Download Featured Landowner: White Deer Ranch

Fe at ur ed L a ndowner:
White Deer R a nch
Owners and operators of the ranch since 1990, the Dunns value the
tranquility, natural beauty and bounty that Mother Nature provides.
by Jodie DeLay
Extension External Relations Coordinator, Montana State University
The Dunns are committed to a chemical-free environment
where each component of the farm/ranch ripples out to
enhance another. As they have diversified their operation, they
have stayed true to this mission, placing the highest priority on
good stewardship.
At the core of everything is food. When asked her favorite part
of the farm/ranch lifestyle, Roxanne replied simply, “Eating.”
Concerned with the use of chemicals in America’s food
chain, the Dunns have created a farm/ranch experience that
highlights many ways that food can be grown or gathered in a
natural setting. Ninety percent of what they grow for food is
grown on less than five acres, if you don’t count the space for
the beef cattle. Lee and Roxanne are passionate about sharing
their techniques with others.
As an example, the Dunns desired organic, pastured pork
and lard, so they acquired pigs. The pigs forage within an
area enclosed by a simple electric strand that is easily
and strategically moved around the ranch to allow them to
cultivate where needed. The pigs are supplemented with nonGMO barley.
Per Roxanne, having pigs improved the health of the soil under
the apple trees (and elsewhere), which helped to eliminate an
apple scab problem, while also increasing the quality and yield
of the fruit. In addition, free range chickens follow the pigs,
accessing their nutritious waste to provide rich, healthy eggs.
The chickens eat insects from around the barnyard, keeping
them from eating the garden plants.
The pigs have a mobile shelter that was constructed from an
old two-horse trailer. It is moved from pasture to pasture with
them, providing a safe, consistent home, as they are rotated
around the ranch. The chickens also have a mobile home.
Fixed on top of an old hay truck bed from their equipment bone
yard, the “traveling chicken hotel” is roofed with tin from an
old, fallen shed and pulled from field to field by a 1941 Farmall
tractor. Both the chickens and the pigs provide disturbance and
manure on the soil, improving its quality.
The healthy soil provides a bounty of wild plants, in addition
to those that are planted. These include dandelions, burdock,
lambsquarters, mallow, wild mint, nettle and mushrooms,
all of which can be utilized as food or made into teas and
tinctures. Roxanne notes, “One of the most wonderful things
about learning the plants that grow wild is trying them for
their nutritional and medicinal aspects.”
Another repurposed facility on the White Deer Ranch is
the year-round greenhouse. This is where the Dunns grow
microgreens. Not to be confused with sprouts, microgreens
are very young plants grown from vegetable or herb seeds and
12
| big sky small acres
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WHITE DEER RANCH
What do pastured pigs, repurposed buildings, microgreens and
wild honey bee swarms have in common? At the White Deer
Ranch, all are part of the holistic, sustainably-focused family
lifestyle and management philosophy of Lee and Roxanne Dunn.
Located in the Stillwater Valley, with the majestic Absaroka
Beartooth Mountains as a backdrop, the 450-acre ranch has
fertile soil, phenomenal fishing, and abundant wildlife.
harvested after a couple weeks at about 1-3 inches in height.
Common microgreens include mustard, radish, buckwheat,
lettuce, and spinach. They are packed with flavor and add
color, texture, and nutrition to soups, salads, sandwiches,
and other dishes. A United States Department of Agriculture
study published in the August 2012 issue of the Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that, in general, the
cotyledon leaves (i.e., the embryonic first leaves of a seedling)
had considerably higher nutritional densities, in some cases 40
times more, than the mature leaves.
The greenhouse was repurposed from an old grain storage
building by replacing the tin roof with poly-carbonate sheets,
taking advantage of the southern exposure. The building is
cooled with fans in the summer and other low-cost solutions
are utilized for heat if needed. This has allowed the Dunns
to grow large quantities of microgreens most of the year for
income, as well as to start their own garden plants and bare
root trees. The Dunns advise small landowners, apartment
dwellers, and patio gardeners that they can grow microgreens
wherever they are, even in a window sill. The important thing,
they say, is to “keep it simple, affordable, and sensible to
match your needs and your time.”
Another feature of White Deer Ranch is the bee house, also
created from a repurposed outbuilding. Keeping with their
philosophy, “take care of the earthworms and the honeybees
with proper earth stewardship and everything else will thrive,”
the Dunns planted a pollinator field near a year-round creek.
The bee house protects the bees from harsh winters and
predators who might steal honey. The ranch has six hives,
including two wild swarms. They prefer wild bees as they are
adapted to the Montana climate and are more likely to winter
here. Their pollinator field allows them to change the flavor of
the honey produced and create special honey vintages.
The honey is often given as a surprise gift for visitors who stay
at one of the ranch’s two vacation homes. The Cobblestone
is a repurposed homesteader house that sleeps four and the
log cabin is a newer property that sleeps 12. In addition to
providing income, the rentals allow the Dunns to share their
lifestyle philosophy with others. They encourage guests to
join them for chores and to interact with the animals while
enjoying the property, including an 11-acre private lake for
trout fishing, swimming, ice-skating, and paddling. “When
people visit the farm they are reconnected by the use of all
their senses,” says Roxanne. “After they smell it, touch it, see
it, and taste it, they can better understand the value of how
food is grown.”
The White Deer Ranch is a microcosm of sustainability that
offers something for everyone. The diversification keeps
the Dunns busy, but they constantly assess what is a time
drain, what is working, and what isn’t. “It forces us to keep it
real,” says Roxanne. “We cut things that don’t make sense.”
Nevertheless, things can become hectic. In those moments,
they focus on their mission and their core, which is food.
“When we are in full swing in the summer and we are eating
many of our own farm products, I feel especially lucky. The
rewarding feeling is what keeps us going.”
For more information about the White Deer Ranch, visit www.
whitedeerranch.com. 
W i n t e r 2 0 1 6 |
13