Following Dreams Back to the Soil
Written by: Elizabeth Clary
Montana is a hub for agriculture, and with more people moving to the state, the desire to go back to traditional work has been on the rise, according to the 2022 Agriculture Census. First-generation farmers are those whose parents were not farmers, but still decide to return to the land, working to build their dreams.
Turner Farms 406, located in Missoula, Montana, is a perfect example of first-generation farmers. Erin and Jon Turner — the owners — started the farm with their three sons. Erin had grown up gardening various vegetables with her family, and when Jon first saw what they were growing, he wanted to create a similar garden at their future home. Her love for the trade rekindled and grew as she taught her husband all she had learned as a child.
The garden grew and grew, becoming a family endeavor with their sons helping wherever they could. The Turners had never thought about selling their crops before, but when the boys wanted to buy themselves a bunk bed, they went straight to selling their produce to friends, family, and neighbors. From this side hustle, they were able to pay for their bunk bed and found a new passion. Erin and Jon were inspired to support their sons’ excitement —starting Turner Farms 406.
For the Turners, it is all about the community they can build.
“The other thing that we love is our farm store in the summertime,” Erin said. “As people are coming in and getting stuff, Jon and I will just stand there and kind of just listen, and it just makes our hearts burst.”
One of their favorite ways to form community is through their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) pickups. Community members can sign up for, essentially, a vegetable subscription. On pickup days, Erin described that she loves “when you know the people are common, and you know they recognize, especially if you know they’ve been doing it for a number of years, and they see each other. And a lot of them just know each other from here, and you can just tell that there’s a connection and a relationship that’s been built.”
Another fan favorite is their annual Pumpkin Festival that takes place in October. This started as a class field trip to aid with the pumpkin harvest and only grew. Each fall, they open their farm up to the public for one month. People go to pick out pumpkins, see the animals, and go on farm tours. Additionally, the weekends are more festival-like and are stocked with food trucks, fresh baked donuts, live entertainment, and a larger crowd.
The community the Turners have created is one big enough to act as their sole marketing system. They have a social media presence — but, besides that — their regulars do their advertising for them simply by word of mouth. When it comes to Pumpkin Festival season, the Turners are often told to advertise more, but, even without, they get a consistently large crowd —something they take pride in.
“They [The Missoulian] insisted that we needed to advertise in the paper, and we need to get the word out. We don’t really because that is another limitation that we have,” Erin said. “With a smaller parcel of land, we don’t have a whole lot of parking, which is a struggle. We get plenty of people. We don’t need to advertise.”
However, with the increasing population of Montana towns, the Turners’ main obstacle has been the competition for land. Being only four miles from the city of Missoula, they are sitting on 18 acres of prime real estate land that developers have their eyes on. Land in Missoula ranges from $150,000 to $200,000 per acre, making it so both Erin and Jon continue to rely on separate careers outside of the farm in car sales and church positions.
Erin explained that she is thankful for the support system her family offers. Their sons continue to help at the farm in addition to extended family, never failing to lend a hand upon request. They also offer internship programs for eager middle school and early high school students who want to learn more about farming while helping in the fields. Without this tight-knit community, their farm may not have been able to grow to where it is today.
“If we were to go 30 miles out of Missoula, we could probably find land a little bit cheaper, but where we’re sitting, we are literally four miles from downtown Missoula,” she said. “We’re so close to the population center that kind of has that built-in customer base...and it’s just easy for people to swing in and grab something. That’s kind of the balance.”
Initially, the Turner family bought an acre and a half, assuming it would just be to build their family home. However, as neighbors began to sell land, they began to purchase and expand. Their 18 acres are just enough to grow their crops, raise their livestock, and host local festivals. With the rapid development of the surrounding land, they are slowly losing the opportunity to expand further.
Another challenge the Turners are facing is the upbringing of the second-generation farmers they have raised. Their eldest son is now their lead farm hand, with the younger two consistently around and willing to help where they can. This farm, after all, was not just created by Erin and Jon, but by their sons too. Their youngest even raised their entire herd of sheep up until he left for college. Erin explained that it’s hard to know where to loosen the reins now that she and Jon aren’t the only two running the show.
Although this was a big step for the family to initially take, Erin has no regrets. She loved watching her kids get involved and grow their passions for this line of work, two of whom continue to work in agriculture.
“I figured there are so many bad things out there that my kids could be getting and, I mean, why wouldn’t I say yes [to more livestock]?” she joked.
Jumping into any new job field can be intimidating, especially if you are starting with little to no experience. Although Erin had a background in growing vegetables, she had no former experience in running a farm or raising livestock. These skills came later as her sons began their own research to expand the farm. The Turners understand that starting on a new journey can be intimidating, but Erin urges those who feel the same desire to farm to just start and see where they can get.
Erin’s main piece of advice is to “just do it, because you will never regret getting your hands dirty and working with the earth and feeding people, that’s the best feeling. We could live without doctors, if we had to, but we can’t live without farmers. It is such an incredible feeling, knowing that we are nourishing the people in our community. It’s such an honor. And it’s actually kind of humbling to know that people depend on us for that.”
“My other piece of advice would be to start slow,” Erin said. “It’s so easy to go hog wild and do everything because it’s such an exciting field to be in. Just adding all that stuff out all at once is so overwhelming, and you end up failing. We want to do everything and it’s just not realistic.”
Above all, Erin urges people to follow their passions. If you are starting something new and coming to realize that you do not enjoy it, there is always time to pivot directions. Whether it is regarding the crop you’re growing, the animals you’re raising, or your career path altogether – there is no rush.
First generation farmers are fueled by the desire to build a community as many have been since the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for land outside of small city homes and work that makes a visible impact has also been on the rise. However, more demand means higher land prices that are slowly causing multigenerational farmers to lose their land to developers that are pouncing on the trending “Montana lifestyles.” The Turners are proof that farming can be successful as long as there is a strong community willing to lend a hand in times of need.
“I think one of the reasons why we’ve been as successful as we have been is because our passion for this is contagious. I mean, we are so excited about what we do, and we love sharing it with our customers, or students, or anybody that’s willing to listen” Erin said.