Heather Estrada and Julian Cunningham come from far-flung but surprisingly similar backgrounds. They ended up working hand-in-hand at FVCC’s brand new agriculture program, set to teach its first classes this fall.

Estrada, who got her higher education in plant science in Alberta, has spent several years working with Montana State University’s Northwestern Agricultural Research Center in Creston. She has specialized in the study and growth of wheat, canola, lentils and other large commodity crops.

Cunningham, the campus farm manager, grew up on a small farm in Texas, studied sustainable farming in Norway (he jokingly said he learned the finer points of guava and papaya growing there) and started his own farm in the Flathead 17 years ago. His specialty is small-scale farming with vegetables and fruit.

Together, the two of them are welcoming a trend to get back to farming’s roots in the United States.

“For several years people in the community have expressed interest in agriculture,” said Estrada, director of the new Sustainable Agriculture Program. “I certainly think agriculture is one of the most important professions one can pursue. I’m a little biased.”

Estrada said she has noticed a trend nationwide of younger people, long fleeing farms for the city, yearning to get back to the soil. Fewer than one percent of Americans are farmers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and 87 percent of all American farms still are family owned.

The four agriculture programs at FVCC seek to get students ready to start and effectively run their own farms. One of the tracks is a self-sufficient technical one, allowing FVCC students to leave the program with the science and business courses recommended for an efficient farm.

This track, Integrated Agriculture and Food Systems study, is the only one of the four that is not transferable. The other three — Agricultural Business, Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems and Plant Science — are two-year programs that transfer directly to Montana State University.

This influence is Estrada’s doing.

“MSU has been wonderful in helping us out,” she said. “They are great about learning about our program. We are planning on having guest speakers and arranging field trips for our students.”

Cunningham and Estrada, soft-spoken farmer stock, are passionate about growing food, although they keep their excitement under check.

One of the new developments is the addition of a five-acre campus farm that used to be part of the Hutton Ranch. Cunningham currently has sorghum sudangrass growing there to build up the soil and suppress weeds, but he says students will be able to grow fruits and vegetables there starting next spring.

“There is a saying in the area that you don’t plant until the snow is off Mount Aeneas,” he said. “But if you do that, you’ve lost a lot of time. I usually plant under covers around January 1.”

A small greenhouse will be built this fall, Estrada says, so the students can get their hands dirty while the ground outside is covered in snow.

The food grown in classes and in the internships that the new programs will provide will go to the Culinary Arts program at FVCC, providing them fresh fruits and vegetables.

“There are lots of people willing to work with us,” Estrada said. “We want to expose students to many farms. It’s big. It’s a great experience.”

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.