Shy Bear Farm is located in western Montana a few miles south of Flathead Lake. The 'Farm' is not a farm at all but rather 20 acres of mostly forested land. I (Gary) grew up on a farm and always romanticized myself as a 'black dirt farmer'. I love the smell of freshly turned earth and I suppose it was only natural to call this place a farm. I bought the land in 1973 and built a small cabin and workshed the first year I was here. Over the next 20 years I lived here off and on, adding to the cabin and outbuildings as the urge struck me. If I wasn't living here, the place was usually occupied by someone needing a place to park themselves for awhile - from college students to writers, from commune-ists to hermits.

A friend and I had bought land adjacent to each other about the same time so when our tenth anniversary of stewardship arrived we had a gathering. We invited all those friends who had had any contact with the land to come and celebrate with us its beauty. Some friends came from California with their two young sons who had never spent time in the country and were a bit concerned about the 'wild' critters that might be around. One day as we were sitting around, my friend and I started talking about all the bears we had seen that summer. Hearing this, the youngest boy became quite concerned but was relieved to hear his older brother explain to him that these bears wouldn't hurt him as they were shy bears! And that's how the name, Shy Bear Farm, came to be.

KaDe and I met at a contradance in 1990 and were married in June of 1991. After KaDe's son graduated from high school and left for the Navy in '93, we moved here full-time. Since then we've continued the construction activities adding several out-buildings (see the Projects area). All the work, except for some earth-moving, has been done by ourselves and legions of friends. Our latest project, the construction of a more modern home for ourselves, began in 2003 and is continuing still. We, and many friends, worked on it every spare moment for about 2 years until we could move into it and now it has become more of a hobby. We work on it when we get a chance or when we find that we just have to have that certain amenity. As part of the house project, I am currently working on a wood-fired boiler system for heating the house.

At one time, KaDe's primary focus was with the PawsAbilities program, a local project which raised and trained dogs for placement with mobility impaired persons. She began as a foster-parent to two puppies and eventually became responsible for much of the puppy acquisitions, working with the puppie foster families, preliminary training, and doing follow-up after the dogs were placed with a client.  We built the whelping shed and kennel in order to raise more puppies for the program. This program eventually no longer had need of KaDe's services and she is now working in the Arlee School District.

I have a variety of interests - sometimes too many! I graduated from college with a M.S. in Geology but immediately went into carpentry after graduation. I did that for almost 20 years and then became interested in computers while doing energy modelling on passive solar homes. After returning to school for 2 years to get a certificate in computer programming and operations, I got a job as the Information Systems Manager for a natural foods manufacturer in the area and worked there for 10 years. That job came to an end when the company suffered some financial setbacks and went into bankruptcy.  I now work at The University of Montana in IT support.  I find that I still enjoy building with wood as a hobby and that's probably why our construction projects never seem to end!  I also enjoy gardening, especially the harvesting part, preserving the gardens bounty. The root cellar wasa special project for me and seeing it fill with food each fall is especially satisfying.

I have studied alternative energy from wood stove technology to methane digesters to solar electric. I've built wind electric generators; designed and built super-insulated, passive solar, and earth-sheltered homes; been partners in an energy conservation/alternative energy business; installed about every type of solar water heating system ever designed; and had a lot of fun doing it.

Another nterest is family geneology and history.   My great-grandfather, Heinrich Decker, came to the U.S. in about 1853 and settled in the Greenwood, WI area.  His son, my grandfather, Louis Decker, immigrated to Eastern Montana in the early 1900's and homesteaded near Sidney, MT.  After loosing his place to hail, drought, grasshoppers, etc., he moved to the Ronan, MT area in 1936.   I've spent some time in the Sidney area, looking for information on the family and plan to return soon for more 'looking around'.

Both KaDe and I enjoy contradancing which is why we built the dance pavilion.   We've been dancing for many years and are active in the Missoula Folklore Society.

HOME