Bitterroot Permaculture

My family and I are finally under contract for 10 acres by Stevensville and I couldn’t be more stoked. It is just land with a well and power, so it will be years until we are really living on it full time, but it is the beginning of my food forest and it is finally happening! Who lives in the area and wants to hang out? I’m a 31 year old building biologist/welder/craftsman/architect/permaculture enthusiast. We have a one year old and would like her to have friends as well! Even if you just want to hang out outside at your food forest… I have some learning to do in terms of growing in Montana.

Tim Southwell at ABC acres.

https://abcacres.com/

I have a six acre farm in Huson, about an hour from you. But I currently live out of state for school. Happy to connect though!

Jesse

I'm in Missoula and I have trees and plants for sale: https://mountaintimefarm.com/

If you're looking for affordable building materials, Waste Less Works https://wastelessworks.com/ and Heritage Timber https://www.heritagetimbermt.com/ are great places to get materials. Home Resource used to be great a place to get used stuff, but it got taken over by this really manipulative cruel psychopath lady, and so people are sort of boycotting that place until she's gone, and I'd recommend you do the same.

For fencing, you will need 8' tall to keep the deer out, and then plants will just sort of start magically appearing all by themselves ("fencing for one year is like planting for ten"). There are a ton of places that sell fencing supplies up and down the Bitterroot and in Missoula, and they're all priced about the same, but it's usually worth calling around to check prices and availability.

For IDing unknown plants, this book works pretty good: Vascular Plants of West-Central Montana https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_int/int_gtr277.pdf
For info about plants you've identified: http://montana.plant-life.org/

Also craigslist and facebook marketplace are pretty handy for acquiring and/or disposing of things.

For anything else you need, this forum is a great place to ask.

Hey, great to meet all my Montana neighbors. My wife and I just recently purchased nine very bare acres in Missoula and now my permaculture project has begun. I have lots of questions and thanks in advanced!

Cheers

Jesse

Thanks for the responses!

Paul, thanks for the recommendation for ABC. I have heard of them and I will definitely be checking things out.

Abe, I have heard out your tree business already just from driving around the bitterroot for a few months, but now I know you’re the real deal. I’ll be a pretty solid supporter of your business in the years to come! If I’m starting with pretty rocky soil, would you recommend amending the soils for a year before planting the main trees of the guilds, or is it better to bring in some soil and just get trees in the ground sooner?


And to the Jesse’s, let’s collaborate on our Montana food forest!


Has anyone in the area made a pond in your property?

Scott
The food forest is one of my main priorities. My knowledge is limited on what will grow in Missoula. I like fruit trees, asparagus, rhubarb, and raspberries. That's a short list with lots of gaps to fill. I will have to do more research for sure. What did you plan on planting first after closing?

Welcome!  Abe's a good dude, you'll do well to listen to his advice.  I'm also in the Root, on 10 acres and planting a paycheck at a time.  Given your description I would bet we are near neighbors, maybe within shouting distance.

We are a couple with two small children and 31 chickens looking for some land to lease or share. Willing to help with any and all chores. We have a skoolie, "automatic housing"
We are interested in Natural Farming and all things Permaculture.