JUNE 2020
M A G A Z I N E
In this issue
Flower farming Cooking with kale & more!
POWDER COATING MEDIA BLASTING CERAKOTING 394 Old Corvallis Road • Hamilton
363-9191
in this issue Flower farming..........................................5 Cooking with kale.....................................9 Double K Ranch......................................11 More than fair..........................................12 Hamilton farmers market.......................13 Inspiring youth that care........................14 Taste our place........................................16 Vibrate higher.........................................17 Agriculture Heritage Notebook............18
MAGAZINE 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 Photos on this page provided by 5th Season of Montana, Wendy Beye & Double K Ranch Agriculture Magazine is published by the Ravalli Republic & Missoulian Newspapers, divisions of Lee Enterprises Jim Strauss, Publisher Perry Backus, Associate Editor Kathy Kelleher & Erica Hurt, Sales Dara Kilian, Production & Design Agriculture Magazine is copyright 2020, Ravalli Republic.
232 W Main, Hamilton, MT 59840 ravallirepublic.com
Page 4 - Agriculture Magazine, June 2020
PHOTO courtesy of the ravalli county museum
Digging potatoes on a Bitter Root Valley farm. Johnny Johnson photo from a glass-plate negative, circa 1900.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2020 - Page 5
photo Courtesy bleeding heart flower farm
Confessions of a middle-aged beginner flower farmer Cindy Smith-Putnam Bleeding Heart Flower Farm
Start with a pandemic. Add a financial meltdown. Subtract access to capital. Divide by thin crop margins.
Most people would not do the math of 2020, then happily announce to their spouse of 38 years, “Hey, love. Let’s start a flower farm!” Possibly, most people are smarter than me. Exhibit A: Bleeding Heart Flower Farm, a small-
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photo Courtesy bleeding heart flower farm
scale, high-intensity cut flower operation north of Stevensville we’ve just launched, bringing a great big little dream to life. Considering the idea, I listed the “Pros”: • Lifelong gardener and flower geek • Small greenhouse • Existing wedding business • Lawn and a little timberland • Realignment of life priorities in the 3rd Quarter • And a husband who didn’t divorce me when I asked for help getting started. A little tree-falling, stump-excavating, deer-fencing, row-tilling, trellisbuilding, irrigation-laying, cold processing-spacebuilding sort of help. In his spare time. Like a good weekend project, only the opposite. Under “Cons,” I wrote… well. Nothing. Cons are overrated. I avoided eye contact with cons. Using my best reasonable-and-confident voice, I promised not to plunge us into crippling debt, while wearing the high ponytail and work boots he likes and wafting around pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. He couldn’t resist my shameless Wife
Super-Powers, and so far, he hasn’t turned me into compost by running me through the chipper. But it’s been mentioned. For Big Ag readers eye-rolling about calling our itty-bitty operation a “farm,” me and my imposter syndrome understand. And fair point: we are micro-farming on less than two acres. What we lack in ground, we make up for in diversity, planting more than 100 crop types and 15,000 plants we started from seed, tuber, bulb, corm, rhizome or cutting. Each species has its own quirks and wants something different from this aspiring farmer. So far, so good. The field is full of seasonal thrillers, spillers, and fillers, oh my! Some seed crops are so easy, they practically grow themselves, and bulbs just want a good hole, while vines want to climb. Other crops are tricky, with seeds tiny as dust specks, like snapdragons and foxglove, or super finicky germinators, like larkspur and buplereum. But my true nemesis? Bells of Ireland. I stratified.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2020 - Page 7
I started seeds cold and dark. Warm and light. Moist and dry. In a box, with a fox, on a plane, in a train, on my head, in my bed. Finally defeated, I flung them on a snowbank and withheld my attention other than occasional karate kicks to the tray and bursts of cuss words. Lo and behold, 72 Bells of Ireland seedlings popped like popcorn. Masochists, evidently. I’ve (mostly) kept my no-debt promise, so our Year 1 equipment is pretty sparse, consisting of baling twine, T-posts, weed fabric, and a loud lumbering beast of a 1979 walk-behind tiller that drags and bucks my poor husband all over creation as he hangs on for dear life by handlebars resembling ape hangers on a Hell’s Angels choppers. He assures me it is all far less enjoyable than a motorcycle joy-ride and we have named her “Killer Tiller.” Our Germination Facility (normal people call it “the garage”) is an electrician’s nightmare of extension cords, heat mats, thermostats and shop lights. Our biggest spends this first season were fertility and soil structure (cow poo from Hul’s) and drip irrigation.
As expected and contrary to Instagram, it’s not all dreamy frolicking through petaled fields in fresh-starched gingham aprons with songbirds perched on my fingers chirping tra-la-la. This is row cropping, with baked-potato-sized-rock-picking, rotten fish emulsion spraying, pulling weeds by hand, covered in dirt, mosquito bites and sunscreen. “Sweaty & Stinky” is my new signature fragrance. And instead of consistently and harmoniously working with Mother Nature, more often I’m arguing with her. “Hurry up, already! Today! Sheesh.” As for customers and sales, we are working hard for more of both, but keeping things simple to start: Hamilton Farmer’s Market, subscription bouquets in our flower CSA, and DIY buckets for brides. A few things this Beginner Farmer has learned so far: • Voles are demon vermin from hell despite their cute little hands/paws/scoop shovels, and now I completely understand the motivation of Bill Murray’s character in Caddyshack.
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A special publication by the Ravalli Republic. Look for the next issue September 2020 photo Courtesy bleeding heart flower farm
Page 8 - Agriculture Magazine, June 2020
• Ranunculus are just like my Grandma Marjorie: always too hot or too cold. • My co-workers (Bo the smart trusty Border Collie and Buddy the dramatic emotional Chiweenie) are totally unproductive, agriculturally speaking. Yet, they are valuable farm assets: supportive, friendly, attentive to supply chain issues (Annie the UPS driver) and vigilant with facility security (the local deer). Also: they never once reported my tirades against the Bells of Ireland to HR. On the farm, there is a maddening, relentless sense of being behind. I address it with selfsoothing mantras: “In nature, nothing is rushed, yet everything is accomplished.” Then, since I’m already talking to myself in a field like a crazy person, I go ahead and snap back, “Right, but nature doesn’t have to pay the bills.” Don’t think I have completely lost it, but verging on flower farm fever. In a nutshell and all seriousness, what I am learning about farming is everything. Failing. Succeeding. Feeling my 54-year-old body growing stronger. And overflowing with gratitude for it all. In the rows, in the quiet, I think a lot. I dream of low tunnels and hoop houses and season extension. I yearn for scholarships to floristry workshops, expanding the farm footprint, farming flowers at my parents’ place down the road--cover your eyes, Mom and Dad. I dream of finding new customers who become new friends. And I dwell in deep thanks for this season of life and its long hours in nature. I get a lump in my
throat for work that allows me to look after my aging parents with the same devotion they’ve given me. And I thank my dumb luck to have married Greg, my Great Falls high school sweetheart all those years ago, who is still my Steady Eddie nodding and encouraging me to do hard things. Each day is different, but the rhythm has become familiar: solid, honest, authentic work with a rare photo Courtesy bleeding heart flower farm and powerful payoff—the opportunity to offer beauty and kindness to the world, in the form of flowers. Just when the world really needs more kindness and beauty, I am in a position to give it. How great is that? Farming is optimistic and generous. It’s the hope the seed will grow, and the belief that the bounty of the crop is to share. I am a brand new, micro-scale Bitterroot Valley flower farmer, just starting out and finding my way. But I am also a real Montana farmer, and here’s how I know: I am hopeful. I have faith. And I am growing. Cindy Smith-Putnam is a Montana native, U of M graduate, reformed hospital executive, former Idaho Woman of the Year, consultant for business and non-profit clients, wife, mom, sister, daughter. In 2020, she launched a farming business, Bleeding Heart Flower Farm, northeast of Stevensville with the support of her grumpy-buthardworking husband Greg, a local remodeling contractor. You can find Greg and Cindy on Saturdays at the Hamilton Farmers Market or online at bleedingheartflowerfarm.com.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2020 - Page 9
photo Courtesy Katelyn Anderson
Cooking with kale Katelyn Andersen, MSU Extension Agent
The summer gardens are coming on with a wide variety of produce. Are you growing and buying kale, the nutrient powerhouse? Kale is a dark leafy green that has received more and more attention because it is packed with nutrients! According to NationalKaleDay.org, one cup of raw kale contains just 33 calories, provides 134% of your daily vitamin C needs, provides 684% of your
daily vitamin K needs, provides 204% of vitamin A, and is an excellent source of calcium and iron. Take that, iceberg lettuce! Kale can be grown in a home garden, purchases from your favorite farm stand or purchase at the store. For information on growing, harvesting and selecting kale, please reach out to our office for the kale food fact sheet. After purchase, store kale unwashed in a bag in the coolest part of the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
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Nutrition Information. Kale is a nutrient packed vegetable, rich in Vitamins A, C, K and B6 and contains significant amounts of potassium, calcium, iron and manganese. It is also a good source of dietary fiber, contains no cholesterol and minimal amounts of calories and sodium. Like other leafy greens, it is rich in phytochemicals which may help prevent cancer and other diseases. Uses Wash greens thoroughly before using. Cooked kale reduces in size by 75% compared to fresh greens. Blanch or Boil. Cover kale with water and bring to a boil. Remove dried or thick stems and place the kale into the boiling water to blanch 5-8 minutes or until desired tenderness. Braise. Cut kale to desired size. Remove dried or thick stems. Drizzle cooking oil in a heated pan, add seasonings if desired. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until desired tenderness. Freeze. After blanching 2-3 minutes or until leaves become soft, freeze in useable quantities to easily add to dishes. Preserve. For more information on preserving kale, read MontGuides Drying Vegetables and Freezing Vegetables. Visit www.msuextension.org/ nutrition and click on the food preservation link or contact your Extension office. Roast. Cut kale to desired size. Place on foil-lined
photo Courtesy Katelyn Anderson
baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and seasoning. Bake at 300°F for 12-15 minutes or until crispy. Salad. Add raw to salads for added flavor, texture and visual appeal. Tenderness can be achieved by massaging finely cut greens with acidic dressing. Add in nuts, seeds or dried fruit for additional flavor and texture. Sauté. Cut kale to desired size. Remove dried or thick stems. Drizzle cooking oil in a heated pan, add seasonings if desired. Cook by stirring over high heat until desired tenderness, about 5-8 minutes. Season. To enhance flavor, experiment with low-sodium seasonings such as basil, bay leaf, celery seed, garlic, oregano, tarragon
or thyme. Soup or Entrée. Add kale to soups and entrees such as lasagna, quiche, or pizza. Steam. Remove dried or thick stems. Place kale in a pan with a small amount of water and seasonings. Cook on medium heat for 2-4 minutes, depending on size and age of greens, until desired tenderness. Katelyn Andersen, M.S., is a Professor for Montana State University. She serves as the 4-H/ Youth Development and Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent for Ravalli County. Contact: 406 375-6611 or 215 S. 4th Street Ste G, Hamilton.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2020 - Page 11
Double K Ranch
Dillon Kouf
When I was growing up, my family had a cattle ranch. It wasn’t big, just a hundred acres, but it had horses and cattle, a few pigs and chickens, barns, sheds, tractors, a monstrous barn cat, lots of mice, a field of alfalfa and another of corn, and a Chevy truck with a three-gear-shift on the column. It’s where I learned to ride horses, drive trucks, and explore. This ranch was paradise for me--an adventure just waiting out the back door. And this was also where our family’s beef came from. It was a lot of meat, all wrapped up in white paper which filled up a freezer in the garage. I grew up thinking all beef came that way; from a ranch. As I grew up, I discovered that wasn’t so. Most beef came from a grocery store, wrapped in plastic, without connection to a place or the people who raised it. And somehow that didn’t seem right. I was sixteen when the ranch was sold and I was devastated. A big part of my youth was gone with it. I had the memories, but memories are tough to share. I vowed that if I ever got married and had kids, I also had to have a ranch. Not for me, but for my unborn future kids. I wanted them to learn what I had learned, that meat comes from a ranch, from an animal, not from a store. So how that animal is raised and cared for is important. It needs to be done right. And caring for the land is important, too. It’s all connected. So, I decided I better get a ranch first, before anything else, so I’d be ready if and when those kids ever showed up-which they did-four of them. And they’ve all learned to respect the land and the animals. And to ride horses, drive trucks and explore. And along the way, they also found out beef does not come from a market, wrapped in plastic, it comes from a ranch with a connection to the land and the people who raised it. Double K Ranch was established in 1985 and founded on respect for the land and the love of a great steak. This along with the desire to teach our children where their food came from is what drives us to produce the highest quality beef that is ethically and sustainably raised. Our Angus beef is all-natural, hormone and
antibiotic-free. The cows are bred, born, and raised on our ranch and grass-fed or corn finished with the highest quality grain. Their meat is aged in our coolers for a minimum of 30 days and up to 90 days, then custom cut in our own butcher shop. We offer high-quality sustainable meats, from steaks and ground chuck to sausage and pastrami. And now, through Fifth Season Montana, we are excited to be the only curing shop in the state producing old-style Charcuterie meats including Salumi, Bresaola, Pancetta, Coppa and more, all made by hand. Our dream has always been to provide healthy and delicious food for our friends and family. So please come visit us in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley and you too can see where your meat comes from. You can find us at www.doublekranchmt.com. Today The Double K Ranch was established in 1985 and founded on respect for the land and the love of a great Steak. This along with the desire to teach our children where they food comes from is what drives us to produce the highest quality beef that is ethically and sustainably raised. Our Angus beef is all-natural, hormone and antibiotic-free. The cows are bred, born, and raised on our ranch and grass-fed or corn finished with the highest quality grain. Their meet is aged in our coolers for a minimum of 30 days and up to 90 days, then custom cut in our own butcher shop. We offer high-quality sustainable meats, from steaks and ground chuck to sausage and pastrami. And now, through Fifth Season Montana, we are excited to be the only curing shop in the state producing old-style charcuterie meats including Salumi, Bresaola, Pancetta, Coppa and more, all made by hand. Our dream has always been to provide healthy and delicious food for our friends and family. So please come visit us in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley and you too can see where your meat comes from. You can find us at www.doublekranchmt.com.
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More than Fair Joy McClure Superintendent for Canned and Preserved Foods, Beer and Wine
When anyone thinks of the Fairgrounds, they think Ravalli County Fair. But it is so much more. The Fairgrounds has an open gate policy and is a peaceful place to bring the family to enjoy the outdoors. Pack up the kids, bring a picnic lunch and use our picnic tables. It’s a perfect safe place for your child to learn to ride that first bicycle or walk the dog or let him play fetch until he’s worn out. Make sure that you take advantage of the pet waste stations that are placed around the grounds. The First Interstate Center is available for those that want to walk in the winter for a small fee. The arena is available for riding, but that does require a paid permit for use and a hold harmless form registered with the Fair Office. The fees are necessary for maintenance and pay the electric/heating bills. Most of you are probably not aware that there is the Ravalli County Fairgrounds Foundation. This foundation was started in 2008 under the umbrella of RC&D and became a 501(c) (3) in 2020. It was formed to make sure that the Fairgrounds would be a great community asset for generations to come. Our mission is to provide a continuing program of preservation, facility, and grounds improvement and expansion and to provide a program venue that encourages agricultural, social, educational, and cultural opportunities for the enrichment of the community. These objectives
will be funded through public contributions, which will provide a continuing program of expansion and facility/ grounds improvements. Long story short, there is never enough money to cover everything that needs to be addressed. Past RCFF funded projects have included purchasing trees to replace the century old damaged and dying cottonwoods, help replace the rotting fascia on all of the barns and buildings, expanding the Memorial Garden on the south fence line of the Fairgrounds with plantings and trees, MICHELLE MCCONNAHA and help in expanding a much needed irrigation system. Over the years monetary donations have been received in someone’s name for a specific purpose. There have been funds for the Floral Department and funds for added premiums in Natural Fibers. Still more funds that were designated for flowers for the many planters and gardens on the Fairgrounds. The one consistent revenue stream for RCFF has been the Commemorative Paver Program. When you arrive at the South Gate to the Fairgrounds you notice the multicolored brick like pavers laid out in the walkway. If you look a little closer, you’ll see that a lot of them are engraved. They are engraved with business names, family names, or In Memoria for a family member. If your family was ever “The Fair Family” of the year, they all have pavers, too. These pavers are available for purchase in the Fair Office. Once purchased, they will be engraved and placed in the walkway on your Fairgrounds. We’ll see you at the Ravalli County Fair 2020!
Agriculture Magazine, June 2020 - Page 13
Hamilton Farmers Market, Now More Than Ever Erin Belmont Hamilton Farmers Market Coop Board Member and Owner of House of Ferments
Now, more than ever, seems to be the time to understand and participate in our local economy. The world at large seems to be falling apart; pandemics, structural racism, the ever persistent yet unfathomable climate change. It appears a scary, mean, and unhopeful place out there -- at times. One way to combat all the dread is by engaging with your neighbors and community members. Yes, this may feel daunting especially given the current mantra of six feet please! But think about it, when the pandemic hit and we all were supposed to stay at home and panic buying ensued (for some, not all), wouldn’t it have been nice if you could have just called on someone you know in the community for support. Support, not only in the way of connecting with another human being experiencing a similar feeling of uncertainty but also in the way of knowing that yes, there will be fresh food coming your way this spring, summer, fall, and even winter. It is much more difficult to have a disruption in the supply chain when that chain is short, and you know how to help fix it. Farmers Markets are a vital part of our local economy. When we engage in our local farmers market we not only ensure that we have access to the freshest or most finely crafted products possible, but we also have a stake in how our community as a whole is surviving or better yet, thriving. Going to market provides us the opportunity to know not only who has what to offer, but also who needs what. Chances
are if you have a need or an abundance, whether it be of a good or a skill, the farmers market is a place to be connected with how to obtain or disperse it. Markets are one way we build community so that we are resilient when SHTF. It is with this sense of community engagement that I encourage folks to try out doug MCCONNAHA different farms or producers. I know we all get settled into our routines and habits. It’s easy, comforting, and loyal to always do the same thing. But diversifying our buying habits also helps us diversify our experiences. Look for new things at market. Maybe you always buy a few things at market but round out your list at the grocery store. Try, for one week, just shopping at farmers markets. If you think you can’t get what you want, talk with the producers. Maybe they have an acceptable substitute, maybe they have other ideas, or maybe you don’t really need it. Visit a vendor you never have before. Embrace diversity. Different farms grow different varieties of vegetables or animals, have different soils, and utilize different practices. All of these contribute to flavor and nutrition. Even if it is difficult or uncomfortable, it’s worth getting to know new folks and new ways. Who knows what good may come of it. Get to know folks every Saturday at Hamilton Farmers Market 9a-12:30p and every Wednesday at O’Hara Commons Farmers Market 4-6p. Check out both online https://www.hamiltonfarmersmarket.org/ ; www.theoharacommons.org/ and follow on social media for latest updates.
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photo courtesy Emy Royce
Inspiring youth that care about conservation Emy Royce Bitter Root Land Trust
On a cold spring day, students from Hamilton High School went to Middle Bear Farm in Victor. Their task, as part of their schools highly regarded
“Environthon Team�, was to consider the challenges of irrigation delivery, weed control, grazing limitations, fencing, and crop production. These are concepts local farmers and ranchers face every day and every season.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2020 - Page 15
For years, Hamilton High School has sent a team of young resource managers to the Envirothon championship to compete with high school students from all over Montana. In 2018, they placed 3rd in the state competition, bringing home a great success and putting the Bitterroot Valley on the state-wide science stage. A big part of their success has been the handson approach to learning, and on this day, it was one of solving real-life issues facing landowners. Sheep, cattle, hay fields, crops, an orchard, and a bee keeping operation make up this diverse 115acre farm—not to mention an important stretch of wildlife habitat along Middle Bear Creek— conserved in December of 2013 by Cindy Jimmerson in partnership with Bitter Root Land Trust. Working together as a team, they tackled tough questions that landowners often have to grapple with: How many cattle and sheep can the pastures support while keeping the land healthy and avoiding overgrazing? How can we protect the wildlife habitat while keeping the large herd of elk on the property from damaging the orchard and consum-
ing other valuable crops? Can the creek be used for irrigation and stock water without harming the creek itself? Conserving lands for generations means ensuring that generations care. High school senior Olivia, who has been studying aquatics, noted that it is challenging to manage the farm, remarking, “I have a much greater appreciation for the work that goes into caring for farmland now.” When the teens asked Cindy Jimmerson why she decided to conserve the farm, Cindy beamed, explaining “I did it for you, and for your kids, and grandkids.” It is that generosity of spirit and investment in our youth that make it possible to pass on the love of the land and knowledge of how to farm and ranch. We are lucky in this valley. Our kids have a number of resources to learn about farming and ranching, like FFA, Envirothon, and 4-H. These community supported programs are critical to the future of agriculture and the well-being of our youth. Without them, what would our future look like?
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Taste our Place Kristine Komar Ravalli County Tourism Business Improvement District
Food and culinary experiences have always been a big part of traveling… it’s a tradition to indulge during a vacation and to search out and devour local and regional cuisine. Most local food also has a story attached making it deeper and richer, truly food for the body and the soul. Focusing on local food is a way to learn more about the local heritage and culture of a place as well as a way to create memories to savor long after the experience is physically concluded. Food -and drink- are becoming such an important aspect of travel that the organizations marketing tourism are creating product to highlight culinary tourism. That is exactly what the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development has done with Taste our Place, which is part of the Made in Montana program. Food Tourism is helping with destination marketing promotion. Creating a listing with Taste our Place is easy -and FREE- for local producers. It’s a way to boost promotion, a way to extend marketing to an audience often reached even before they arrive. Taste our Place might also inspire producers to develop additional products that can be taken-away by travelers or ordered again once they return home. Another example of an allied offering is a cooking class or workshop which are also popular and offer businesses the opportunity to work together…
how about creating a partnerships to gather ingredients then prepare (and eat) them? Those who sign-up for Taste our Place will received a box of SWAG including coasters, pint glass, pens, stickers, and more. To sign up you must offer ready-to-consume food and/or beverages with locally sourced ingredients, whether it’s the beef in your burger, the barley in your craft beer, or the flour in your dessert. The Taste our Place logo signifies a declaration of authentic Montana quality. As great as the program is for individual businesses, when many producers participate together the entire community is supported and marketed. To learn more about the program, to create a listing, or locate the tasty places in your community, visit madeinmontanausa.com/Taste-our-Place. Visit Bitterroot Valley (RC-TBID) works to market the Bitterroot Valley as a travel destination. You can find us online at visitbitterrootvalley.com or on Facebook, Instragram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.
photo courtesy 5th season
Agriculture Magazine, June 2020 - Page 17
Vibrate higher with well-rounded diet Hillary Sargent Two Poppies Apothecary
Learn what your body needs, really break it down to the roots, have something to build upon. Then move, one foot in from of the other, every day, little by little. Stop only when you reach your highest potential. For everyone, this will look different. None of us are the same. This is the glory of being human. I urge you to seek support in the form of a practitioner, a coach, or even a peer who has knowledge that goes beyond yours. Then do your research. We all need to be advocates for our own health and seeking knowledge is the first step. As a Nutritionist and Herbalist, I meet my clients where they are on their path, then we shake things up and give them new ways to look at food, nutrients, and the environment that surrounds them. In my experience, clients learn so much from the first session that they immediately become knowledge seekers, detectives, and empowered advocates for their health and the health of their families. The support one can receive from the right practitioner or coach can be life changing. When one person’s life changes in a positive manner, it will never not be contagious! In the first session, food intake, movement, emotions, supplements, and prescriptions will all be spoken about in depth and if past blood draws are available, we look at those together and work with your trusted doctor if applicable. My findings have been, due to modern farming practices, stress, and the foods we eat, that everyone falls short of important minerals. We also are
not eating in a way that supports our immune system, particularly our gut, and are subjecting ourselves to stress and indoor lighting/screens, that many of our fat-soluble vitamins are falling short. When I see a generally healthy person in my practice, we clean up their supplement intake and might add something here or there as needed per person. With healthy individuals, pre/probiotics, magnesium and/or a trace mineral combination, vitamin D3, possibly fish oil, clean/properly filtered water, and time spent moving are usually my go-to list if they are seeking to just feel better and give their body what it might be lacking. Other remedies that I work with are herbs in the form of teas, tinctures, and body oils that can all aid one’s emotional and physical wellbeing. My work with intuitive energy medicine and flower essences are a gift of balance and more subtle changes within body, mind, and heart, all helping those I work with to vibrate at their highest potential as a human being. We have so many wonderful practitioners in the Bitterroot Valley, all who can work with one another to be sure the person in focus is becoming their best self. I am always urging those around me to find one practitioner that jives with them, and then allow their circle to increase as they become more aware, better advocates, better detectives, and greater knowledge seekers. If you or someone you know if looking to begin vibrating at their highest potential. I urge you to seek your support. If your support isn’t me, I am open to having a conversation about what you are needing in particular and helping you to find the right person for you!
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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 & photos WENDY BEYE
Note: Due to CoViD-19 complications, we are sharing this story from a decade ago. It’s still as good as the first time. Thanks, Wendy, for all the great barn stories you have and will share. Little did I know when I called J. Carter Mason,
to ask for an interview about the barn on his property, that I would be visiting an already-famous local landmark. Mr. Mason and his wife Judy graciously agreed to let me visit with them and photograph their barn on Dry Gulch Road north of Stevensville, in spite of recent hip replacement
Agriculture Magazine, June 2019 - Page 19
A view of the Mason barn from the southeast.
surgery that was keeping the mister house bound. I wake early on the morning of the scheduled interview, listening to a fierce wind whistling around the window. The previous night’s weather forecast for gusts up to 60 mph appears to be accurate. I look out with a sinking heart – the clouds are right down to the base of the mountains, and rain drizzles. A photo shoot is not looking very promising. As I head north to Stevensville, the cloud ceiling rises a little, along with my hopes for some good photographs. I find the mailbox with J. Carter Mason printed on the side, and drive past a wonderfully weathered barn on the way up the driveway to the shake-covered 1920s prairie style house. Mr. J. Carter Mason himself, balanced on crutches, greets me at the door, and
I step into the wood fire-heated kitchen. The barn is visible through the warped glass dining room windows. There is a stack of framed photographs on the table, along with the yellowed title abstracts for the property. Judy had promised to retrieve the title abstracts from their safety deposit box, and Carter is well-prepared for the interview. He tells me that Judy won’t be able to participate in the interview as she is visiting her mother-in-law in the hospital in Missoula. He shows me the photographs on the table, some taken by a professional photographer who asked for permission to capture the character of the barn and spent a great deal of time doing so. Larger prints by the same photographer hang on the living room wall. I notice that nearly all portray the barn on damp
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drizzly days with low clouds. I keep my fingers crossed for a different atmosphere. After I have admired the fine quality photos, Carter pulls out a folder full of newspaper clippings. It seems his barn is rather famous in the valley. A local amateur photographer won an Ernst Peterson Photography Contest prize with a lovely print of the barn. The color photograph is accompanied by an article quoting Bitterroot old timer Marie Longley about her childhood explorations around the barn in defiance of her parents’ warnings about hobos living in it. Another clipping from 1982 features a black and white photograph of the barn on the front page of the Ravalli Republic. The short article printed under the photo mentions that the property was once known locally as the Sinnissippi, and that the corporation owning it was involved in selling orchard plots in the days of the Bitterroot apple boom. I wonder about the origin of that unusual name, and we start plowing through the title abstracts for clues. The earliest conveyance copied in the abstract is a patent deed issued to Mary J. Warren in 1904. The property changed hands quickly over the next few years, eventually becoming a part of the holdings of the Bitter Root District Irrigation Company, which morphed after suffering financial setbacks into the Bitter Root Valley Irrigation Company. That entity took out a mortgage for $30,000 against the parcel, with Frank Jones listed as Trustee for American Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago. The mortgage was subsequently assigned to Henry A. Jones, also of Chicago. Thus, began a shell game. In 1913, Bitter Root Valley Irrigation Company, once again in dire financial straits, sold to Rockford Orchards Company. Rockford sold to the Sinnissippi Farm and Orchard Company in 1915. By 1920, Sinnissippi sold to John Camlin, Adam Gachwindt, and Fred Muller, all directors of the Sinnissippi Farm and Orchard Company. Hmmm... we look back in the abstract to check directors’ names in the Rockford Orchards Company and Sinnissippi. There is one name in common: F.A. Schlick. Rockford Orchards declared bankruptcy as Sinnissippi was incorporated. In 1926, Henry Jones foreclosed on his mortgage (not a penny
The interior of the Mason barn.
A view of the blacksmith shop from the east side of the barn.
Agriculture Magazine, June 2020 - Page 21
The north door of the Mason barn.
Mason barn floor with moss and leaves.
having been repaid as of that date), and a district court issued an opinion that Rockford, Sinnissippi, and the individual directors were all still liable for the debt. Apparently, there was no money available to pay off the mortgage even though Sinnissippi was incorporated in Montana with $300,000 in capital assets. A Sheriff’s auction was ordered, and Henry Jones claimed the property for $4,000. Another series of transfers occurred after Mr. Jones’ death in 1936, ending with a deed issued to Webster Mason and James C. Mason in 1951. I ask Carter how old he was when his grandfather purchased the ranch, and he says he and his parents and brother moved in when he was 10 years old. His grandfather owned the 150 acres adjoining to the east, complete with a two-room cabin, and when his father James was able to transfer his employment with Montgomery Ward from Butte to Missoula, the family packed up and moved to the Bitterroot. James and his wife continued to work for Montgomery Ward in Missoula to help support the ranch and pay back a $5,000 loan from Mr. Barthels of Barthels Hardware, a Missoula icon. It took James nearly 15 years to pay off every penny borrowed. Carter wistfully recalls Christmases when gifts were nonexistent so that the interest payment could be made on time. Grandfather Webster had died only a year after the property purchase, so the burden fell on Carter’s father. Carter and his brother helped keep up with ranch work and gardening but found time to play a little basketball in the barn’s loft. They had to be careful not to step into the open hay chutes in the floor. When they first moved in, one side of the barn had milking stanchions, and the other, horse stalls on the ground floor. The Masons replaced the stanchions and stalls with sheep jugs for their flock. Carter’s father died only a year after the property was financially cleared, and Carter exchanged sheep for beef cattle. As is usually the case in marginal agricultural operations, he continued to hold a job in Missoula to keep the ranch going, logging over a million commuter miles before he retired. We speculate on the barn’s construction date and conclude that it was probably built in the
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early 1920s. In 1923, Sinnissippi Farm and Orchard Company contracted with F.R. Myrick of Kimball, Nebraska, to farm the property. He agreed to plant grain crops and use the grain to feed hogs and milk cows, in exchange for a percentage of the profits after expenses were deducted. This agreement lasted through 1926, when Sinnissippi lost the property to foreclosure. Carter mentions that there was a granary in the barn loft, and hog pens north of the building. He also points out the sawdust insulated ice shed with a walk-in cooler, and a blacksmith shop, both the same vintage as the barn. Until a rare tornado in 1983 destroyed it, there was a long equipment shed between the barn and the blacksmith shop. Carter says the tornado ripped the connecting electrical wires from the barn and the blacksmith shop and twisted them around a gatepost as if children had performed a maypole dance around it. Nothing was left of the shed, but a few boards and pieces of the new metal roof Carter had just installed. The barn survived, minus a few more shingles. Carter also mentions that Sinnissippi is rumored to have wined and dined potential land purchasers at the nearby Bitter Root Inn, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and built in 1909 by the Bitter Root Valley Irrigation Company at the height of its financial success. I ask Carter if he knows what the barn’s future will be. He sighs and tells me that he loves the ranch, but his children are probably not interested in keeping the place intact. He and Judy had turned down an itinerant barnwood scavenger’s tempting offer a few years ago, and he thought about re-roofing it until a contractor quoted a $10,000 price tag. He tells me about the herd of deer that cross from creek to hay meadow every night and about the orphaned twin fawns that grew up under the willow tree in the front yard. I can see how attached he is to the land where he spent 60 years of his life making memories. I thank Carter for his time, and wish him a speedy recovery from the surgery, which he told me was the fifth procedure he had suffered through to replace one or the other of his hips. A hard-working man, proud of his place in the Bitterroot. I drive down the hill to the barn, and the sun
peeks through. Leaves on the cottonwoods growing beside the road shimmer like gold coins. It is indeed a very photogenic barn, deservedly famous for its character. I wonder how many other photos of it exist, as I snap several dozen more. Carter had commented that if he had a dollar for every one taken, he would have no financial worries. Back home, I fire up the computer to do some research on Sinnissippi Farm and Orchard Company. I find that Sinnissippi is an Indian word meaning either “rocky water” or “Son of the Father of Waters” (son of the Mississippi), depending on which historian is interpreting it, and is the name of a lake and a public park near Rockford, Illinois. Like many other of the land development companies operating in the Bitterroot Valley in the early 1900s, the moneyed backers can be traced to the wealthy Midwest. I find a digital reprint of a journal published during the era, called The Irrigation Age. It is filled with fascinating information about the irrigation boom in the west, including Bureau of Reclamation projects and private irrigation districts that duped land seekers into thinking they could make a fortune selling crops that sprang in abundance from previously desert-dry land. Several lawsuits arising in the Bitterroot list the Bitter Root Valley Irrigation Company as defendant, claiming that promised water never came. Financial backers demanded repayment of their investment dollars by the early 1920s, and the B.R.V.I. Company filed for bankruptcy, leaving water ownership records and a water delivery system both in need of repairs. As evidenced by Carter Mason’s abstracts, water rights attached to land subdivided during boom times became a complex snarl that state water courts are still working to unravel. Another headache for local officials is the patchwork of 10-acre orchard lots that, up until the recent recession, were again selling like hotcakes. But on the plus side of the ledger, many valley ranches benefit from water delivered by the Big Ditch after several bailouts by the Bureau of Reclamation, and we can also enjoy beautiful barns that were built when hopes were high and the weather was fair.
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