Fresh off the Farm
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RONAN – As the sun peeked over the craggy Mission Mountains and dipped into the Moiese Valley in early morning hours, Cale Nittinger is hard at work moving irrigation lines by hand, during what he calls “the long haul”. Since the spring of 2007, Nittinger and his girlfriend Nicole Jarvis have operated Ploughshare Farms, which lies just a few yards from the Flathead River in Moiese. They raise produce on three of their eighteen acres for the Western Montana Growers Cooperative and farmers markets in Polson and Missoula.
They grow tomato starts, shallots, Indian corn, sun chokes, and anything else possible to grow in Montana. In the spring, baby milk goats, milk, and cheese are plentiful on the farm.
According to Jarvis, the growers cooperative helps farmers by paying them $700 upfront to provide produce throughout the season, giving farmers the money they need to get their farms going in spring. In return, they provide fresh foods during the growing season to locals through the growers cooperative.
“The start up money for the farm ensures that we will be able to plant crops and it provides fresh foods weekly for those who want them,” Jarvis said. “It’s a win-win situation.”
People who sign up to receive a weekly box of fresh foods receive an assortment of foods currently in season including: meats, eggs, dairy, fruits and vegetables from 30 different farms from Missoula to Polson.
“It provides education that teachers people what is grown here and when it’s in season,” Jarvis said. “That’s one of my favorite things about doing this.”
Plougshare Farm’s produce stand at the Polson Farmers market often runs out of foods to sell, after many regulars at the market stock up with as many fresh foods as they can carry. Jarvis says she loves connecting with those who are interested in growing themselves, offering her expertise, while learning from others as well.
Through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), lower income people can use Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (EBT) cards to buy local homegrown foods. The EBT cards are similar to debit cards, and are accepted at the Polson Farmers Market to purchase foods.
“It opens up great conversation,” she said. “People come up and ask me about their gardens. I love visiting with people and sharing in their excitement about local food.”
Although Ploughshare Farm follows the standard regulations to qualify as an organic farm, Jarvis says they have no desire to be listed as an official organic farm.
“People at market don’t ask us if we’re USDA qualified,” Jarvis said. “They come up to me and ask me personally if I grow organically. That’s what people really want to know.”
