MERIDIAN IS A SMALL FAMILY FARM AND FORGE LOCATED IN MONTANA’S MISSION VALLEY ON THE FLATHEAD INDIAN RESERVATION, IN THE ANCESTRAL TERRITORY OF THE SALISH, KOOTENAI AND PEN’D ORIELLE TRIBES. WE ARE COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY, HEALTH AND COMMUNITY. WE WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND GIVE OF WHAT WE KNOW TO OFFER A PLACE OF NOURISHMENT, RESPITE, CREATION AND LEARNING--FOR ALL.

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Meridian:

:A great circle of the celestial sphere

:A high point, as of development or prosperity

:any of the pathways along which the body’s vital energy flows

Zach, Danielle, Gideon and Bandito

photo by Leland Buck

MERIDIAN FARM AND FORGE OVERVIEW

Meridian provides specialty cut flowers for bouquet subscriptions, weddings, events and workshops. We also operate a traditional blacksmithing shop and host workshops and retreats. We approach all that we produce with an eye on sustainability, a hand on humane practices and a body full of organic methods. Our vision for the farm is to create a place of respite, safety, growth and inspiration for the community we serve and the animals we shelter.

FARM

WHY WE GROW FLOWERS

We cultivate many plants for food and medicine, but our specialty is cut flowers. We employ biodynamic and restorative practices because we believe in improving the land we work with.

We love cultivating beauty through flowers to bring joy and nourishment to others, but also because Danielle is deeply devoted to supporting pollinator health. Protecting and providing food and habitat for pollinators is critical to supporting our food systems as well as an intact ecosystem, for future generations. We shelter honeybees on the farm and countless native pollinators. We are proud to see the amount and diversity of pollinators increase each year and look forward to celebrating and providing education about pollinators in the future.

WHY BUY LOCAL FLOWERS?

Did you know that around 80% of the cut flowers in the US are imported? That means that when you receive them, they are likely not all that fresh, have a hefty carbon footprint and have been sprayed with an assortment of pesticides and herbicides. Purchasing locally grown flowers from your farmer or florist gives you fresher, more sustainably produced flowers, supports your local food system by supporting the pollinators and supports local farmers. Your flowers will smell better, be more vibrant and last longer.

We are members of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, Slow Flowers and the Floret Farmer-Florist Collective.

FORGE

Stay tuned for more about the forge . . . but in the meantime, check out our farmcraft store or portfolio for forge offerings:

 

Danielle Lattuga

I grew up in rural Vermont, where I was lucky enough to wander freely in the family garden, the surrounding wildflower fields and the flanks of Equinox Mountain. My mother would cut lilacs and peonies that I would carry to our elderly neighbor or to a favorite school teacher, burying my face in the fragrant blooms all along the way. My love of flowers, winged beasts and growing things is older than I am, but it wasn’t until I met Zach that I actually started to believe I could center my life around them—and live what I had dreamed of for as long as I can remember. I moved to Montana for adventure, and eventually graduate school in environmental writing. I never left. Good thing I stuck around so I could meet my love and we could meld our vision for a life focused on sustainability and beauty. One that demands a lot of a body and soul. One that is a blessing we are eager to share.

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Zach Seligman

I grew up in New Mexico.  Exploring the wild places of the southwest gave me an appreciation for the natural environment and my role in it.  A love for wilderness, laboring on the land and the right inspirations at the right time has culminated in the all-around, full-body, problem solving rhythm inherent in a lifestyle of farm-work and blacksmithing.  

My journey with blacksmithing and metal craft, while relatively young, has been full.  I was originally inspired by books written by my late grandmother, which were appreciation pieces bringing together example works of great craftsman and artists.  This ember, mixed with my need for a mix of physical and cerebral work has cracked open what seems to be unlimited opportunities for studying different forms, techniques, materials, perspectives and more.  

Blacksmithing has helped me to find inspiration and nearly a good night’s rest at the end of each day through a never-ending front of novel tasks.  From Alex Bealer’s, The Art of Blacksmithing…”The blacksmith was not a machine, he was a man meeting the challenges and glories of each new day in his own individual manner.  Because of this, most smiths were happy men.”