ABC acres, an 80 acre landscape at the crossroads of regenerative food production, healthy living systems, and ecological design, is itself a living and breathing entity. In no small feat, it took all of 30 years for ABC acres to get to this point. Tim and Sarah, owners of ABC acres, have been on this journey for those many years… growing as people while developing a healthy approach to family, farm and land management.
After already having made a commitment to organic foods and sustainable life choices, they were introduced to the concept of Permaculture by good friend Grant Shadden in the summer of 2011. Permaculture, though described in many ways, can be defined as a design science that implements agriculture practices in a way that mirror natural ecosystems resulting in abundant yields with minimal amounts of care, inputs and management.
Looking to pursue a more wholesome life in the mountains, complete with growing & consuming good, clean food, while raising their boys on the farm, Tim & Sarah acquired an 80 acre parcel of land in Southwest Montana located on the river bottom of the Bitterroot Valley. It was here, in the fall of 2012, when ABC acres, a Permaculture Farmstead, was born.
Pan forward ten years, and ABC acres has seen a collective of animals on pasture, food forests designed & planted, and landscape earthwork projects implemented. With a heightened engagement of seasonal visitors, ABC acres has grown their on-farm vacation stays alongside their daily interactive activities such as guided tours, livestock feedings, nature walks, workshops, and a stocked farm shop offering fresh foods and resource materials for the do-it-yourself’ers.
As we launch into 2023, new learnings and observations along the way have Tim & Sarah formulating a new direction for the property. At the cornerstone of ABC acres, there remains a constant growing connection to Nature. From what was originally a barren horse farm, has blossomed into an immersive landscape of grasses & ground covers, shrubs & plants, trees & forests, ponds & river-frontage, all in concert with one another allowing for an ever-growing wildlife population to take root. Whether migratory or year-round residents, ABC acres has been blessed to see a growing diversity of insects & pollinators, amphibians & mammals, foraging ground birds & aerial raptors, and large land mammals, such as deer & elk, gracing the property for both land-owner and visitor enjoyment. Coinciding with a few new offerings from last year in the Botanical Tropical Greenhouse and Honey Operation, ABC acres is morphing from what was a family farm into an immersive Permaculture Preserve.
2023 will see ABC acres continue to champion regenerative agriculture in the natural world while focusing on creating the preserve as an immersive nature destination for both local and out-of-towners alike. Offering four well-appointed rental homes, abundant walking trails complete with educational kiosks highlighting numerous Permaculture earthwork projects and local wildlife information, alongside ongoing regenerative agriculture endeavors as well as a fully stocked farm shop with seasonal food options, ABC acres is creating a unique experience to be enjoyed by the whole family. Instead of your typical vacation, come to ABC acres to experience the richness of Montana in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley.
