Owned and operated by Carissa McNamara and her husband Bruce Beckstead, Wild Horse Lavender sheds a new light on agriculture. With four varieties of lavender, a flock of sheep, custom hay, self-care products, and agritourism activities, and so much more, Carissa, Bruce, and their son John are constantly kept busy. Originally from Heber City, Utah, Carissa graduated from Weber State with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Anthropology. From there, she received her Master’s in Public Administration and Public Policy from George Washington University. Encouraged to adventure off the family farm, Carissa became a serial entrepreneur, starting with an equine therapy practice in Utah. Carissa and Bruce then bought a retreat property and farm in Costa Rica and a boutique hotel in New York’s wine country. They managed all three businesses simultaneously, until they ventured up to Northwest Montana to start Wild Horse Lavender in 2019. 

When asked what brought them to agritourism, Carissa says, “We just need more people on the farm.” She explains that they needed more members of the community and young people interested in the agricultural industry to become advocates for agriculture and farms in general. “We didn’t choose agritourism—agritourism chose us,” she adds. 

They also knew they needed a new crop, and without knowing anything about the flower, they chose lavender. There are over 450 different varieties of lavender in the world, and Wild Horse Lavender specializes in five varieties of English lavender: Munstead, Hidcote, Bee Zee Blue, Royal Blue, and French Intermediate. It was important to Carissa that Wild Horse plant varieties of lavender that have dual purposes and can be used for buds, bouquets, or oils. The business is now home to 26 value-added products, such as soaps, sachets, eye pillows, and lotions. Within those products, Wild Horse utilizes its Montana-grown lavender and distills it into oil on-site. 

“It takes 25 pounds of plant matter to make one ounce of oil,” says Carissa. Their distillery, which holds 40–60 gallons of matter, runs between two and three hours per day and produces up to 15 ounces of oil. 

Wild Horse specializes in more than just lavender though. John McNamara, Carissa and Bruce’s 11-year-old son, has a sincere interest in the cut-flower industry. John specializes in dahlias, zinnias, roses, peonies, and more. He also works his own registered flock of Dorper sheep and direct-markets their prime or choice+ cuts to restaurants in Kalispell. Bruce specializes in alfalfa, hay, and livestock, while Carissa focuses on the lavender, as well as fruit, medicinal herbs, and honey. The Wild Horse Lavender family has a unique dynamic that allows their farm to remain diverse and organized. Each family member has their own network of ideas and activities that truly inspires them to cultivate the ground every day. 

Flower farming and agritourism are complementary businesses, but with that pairing comes challenges. “My challenge now is making sure that the opportunities I provide and the opportunities I want to provide in the future really hold true to the sustainability piece,” says Carissa. “Together as a family, we’re holding that value system of, ‘The farm is the most important thing.’ But if we have 800 people visiting the farm, that’s not really the message you send.” 

Balance is what makes their operation possible, while also keeping in mind the integrity of the farm and nature. Starting in Utah, Carissa acquired the practice of cultivating in a water-minimalistic way. After moving to Montana, she stuck to those regenerative practices and now uses fabrics that have life expectancies of 15 years and controlled underground water systems. Carissa also keeps sustainability in mind. Since the farm is located 11 miles outside the nearest town, Weeksville, Wild Horse Lavender is only open by appointment so that traffic and the perception that you can drive to and from town are limited. 

“We’ve got some grit,” says Carissa. “I think grit is as much an action as it is a belief in whatever is possible, despite any adversity that comes your way.” Wild Horse Lavender isn’t afraid to be different and blaze their own path in the agriculture industry. “I’ll be the one that makes it,” Carissa adds. 

The Robertson family, operating Wandering Acres Farm in Eastern Montana, isn’t much different when it comes to grit. Tamara Robertson, originally from Forsyth, Montana, grew up on a traditional fourth-generation farm and ranch operation that specialized in winter wheat, spring wheat, and cattle. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Radiology at Montana Tech and had plans to eventually move back to the family farm. Having to move back sooner than expected, Tamara, with her husband and their three kids, had the opportunity to purchase the ranch from her father. But they soon determined wheat wasn’t what they truly wanted to continue producing. Flower farming presented a multitude of possibilities that aligned with their lives and gave them the chance to downsize the traditional farming enterprise.  

At first, farming flowers was just a hobby for Tamara, who originally started out with farmer’s markets and subscriptions. “We were really wanting to share the ranch with other people,” Tamara says. Her dive into agritourism started with elementary school tours and grew into U-pick opportunities and Wander and Graze nights, an immersive experience that allows groups to have the garden to themselves, pick bouquets, and escape the world outside the farm. Tamara doesn’t just want people to come out to the farm, pick a bouquet, and leave. She wants them to learn about the operation, develop an appreciation for agriculture, and spread the knowledge of what it really takes to nurture flowers. “It’s such a deeper experience when you have the private parties,” says Tamara. “It creates a unique selling point to make it exclusive.” 

Wandering Acres specializes in luxury cut flowers, greenery, delicate flowers, and filler flowers. The farm also aims for a rustic, natural look that gives its arrangements an authentic wildflower appearance. “What you see in nature is what you get in our bouquets,” says Tamara. 

Wandering Acres’ floral services are booked out for the next five months, during which the farm will arrange flowers for eight weddings. To further the goal of agritourism—to bring the public to the farm—Wandering Acres is also currently being remodeled to include a ranch house that will function as a Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO). The addition of the ranch house will allow guests to extend their stay on the farm, go on trails, and experience the Eastern Montana prairies as well as a newly planted lavender field.  

With so many agritourism ventures, creating one united brand around everything the farm does has become a serious challenge, as much as planning around sporadic Montana weather. But Tamara and her family roll with the punches and adjust as needed with a positive outlook. Though they experience setbacks, the community support for Wandering Acres has really helped balance them. Tamara constantly has community members or local businesses reaching out to ask for flowers or subscribe to their program. Businesses are open to displaying Wandering Acres’ business cards and spreading the word about their operation. “I definitely would not be where I’m at without their backing or support,” Tamara says. 

With sustainability in mind, Tamara and the folks at Wandering Acres have been working to implement organic practices on the farm, including transitioning to reusable products such as cardboard and vases, turning leftover bits of flowers into compost worked back into their system, and learning what their soil needs to thrive.  

“My definition of ‘grit’ is Montana,” Tamara says. “Everything that Montana is, and is becoming, and was, is based around the people—and their roots run deep. It takes grit to hold onto your traditions.” Tamara knows that it’s hard to break something that is built on a strong foundation and is proud to be a part of the communities within Montana. 

Staying grounded in their traditions, and yet still creating something that is viable for future generations, is important to these women and their operations. Montana’s rich agricultural heritage is the ground they stand on, and working to keep their generational farms and ranches alive is what motivates them to continue to diversify and educate communities. Believing in Montana and working with agritourism gives Wild Horse Lavender and Wandering Acres the opportunity to express their individuality and advocate for the agricultural industry.