Growth continues at organic certified Hoot Owl Farms

A book and a desire for changes in their careers led a Libby couple to begin an organic garden and the growth has been nothing short of remarkable.

Longtime locals Rudy and Bonnie Geber once both worked for the U.S. Forest Service. Their careers had exceeded more than a dozen years each, but it was time to change things up.

In the beginning of their journey before they got into the agriculture industry, Rudy was a culturist with the agency and Bonnie was a geologist.

At some point they came across a book written by Elliot Coleman, an American farmer, agricultural researcher, educator and proponent of organic farming. The publication lit a spark in Bonnie and the couple decided to see what they could do with their garden at home.

Bonnie was the first to leave her job at the Forest Service and her husband followed shortly after.

Today, Hoot Owl Farms, located off Montana 37, northeast of Jennings, is a real organic certified farm with home-grown herbs, flowers and produce.

Folks interested in their products can buy boxes during the winter for the next harvest season or find them at local farmers markets and harvest festivals.

Last weekend, the Gebers had a Community Support Agriculture event where locals are able to come to the farm, purchase produce and services that are available along with a tour of the farm itself to see how and where they grow the product.

The farm they started in 2016 in their own backyard has grown into a secondary location that is closer to Libby.

Neither of their parents had any background with agriculture and Bonnie's mom had only dabbled in gardening but nothing serious. Diving into it sight unknown they starting their business and have been able to fully invest themselves into commercial farming and growing their business to restaurants, grocery stores and of course the locals of Libby.

This is their fifth year on their second location since they started. They were able to obtain their organic certification after developing a type of organic operation that was true to their spirit and values they uphold as farmers. They came across the Real Organic Project, a grassroots movement that is not affiliated nor run by any government body.

It is instead run by farmers, agriculturalists and other people who care for maintaining and improving the natural environment.

The Real Organic Project is to provide a more rigorous standard of what being organic means. This includes but is not limited to things such as soil health, carbon absorption, what can and cannot be used for supplements both as soil additives and foliar applications, and much more.

A Real Organic certificate is an add-on label to organic, meaning a farm has to be organic certified before it can add a Real Organic label.

The add-on certification is for farms that grow their plants in healthy, living soil and raise their animals humanely and on pasture (if they have animals). The add-on exists to help farmers and consumers differentiate farms that are growing their animals and crops to not only the letter, but also the spirit, of the certified organic standards.

Farms have to receive their organic certification once they have acquired a certification that is submitted online. An inspector will arrange a one-hour visit to the farm, during the growing season, to ensure that it meets all of the certification criteria.

Farms with the Real Organic certification may use the Real Organic Project logo on their marketing materials and on any products that they certify.

The Geber's goals for the future is not the typical answer one may think of. They are not looking to immediately expand or take on more then they think they can handle so they maintain the quality of merchandise and services.

Instead their main goals for their business and the seasonal workers they hire are to enrich the soil and the land they currently have and make it as healthy and fully functional as possible.

To take steps forward in attaining this goal they use compost, crop rotation, apply insect nets and more.

Rudy said, “Going out on your own is hard, but people appreciate it so that’s why we do it.”

Aside from bettering their land another main goal for this business is to cater to the local community of Libby and give people the option of fresh right out of the ground produce.

Some of their product includes bok choy, winter cabbage, cucumbers, peas, melons and much more, venturing into micro greens and different variety in flowers. This is also their first year they ventured into harvesting pumpkins. You can find their products at their online website or at local town venues.

More information can be found on their website at https://www.hootowlfarm.net/what-we-grow.