Pathways ForwardA model for how a multi-age homeschool team could grow produce in an NRCS cost-shared high tunnel on a host family's land in Silver Bow County and sell at the Butte Farmers Market. Older members would leave each year and younger ones join, while the team, the tunnel and the market stall keep going. No team has been formed yet; this is a plan to start from.
Montana's deadline is October 2, 2026, but most families should plan for next year. Montana NRCS funds high tunnels through its Community Agriculture initiative, and the current application cutoff for EQIP is October 2, 2026. The land must already be producing food sold directly to consumers: NRCS looks for soil that has been prepared and crops planted and tended through a growing season. A host family that already grows and sells produce can call the field office this week. Everyone else should grow and sell from outdoor beds in 2027, keep records of it, and apply before the next cutoff in fall 2027.
Holds the EQIP contract, the FSA farm record and the land. May qualify as beginning farmers, which brings a higher payment rate and up to 50% paid in advance, covering the cost of building before reimbursement.
A horticulture project club through MSU Extension in Butte. The host parent becomes a 4-H volunteer leader. 4-H supplies structure, record books and youth-program backing. Ask the Extension office about age rules and leader screening.
One adult holds the market spot, the state's Exempt Produce license and the Butte-Silver Bow business license, and runs the booth with the students.
Put a short written host–team agreement in place before applying: land access schedule, who keeps sales proceeds, insurance, and what happens if the family moves during the life of the tunnel contract.
| Ages | Role |
|---|---|
| 5–7 | Seed starting, watering, harvest helpers |
| 8–11 | Planting, weeding, washing and bunching, booth display |
| 12–14 | Crop calendar, soil and yield records, pricing research |
| 15–18 | Crew leads, booth sales, bookkeeping, NRCS records, training the next group. Seniors write a handoff notebook before they leave. |
| This week | If the host family already grows and sells produce, call the NRCS Whitehall field office before the October 2 cutoff. Ask whether their land qualifies for Community Agriculture and whether they have an FSA farm/tract number. |
| Fall–winter 2026 | Set up an FSA farm record at the Deer Lodge USDA Service Center (AD-1026, AGI, farm operating plan). Enroll the club with Silver Bow County 4-H and complete leader screening. |
| March–April 2027 | Apply for the Exempt Produce license (allow three weeks). Get a Butte-Silver Bow business license, which needs zoning clearance first. Get an insurance quote. |
| May–October 2027 | Grow outdoor beds and sell at the market (the 2026 season ran May 16 to October 10). Keep planting and sales records. This season shows NRCS the land is in production. |
| Fall 2027 | Apply for EQIP before the next Montana cutoff. NRCS Montana is moving to a Locally Led Conservation approach for 2027–2028, so confirm the date and process with the field office in the summer. |
| After approval | Build the tunnel as a team project. Season extension begins, with fall greens for the Butte Winter Farmers Market. |
| Market table (up to 10 ft), full season of 22 markets | $275 |
| …or by the week | $25 |
| Montana Exempt Produce license | no fee |
| Butte-Silver Bow business license | Fee depends on business type; ask the Treasurer's Office |
| 4-H enrollment | Ask the Extension office |
| Product liability insurance | get quote |
| High tunnel | Paid by EQIP up to a per-tunnel maximum; confirm the Montana rate with the field office. Budget for the gap between the payment and actual cost. |
The garden shows students how useful AI can be, even on a hands-on, non-technical project like this one. Every AI task follows the same three steps: ask a clear question with the local facts included, check the answer against a trusted source or the garden itself, and record what was right and what wasn't. Younger members watch an older student ask the AI a question, then help check the answer in the beds, for example "Is the soil warm enough for beans yet?" Middle members write their own questions for pricing and planting dates. The oldest members plan the season with AI and teach the others how to catch its mistakes. By the time students age out, they have years of practice using AI as a helper whose work always gets checked.
Where it helps
Where people still decide
A role for the 15–18 group: draft the season plan with AI, then check it against Extension guides and what actually grew. Record the results each year so the next group starts with better local data.