K‐12 School Garden Projects in Montana
As of January 2010
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SOUTHCENTRAL MONTANA
Gallatin County
Contact: Aubree Durfey ‐ Gallatin Valley Farm to School
Aubree@gvfarmtoschool.org
Irving Elementary School (K-5), Bozeman, Montana
Contact: Heather Musselman, hdcm1@msn.com
Irving was awarded $5,000 this year from the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Grant to
continue their edible school yard efforts. Prior to the grant, the school had a fruit
orchard on the playground, but this additional money will help their edible playground
grow even more. A group of dedicated parents worked hard over the summer to build
six raised garden beds (one for each grade level) and is currently working with the
Montana State University Department of Architecture, to design a greenhouse. The goal
is to create an outside classroom, teach kids about healthy eating, grow their own food,
insect pollination, and more.
Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman, Montana
Contact: Jan Krieger - Spanish Teacher and Club Advisor
jan.krieger@bsd7.org
With a new orchard on their playground, thanks to the efforts of The One Million Ways
Club, a group of dedicated students at Chief Joseph has committed to making the world
a better place. The students applied for a Community Food Co‐op 4% Day Grant, a
program in which the Co‐op gives 4 percent of its total sales (on the fourth Friday of
every month) to a local organization or business whose mission is in line with theirs. The
students received about $1,800 from the grant to purchase trees. Located on the
school’s new grounds, the orchard is made up of 14 trees, including apple, plum and
cherry.
Emily Dickinson Elementary School (K-5), Bozeman, Montana
Contact: Nicole Pearson (this contact is probably outdated)
The idea for a school garden came about in 1999 to give kids in increasingly urban
Bozeman a place to connect with nature. From then on, work began on a native plant
garden and an outdoor learning center. The results are now a 10,000 square‐foot
garden with more than 200 native trees and shrubs, perennials, a fountain, and a pond.
As a result of the garden, Emily Dickinson now has a student‐gardener program, lessons
in composting, annual bird counts and a grade‐specific garden curriculum.
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Hyalite Elementary, Bozeman, Montana
Contact: Robbye Hamburgh, robbye.hamburgh@bsd7.org, (406) 582‐6800
This brand new elementary school in Bozeman has already begun planning for a school
garden. Students in each grade are currently writing proposals to create garden plots at
the new school.
Hawthorne Elementary School, Bozeman, Montana
Contacts: Jenny Grossenbacher and Megan Ulrichs
Parents, teachers and student groups met in the spring of 2009 and discussed the
logistics of the “Green Team” composting program and what each group would need to
do to make it happen. Students were educated about composting and the use of live
worms and composting to promote sustainability. The composting station will be fully
incorporated in the spring of 2010.
Gallatin Gateway School (K‐8), Gallatin Gateway, Montana
Contact: Kim Debruycker, Superintendent debruycker@gallatingatewayschool.net
Gallatin Gateway’s sole school aims to teach about gardening across the entire
curriculum. The 150 sq. foot heated greenhouse is used to teach about plant
propagation, plant growth, economics, math and science for grades K‐8.
Monforton School (K-8), Bozeman, Montana
Contact: Lynne Scalia, lscalia@monfortonschool.org
Monforton School outside of Bozeman, MT is working hard to make a school garden a
reality. Monforton’s wellness committee is collaborating with the local 4-H, who has
offered to provide garden maintenance, to get the project up and running by
summer 2010.
Middle Creek Montessorri, Bozeman, Montana
Contact: Nancy McNabb, nancy@middlecreekmontessori.org
Middle Creek Montessori is conveniently surrounded by nature-inside and out. Many
classrooms feature live plants and indoor aquariums as well as an indoor
greenhouse. Outdoors, students find a large classroom garden, as well as school pets
including chickens, goats, and sheep. Middle Creek’s mission, to nurture each child’s
innate drive to explore, discover, and achieve, is fostered by the wonderful indoor
and outdoor opportunities available!
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Park County (Livingston)
Contact: Dan Hardy (School Foodservice Director), dan.hardy@livingston.k12.mt.us
Mark Rehder (Farms for Families – nonprofit), mark@farmsforfamilies.org
Livingston School District, Livingston, Montana
Contacts: Dan Hardy (School Foodservice Director) dan.hardy@livingston.k12.mt.us
Mark Rehder (Farms for Families – nonprofit) mark@farmsforfamilies.org
Livingston School District is working with Mark Rehder of Farms for Families and Future
Farmers of America to start a school garden. Through collaboration with agriculture and
science teachers as well as food service director Dan Hardy, raised beds are currently in
place and students will begin planting fruits and vegetables in them this spring. Dan
has also been buying local food from Farms for Families and is using it in the school
menu. The next step will be to formally establish a committee of teachers to make core
decisions about the Farm‐to‐School programs, goals and methodology for this type of
Project‐based Learning.
Washington School, LINKS for Learning, Livingston, Montana
Contacts: Julie Hancock, jhancock@livingston.k12.mt.us
Megan Drimal , megan.drimal@livingston.k12.mt.us
LINKS for Learning is the after‐school program of the Livingston School District, serving
grades K‐5 after school and in the summer. The programs take place at Washington
School (formerly an elementary school – now used for LINKS and Adult Education) but
serve all of Livingston. Last year a school garden project was implemented by removing
the sod from an area of the playground and turning it into a lovely organic garden. The
children planned, planted, tended, harvested and ate from the garden. A greenhouse is
in the process of being added and extends the growing season. The Growing Classroom
– Garden and Nutrition Activity Guide (Life Lab, inc.) is used to guide the studies and
activities.
Park High, Livingston, Montana
Contact: Kevin Fochs KFochs@metnet.mt.gov
Currently, Park High School has a greenhouse which features gardens and hydroponics.
Plans are in place to add a community garden this spring that can be used by the high
school cafeteria. In the event of expanded funding, installation of a processing facility
for local schools will also be implemented near the high school.
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Montessori Island School, Livingston, Montana
Contact: Alyson Peterson
The Montessori Island School has extended the invaluable lessons of the plant life cycle
into the regular school year by initiating a cold frame starter project to expand their
gardening program.
Paradise Valley, Montana
Contact: Delmer Cox, delmer@astelier.com
The Arrowhead and Pine Creek schools in Paradise Valley have after‐school programs
that will begin building a greenhouse this spring.
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NORTHCENTRAL MONTANA
Greenfield Elementary School (PK‐6), Fairfield, Montana
Contact: Salley Young, School Foodservice Director
Although school is out during the growing season, Greenfield Elementary School has
found a way to bring in loads of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and involve their
students in the process. Greenfield Elementary School does not maintain its own
garden, but instead contracts with a local organic truck farmer to grow potatoes and
some seasonal vegetables. In addition, the 3rd and 4th graders participate in the harvest
and delivery, as well as preparation of the food once it arrives in the kitchen during the
school year. Students also participate in “hot housing” a few tomato plants and are
encouraged to bring in vegetables from their home gardens to contribute to the lunch
program. Due to its success, this spring the kids will also help with the planting to
provide next year’s harvest. A plan to compost some of the schools’ food waste is also
under discussion.
C.M. Russell High School, Great Falls, Montana
Contacts: Sandy Courtnage, Montana Farmers Union
Jodi Koterba, CMR, (406) 268‐3378
The Electric City Agriculture Academy Program, housed within CM Russell High School in
Great Falls, was awarded a grant from the Montana Farmers Union to help construct a
hoop greenhouse project. The hoop house will provide students with the opportunity to
extend the growing season, and explore growing fresh, local food and to promote local
food system development. The applied landscape and construction tech class at CMR
High School will begin construction on the 30 X 48 hoop greenhouse this spring, and will
be tied to the wind generator that was erected in 2008. The fresh produce will be used
in the CMR salad bar, and any surplus will go to the community organizations who have
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helped support the project such as the local meals‐on‐wheels and the community food
bank. In addition, the back 24 feet will contribute to the science curriculum, providing
agricultural students the opportunity for lab experiences and class projects.
Chinook School District, Chinook, Montana
Contact: Robin L. Allen, RAllen@metnet.mt.gov
Chinook School District currently has a 30' hoop greenhouse, and has used it in the
past for growing landscaping plants and for hydroponics projects. This spring, the
garden club will grow flowers in the greenhouse, and crop experiments will be
performed by various agriculture classes.
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EASTERN MONTANA
Columbus School, Columbus, Montana
Contact: Daniel C. Miller, danmil@metnet.mt.gov
Columbus School features an 18 X 20’ greenhouse with annual bedding plants and
hanging baskets. The greenhouse is equipped with vent and circulation fans, a natural
gas heater, and a domestic fertilizer injector. It provides a hands‐on learning experience
for students, and is used by a wide variety of classes such as the 8th grade plant unit and
occasional experiments for the SAE project. However, the horticulture class takes on
much of the responsibility, operating it like a commercial greenhouse with a sales and
marketing component included.
Custer School, Custer, Montana
Contact: Carla D. Leligdowicz, CLeligdowicz@metnet.mt.gov
Custer School utilizes a greenhouse for teaching plant science to 7th graders and also for
teaching greenhouse management to high school juniors.
Fromberg School District, Fromberg, Montana
Contact: Jennifer A. Birrer, JBirrer@metnet.mt.gov
Fromberg School District has a greenhouse which is 48' 8" long and 18' 7" wide and is
used for growing flowers and fresh veggies. Products are then sold to the community in
the spring.
Sidney High School, Sidney, Montana
Contact: Gary Schaff – Ag Ed Teacher, gschaff@metnet.mt.gov
Sidney High School features a student built 20' X 40' greenhouse located on the south
shop’s exterior wall with a door opening to the shop area. The shed‐shaped
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greenhouse was constructed in 1997, and is used by the Agriculture Education
Department and the Special Needs Department.
Melstone High School, Melstone, Montana
Contact: Brandon Braaten, (406) 358‐2317, BBraaten@metnet.mt.gov
The Melstone Agriculture Education Program operates a greenhouse project every year
as a fundraiser for their Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter in conjunction with the
horticulture portion of the curriculum. This year, a full class of 13 students is dedicated
to the operation of the greenhouse. The program has also partnered with the Melstone
community garden, with garden beds that were finished toward the end of summer
2009, and food was available at the local farmer's market. The 2010 spring plant sale
will feature everything from tomato and other vegetable plants to ornamental plants
from the greenhouse.
Glendive School, Glendive, Montana
Contact: Caroline Silver, AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer with Farm to Table Project,
carolinersilver@gmail.com
Glendive School is partnering with the Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs this spring to get kids out to
the community garden and do hands‐on food and gardening activities.
Canyon Creek School, Billings, Montana
Contact: Sandra Abraham, Chairperson of School Garden Committee
abrahams@billings.k12.mt.us
Jennifer Tolton/the Yellowstone Valley Citizens Council, jftolton@hotmail.com
Yellowstone Valley Citizens’ Council, an affiliate of Northern Plains Resource Council,
Is working to start a vegetable garden at Canyon Creek School (K‐8) in Yellowstone
County.
Bench Elementary, Billings, Montana
Contact: Maribeth Habeck, habeck4@imt.net
Bench Elementary, Billings Heights, has a native plant learning garden.
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NORTHWEST MONTANA
Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Montana
Contact: Virgil Dupuis, virgil_dupuis@skc.edu
Salish Kootenai College has a school garden and is expanding the gardening activities on
campus and within the community with four other gardens. They are constructing a
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new greenhouse and some hoop houses this spring that will hopefully be ready for use
later this year.
Somers Middle School, Lakeside/Somers School District, Somers, Montana
Contact: Robin Vogler, School Foodservice Director, vogler_robin@yahoo.com
Somers Middle School has a small greenhouse and the Lakeside Elementary has a small
courtyard garden with raised beds. Lettuce and salad greens from the greenhouse have
been used in the school lunch program, and arrangements have been made with the
science teacher to begin growing snow peas this spring.
Whitefish Public School District, Whitefish, Montana
Contact: Jay Stagg, Foodservice Director, StaggJ@wfps.k12.mt.us
Whitefish Public School District is in the beginning stages of implementing a hoop
house. More information and details to come in the next few months!
West Glacier School, West Glacier, Montana
Contact: Lisa McKeon, (406) 387‐5543
In the spring of 2009, West Glacier School received several grants to build three raised
garden beds with irrigation and hoop frames.
Glacier and Flathead High Schools, Kalispell, Montana
Vo‐Ag Center, (406) 751‐3950
Students from both Flathead and Glacier High Schools in Kalispell may participate in
many different agriculture projects at the Vo‐Ag Center. The Vo‐Ag Center is on 80
acres of farmland. Students take part in various activities such as building wood
projects, greenhouse horticulture projects, and looking after the livestock. English,
science, and natural resources are other classes that are offered in conjunction with o‐
ag class. All students are taught basic skills throughout their four years at the Vo‐Ag
Center.
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WESTERN MONTANA
Project: Missoula BEANS (Blending Education, Agriculture, Nutrition in Schools) a Project of
Garden City Harvest
(Note: See spring 2008 newsletter article “School Gardens Growing in Missoula” at
http://www.missoulacfac.org )
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Missoula’s Garden City Harvest’s Community Education Program runs five school gardens in
partnership with each school. Following are details about the five school gardens.
Contact: Jason Mandala
Community Education Director
Garden City Harvest
(406) 239‐5524
gch_education@yahoo.com
www.gardencityharvest.org
Willard Alternative High School, Missoula, Montana
Contact: Vanessa Nie, Flagship Coordinator, altflagship@mcps.k12.mt.us
Willard has a medium‐sized garden with raised beds, fruit trees, berries, a small
greenhouse, and a composting operation. Missoula’s Garden City Harvest
helped develop the garden in 2008.
Meadow Hill Middle School, Missoula, Montana
Contact: Betsy Defries, GCH Garden Coordinator, betsydefries@yahoo.com
Kimberly Olson, Spanish Teacher, n_tro_p@hotmail.com
Meadow Hill has a large hybrid school garden/community garden with plots for
community members and the Flagship Program. With the help of Garden City
Harvest, which helps schools develop and maintain school gardens here in
Missoula in partnership with the Flagship Program and the MCPS, the garden
was established in 2003. In addition, this spring Spanish teacher Kimberly Olson
will be adding a Spanish garden onto the original plot.
Washington Middle School, Missoula, Montana
Contact: Aaron Fessler, SLP Teacher, amfessler@mcps.k12.mt.us
Washington has a small garden (only about 800 or so square feet) that has recently
been revived through the work of faculty, Flagship, and Garden City Harvest.
Lowell Elementary School Helping Hands Garden, Missoula, Montana
Contact: Britta Bloedorn, Garden Coordinator, babloedorn@mcps.k12.mt.us
Lowell's school garden was built in the spring of 2009 and is the most integrated
of Missoula's school gardens. Through grants and creative fundraising Lowell has
been able to hire a half‐time garden coordinator to help students and teachers
use the garden effectively as an outdoor classroom.
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DeSmet School, Missoula, Montana
Contact: Mike Syverson‐Principal
DeSmet, a school composing its own school district separate from Missoula
County Public Schools, began the creation of a school garden in 2008. The
garden was started by a group of social work students from the University of
Montana, who raised the money via benefit concerts and local business
donations. The garden is supported by a three year grant for summer programs,
which DeSmet received in 2008. The garden was created with help from the
local community garden nonprofit Garden City Harvest and their garden
curriculum expert.
Additional Western Montana School Gardens in Missoula, Ravalli, Musselshell and Powell
Counties
Big Sky High School, Missoula, Montana
Contact: Kate Lindner, krlindner@mcps.k12.mt.us
Big Sky High School has received funding to build two raised garden beds, which they
hope to make into hoop houses in the future. Two groups at Big Sky High School, the
Agriculture Education Program and the Students for Social, Economic, and the
Environmental Justice (SSEEJ), are collaborating to create a salsa and flower garden. The
student‐run organizations hope to market their products this summer at city markets.
Daly Elementary School, Hamilton, Montana
Contact: Ria Overholt, overholtr@hsd3.org
Daly School Community Garden, which is entering its fifth season this year, is located on
the corner of school property. The garden is divided into three separate sections, with
one‐third of the garden reserved for rented plots, one‐third as a production area for the
local food bank, and the final one‐third for educational purposes.
Victor School, Victor, Montana
Contact: Jill Davies, jill@sustainablelivingsystems.org
Victor school has recently built a new addition which included the
construction of ten 5' x 20' beds and one 5' x 50' bed on the south and west sides of the
new building. Fruit trees have already been planted, and vegetables will be planted in
the spring. That makes 1,250 sq. ft. of bed space to be adopted by teachers and used as
hands‐on learning environments offering a rich context for exploring science, nutrition,
social studies, math, art, language and writing. The school has already supplied new soil
in the beds, and drip irrigation systems have been installed. The school also has a
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greenhouse on site. In addition, Victor school owns a 4‐acre piece of good agriculture
land a few blocks from the school that, if all goes well, and funds for a coordinator are
obtained, will become a much larger and more comprehensive Community
Garden/Edible School yard project in the future.
Powell County High School, Deer Lodge, Montana
Contact: Bill L. Lombardi, BLOMBARDI@metnet.mt.gov
Powell County High School has a 16’ x 24’ greenhouse, and grows bedding plants.
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NORTHEASTERN MONTANA
Malta, Montana
Contact: Travis Isaacs, JIsaacs@metnet.mt.gov
Malta has a school‐owned lot behind the agriculture shop, and is working on planting a
school garden there this spring. The school plans on giving some products to the food
bank, and a local grocery store has agreed to buy some produce as well. Interest in
horticulture and increasing the opportunities for hands‐on experiences has really
increased after many faculty members attended a workshop last year. The idea to build
a greenhouse is gaining support, and the school hopes to make this their next big
project!
Winifred School, Winifred, Montana
Contact: Heather M. Erickson, HErickson@metnet.mt.gov
Winifred School is beginning to incorporate garden learning into their curriculum. A
community farmers’ market is in the works, and when it starts the school will grow
garden vegetables to sell to community members. Winifred School is also experimenting
with growing flowers and letting the elementary children transplant the plants into
vases that will be constructed to put the flowers in for a Mother’s Day woods project.
Bainville, Montana
Contact: Angela R. Lowery, alowery@metnet.mt.gov
Bainville has had a greenhouse for the past few years, and this spring the students will
grow some chilies and tomato starters to be used in school lunches.
Hinsdale, Montana
Contact: Patti L. Armbrister, PArmbrister@metnet.mt.gov
Hinsdale has a 12’ X 16' greenhouse and is in the process of building a 16’ X 24' passive
solar greenhouse.
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Report developed by: Mary Stein, MS and Juli Louttit, BS, Program Assistant for MT Team
Nutrition Program
For more information e‐mail Mary, mstein@montana.edu, or telephone (406) 994‐5640.
January 2010
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