Gov. Gianforte visits Libby's Hoot Owl Farm

Northwest Montana, while not devoid of agriculture, is known little for putting food on the tables of area residents.

But a tiny four-acre organic farm north of Libby is gaining notoriety for the fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers it is producing and nourishing thousands of people.

Hoot Owl Farms is situated in a narrow strip of land off Highway 37 near Libby Dam. The location is key with a south-facing aspect that delivers plenty of sun.

Gov. Greg Gianforte made a visit to the farm last week during his annual 56-county tour.

“We like to see innovative things in agriculture in our state,” Gianforte said when asked why the visit to Hoot Owl.

The farm, according to 2022 figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is one of 263 certified organic farms in Montana.

Bonnie and Rudy Geber left behind careers with the U.S. Forest Service nearly a decade ago. In their ninth year running Hoot Owl, they are enjoying prosperity they could have never imagined.

“We hoped to have good support and it's been more than we could’ve imaged,” Rudy said during the June 17 tour.

Hoot Owl grows 45 different crops and employs about eight people, some full-time and some part-time. They provide food to 190 customers as well as Libby Public Schools, Empire Grocery Store, Heaven’s Peak, the Libby Farmer’s Market and some area restaurants.

“People like to know their farmers,” Gianforte said.

The operation received a $30,000 grant from the state Department of Agriculture a few years ago and it has helped improvements to farm infrastructure to increase efficiency and productivity.

“We were able to pour a concrete floor where we can roll our carts and when you’re dealing with hundreds of pounds of produce, it’s a real back saver,” Bonnie Geber said. “We also were able to put in another colder cooler for tomatoes and other things.”

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

Currently, the produce they are offering includes beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, salad mix, kale, sugar snap peas, jalapeno peppers, radishes, scallions, summer squash and more.

The farm is also part of 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 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. 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.

For more information, go to hootowlfarm.net or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HootOwlFarm#.

    Potted plants are among the many colorful and delicious offerings found at Hoot Owl Farms, located north of Libby on Highway 37. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
  

    Hoot Owl Farms employee Ethan Kolp checks for weeds Tuesday, June 17, 2025, during a tour with Gov. Greg Gianforte. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
  

    Gov. Greg Gianforte samples a strawberry at Hoot Owl Farms Tuesday, June 17, 2025, during a tour. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)
  

    From left are Hoot Owl Farms' Rudy Geber, his wife Bonnie Geber, Gov. Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte Tuesday, June 17, 2025, during a tour. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)