Columbia Falls test orchard identifies keepers and 'dogs'

At least two things bore fruit this growing season at the Wildcat Garden in Columbia Falls.

First, the garden’s orchard boasted impressive production by apple, pear and plum trees. Most of the trees were planted in 2013 and this is their most productive growing season to date.

Some trees have performed better than others, a reality that was anticipated.

Now, a few of the apple trees feature branches bent like an archery bow by the weight of this year’s fruit.

In addition, the research plot at Columbia Falls Junior High School is providing information for Montana State University Extension about which varieties of apples, pears and plums survive and even thrive in the region’s long, cold winters.

“Frostbite” apples are doing well, for example.

Pat McGlynn is MSU’s agriculture and natural resources extension agent for Flathead County. She said that once there’s clear evidence of which varieties of apples, pears and plums tolerate the regional climate and growing season it will be important to share that information.

“We want to get the word out to all of the local garden centers and nurseries and homeowners,” McGlynn said.

And something else has achieved fruition, according to Shari Johnson, a guidance counselor at the junior high and steward of the one-half-acre-plus Wildcat Garden.

“It’s been so gratifying to see these kids grow and blossom as they get to experience farming,” Johnson said.

She said seventh-grade students pitched in during the last school year by tracking tree growth and blossoming trends and by checking traps for pesky codling moths.

Students return to classes Aug. 29 and Johnson anticipates there will be many visits to the orchard for sampling of the apples, pears and plums.

“When school starts, the kids are like locusts,” she said.

Forty-nine fruit trees have been planted in the Wildcat Garden since 2013. A few died. There were 21 apple trees planted and 15 pear trees and several plum trees.

“Columbia Nursery dug the holes in a snowstorm,” Johnson said.

Others who helped get the orchard started included Troy Denman of Denman Construction, Columbia Falls’ city maintenance crew and parent Billy Sapa, she said. Don and Patti Dorlarque and former teacher Jack Rogers have been helpful too, Johnson said.

She said the “Frostbite” and “Arkansas Black” apples have done especially well. The “Goodland” apples have been prolific, but have a bland taste, she said.

For pears, the “Ure” and “Parker” varieties have been winners, she said.

The “Mount Royal” plum has done well but the “Toka” plum doesn’t like the Flathead Valley, Johnson said.

The “Sweet Sixteen” apple “has been a dog,” she said.

According to the Montana Historical Society, the first commercial apple orchard in what became Montana was planted in 1870 in the Bitterroot Valley. The Flathead Lake sweet cherry industry was established in 1895, taking advantage of the effect of the lake’s microclimate preventing killing frosts, the historical society reported.

The current quest to identify fruit trees that can survive the region’s long, harsh winters has been motivated in part by regional demand by small acreage landowners, McGlynn said.

The region’s agricultural profile is changing, partly because of increased development of land that once grew crops.

Newcomers to the Flathead Valley often want advice about what they can plant on 10 to 20 acres, McGlynn said.

“So many people want to grow their own food,” she said. “They want to know where their food came from.”

Johnson added, “Our hope is to encourage community members and families to plant their own fruit trees and vegetable gardens to nurture a culture of healthy nutrition in our wonderful community.”

Statewide, an effort to establish fruit trees compatible with Montana’s varied climates has been driven in part by the recognition that the state has many food deserts, which are low-income areas where people must travel more than 10 miles to the nearest supermarket.

MSU Extension hoped to encourage more residents to plant orchards and one step toward this goal was identifying the best fruits for specific regions of the state.

In 2012, MSU Extension was awarded a related Specialty Crop Block Grant through the Montana Department of Agriculture.

There are other challenges on the landscape in Northwest Montana.

In a region where the fans of fruit trees include black and grizzly bears, failure to install barriers can lead to human-wildlife conflict.

“If you are going to put trees up in an area where there are bears you have to put up an electric fence,” McGlynn said.

A high chain-link fence keeps most wildlife out of the Wildcat Garden.

McGlynn has helped champion the introduction of other crops intended to be compatible with both the region’s climate and its trends toward small acreage farms. They have included hops, sweet cherries whose ripening dates compete with Washington cherries and cold-hardy wine grapes.

Many such projects take time, patience and learning from real-world mistakes, she said.

The orchard at Wildcat Garden once survived a long period without watering because of a mix-up in communication while Johnson was on vacation.

“It looked dire,” Johnson said. “I thought we’d lost the whole bunch.”

Another time compost was piled against the trees, a situation that can smother roots.

But the project has blossomed.

Johnson expressed appreciation for McGlynn’s support.

“Pat has been here every step of the way,” she said.

McGlynn said the orchard at Wildcat Garden provides a tangible example of how agricultural extension works.

“In the world of high-tech and internet use, extension still depends on the tried and true methods of research plots and hands on demonstration,” she said. “With this method, we face the same challenges as our growers and the results are specific to our locale.”

Reporter Duncan Adams may be reached at dadams@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4407.