Listing Information

Check all experience and education that apply to you and your farming partners

Farm/Crop management (3 years or less), Informal apprenticeship, General college degree, General farming (less than 3 years), General farming (over 3 years)

Briefly describe your current occupation(s) and responsibilities and list previous agricultural employment and experiences. If you are currently farming or ranching, please state the size, type(s), and location of the operation.

I have taught health, and physical education in a rural Pennsylvania school district for the past twenty years. I have also earned three master’s degrees related to education.

Since I was twelve, I have spent nearly all of my free time working on a neighbor’s dairy farm. In working with him and his family I found that farming is in my blood. My responsibilities included, milking and feeding cows, operating and maintaining all equipment used in harvest as well as milk production. When he sold his milking cows a few years ago I found summer employment in Montana. Since 2009 I have spent my summers working on a small ranch near Wilsall. This ranch deals with horses, mules and hay. My responsibilities have included maintaining and running equipment, fixing fence, and center pivot irrigation systems. I have also had a small amount of experience working for a wheat/barley farmer in central MT. Here I ran a combine during harvest and delivered grain to the bins. I have been very fortunate to have a diverse number of farming experiences. Through these experiences I have discovered my dream: to live, work, and raise a family on a farm in the Golden Triangle of central Montana.

Counties of interest

Cascade, Chouteau, Fergus, Gallatin, Judith Basin, Meagher, Park Livingston, Sweet Grass, Wheatland

Acreage

41-100, 101-500, 500+

Planned Operation

Hay & Forage, Grain, Large Animal (cattle, sheep, goats), Dairy

Farming Practices

Conventional

Please elaborate on the type(s) of agricultural operation you plan on running.

I am primarily interested in dry land crop farming. I would like to farm wheat, barley, and some lentils. I feel it is important to stay abreast of new ideas in the food industry and would be interested in gluten free crops and possibly organic crops.

Land Tenure

Buy/Sell, Cropshare, Lease, Partnership, Open to other arrangements

If you are interested in another type of business arrangement, please explain

I understand that dry land crop farming may take a great deal of acreage to produce enough crops for a sustainable farming practice. I am willing to do whatever it takes. I have the ability to buy land to start by myself but would really love to have the opportunity to work with and learn the operation from the farmer/manager before taking on the operation on my own. I am open to all options.

Onsite Housing

Yes

Please elaborate on the kind of additional training/information that would help you:

Financial planning/management is the one area related to farming where I have the least experience.