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Counties of interest

Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Butte-Silver Bow, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis & Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, McCone, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park Livingston, Petroleum, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone

Planned Operation

Hay & Forage, Large Animal (cattle, sheep, goats), Small Animal (pigs, rabbits, poultry), Vegetable, Fruit/Orchard

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

Farm/Crop management (3 years or less), Other experience/license/agriculture or business training

Land Tenure

Buy/Sell, Cropshare, Lease, Partnership

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 had two hands-on formative agricultural experiences: A year farming in the central valley of California for Full Belly Farm, a 450 acre highly diversified organic farm. And, my current role at Cedar Circle Farm in Vermont as production lead where I am going into my second year.

Outside of that I worked for Real Organic Project where my learning was less hands on, but very involved in the progressive sustainable food scene where I learned a lot about farming practices from many different farmers in many different regions of the country.

Acreage

6-10

Farming Practices

Organic, Other

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

Starting as veggie, because that is where I have the most experience, with an eye towards evolving diversification and a strong interest in research. Limited food miles would also be the goal if the farm was in a location fit to do so.

Elaborate on the farming practices you plan on using.

I don't believe that no-till is necessarily the end-all be-all. I think both tillage and no tillage are important when used strategically. Strip till is a strong interest of mine. My chief metric is source of fertility and plastic use. I'd want to be completely divested of animal based manures that come from CAFOs and I do not want to use any plastic mulching and limited row cover.

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

Open to anything

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

Guidance with what kind of incentives, grants, etc exist would be very helpful and is something I don't have a strong understanding of.