Sanders County welcomes second Extension agent

MSU Extension in Sanders County has hired another agent to expand support for agriculture, horticulture and natural resources in the county. "We have always had an agent in the office that represented agriculture, horticulture, and natural resources, but with only two staff it was hard to cover all the requests we were getting from clientele in the county," said Juli Thurston, 4-H and Youth Development County Extension Agent. "Now, with another staff person dedicated to these areas, we can better meet the needs of our landowners and community members as well as hopefully grow MSU Extension supported programs such as farm-to-school, community gardens and farmers markets."

Wendy Carr grew up on Little Bitterroot Ranch in Hot Springs. Experiences of helping on the ranch, which has been owned by her family for four generations, instilled a love of cultivation at a young age. She played a vital role in day-to-day operations, which involved raising purebred Simmental cattle, planting and harvesting hay and grain crops, gardening, harvesting and preserving produce that was raised on the ranch.

"Growing up on a ranch in Sanders County, I've always loved agriculture and horticulture," Carr said. "I just really want to see agriculture thrive here."

After graduating from Hot Springs High School, Carr took off to Bozeman to attend Montana State University. Before graduating with a degree in Elementary Education, Carr spent her last semester of school student teaching in New Zealand. On the north island of the country in the town of Rotorua, Carr says she was able to experience the rich agriculture the area had to offer.

"This job is something I'm going to be really passionate about," Carr explained. "I get to combine my teaching experience and my experience in agriculture and help people in the community, all while still promoting agriculture and horticulture in the area."

After graduating, Carr moved to Metlakatla, Alaska, where she gained experience teaching predominantly Alaska Native children in kindergarten and first grade. After the birth of her three daughters Aubrey, Mackenzie and Marina, Carr took a break from teaching in order to raise and homeschool her children.

Time in Alaska allowed Carr to fully embrace every adventure the state has to offer. From co-owning a commercial fishing operation to dog mushing, moose hunting and negative 72-degree weather. After 11 years in Alaska, Carr returned to ranch life in 2018. Coming home to Hot Springs, she came back to teaching and also stepped into the role of marketing and cattle sales on Little Bitterroot Ranch.

After teaching at Plains Elementary School for the last three and a half years, Carr is returning to her roots and stepping into her new career. She started with MSU Extension in early January and has hit the ground running. With several projects and plans lined up for the future, Carr has also made several connections in the community.

As La Rue Hot Springs Museum starts their 2022 season, Carr will be assisting the board members as they build their new interpretive walking path by incorporating native plants in the landscape. She is also dipping into her background in cattle sales and says she would like to start working with local ranchers in the beef industry. "I'd like to look into a co-op where ranchers can sell their beef locally instead of shipping it off," she said.

The newest Extension agent will be starting beekeeping and forestry classes in the future, but a main focus in her work will be farm-to-table, including incorporating a farm-to-school program. "I would like to start some after school programs and introduce young kids to agriculture who wouldn't normally get to experience that," she said. "This position will be a great combination. I get to teach, but I get to teach about my passion."

For more information on programs offered by Carr, call Sanders County Extension at (406) 827-6934 or email [email protected].