Plains homesteaders share secrets in local tour

The desire to become independent in their food production led Tara Browning and her husband, Doug, to begin homesteading.

Last week, Tara hosted a tour of their farm in Plains. The tours are part of the Sanders County’s Montana State University’s Extension Office Education Garden and Farm Tour series this summer.

They started homesteading in 2014 with some pigs and chickens.

The tour kicked off with a cow milking demonstration. Tara showed and explained how she starts the process, first cleaning the teats with warm water to get them ready to release the milk.

Next she dried them, following that she put them in an iodine mixture to sanitize the teats, clarifying that it wasn’t straight iodine because it dries the skin out.

After she cleaned the iodine mixture from the teats, she displayed a California mastitis test. Tara took the square plate with four indentations evenly spaced; she milked each teat into one of these indentations, and then poured a chemical mixture into each of the indentations. Tara explained that if the mixture caused any gelling in the milk, it indicates that the cow is suffering from mastitis, and that a cow can have mastitis in one or all of its teats.

After she finished the test it was time for the actual milking.

On average the cow produces about 1 1/2 gallons of milk a day when she has a calf. Without a calf, the cow produces about 2 to 2 ½ gallons a day.

When Tara finishes milking, she moves the milk from the bucket into a metal container and chills it as soon as possible in the freezer. She makes all of her own yogurt and cheese from the milk and any milk that does not get used is fed to the pigs.

After moving the milk out of the bucket she reapplies the iodine mixture and let’s it sit for 30 seconds before cleaning it and moving the cow back to its fenced area.

After the milking demo was finished Tara showed the group the orchard that Doug is in charge of maintaining. A creek flows through the property and is used to irrigate and water the orchard.

After the orchard tour, the group moved to where the pigs are kept. Both sows are pregnant and will produce about 8 to 12 piglets in each litter.

The Brownings keep their meat chickens in a coop on wheels that can be moved so the chickens have a lot more free range food.

After the chickens Tara showed everyone their garden and then began a tutorial on foraging.

“Anytime you are going out and simply identifying different plants that can be eaten or otherwise used that is successful foraging, foraging is learning, and one of the most important things to learn is knowing what is in your area,” Browning said.

Tara also showcased many different plants with several uses ranging from eating to lung health, including yarrow, mullen, pineapple weed and lamb’s quarter, and many other plants.

The tour ended with participants having a chance to ask any questions.

The extension office is hosting three more tours this summer.

Horticulturist Joan Bates will present a plant taxonomy and garden tour at 39 Tie Plant Road in Paradise at 10 a.m. Monday, July 19.

Then Ken McGann will give a spring fever day lily tour at 12 Loys Lane in Plains at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 27.

The final tour will be of a gutcraic vineyard with Tom and Bina Eggenperger at 102 Kaniksu in Thompson Falls at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17.