First day on the farm.

My morning started before 7am with some good ol' oatmeal and tea. The skies finally cleared up and I walked outside to take in the fresh, crisp air.

Kira and I walked down to the farm to get there by 7.30 am - the start of work. Our first assignment was to feed all the animals. Allison and Shawn have about 5 varieties of chickens, none of which I remember. Ducks, turkeys, two pigs and two absolutely adorable baby Nigerian Dwarf goats, which just arrived Friday.

Soon after the animals were fed Nick arrived. He is a student at MSU, working on a degree in Sustainable Agriculture and doing his internship at the farm. Together we began setting up to plant pole beans in the big greenhouse. Since the beans need to climb... something, we hung up plastic netting on wire over the planting bed. After much ladder-climbing we were ready to plant the beans.

Cucumbers were next. Planted from seedlings that grew up in the smaller greenhouse next door.

The farm produces a lot of seedlings for sale, as well as microgreens for stores and restaurants in Bozeman and Livingston. They also provide greens and veggies for a CSA.

But all that just pays the bills. What Allison and Shawn are really working on is rehabilitating the land. They bought the farm 5 years ago, when it was a 10-acre patch of overgrazed land. All that was left was the less-desirable and tasty grass, which left much of the soil to erosion. So for the last 5 years they have been working on rehabilitating the land, using permaculture techniques.

Permaculture is designed to mimic natural ecosystems and environments. For example, they built big mounds of soil, which run perpendicular to the Southwestern winds of the valley. On the inside of the berm they planted fruit trees, which will be nourished by the water that collects and protected from the wind. Around the trees they planted a variety of herbs (thyme, rosemary), berries and legumes (clover in particular). This whole system will naturally collect water and the legumes will bring back nitrogen into the soil.

The animals also play a major role in rehabilitation. The pigs are kept in a small fenced-off area and while they enjoy their days they naturally "till" up the soil and mix it in with their poop. The chickens do the same job in their area, adding manure and nutrients to the soil. Eventually, the animals will be moved throughout the whole land and the covered areas seeded with native grasses, fruit trees, herbs and etc. No rows.

All of this is way more complicated, more inspiring and just plain ol' awesome than I can ever describe. Its so great to see people passionate about growing food without all the chemicals and using more sustainable practices.

Day one is coming to an end and I am watching a Montana must-see with the roommates - A River Runs Through It.