Meet Mariah Taunton

We were lucky to catch up with Mariah Taunton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mariah, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Our stories are both deeply personal and complicated, but our experiences and battles are pivotal in who we would become and why we would partner to start Firefly Fields Northwest.

It begins with Kasey Nothiger, who I (Mariah) overheard chatting with a coworker.

I remember it fondly. It was May, I was in the waiting room for a new doctor to assist with treatments of my Type 1 Diabetes. I overheard a woman chatting about seeds and plants she was growing. I am a Design Project Manager for a landscape design startup called Yardzen so plants are always drawing my attention. I couldn’t help myself but to interject in the conversation.
“What are you talking about? What are you doing with these seeds?” I say.
“I am starting a flower farm!” says the woman, Kasey Nothiger.

No way. This has been a dream of mine. I was JUST telling my best friend about my vision for something like this just a month ago. I gave Kasey my number in hopes she would call me. And she did later that evening!

Getting to know Kasey and why she is who she is today is one of resilience and determination. Growing up as the middle child, with siblings significantly younger, Kasey took on a caretaking role due to her parents’ demanding careers in the medical field. This responsibility shaped her into the compassionate, hardworking, and reliable person she is today. In her 20s and 30s, Kasey worked in the medical field while also exploring her creativity through activities like party planning and cake making. She found success opening a restaurant to later sell it in order to move to Central Oregon with her family.

In August 2019, Kasey’s life changed dramatically after a near-fatal car accident. While she survived the accident, she was left with multiple medical conditions, which took much time and many sleepless nights to diagnose. “It’s in your head, it’s psychological, it’s not a real thing, you just need therapy” is what the multitude of doctors told her in the beginning, which is almost as painful to hear as it is to experience the ongoing bursts of pain she went through.
After undergoing numerous tests for other conditions such as MS, autoimmune diseases, and cancer, all to show up negative. It was a patient at the clinic where Kasey worked who suggested Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Upon looking into it further, Kasey sobbed as she knew this must have been it. This led her on a journey to find the top CRPS specialist in New Jersey, which involved traveling across the country and undergoing extensive treatments. It was then the doctor confirmed she was a 10/10 on the scale of CRPS diagnosis, which only requires a 3/10 to be fully diagnosed.
CRPS, is a disorder known for causing excruciating pain and being extremely difficult to diagnose. CRPS is so severe that it is considered one of the most if not THE most painful conditions, with many doctors unfamiliar with its symptoms and treatment options. Proper diagnosis can take 8-10 years.

Finally able to move forward with initial treatments that were costly, daily, and drastic as insurance does not cover them, Kasey now manages her condition with a spinal cord stimulator but continues to fight for better health and quality of life with the support of her family. It feels like science fiction for the weekly spinal cord stimulator charge-up, which is essentially charging an EV vehicle, but through a human. On top of all of this, she battles Dystonia which is tied to CRPS as well as Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) as a result of the concussion from the car accident.

She shared all of this with me fairly quickly as we both have a shared purpose to start the farm.
It resonated with me as my life changed in 2013 at the age of 18 when I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Though not nearly as extreme as Kasey’s story or even most people who are diagnosed with Type 1, it was still a shock to my system and forever changed the course of my life. It was a tough blow knowing I would have to take lifelong insulin therapy as my pancreas no longer functioned normally as well as the daily mental gymnastics I have to complete to feel good and function well, it still guided me to pursue a path that explored my creativity and innate desire to help others. From volunteering to simple education for those who point out and ask, “What is that thing on your arm, leg, abdomen, etc..” (Insulin pump or my glucose sensor) I enjoy every part of that aspect of my new normal. Kasey sharing with me about why she wanted to start the farm struck me so deeply with passion that I instantly knew we would have to become flower partners to bring it to life. After all, why not us? Why can’t we make our dreams come true? Why can’t we share it with others?

We are aligned on our shared vision, mission, and purpose.
We believe we were meant to guide and inspire others, showing that life is possible beyond illness. Our goal is to help people realize their dreams despite their struggles. We chose our symbol the Firefly to bring light, joy, hope, and healing to others. Through flowers and experiences. We don’t have fireflies in Central Oregon, rather it is Kasey and I, her daughters, and the flowers all of which serve as the fireflies. Through the farm, we hope to spread awareness, raise funds for those who can’t afford treatments, and offer strength and support. Our shared vision is to inspire people to keep fighting or to stand beside them and fight for a better tomorrow.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

We both have a love for plants and flowers that starting a flower farm seemed like the right choice for us. Even if it was a separate vision to start, together, we have morphed it into something so much greater and cannot wait to start building it out over the span of the years!
Farming is hard work and very reliant on Mother Nature. We’re pretty crazy to start out at the scale we are currently working on, but hey.. Why not us?

We’ve shared our end goal and mission, but we fully anticipate this will occur years from now once we are established and have our routines down.

We are currently farming on ¾ acres of the 5 acres on Kasey’s property in Terrebonne, OR with plans to expand a bit into another field exclusive for sunflowers and Dahlia tuber rows. All profits from this year are meant to go into the infrastructure, materials, and supplies needed for next year. We plan on getting a heated greenhouse to expand Central Oregon’s short and harsh growing season as well as maximize our current growing space for more of a seasonal change!
This year we spent much time getting irrigation lines set, crop rows planned and set, amended soil, planted seeds and starts, built the most incredible farmstand, set T posts and fencing, cleaned up our workshop where we assemble bouquets, and gathered everything we needed to start out. All of this and more.

For our current offerings, we are centered around creating experiences for people to enjoy, not just to swing by and pick up some local flowers. Everything we have created is focused on moments.
We built a farmstand that ties into our brand with moody colors and pops of vibrant flowers. It is painted to match the 1919 farmhouse Kasey and her family resides in on the property. It is nestled underneath towering Elm trees planted when the house was first constructed. It is angled toward Smith Rock State Park, which is world-renowned for its rock climbing and world-class hiking trails. Inside the stand, stopper bys will find a photo wall set with a floral mural and custom-made decal flowers imported from an artisan across the seas. Her flowers are truly magical and make the wall even more special. We also sell organic chicken eggs and produce we grow in the garden. We’re hoping to expand our produce offerings to give the demand for fresh and organic produce at a price people in this area can afford.. since we know food scarcity and inflation greatly impacts the locals around us. Everyone deserves healthy and affordable food. Hopefully, we can partner with other local farmers to offer their produce as well if demand is there!

Something special about the Firefly business and brand is our 1961 Ford Econoline truck which is the vessel for our pop-up events. Her name is Blue Petal and she is instrumental in spreading joy around town, flowers or not! She is a vibrant blue which catches anyone’s eye, especially car enthusiasts. Blue Petal is perfect for hosting our offsite bouquet bars, market wraps, and events.

Our U-Pick is the most exciting offering we have! People can walk our flower field, cut flowers that speak to them, enjoy music and the pollinators at work, and get lost in the farmlands, mountain views, and views of Smith Rock that surround them. They can take as long as they wish in the flowers. Some come by themselves, some come with a friend, family, their parents, etc…It is at these moments that our mission feels that it will be a success.

One customer shared that this was her second time being out of the house as she lost her husband 10 days ago to cancer. Another couple shared that they don’t get out much anymore due to ongoing health conditions, but they saw our flowers and wanted to set a date night to come out and enjoy. Another group comes by every Sunday to pick some fresh flowers and herbs for their new home. The routine of the farm has become something they look forward to as a family every week!

We’ve got big plans for the years to come with lots of ideas on how we can branch out and create more experiences for the local community!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Research! To learn more about this endeavor, we have read books, scoured the internet, and joined flower farming facebook groups. We love chatting with other local growers to hear about their learnings in this specific climate. There is so much available at our fingertips that we felt really good about getting started. Of course, mother nature plays a hard hand, and adapting as you go is necessary. Tale as old as time. Not just farming, but marketing your business and brand- from signage to online presence. Our logo is everywhere because we want people to remember our name and recognize the brand.

Networking! We couldn’t do it without our supportive local community around us. Local business owners, neighbors, friends and family, past coworkers, walk-in clients are all instrumental in our word-of-mouth marketing scheme. It’s been amazing. We have some exciting partnerships planned for next year with locals in our area! Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and share with everyone who you are and your mission. Now is not the time to be coy. Also, invest in quality signage with a strong brand presence at the start. We have signs that guide folks from the highway to our flower stand which has led people to find out about us and get a feel for our overall brand at the start.

Inspiration! There are oh so many outlets where we find inspiration. It is one of the drivers that keep us going. Mainly, the inspiration is drawn from one another. We see how hard the other is working, recognize the lack of sleep and physical exhaustion, and still see a spark in the other’s eyes. We thrive pinballing ideas off of one another, pumping each other up for a long day, and sharing the stories from our customers that are shared with us. It is each other and our customers that truly inspire us the most and give us the grit and motivation to keep the farm going, bigger and better every year!

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

A large area of growth and improvement would have to be the pitfalls and hard lessons learned. The 2024 growing season has been one for the record books (seriously, they are doing research about why it was so hard for growers across the nation). Working alongside mother nature, impacts of climate change and global warming, and the already extreme conditions of Central Oregon was bound to give us a glimpse into growing flowers and other produce.
We purchased over 3,000 Dahlia tubers only to find out this has been the worst year for Veteran Dahlia growers in 10 years. Not just locally, but across the US. What should have been rows of 4 ft blooms in mid to late July is just starting to go wild in September.
A late June frost followed by immediate and prolonged heat shocked and killed many of our plants. A premature fall frost a week or two ago took out many of the surrounding flower farmers in our area. Learning about methods of till versus no till, irrigation schedules and setup, cover crops, germination rates and losses of seedlings, the list goes on and on of growth. We experienced lots of failures, but on the other hand, we took these lessons as great success. As well as succeeding in many other aspects of our business.

Our biggest area of growth, however, is learning to be proud of ourselves and what we have accomplished. We have big dreams and ambitions for what the farm can be, but letting go and understanding that this will be built for years is something we are getting used to. Kasey and I are incredibly hard-working and.. dare I say.. perfectionists when it comes to putting our name on something that represents us. Sitting back to watch and listen to the feedback from those who are seeing the flower field for the first time is exactly what we needed to hear to know we pulled it off, and we should be proud. What comes next season is both thrilling and terrifying but we are eager to see what we can pull off next!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fireflyfieldsnw.com
• Instagram: @fireflyfieldsnw
• Facebook: Firefly Fields NW https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562534932331&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits

Mariah Taunton
Kasey Nothiger
Addison Nothiger