Maarten Fischer’s reputation proceeds him.

At least that’s the impression one gets after talking to the members of his multifunctional agriculture course at Flathead Valley Community College.

The class, with 18 of the Flathead’s farmers as students, learns from Fischer the best ways to expand or alter their businesses. The majority of them are seeking to increase tourism dollars to their farm or ranch.

Fischer, a Dutchman, is an expert on ecologically sound farming. His multifunctional agriculture uses responsible farming to help the community and turn a profit for the farmers utilizing it.

“It’s building your business with your immediate surroundings,” he said. “They are a cool bunch of pioneers in the valley.”

For an land resource-based state such as Montana, working with the environment without destroying it remains important to the farmers. Fischer’s class is partially funded by a Montana Department of Agriculture Growth Through Agriculture grant and the program has partnered with several economic development and farmer groups.

Shirley Folkwein, for example, is turning her father’s small cattle ranch near Columbia Falls into something more productive. The class is helping her set up a business plan.

“I’m starting a market garden,” she said. “It’s a vegetable garden for the Columbia Falls farmers market. It’s on an eighth of an acre and it’s amazing how much you can produce.”

Folkwein’s garden is heading toward the community-supported agriculture trend that has exploded in popularity in recent years. Community-supported agriculture involves taking on subscribers at the beginning of the season and every week those subscribers get a bundle of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Fischer grew up with the concept of using the land efficiently and productively. The Netherlands are one of the densest countries on earth, with 1,057 people per square mile. Montana has just below seven people per square mile.

Although Big Sky Country has room to spare, farmers still are attempting to maximize yield to provide for other opportunities.

Danielle Tuhy, a California transplant, has plans to make a camp for therapeutic horse riding. The idea is not new, but Tuhy said she has innovative plans thanks to the class.

“I wasn’t really sure what the class was going to be about,” she said. “But I kind of wanted to meet people who were like-minded toward business. I decided what things would make me happy, and being outside, around kids and giving back to my community were all parts. Oh, and working with horses.”

Tuhy’s plan is to let children who have been traumatized work with horses and put their mind on something other than what sent them there in the first place.

Not everyone in the class is trying to get a new business off the ground. Others, like Pam Gerwe, are seeking to make more money from existing businesses.

Gerwe, one of the operators of Purple Frog Gardens near Whitefish, had a simple reason for taking Fischer’s course.

“I’m a Maarten groupie,” she jokes. “He knows a ton about farming and with his help I’m going to increase subscribers.”

She too runs a community-supported agriculture operation and, as a well-established “no spray” farmer, is looking to increase the amount of produce she can send out every week.

In Fischer’s class, there are a few with more ambitious projects.

Michael Billington owns property near Dayton and is hoping to create a healthily watered farm with naturally circulating water.

“Maarten’s expertise can help focalize my vision,” he said. “I think there is a difference between agriculture that takes advantage of abundance and agriculture that generates abundance.”

Billington’s farm, which uses raised garden beds known as hugelkultur, had water running even in minus-20-degree weather thanks to the fascinating design that looks like a Van Gogh painting.

But Fischer remains down to earth. He tells even his students with the most lofty goals not to bite off more than they can chew.

Or as the Dutch saying goes, “you’ve got too much hay on your fork.”

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