Missoula County

Missoula County is a dynamic landscape in western Montana that combines the best parts of Montana into a thriving county with rivers, forests, local foods, and a large urban city center. The city of Missoula is home to the University of Montana, serves as a regional shopping hub, and has a variety of entertainment options. Missoula County boasts miles of blue-ribbon trout rivers, forested mountain slopes, numerous outdoor recreation opportunities, pristine mountain lakes, and small communities exemplifying living in the West. Missoula County has something for everyone. Missoula County Extension has four full-time Extension Agents, two Nutrition Educators, and a full-time 4-H Assistant. MSU Extension partners with the Missoula County Department of Ecology to offer support and programs to all of Missoula County.

 

Welcome new Horticulture Agent

Sarah Holden started working for Missoula County MSU Extension as the new Horticulture agent in October of 2023. Holden has spent her career working in government and private industry, serving the public in plant sciences. Holden most recently worked for Missoula County, developing a new program around Climate Resilience and Sustainability education. She is no stranger to working with plants and people, and she has experience in natural resource management, including invasive species, small agriculture, integrated pest management, climate resilience, and horticulture practices. Sarah is excited to expand the Master Gardener course offerings in the county, create a Junior Master Gardener program and expand involvement in the 4-H Garden project.

Junior Master Gardener Pilot Project

In 2024, Missoula County Master Gardener Julienne Bitely worked with Sarah Holden to implement a pilot Junior Master Gardener (JMG) program. Students from a local homeschool group from third to eighth grade participated. The Wildlife Sciences curriculum was used for the pilot and students completed eight chapters focused on gardening with wildlife and participated in two service projects. One of them was helping to pull invasive plants in the John Toole Prairie in Missoula. JMG participants collaborated with the Xerces Society and completed the pollinator X kids booklet and received a badge and certificate. MSU Extension horticulture plans to continue to grow the Junior Master Gardener program in Missoula County in 2025.

Caption: Junior Master Gardeners Pilot project

Credit: Sarah Holden

Plant Clinic settles into new digs

The Plant Clinic has been serving county residents since 2002. The new location for the ever-popular Plant Clinic is the new GW Marks Exploration Center. Missoula County residents can bring in pests, plants and more to be identified, sampled, or tested. The plant clinic receives an average of 1500 calls and visits per year. The public has access to all sorts of benefits, including free education and specific science-based information through MontGuides. Cherry fruit fly, apple maggot, and codling moth monitoring through trapping is also done to identify and monitor these pests in the county.

Caption: Sandy Perrin checking out a sample

Credit: Sarah Holden

Kitchen and cooking classes use local foods

It has been an exciting first year in the new Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center and Rocky Mountain Gardens building. The spacious, fully-equipped Honeyberry Kitchen offers classes for all ages and new collaboration opportunities with local schools, non-profits, and other county partners. The Rocky Mountain Gardens provides a bounty of local produce that can be used in monthly cooking, preservation, and interactive cooking classes.

Ongoing monthly programs like “Confidence in the Kitchen, Young Chefs in the Kitchen, Guest Chefs in the Kitchen, and Cultivate and Cook,” brought more than 300 participants who put on aprons, took part in an interactive cooking activity, watched heart-healthy cooking demonstrations, and discovered best practices for growing local food from MSU Extension horticulturist Sarah Holden and Missoula County Plant Specialist Sandy Perrin. The on-site Rocky Mountain Gardens provided herbs, potatoes, leeks, tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables for classes.

Caption: Rocky Mountain Garden Produce Participants in 'Cultivate and Cook-Garlic.'

Credit: Photo by Kelly Moore

Make No Bones About it: Bone-in Cuts are Best

It has been an exciting first year in the new Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center and Rocky Mountain Gardens building. The spacious, fully-equipped Honeyberry Kitchen offers classes for all ages and new collaboration opportunities with local schools, non-profits, and other county partners. The Rocky Mountain Gardens provides a bounty of local produce that can be used in monthly cooking, preservation, and interactive cooking classes.

Ongoing monthly programs like “Confidence in the Kitchen, Young Chefs in the Kitchen, Guest Chefs in the Kitchen, and Cultivate and Cook,” brought more than 300 participants who put on aprons, took part in an interactive cooking activity, watched heart-healthy cooking demonstrations, and discovered best practices for growing local food from MSU Extension horticulturist Sarah Holden and Missoula County Plant Specialist Sandy Perrin. The on-site Rocky Mountain Gardens provided herbs, potatoes, leeks, tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables for classes.

Caption: Guest presenters and beef demonstration.

Credit: Photo by Kelly Moore

Caregiver’s Respite Retreat

The Caregiver’s Respite Retreat was attended by 21 participants who spent the day receiving support and encouragement from MSU Extension Caregiver Respite Retreat staff.

Participants engaged in relaxation exercises, craft projects and listening sessions with other caregivers. In evaluating the program, all participants requested another retreat in 2025. Some of the comments during the day included:

• I’m so happy to be able to meet, talk, and cry with others in the same boat as me.
• I had no idea how badly I needed some time away from caregiving until I got here today and just thought about myself for a change. I don’t want this day to end.

Caption: Participant learn about nutrition during a session at the retreat.

Credit: Photo by Kelly Moore

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

EFNEP program support was provided to Missoula County, which includes two staff members, educational supplies including food samples and other educational materials for program participants, and travel expenses to get to and from community organizations throughout Missoula County to provide a total of 175 educational classes.

Behavior Change percentages in Adult Graduates:

• 100% Diet Quality – Improvement in one or more aspects, where indicators include eating fruits, red, orange, and dark green vegetables; drinking less regular soda, fruit punch, fruit drinks, sweet tea, or sports drinks; and cooking dinner at home.
• 100% Food Safety Practices – Improvement in one or more practices, where indicators include washing hands before preparing food; washing all items and surfaces after cutting raw meat or seafood; not thawing frozen food at room temperature; and using a meat thermometer.

Behavior Change percentages in Youth Graduates:

• 80% Diet Quality
• 53% Safe Food Handling

Contact

1075 South Avenue West 
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 258-4200
https://www.missoulaeduplace.org