FOUR FUN FAMS
Sheep, goats, alpacas and horses to visit close to town!

by Laurie Rugemer

My one-year-old daughter has started imitating the animal sounds from the many farm books I read to her on a daily basis. This summer I started wondering if she would be able to match the picture on the page to the real-life version. I went searching around Bozeman for opportunities for her to do just that. Below are details of my finds – generous farmers and local people who delight in opening their doors to the community and helping bridge the gap between what we teach our kids from a book and what is everyday life for these folks.

Serenity Sheep Farm
Contact: LaVonne Stucky
5477 Swamp Rd.
Belgrade, MT 59714
388-4500
knefla@aol.com

LaVonne and Christ Stucky own 40 acres 8 miles outside of Belgrade, off of Dry Creek Road. When we pulled up to the farm, LaVonne approached us warmly and with a small lamb in tow. Buckwheat, as he is affectionately called, followed LaVonne while she gave us the tour of her farm. As a founding member of Women of the Dirt, LaVonne has a wealth of knowledge about farming and is more than willing to share this with visitors. She is a natural teacher and peppered our tour with farming facts as she introduced us to all of the animals she raises. This is a one-stop shop for animal viewing, as sheep, goats, pigs, turkeys, chickens and a cow (to name a few) live on the farm. Guests will also be greeted by her miniature mule, Lulu Bell, and have the opportunity to gather eggs, catch a chicken or maybe even watch her milk a goat. LaVonne welcomes children and believes that this experience provides them the opportunity to play and be carefree.

Serenity Sheep Farm also has day camps during the summer for ages eight and over, where campers participate in a typical morning on the farm and spend the afternoon doing a wool felting project.

Please contact LaVonne in advance to schedule a farm tour, and be sure to bring money to buy some of her beautiful wool yarn.

Almaltheia Dairy
Contact: Melvyn Brown
3380 Penwell Bridge Rd
Belgrade, MT 59714
599-4593
http://www.amaltheiadairy.com

Melvyn and Sue Brown have been producing organic goat cheese and pork since 2005. With about 500 goats and 200 pigs living on the farm, it is also a wonderful place to take your children for a visit. During our time there, we were fortunate enough to have kids (baby goats!) romp around us as they were being fed and even saw a baby not more than an hour old as it learned to walk. Melvyn and his helpful, outgoing interns were our guides, and they allowed us to linger in the goat tent and wander around to the pigpens, as well as watch the goats being milked. Melvyn is a friendly guide and has many stories to tell.

The best time to go is at 3:30 every day, when the goat kids are fed. This is true throughout the summer. Melvyn and Sue have been welcoming people from the community since they started and enjoy the visits. There is also a chance to purchase their organic goat cheese, organic pork, and farm-fresh, free-range eggs. Be sure to take advantage of sharing these foods with your kids after they’ve had a chance to see where it comes from.

Alpacas of Montana
Contact: James and Sarah Budd
8255 Cottonwood Road
Bozeman, MT 59718
406-579-4055
alpacasofmontana@hotmail.com
www.AlpacasofMontana.com

Just a few minutes from downtown Bozeman, south of Huffine on Cottonwood Road, you’ll make the acquaintance of about 120 alpacas owned by Sarah and James Budd. These extremely friendly, low-key, and absolutely adorable animals are worth the visit. The Budds began raising alpacas about 6 ½ years ago in the Bridgers, but recently moved into town and welcome visitors to the farm.

When we pulled in, their Turkish Anatolian livestock guard dogs greeted us at the gate. These large dogs (over 100 lbs!) live with the herd constantly and protect them from predators (their older dog, Cookie, has fought off several mountain lions), but they are also very gentle and kid-friendly.

Join Sarah on a tour of the farm and learn about alpacas and the many benefits to raising them. The alpacas generally roam around the 20 acres, and each one has a name and distinct personality that the Budds know and love. A South American relative to the camel, they are used solely for their fleece, which is twice as warm as wool and exceptionally soft. South America still has 98% of the worldwide alpaca population, but the number of alpaca farmers in the US is rising, and we are fortunate to have a farm producing high-quality alpaca fiber products using Montana yarn mills and Bozeman knitters.

The Budds stagger the alpaca breeding from May-August, and with an 11½ month gestation period babies all born throughout the summer. They’re expecting about 25 babies in July, so there will be plenty of baby viewing in August and September.

Call or email to schedule a farm visit, and please bring chaperones for children. Alpaca clothing, hats, scarves, baby booties, blankets, and more can be bought during your visit.



MSU Horses at BART
2730 Garfield
Bozeman, MT
Contact: Andi Shockley
ashockley@montana.edu
994-6878

The Bozeman Agricultural Research and Teaching Farm (BART) is located west of the MSU campus and is MSU’s 430 acre farm for research and teaching, mostly centered around livestock and livestock management. The MSU equine center and horseshoeing school are both found here, and during the school year 50-90 horses are housed on the farm. These include MSU horses, as well as boarders, instructor horses, rough stock and training class horses. The equitation manager, Andi Shockley, has lived here her entire life and would enjoy welcoming community members to the farm. Tours can be scheduled during the school year (September-May) to see the horses and learn more about what happens on the farm. Contact Andi Shockley at MSU to schedule a visit.
Horse events in the Gallatin Valley can also be found by visiting http://www.gallatinvalleyhorseresource.com/.

Two Other Potential Spots For Animal Viewing:
1. Visit the ducks at the MSU duck pond, located on 11th Avenue, between College & Grant. A natural spring feeds the pond and the ducks are around all year.

2. Feed the fish at the Fish Technology Center and learn about what’s happening at this facility. Contact MOSS to schedule a time for a visit:
4056 Bridger Canyon Drive (across from the “M” trailhead)
406.582.0526
www.outdoorscience.org
admin@outdoorscience.org

Laurie Rugemer is a freelance writer, science educator, and mother living in Belgrade, Montana.