With spring officially here, the growing season has begun at the PEAS Farm on Missoula's north side. This 10-acre site, a collaboration between Garden City Harvest and the University of Montana, focuses on local food production and hands-on education.
MISSOULA, Mont. – With spring officially here, the growing season has begun at the PEAS Farm on Missoula's north side. This 10-acre site, a collaboration between Garden City Harvest and the University of Montana, focuses on local food production and hands-on education.
The farm dedicates nearly half of its land to growing fresh produce for the community. Each year, between 50,000 and 60,000 pounds of produce are cultivated, benefiting the Missoula Food Bank, a mobile senior market, and a local CSA. The farm also serves as a classroom where students from UM’s Environmental Studies program learn about regenerative farming, food systems, and sustainability.
Caroline Stephens, a lecturer at the PEAS Farm, emphasized the educational aspect of their work. “So we are an educational farm. You could totally farm this land in a completely different way without an educational component. With fewer people. We tend to do a lot of work by hand, slow down the work we're doing,” she said.
This season, the farm's projects include a seed garden supporting local libraries, tree planting in the orchard, and a "Four Sisters" garden in partnership with tribal organizations from Montana to North Dakota. Stephens noted that students gain more than farming skills; they develop a deeper understanding of their relationship to land and community.
Additionally, the farm is hosting a summer camp for kids through Garden City Harvest, with spots still available.
