june 2018
M A G A Z I NE
In this issue
Bitterroot apples Pasture management and more!
in this issue Bitterroot apple boom........................................... 5 Pet vaccinations...................................................... 8 Pasture managment............................................... 9 Beyond the farmers market................................. 10 People make the fair great.................................. 12 Create a habit of health....................................... 13 Dirty Fingernails.................................................... 15 Agricultural Heritage Notebook......................... 18 Weed free forrage................................................ 21 Fork to farm........................................................... 22
M A G A Z I NE How did you like this issue of Agriculture Magazine? Do you have any ideas you’d like to share with us for our next issue? Let us know. Send comments to: Ravalli Republic, 232 West Main, Hamilton, MT 59840 or editor@ravallirepublic.com photo on this page provided by Peg Andersen, Patrick Mangan and the Rennaker Family.
Agriculture Magazine is published by the Ravalli Republic & Missoulian Newspapers, divisions of Lee Enterprises Mike Gulledge, Publisher Perry Backus, Associate Editor Kathy Kelleher, Lauren Parsons & Jodi Wright, Sales Dara Saltzman, Production & Design Agriculture Magazine is copyright 2018, Ravalli Republic.
232 W Main, Hamilton, MT 59840 ravallirepublic.com
Page 4 - Agriculture Magazine, June 2018
PHOTO COURTESY RAVALLI COUNTY MUSEUM
Como Orchard district south of Lost Horse Creek, with Como Peaks in the background, circa 1910.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 5
Marcus Daly & Frank Lloyd Wright had roles in the Bitter Root apple boom architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867In the 1890s, 1959) was commisCopper Baron and sioned by the Bitter Bitter Root Stock Root Irrigation Farm owner Marcus Company to design Daly (1841-1900) was two major centers promoting the idea for the influx of of a “Grand Canal” eager apple growthat would provide ers. Wright applied irrigation from one his “Prairie School end of the valley to Movement” style the other. At that to the projects, and time, the Bitter Root the town of Bitter Root was laid out “Apple Boom” was north of Stevensville coming on strong, in 1909, featurand orchard tracts ing several homes were attracting and a large inn. more settlers and Just west of Darby, investors into the another apple region. complex, known as Water for the University Heights, irrigation canal or the Como was stored at Lake Orchard Summer Como, where an Colony, was earthen dam was designed and laid constructed, douout by the architect. bling the lake’s Hundreds of acres capacity. The Big of native pine on Ditch project, as the valley’s west it was known, was completed in 1910, Photos courtesy of Ravalli County Museum side were cleared to accommodate the and though the cop- A hand-tinted postcard, circa 1915, for “McIntosh Red Apples in the Bitter Root Valley. burgeoning apple per baron didn’t industry. live to see the transUnfortunately, the Bitter Root Irrigation formation completed, the result of his vision is witnessed today by the verdant fields spreading Company went bankrupt in 1916, and the town of Bitter Root never really materialized. The out across the once-barren east side of the valBitter Root Inn burned down in 1924, and the ley. clubhouse at University Heights was eventually Around this same time, nationally known
by Wm. W. Whitfield Ravalli County Museum
Page 6 - Agriculture Magazine, June 2018
Picking and boxing Alexander apples on Mr. Keys ranch, circa 1910.
Photos courtesy of Ravalli County Museum
dismantled for the price of salvage. Today, at least one of the bunkhouse buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright still remains on the Darby property. A number of private homes around the valley have also been linked to Frank Lloyd Wright. Whether he actually designed them or not, he obviously had a lasting influence on the contemporary architectural style of the time.
1866 – Thomas W. Harris planted the first commercial apple orchard in the valley.
A timeline of apple growing in the Bitter Root Valley
1891 – 10,000 fruit trees were shipped to the Bitter Root from a nursery at Payette, Idaho.
1840’s – Jesuit priests planted the first apple trees at the original St. Mary’s Mission north of present-day Stevensville.
1896 – The Bitter Root Orchard Co. had the largest apple orchard in the world with 40,000 trees on 380 acres of land.
1850’s – Major John Owen purchased the mission property and planted more apple trees.
1898 – A killing freeze destroyed two-thirds of the trees in the valley.
1880 – Commercial apple production in the valley reached 1,000 bushels. 1883 – Stevensville held a “Fruit Fair” to celebrate the success of the apple industry.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 7
1900 – The Bitter Root Orchard Co. had an orchard of 20,000 trees west of Grantsdale.
1910 – The Big Ditch Project was completed and “The Apple Boom” was on!
1905 – The valley produced 116,763 boxes of apples valued at $81,737. Construction of the Bitterroot Valley Irrigation Canal was initiated.
1915 – Local orchards were yielding up to 230 boxes per acre at $2.50 a box.
1906 – The Bitter Root Valley had over 374,000 trees on 3,000 acres of land. 1907 – Valley growers shipped 250 boxcar loads of apples out in 150,000 wooden boxes. 1908 – The Bitter Root Irrigation Company contracted for 620,000 apple trees to be planted in 1908 and 1909. 1909-1910 – Frank Lloyd Wright designs two local apple boom villages for promotional purposes: University Heights in Darby, and the town of Bitter Root north of Stevensville.
1921 – A peak of 637 boxcars of apples was sent out by rail. 1922 & 1923 – Hail damaged most of the orchard crops throughout the valley. 1924 – A late spring frost decimated the crop when it froze the buds on the trees. Three consecutively devastating years brought a sudden end to the great Apple Boom of the Bitter Root Valley. The Ravalli County Museum keeps stories of the Bitterroot Valley and its agriculture heritage safe and sound in its Archives. Come visit and see what you can learn. www.ravallimuseum.org
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Pet Vaccinations By Kirstin Bull DVM Associate Veterinarian, Burnt Fork Veterinary Clinic
The beginning of summer is a great time to talk about pet vaccinations as it seems many new dogs and cats are brought home this time of year. Puppies and kittens each need a series of vaccinations when they are young to build immunity to common, preventable diseases. Core vaccinations for dogs include Distemper virus, Parvovirus, Adenovirus, and Rabies. -Distemper virus causes serious disease, often fatal, affecting the GI system, respiratory system, and neurologic system of the dog. It is transmitted from infected dogs or wildlife and there is no cure. • Canine Parvovirus is very contagious and causes serious gastrointestinal disease, typically in young puppies that are poorly vaccinated. The virus can live in the environment for very long periods of time and is resistant to heat and cold so it is nearly impossible to prevent exposure. This makes
proper vaccination very important as well as avoidance of likely exposed areas (dog parks, groomers, doggy daycare, etc.) with a puppy until they are fully vaccinated. • Canine Adenovirus causes a disease known as Infectious Canine Hepatitis (ICH). This disease can also be spread by wildlife. • Rabies virus is spread through the saliva of infected animals. It is very important to have your pet up to date on its Rabies vaccination for public health safety as Rabies can be spread to humans and other animals. A “puppy” vaccine should include Distemper, Parvovirus, and Adenovirus. There are good baseline vaccination guidelines for puppies, however, depending on the specific situation and exposure levels, they may vary slightly. It is typically recommended that puppies get their first “puppy shot” at 7-8 weeks of age, with booster vaccinations every 3-4 weeks until they reach 16 weeks of age. A classic vaccination schedule for a new puppy is at 8, 12, & 16 weeks of age. If an animal is in a shelter environment, it is typical to start vaccinations earlier since the exposure levels to disease are greater. Always talk to your veterinarian about the best vaccination schedule for your new pet. It is possible to give vaccinations too early. Young dogs will get antibodies to different pathogens from their mother’s colostrum. If a puppy gets a vaccination too early, the antibodies they have from their mother will bind to the viral particles in the vaccine and get rid of them before the puppy’s own immune system has a chance to form a response, which is crucial for them to develop future immunity. Vaccinations given at a young age (prior to 6 weeks old) are not inciting an immune response, therefore, they are not going to do anything to protect the puppy from disease. Make sure when you get that new puppy that you bring it in to see your veterinarian for an exam. At that time, you can discuss vaccinations, deworming, and the overall health of your new family member! Kirstin Bull, DVM Associate Veterinarian Burnt Fork Veterinary Clinic
Pasture Management By Rod Freeman Montana Ranch Properties
In a recent article I reported on the tour I attended of the La Cense Ranch outside of Dillon, Montana. The purpose of this tour was to allow attendees to view their rotational pasture system. This ranch has created a near perfect rotational system, with 500 head of stocker cattle sharing 5 acres for 25 hours and then moving them to the next 5 acres. Their goal was to have the grasses to reach approximately 13 inches in height prior to entry and for the grasses to be approximately 4 inches in height when the cattle were rotated. This system allows the ranch to feed a minimum of 6,000 head of stocker cattle on 3,500 irrigated acres while achieving an average weight gain of 3.2 pounds per day. As impressive and productive as this system is, I struggled to understand how such a system, or modification thereof could be employed on the numerous ranches where such an irrigation system could not be developed. There are many benefits to the land in the La Cense system and to attempt to understand how to achieve many of these benefits I turned to the research and writings of Jim Garrish. The purpose of this article is to attempt to introduce Jim’s theory of pasture management based on what he has titled the Four Ecosystem Processes. I will focus on the mineral cycle process. Jim addresses the importance of maintaining a dynamic nitrogen and mineral cycle for the land.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 9
As background Jim is a professor who used his own property to prove his research and findings for 30 years. His research established that the ranching community had successfully used fertilizers to assist in maintaining this balance, injecting nitrogen back into the soil. The 21st Century arrived with the costs of these fertilizers increasing much faster than the rate of the value of our products. A major part of the solution is to establish and maintain legumes in your pastures. Natural pastures contain N-fixing legumes and almost all legumes thrive in well managed pastures. An important element of managing pastures to support these natural systems is to institute a management system that concentrates the animal exposure for a shorter period of time, rotating the animals prior to the natural feed being reduced beyond the 4-inch level discussed above and concentrating their grazing to such a point that the consumption is much more uniform across the pasture. This process supports much quicker recovery of the plant life, improved weed control, less loss of soil moisture as soils with sufficient cover remain much cooler. Animals do not retain the majority of the minerals they consume with the majority being returned to the soil as urine or dung. This activity supports plant growth as they are returned to the soil. The goal is the production of healthy grasses in a much more natural way with the added benefit of an improvement of weight gain rates in the animals at a lower cost to you the producer.
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Locals and tourists browsing the Hamilton Farmers Market.
Photos courtesy of Mark Murray
Beyond the Farmers Market
Local Growers Offer the Community Fresh Food & More By Mark Murray Hamilton Farmers Market Cooperative
The Hamilton Farmers Market has been serving the community for nearly three decades. Since the late 1980s, local growers have been offering direct access to fresh produce through the Farmers Market. The market has grown since then and the grower to consumer relationship has flourished with as many as 25 local family farmers in Ravalli
County offering everything from fruits and vegetables to honey, cheese, and meat at the Farmers Market. These same farms have also expanded their operations to offer even more to the community. Many local farms produce more than they sell at the Farmers Market and a portion of that excess is sold to local restaurants. Some of the restaurants where diners can find locally sourced ingredients are: Bitter Root Brewery at 101 Marcus
Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 11
Street, Hamilton or at bitterrootbrewing.com; Boullia at 111 South 3rd Street, Hamilton; and Spice of Life at 163 South 2nd Street, Hamilton or at thespiceinhamilton.com. Other ways consumers can support family farms and have access to locally grown foods is through purchasing shares or memberships in a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA). When local consumers invest by prepaying for a CSA subscription or membership, it provides guaranteed income for farmers early in the season when expenses are high. In return subscribers and members receive a box of farm fresh goods every week. Some local farms with CSA Programs include: Homestead Organics at homesteadorganicsmt.com; Mill Crick Farm at millcrickfarm.com, Missoula Grain and Vegetable Co. at missoulagrainandvegetable. com, Sweetroot Farm at sweetroot.farm, and or Yourganics Farm at yourganicfarm.com. In the past it was a regular occurrence to come across a roadside farmstand offering fruits, vegetables, and more. As grocery stores came to dominate the food landscape, the old farmstands had nearly disappeared. However, with a resurgence of local agriculture, farmstands are making a comeback. There are a few local farms with Farmstand Stores where customers can visit the farm to find the freshest produce available often harvested that day. Check out the Farmstand Stores at: Homestead Organics Farm, 175 Skalkaho Highway, Hamilton, open Tuesdays 2-6pm.; Mill Crick Farm, 153 Dutch Hill Road, Hamilton, open Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, thru October; and Sweetroot Farm, 76 Bell Lane, Hamilton, open 24/7 for self-serve purchases with farmers on hand Tuesdays 3-7pm. Education and training opportunities also exist with some of the local farm operations. For more information inquire directly about
Internships with the farmers at: Homestead Organics Farm, 406 363-6627, homesteadorganicsmt@gmail.com; Mill Crick Farm 406 961-8861, millcrickfarm@gmail.com, or Sweetroot Farm 406 493-7211, farmers@sweetroot.farm. Unique amongst the local farm scene is Homestead Organics Farm just a couple miles south of Hamilton. Over almost two decades the farm has developed an extensive and diverse selection of programs to connect people through food, fun, and learning. Offerings include; volunteer opportunities, internships, summer camps, workshops, tours, catering services, private parties, a seed cooperative, and more. For more information about everything offered through Homestead’s Cultivating Connections program, contact them directly or visit homesteadorganicsmt.com.
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Page 12 - Agriculture Magazine, June 2018
People make the Ravalli County Fair great
weigh-in to all the livestock shows both big and small, it’s magical. Where else can you talk to a 4H youth and learn What makes a truly great how to bathe a chicken? Or county fair? It’s simple, peowatch a demonstration on ple! how to make your own mozzaIt’s the 20,000-plus people rella cheese? that come through the gates To greet old friends or betduring fair week. They come ter yet make new friends. To to see the thousands of see the wonder and exciteexhibits, to eat the fabulous ment when one is awarded fair food and to ooohhh and a ribbon. We like to say “It aaahhh at all the sights and gives you bragging rights for sounds that the fair has to a year.” To see the Bitterroot offer. It’s also the 190-plus volValley from the top of the unteers that put in over 2,400 Ferris wheel is a sight you will hours to make the fairgrounds come alive. It takes a comphotos courtesy of Peg Andersen never forget. All of this to The Grand Champion in Beer and Wine was be capped at the end of the munity, a whole community Ravalli County Deputy Rob Smith and with week by the 4H Livestock aucto have a great fair. The fair him his is daughter Eden. tion. would be a smaller vision withView days gone by at the antique machinery out the heart and soul given by these volunteers. (they pop popcorn every day) to antique displays Let’s talk fair food. We have it all; from latte’s in the First Interstate building. From quilts to to BBQ. From pasties to elephant ears. From ceramics, from honey to the biggest vegetable, baked potatoes to deep fried pickles and frozen from photography to canned foods we try to bananas. The 4H Hamburger Stand always does cover it all. We have 35 different departments, a fantastic job on their lamb burgers. A lot of run by 33 superintendents. Check out the fair the fair food vendors are non-profit groups. This premium book and see what we have to offer. might be their biggest fundraiser of the year. Visit the commercial food vendors too, they each If you’ve never entered an exhibit before, this have partnered with a non-profit that will receive should be the year. Come play with us. Come early, stay late, and learn how this fair a monetary percentage. operates. From entry day to judging day to livestock
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Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 13
Create a habit of health for better living By Katelyn Andersen MSU Extension Agent
If you were driving down the road and the check engine light comes on, what do you do? Usually you get to the nearest mechanic to get it resolved. Many electronics communicate to us issues and help us correct the problem. If you were to imagine your body as a vehicle with warning signals, what are the signs that you are not healthy and need care? Eating a balanced diet and incorporating physical activity are health goals of most Americans and reduces the warning signals that our bodies send us. While most Americans know the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise, many do not act on the knowledge. According to the Healthy People 2020, a program of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), “more than 80 percent of adults do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.� The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that adults (age 18-64) need 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more
days a week that work most muscle groups. Or, adults need 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (jogging or running) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week. For activities and ideas, visit www.cdc.gov and search for Physical Activity. How do you compare? Are you getting enough physical activity? If not, here are some steps to creating a habit of health and exercise. Start small. Focus on one change at a time. To accumulate 2.5 hours in a week, you would need to do 22 minutes of physical activity a day, which can be achieved in as a little as 10 minutes at a time. Build more time into each session as you build stamina and strength. Make it a SMART goal. These goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. It defines what you want to achieve in a certain amount of time. Goals also have to be realistic, measurable and achievable for the person. For example, a goal could be: I will walk five times a week for 30 minutes each time until the end of June. Secure the tools. Often times we have the idea of something but we lack the tools to achieve it. Take a look in your closet, do you have adequate shoes to provide comfort and secure footing to walk or run? Are the shoes
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out in the garage covered in dirt? Start your habit by reducing the excuses we give ourselves to not do something. Find supporters. Verbalize your goals to a friend or loved ones to help them hold you accountable to your goal. Or, go digital and find an online forum to get ideas for fitness. Record it. Often times we think we are doing enough but it may not be accurate. Keep a journal or simply mark your exercise on a calendar, you can visually access your work or lack thereof. Celebrate. When you reach your goal, celebrate it! Share it with your friends and family. Splurge on a new book or fitness tool. If you are in the need of spurring on your health goals, engage in our health-focused incentive program called Bike, Walk, Roll & Win 2018. It is a free program using tools developed in partnership with MSU College of Nursing. Every time you bike, walk or
roll on the Hamilton Walking Map or the Stevensville Walking Map, participants can enter their name for prizes, such as a massage at Rosewood Wellness Center or an Inflatable Paddle Board from Bob Wards. Time is limited; get your entries submitted by Wednesday, June 27 at noon to be eligible for prizes. Celebrate this event by visiting the MSU/Ravalli County Extension booth at the Stevensville Harvest Valley Farmers Market on June 30. Take a free trip up Get A Grip Climbing Wall for fun! For additional details, visit the MSU/Ravalli County Extension Office or www.msuextension.org/ravalli/walking.html Katelyn Andersen, M.S., is an Associate Professor for Montana State University. She serves as the 4-H/Youth Development and Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent for Ravalli County. Contact: 406 3756611 or 215 S. 4th Street Suite G, Hamilton.
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Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 15
SOMETHING IS EATING MY PLANTS
dirty fingernails
MOLLY HACKETT
Master gardener Molly Hackett welcomes your questions. Write her at 1384 Meridian Road, Victor, Mont. 59875 or call 961-4614. Her email address is: mhackett@centric.net
In warmer and wetter parts of the United States, plant devouring insects are a major problem for gardeners. Not in Montana. Our cold and dry climate keeps the hordes of bugs away. Our plants are eaten, all right, but mostly by four-footed creatures from small to large. At the big end of the spectrum, of course, are deer. The only infallible method for keeping deer out of garden plants is keeping deer out of the garden. That old stalwart method from Integrated Pest Management (or IPM) is a barrier to separate plant from pest. With deer, a new type of fence or cage is invented every few years, and most of them are effective.
The newest I have read about is the slanted fence. Only four or five feet tall, the posts are set at an angle, so that the lines of wire move outward from bottom to top. Apparently deer, with their poor depth perception, are confused by the look of the fence. Few approach it closely. Most installations of this fence are electrified. If a deer comes close and lifts its head, it will hit a wire and get a jolt of electricity. Areas of the country with severe deer problems are welcoming this fence, especially in places where tall fences are prohibited. Another low fence which has proved successful is the double fence--two fences about four feet tall and five feet apart. They are not usually electrified. They succeed because deer will not jump unless they see a clear landing area, which needs to be at least five feet wide. If the outer fence is decorative, the inner one can be made of any kind of wire, since it is not noticeable. The double fence has an advantage for smaller
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properties because the area between the fences can be planted; it does not become wasted space. In a few areas some kind of spray deters deer for a while, but I have never heard of a spray that was effective for more than a few years. Changing fairly often from one repellant spray to another may prolong the time that sprays continue to repel. Of course some plants are more interesting to deer than others. Unfortunately, when deer are very hungry, they will eat the uninteresting as well as the delicious. Smaller mammals dining on garden plants are a varied lot. They include rabbits, porcupines, raccoons, chipmunks, woodchucks (occasionally), ground squirrels and pocket gophers (commonly), and mice (all the time and everywhere). To combat small mammals, a barrier suited to their size is also effective. It may be a low fence, or it may be a cage over plants. Damage in gardens is usually greatest in spring, when small mammals first come out of hibernation. After the mammals have established their patterns of summer behavior, it may be possible to remove the barriers. Or it may not. With any kind of small mammal feasting on garden plants, try first to learn which one is responsible for the damage. Techniques for moving their dinner table to someone else’s garden differ. For instance, if rabbits are to be fenced out of the lettuce, the fence must continue for several inches underground, or the rabbits will dig their way in. Some other animals do not dig. For many small mammal pests, clearing a path around the garden will greatly decrease the number arriving. Without cover to hide from predators, many choose to look for a meal in a different direction. Commercial ultrasonic devices almost never work. Natural predators do eat small mammals, but they will not kill every rodent. More gardeners have problems with voles than with all other small mammals combined.
Voles, which are short-tailed mice, sometimes seem to be everywhere in great numbers. Their destruction has been particularly noticeable in the last year because it has been the high point of a natural population cycle. All gardeners have their fingers crossed, hoping that the next few years will see fewer voles as the cycle winds down. Voles do more garden damage than other kinds of mice because voles are active and not sleeping through the winter. Although they dig holes to live in, the holes are connected by paths on the ground surface. Vole paths in summer look like inch-wide lines of short grass. In winter the trails are invisible until snow melts; then the road network may seem to spread everywhere. Young trees and bushes are less likely to be girdled by voles if not surrounded by tall grass. Knowing that their enemies are omnipresent, voles prefer to stay hidden. Sometimes keeping the grass clipped around plants encourages voles to find other sources of food. Traps are my preferred method of catching voles, but I find that some mouse traps are too small. The vole sets off the trap before the bar hits its neck. I have had more success with live traps, and my preferred bait is peanut butter. The animals we call gophers are two distinct types. The Columbian ground squirrel (with a pink nose) is widespread. These squirrels live in colonies, sometimes dozens of animals together. They prefer dry soil, and their network of tunnels usually has three entrances. These “gophers� can be trapped with either live traps baited with peanut butter, or killing traps. Trapping is most successful when traps are set simultaneously at every tunnel entrance. When I had neighbors who supported a ground squirrel colony, the surplus young ones would migrate to my land every summer. Until the neighbors moved away, I ran a trapline with number 0 leghold traps. I checked the traps twice a day so that no animal had to die slowly.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 17
Traps must be fastened with wire or chain to a stout stake driven into the ground. Pocket gophers also live underground, but their presence is indicated by their mounds, which are crescent-shaped. These animals are named for the cheek pockets in which they carry food and nesting material. They live underground, in the dark, in burrows, the opening kept plugged with dirt. Below ground the feeding burrows will be a foot or less deep; the nest may be six feet down. A burrow complex is large--as much as 2000 square feet. In the burrows pocket gophers live alone except when they are breeding or caring for young. However, a single pocket gopher can eat enough plants to seem like an enemy horde. They find plants by smell and eat particularly roots and tubers. Several kinds of traps exist for pocket gophers. To set traps, first find the mound and its plug on the surface. That will be a lateral tunnel. Probe about a foot away and six
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or more inches deep, until the probe drops suddenly. It has hit a tunnel. Trapping pocket gophers is a learned skill. Use a shovel to open the main tunnel wide enough to set the traps. Bait is not necessary. Follow trap setting directions which come with each kind of trap. Some people like to set traps in pairs, facing in opposite directions. Some like to cover the trap with plywood; others leave it exposed, hoping that the gopher will come in order to make the area dark again. Do not be fooled into thinking that pocket gophers can be killed with chewing gum, laxatives, or fumigation. Do not believe that they will be frightened by devices which make noise. Do level a mound as soon as you catch a pocket gopher. You will then be notified if another one moves into the area and starts rebuilding the mound. And do be glad that you do not live in California, where the pocket gopher problem makes ours look small by comparison.
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Agriculture Heritage Notebook The Bitter Root Cultural Heritage Trust
interpretation and affirm cultural values.
works in partnership with families,
The Heritage Trust provides an article for
neighborhoods and communities to restore
each edition of Agricultural Magazine,
historic structures, bring back traditional
highlighting the Bitterroot Valley’s
events and celebrations, encourage
agricultural history and heritage.
Story WENDY BEYE photos courtesy of the RENNAKER FAMILY
One of the reasons I began writing this series of Bitter Root Barn Stories is to preserve a record of the valley’s agricultural history before the people and buildings disappear. The Rennaker barn on Old Darby Road is one that got away - it burned just a few years before my project started, but fortunately, family memories have preserved the historic structure. I caught up with Dwain Rennaker by phone just after he arrived home from a cattle sale. He remains a very active octogenarian in the
livestock business, but he allowed me a few minutes to visit about the barn that was a part of his life for 60 years. His father, Loyd, purchased the ranch in 1945, using the huge barn for storage of up to 100 tons of loose hay in the loft, the lower level serving as a milking parlor for the family’s 20 cows. Loyd also added a lean-to along one side of the barn with stalls for the draft horses used on the ranch. By age 10, Dwain was given the responsibility of using a team to raise harvested hay with a Johnson Fork and
Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 19
trolley system up into the barn’s loft. Teams were also used to pull sickle bar mowers and rakes to harvest the hay in the pastures. A beaver slide loaded the hay onto wagons for the trip to the barn. The barn was built for P.T. Platt and his brother Arthur in 1911 by two siblings who also built barns on the Charlie Norman and Anna Paddock ranches in the area. The first concrete grain silo in the valley was added next to the barn in 1913, with barely room to squeeze a pickup truck between the two structures. The Platt family purchased the ranch in 1902 from David Sturtivant, who owned it for just a few years after buying the property from Robert Wolpert, the original homesteader. The Wolpert family came from Germany, and brought Bettingheimer apple seedlings with them, planting them along with cherry, pear, and other varieties of apple on their homestead. The trees survived until at least 1981, along with 12 acres of apple trees, mostly
McIntosh, planted by the Platt family in 1904 and 1905. The later orchard still survives and produces fruit. Arthur Platt became quite a horticulturist, serving as Fruit Inspector for the Montana Fruit Growers Association. He traveled the valley on a one-cylinder Indian motorcycle until he bought a larger Harley Davidson with a side car to carry his equipment. P.T., who was a gifted machinist, worked with Arthur to invent a machine that fastened lids on apple shipping crates without damaging the tightly-packed fruit inside. They built and sold several hundred of the machines to small orchard operators during the apple boom years. Lori Schallenberger, Dwain and Lillian’s daughter, graciously supplied me with family photos and lore relating to the barn and the ranch. She, like her dad, learned to drive a team of horses by the time she was 10, raking hay into windrows for baling. She had a close call one day when the bridle on Glenda, the lead mare in the team, broke, and the
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work horse bolted, dragging the rake behind with Lori still clinging to the seat. The rake’s tongue hit the edge of a bridge that crossed the Daly Ditch, the rake lurched, and Lori was tossed off in a heap. The team continued running until the rake caught in a gate that was too narrow for it to pass through. Lori said her dad, who was usually a tough, “get back on the horse” kind of man, ran to her and carried her all the way back to the house. Fortunately, she only had scrapes and bruises to remind her of the accident. Dwain likely has similar memories tucked away from his youth on the ranch. No one ever said that agricultural is an easy way to make a living. He and his brother Dale were responsible for milking about 20 goats on elevated stanchions in the barn. Loyd told them that if they drank a quart of goat’s milk every day, they would grow up to be the toughest guys around. Obviously, the advice worked, as Dwain is still going strong.
The Rennaker family was like most other early ranching families in the valley, with a few pigs roaming the corrals, chickens for meat and eggs, cows for milk and cream, grain and hay to feed the animals. Not much food had to be purchased in town. Entertainment was an evening of sharing popcorn and milk shakes while playing cards at the dining room table after a hard day’s work. Lori said, “Lots of good memories!” Sadly, the family had to stand by helplessly when an electrical cord started a fire in the hay-filled barn in December of 2005. Though the fire department quickly responded to the blaze, there was no way to save the tinderdry building from the flames that consumed it in less than 20 minutes. Though friends and neighbors rallied to build a new barn for Dwain and Lillian, family members still mourn the loss of the original that held so many of their happy memories.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 21
Certified weed free hay helps stop the spread of weeds By Patrick Mangan MSU Extension Agent in Ravalli County
Weed management always is and always will be a challenge for any landowner. Every spring a host of weed seeds sprout and flourish out of the seedbank stored in the soil and take advantage of the moisture and warm temperatures in a developing spring to get themselves established in a new location. The last thing anyone wants is to bring new weed seeds onto a place and add to the diversity of weed challenges already in place. One great way we, as livestock owners, can minimize the spread of invasive weeds is to purchase certified weed-free hay. The Montana Department of Agriculture administers the Noxious Weed Seed Free Forage (NWSFF) program, a certification program for hay and forage producers to inspect and certify hay fields before harvest. Hay and forage fields certified through the NWSFF program have been scouted and inspected by trained agronomists, to be sure the standing hay crop is free of any weeds of concern to the State of Montana. After a favorable inspection has been completed, the forage producer is certified to cut and market their hay as a certified weed-free product. Weed-free hay that is certified under the NWSFF program has a special color twine to denote its certification, or sometimes a small tag, and the seller has a certificate of inspection to give to any prospective buyers. Federal land management agencies like the
US Forest Service require the use of hay and forage certified through the NWSFF program on all federal lands. Backcountry horsemen find weed-free forages an absolute necessity when taking livestock and feed into the backcountry regions of our state. The use of the certified weed-free forage when on public lands helps land managers minimize the chance of introducing new invasive weeds into an area and allow them to concentrate resources and personal to control populations that have already become established. Many public fairgrounds also ask livestock exhibitors to use NWSFF certified forage and straw when using their facilities. The use of NWSFF certified hay can also be a real benefit for private landowners on their own places. Reducing the number of new invasive weed seeds that enter onto the place can be a great long term strategy toward the overall reduction and management of weedy species in fields and paddocks where animals are fed hay and forage from off site. Hay purchasers may be able to reduce control costs long term by limiting the number of new seeds they expose their place to. Many hay producers participate in the Noxious Weed Seed Free Forage program. The MSU Extension office in Ravalli County maintains a list of farmers enrolled in the program and market their hay with the certification. You can get a list of producers by contacting the MSU Extension office at: 506-375-6611, or by email at: ravalli@montana.edu
Page 22 - Agriculture Magazine, June 2018
The Fork to Farm event is a fundraiser for Bike Walk Bitteroot.
Photos courtesy of Grant Carlton
Fork to Farm is fundraiser for Bike Walk Bitterroot by Katrina Mendrey Western Agriculture Research Center
Cyclists in the Bitterroot will once again have the opportunity to tour the valley’s agricultural offerings on Bike Walk Bitterroot’s 3rd annual Fork to Farm Ride on Sept. 18. The event is a fundraiser for Bike Walk Bitterroot, a local advocacy group for safe and accessible non-motorized transportation, but it also raises awareness of the value of our agricultural resources and the diversity of food crops grown in the Bitterroot and Montana. “This ride is an opportunity to bring atten-
tion to the abundance of natural and agricultural resources the Bitterroot has to offer cyclists and other visitors,” says Matthew Rohrbach, Bike Walk Bitterroot board president. “In years past we’ve drawn riders from across the state and even Canada. It’s a great opportunity for farms and local businesses to tap into the potential of agritourism in our beautiful valley.” Previous rides have featured local cheese makers and dairy operations, grape and apple growers as well as diversified vegetable farms. At each stop riders enjoy food produced by
Agriculture Magazine, June 2018 - Page 23
the farm as well as local value added products such as wine, cider and cheese. The ride ends in Corvallis at the Western Agriculture Research Center (WARC) with a farm style dinner which will be sponsored by Loyal to Local farms and include ingredients and products from the 14 farms participating in the co-op’s CSA. The 2018 ride will take riders on an approximately 40-mile ride to four farm stops including: *Mill Crick and Fourth Wave Farms: Randi Mark and Lindsay Aull have teamed up to produce mixed vegetables and flowers as well as grow certified hay at their two locations in Hamilton and Corvallis. Riders will enjoy coffee and a breakfast treat to kick off their ride around the valley as well as learn about producing farm to market vegetables and flowers in this unique location. *Emanuel Vineyards: Mark and Linda Bennett have grown grapes for nearly 20 years in their homestead vineyard on Blodgett Camp Road. As one of the oldest and most diverse collections of grape vines in the state, Emanuel Vineyards is a wonderful example of which wine and table grapes can be grown in the valley. Winemakers and vineyard managers from the Montana Wine and Grape Growers Association and Hidden Legend Winery will be on hand to answer questions about growing grapes and making wine in Montana. Riders will enjoy homemade pizza straight from the Bennett’s wood fire stove as well as samples of locally made wines. *Milagro Chiles: Steve Bull has been growing New Mexican style chiles in his high-tunnel on Grantsdale road since 2003. In addition to traditional varieties of Anaheim and Poblano, Bull has developed his own landrace of chile, the Skalkaho, through selective cross pollination to develop a chile with the right mix of flavors and fortitude to thrive in Montana’s rugged ground. Cyclists will have the opportunity to try roasted chiles, view Bull’s mobile
chile roaster and tour the high-tunnels where Montana’s short growing season is extended to produce fiery peppers full of flavor. *Maki Farms: Before returning to the WARC, riders will make one last stop at Maki Farms where brothers Alan and Andy Maki raise beef. In addition, riders will have an opportunity to tour Maki’s homestead orchard which includes several heirloom varieties of apples Maki has top-grafted to the old trees resulting in a home orchard full of flavor and color from various heritage apples. Riders will enjoy some of the Maki’s beef grilled with local vegetables before they head for the WARC for dinner, music, and cider pressing. Registration is $50 and limited to 125 riders. Proceeds will benefit Bike Walk Bitterroot, a local advocacy group for safe and accessible walking and cycling in the Bitterroot Valley. For more information about the ride and to register visit www.bikewalkbitterroot.org/forktofarm.
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