In the mid-1800s, prospectors flooded into Montana, lured by the promise of mining gold. Driven by wealth and expansion, they staked claims across the land, often dismantling Indigenous communities, ranchers, and homesteaders in the process. The landscape was forever changed; not just by the mines they carved into the mountains, but by the large crowds, towns and railroads that followed.

Today, a new kind of gold rush is consuming Montana’s beautiful landscape. Not just for minerals, but for urbanization and development. In Bozeman, Montana, farmland once prized for its fertility is vanishing beneath bare grey concrete and high-density housing. The rush to build has pushed small farmers to the edge.

Owners of 4 Daughters Farm, Tom and May Heriza know this all too well.

For the last 15 years, the Herizas have run 4 Daughters Farm, a thriving 20-acre operation on some of the most fertile soil in the Gallatin Valley. Their land has provided food, flowers, and years of community involvement for the people of Bozeman. It’s a place where Bozeman families and individuals can break away from the everyday routine of city life, trading pavement for soft earth beneath their feet. Picking sun-kissed flowers, gathering raspberries straight from the bush, or unwinding at one of their events, visitors find a space to reconnect and soak in the simple beauty of the land. Here, the rush of the everyday fades into the rhythm of nature, offering a unique place just minutes from home. But soon, their beloved farm will have a new neighbor: a 312-unit apartment complex is set to be built on land with even better soil than their own.

The Herizas understand that Bozeman is growing, and that housing is a critical issue. But what they can’t accept is the lack of compromise with the trade-off between productive farmland and development. “We knew it was coming,” May said.

“Everywhere you look in Bozeman, there are developments popping up. But this land is so fertile, and this soil is worth protecting.”

For decades, the 20 acres right next to 4 Daughters Farm were farmed and preserved by the landowner. When the owner passed away, the property was sold, not to another farmer, but straight to developers. Within two years, it was rezoned, annexed into the city of Bozeman, and fast-tracked for high-rise, “affordable” housing.

This type of development raises questions about what is truly considered “affordable housing.” The Bozeman Real Estate Group’s blog post shared that, just down the road, the Highmark Apartments, a 162-unit complex at South 19th and Stucky Rd, exemplifies this trend. The development includes 42 apartments and 120 townhomes, featuring amenities like a dog park, bike storage, attached heated garages, a sauna and spa, a fitness center, a self-serve dog spa, and in-unit washers and dryers. Recently in Bozeman, similar listed rental prices range from $2,245 per month for a one-bedroom to $4,195 for a three-bedroom unit.

The Herizas have attended city meetings, not to fight the development, but to make city officials aware of what they’re losing.

“I don’t think the city understands just how valuable farmland is,” May explained. “Not all land is the same. Some of it is rocky, some of it isn’t fit for farming. But this… this is some of the best soil in the valley. That’s why the MSU research farm is right across the street.”

Despite their trials and tribulations, the project moved forward. The implications of this new development will go far beyond the Herizas’ property line. Once construction begins in June 2025, the farm will face immediate challenges, including drainage issues from the apartment complex’s flat roofs — potentially flooding the fields; the loss of a historic tree line that serves as neighbors are still unknown. And what about the city’s justification for development: “affordable housing”?