STEVENSVILLE — This time of year, gardens, flowers and farms are blooming across Montana. This month, they're blooming indoors too at “Small but Mighty: Growing Strong from Farm to Table” in Stevensville.
The exhibit, put on by the Bitterroot Discovery Children’s Museum at the Sapphire Early Learning Center, aims to teach Ravalli County children more about their food.
“The idea of farm to table is one that I think resonates with everybody in the valley,” said Anita Wotkyns, president of the Bitterroot Discovery Children’s Museum. “It’s just a wonderful way for us to showcase, not only some of the wonderful businesses in the area, but also give parents and caregivers a way to talk to their kids about where their food comes from.”
From pollinators and farms to pizza and groceries, the exhibit is teaching children about the local food system through play.
There is a pollination station, where visitors can learn all about bees, grow flowers and even dress up as a beekeeper and check on hives. There is also a vegetable garden, a picnic area, a tree to pick apples, a chicken coop, a pizza oven and a farmer’s market.
“The kids can grow their crops over there and then harvest them and bring them to our farmer’s market,” Wotkyns said. “They can kind of have a little mini commerce lesson, right? They can grow the crops, they can be the people selling and then they can also pretend that they're buying the things and take them to their own kitchens.”
The Bitterroot Discovery Children’s Museum, a nonprofit, is fundraising for a dedicated space. For the past three years, they've partnered with places across the valley to host pop-up exhibits every other month.
The Sapphire Early Learning Center is hosting this month’s exhibit. Director Kelsey Mahan took her kids to one of the museum’s other exhibits a few months ago and knew she wanted to bring a pop-up to Stevensville.
“I just wanted it here. It was a no brainer in my brain. As a family, we spent an hour there. It's just so crucial for families in the valley,” she said. “Immediately, when you enter the room, you're overwhelmed but you're calm at the same time. It’s just, it's remarkable what she does here.”
The exhibit is full of props and activities and toys, but Wotkyns said it's much more than just a place to play. It's also about working with families and caregivers. For her, part of the museum’s goal is to be a resource for the community.
“Kids will play with rocks and sticks. It doesn't take all of these toys and fun things to entertain kids. It's fun, but it's not the be all end all of what we do,” she said. “This is a place where they can come and get hooked into all things early childhood. If that’s you need a resource like a little bit of extra food on your shelves at home, we can help you find those. If you need resources to help your kids grow strong and healthy, we can definitely show you in that right direction.”
The Bitterroot’s many outdoor farmer’s markets are just starting their seasons. In an agriculturally-focused valley, the exhibit hopes to be one more way to connect the communities and their food.
“I think that it's the perfect time to have ‘Farm to Table’ right now,” Mahan said. “You're starting to grow right now, you're starting to plant seeds, flowers, everything is kind of blooming all around us.”
The exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays through the end of May.
“Even the littlest things, like bees and insects and little kids, we all can play a really important role in keeping our community healthy and thriving,” Wotkyns said.
