Farm406

31 farm406 ontana farmers continually search for creative ideas for adding value to their farming operations. Many think that such applications might be their salvation during those rough years. Some farmers choose to bypass brokers and sell their products directly to purchasers; many develop new byproducts , such as creating a coffee alternative made from barley; others use their expertise and equipment to do custom work for other farmers. Tom Lightner and his brothers, Kevin and Jim, who farm north of Choteau have been contemplating renting out a family recreational area on their farm for special events. Now they aren't so sure that this idea is feasible because of an unexpected premature cost. e Lightners' farm has a spring that has never gone dry during the three generations they have lived there. It was their father, Raymond, who had the dream of damming up the spring to create a pond for both irrigation and recreational purposes. is was done in the spring of 1995, two years before Raymond passed away. "He was able to see the pond and participate in construction of a storage building at what we began to call the Agawam Oasis," said Tom Lightner. By Suzanne Waring A G A W A M O A S I S : Added Value to the Lightners' Farm e word Agawam was taken from the name of the former town located below a hill on the farm's south side. e town with a post office until 1956 was named by a Milwaukee Railroad official aer Agawam, Massachuses. For the Lightner family, the abundance of water and verdant environment at Agawam Oasis created a relaxing atmosphere, especially during the late summer when the contrast to the nearby dry, brown hillsides was striking. Pond at Agawam Oasis. Photo courtesy of Owen Robinson Attendees of farm tour enjoying the Agawam Oasis. Photo by Suzanne Waring M

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