At 9,600 acres and growing, Vilicus Farms is one of the nation’s largest certified organic dryland crop farms, nestled just south of the Canadian border on the Northern Great Plains. Founded by Doug Crabtree and Anna Jones-Crabtree, the farm is the culmination of their mutual desire to transform the practice of agriculture in America, and their diverse and ecologically based farming system is a testament to that commitment. Over 26% of the land they manage is in permanent, perennial non-crop conservation that includes flowering native species to support pollinators. The farm was Bee Better Certified in 2019, making Vilicus Farms the largest organic pollinator friendly farm to date. The farm produces a large diversity of crops each year, primarily various kinds of winter and spring wheat, lentils, peas and broadleaf crops, such as buckwheat and flax for food markets.

Vilicus farming methods are aimed at building healthy soils and healthy food through managed 5 and 7 year crop rotations.  In addition to their human food crops, Vilicus plants forage crops for their new integrated livestock enterprise, and an extensive variety of cover crops to feed the diversity of soil microbes.

The farm system operates in partnership with natural systems, aiming to support diversity in and above the soil. As the farm has grown, so has the farm community, with new partners joining the team to help expand on the goals and vision. Currently, Vilicus Farms is supporting the vision of the farm foreman, Paul Neubauer, as he builds a ranching enterprise in cooperation with the farm system. Integrating livestock into the farming system will further help build soil, support more work opportunities, and provide an example of what truly regenerative land stewardship might look like on the Northern Plains ecosystem.

Doug and Anna are passionate stewards of the land, as well as committed educators. Knowing the importance of bringing a new generation into regenerative and organic farming, they began an apprenticeship program in 2013 to help support the launch of new farmers on the Northern Great Plains. Since then, they have partnered with the Quivira Coalition to become a host mentor for their New Agrarian Program, and this year Vilicus Farms will offer their first formal two year apprenticeship through the Montana Department of Labor-just like the apprenticeships that exist for other trades. Vilicus Farms strives to not only raise good crops, but also raise good land stewards who have the experiences, values, and desire to manage land for the health of all beings dependent upon it.

Transforming how we think about the linkages between landscapes and humans is the most exciting challenge of our time.   The team at Vilicus Farms is hard at work bringing into reality a new vision for agriculture. If you are interested in learning more about the farm, its farmers, apprenticeship program, or want to find ways to support this endeavor, please contact us and visit our webpage.