Pathways ForwardA multi-age homeschool team grows produce in an NRCS cost-shared high tunnel on a host family's land in Boundary County and sells at the Bonners Ferry Farmers Market. Older members leave each year; new younger ones join. The team, the tunnel and the market stall keep going.
Deadline in 6 days. Idaho NRCS takes EQIP applications all year, but to compete for FY2027 funding a signed NRCS-CPA-1200 must reach the local field office by September 30, 2026. If the host family already has an FSA farm number, one phone call this week could get them in. Otherwise, plan for the FY2028 cutoff (about September 30, 2027) and use this year to set up.
Holds the EQIP contract, FSA farm record and the land. May qualify as beginning farmers: higher payment rate and up to 50% paid in advance, which covers the cost of building before reimbursement.
Horticulture project club, ages 5–18. The host parent becomes the UI Extension–certified volunteer leader. 4-H supplies structure, records and youth-program backing.
One adult (sole proprietor) holds the vendor spot, seller's permit and city license. Keeps the Idaho small-seller exemption available, which LLCs and partnerships can't use.
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 5-year practice life.
| Ages | Role |
|---|---|
| 5–7 | Cloverbuds: 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 | Host family calls the Bonners Ferry USDA Service Center. Ask whether they have an FSA farm/tract number and whether a CPA-1200 can go in by Sept 30. |
| Fall–winter 2026 | Complete FSA paperwork (AD-1026, AGI, farm operating plan). NRCS site visit and plan. Enroll the club with Boundary County 4-H; leader certification. |
| Spring 2027 | Grow outdoor beds the first season. Market application due by the end of the month before selling. Get an Idaho temporary seller's permit for each 90 days, a City of Bonners Ferry business license and insurance. Attend the April vendor meeting. |
| By Sept 30, 2027 | FY2028 EQIP cutoff, if the family didn't apply this year. |
| After approval | Build the tunnel as a team project. Season extension begins; shoulder-season sales at the Holiday Market (Nov). |
| Market application + full season | $25 + $125 |
| Electricity at booth (optional) | $25 |
| City of Bonners Ferry business license | $50 |
| 4-H enrollment, per member (1–3 projects) | $25 |
| Idaho temporary seller's permit | no fee |
| Product liability insurance | get quote |
| High tunnel | Paid per square foot by EQIP; confirm the Idaho FY2027 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.