Co-superintendents of the Western Montana Fair Poultry department Laura Denitto and Kristin Whisennand will teach participants about the key needs and considerations for the healthy backyard chicken flock. You’ll learn about city regulations, basics of chicken care, what to expect when having a couple of hens around your home, coop considerations, disease and pest management, while interacting with the Moon-Randolph Homestead’s flock of 40 laying hens and two roosters.

$5 for MUD members and $10 for non-members. Pre-register by paying at the MUD Square Marketplace.

MUD & the Moon-Randolph Homestead are pleased to offer a 3-part Homesteader Workshop Series again this calendar year. Workshop content is targeted towards adults or older youth, but families are welcome as there is plenty of room at the Moon-Randolph to play and explore. Please bring water and come prepared to be outdoors!

Contact info@mudproject.org with questions.

Calling all storytellers, yarn weavers, and tale tellers:

We're looking for community members who are interested in digging into Missoula history and assisting the caretakers with interpretation at the Moon-Randolph Homestead.

On Saturday, June 16, from 1-3 p.m., the Homestead will host a tour guide training program. The training will cover the history of the Missoula Valley, homesteading in the West, vernacular architecture, heritage apple trees, and the unique stories particular to the Moon and Randolph families. 

After completing the training, volunteer tour guides will be able to support caretakers in interpretation during Saturday tours, as well as during field trips and volunteer events for youth and adults.

RSVP to: moonrandolph@gmail.com

Join Sandy Perrin from Missoula County Extension for a soil science workshop for gardeners. This workshop will cover the basics of soil science, soil testing, soil test interpretation, and soil building techniques. Workshop instructors will cover key concepts, as well as provide participants with hands-on experiences, such as collecting soil samples from the Moon-Randolph Homestead garden, evaluating soil by sight and touch, and deciphering both home- and lab-made test results.

$5 for MUD members and $10 for non-members. Pre-register by paying at the MUD Square Marketplace.

MUD & the Moon-Randolph Homestead are pleased to offer a 3-part Homesteader Workshop Series again this calendar year. Workshop content is targeted towards adults or older youth, but families are welcome as there is plenty of room at the Moon-Randolph to play and explore. Please bring water and come prepared to be outdoors!

Contact info@mudproject.org with questions.

This workshop focuses on methods to keep predators away from small livestock, such as chickens and pigs. Join us at the Moon-Randolph Homestead, where we are surrounded by bears, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, raptors, and other predators, and we manage our livestock to prevent interactions with wildlife. Local expert, Bryce Andrews, from People & Carnivores, will discuss predator-livestock interactions and demonstrate different fencing techniques to keep your livestock safe. Claire Grisham, from the National Wildlife Federation, will discuss ways to incorporate wildlife friendly gardening into your backyard landscape. 

$5 for MUD members and $10 for non-members. Pre-register by paying at the MUD Square Marketplace.

MUD & the Moon-Randolph Homestead are pleased to offer the 3-part Homesteader Workshop Series again this calendar year. Workshop content is targeted towards adults or older youth, but families are welcome as there is plenty of room at the Moon-Randolph to play and explore. Please bring water and come prepared to be outdoors!

Contact info@mudproject.org with questions.

Three years ago, Orchardist Roger Joy grafted budwood from the Homestead’s historic apple trees onto heritage rootstock. Those trees have grown up on Joy’s orchard in the Bitterroot, and this spring, are ready to be planted out at the Homestead. Join us for this historic tree planting in one of Montana’s oldest remaining orchards. Both experienced and inexperienced planters are welcome.

This event is free and open to the public.

Join us for a day of tree pruning in the Moon-Randolph Homestead’s historic apple orchard. Experienced pruners are encouraged to attend, or learn the art of tree pruning with our skilled local arborists, Mark Van Der Meer and Mike Billingsley. This is a great workshop for those wanting to learn how to care for older apple trees, and a great way to spend a spring day at a historic homestead in Montana. For those with pruning equipment, bring handsaws, pole saws, loppers, hand shears, gloves, and orchard ladders. We will have plenty of tools for the empty-handed. 

This event is free and open to the public.

Coffee, lunch, and cider provided.

No sign-up required. Just bring yourself, some layers for wet and cold spring weather, some water, and the desire to get to know a tree or two. No dogs or unattended children, please.