succeed. The Community Food and Agriculture Coalition and Farm Link Montana are excited to announce the lineup for Farmer Field Days 2017. Farmers along the Highway 93 corridor will host the events on-farm, share their expertise, and demonstrate the systems that have made their farms work.
On May 17, the series kicks off at Lower Crossing Farm in St. Ignatius. Farmer Jesse Hadden will explain how he has focused on value-added products to improve his profitability and diversify revenue streams. The event will include a sneak peak at the on-farm butcher shop and food truck that Hadden will be launching this summer.
On June 21, Rancher Bart Morris from Oxbow Cattle Company in Lolo will talk about his conservation focused approach to herd management. He will explain his use of Mob Grazing to improve the soil and how he tailors this approach to the specific needs of each pasture. On July 19, Kaly Hess and Brian Wirak of Harlequin Organic Produce in Arlee will demonstrate some of the harvest and handling systems that have allowed their farm to maintain a reputation for high-quality produce while steadily expanding their operation.
On Aug. 16, Kathy Sherba of Mighty Fine Farm will be joined by Carly Rogers from Killing Frost Farm to talk about the market for local cut flowers in Missoula. Sherba will demonstrate her approach to small-scale flower growing and Rogers will talk about opportunities for growers at the Westside Flower Market in Missoula.
On Sept. 20, the series will conclude with a trip to Billingsley Cider Orchard in Stevensville to learn about managing a cider apple orchard and a hands-on lesson on proper apple harvest. After harvest, the workshop will continue in Missoula at Western Cider with a tour of the production facility that farmer Michael Billingsley and his partners opened this spring.
Field Days will be the third Wednesday of each month, from May through September. These workshops are geared toward people who are just at the beginning of their farm exploration - farm hands, interns, folks thinking about starting a farm in the near future, and those who are currently in the startup process. Of course, established farmers and ranchers are welcome too.
Field Days are farmer-led and each event concludes with a potluck. To help the host farmers, participants are asked to RSVP ahead of time so that there will be a good estimate of numbers in advance. More information and RSVP link can be found at www.farmlinkmontana.org/ events or by contacting Dave Renn at dave@farmlinkmontana.org.
