North Idaho business owners have carved out a niche for themselves, finding like-minded communities and setting down roots.

For Ridgeline Plumbing in Rathdrum, Christine Corey said she and her husband, Shane Corey wanted to start a new plumbing business in North Idaho and raise their daughter in Rathdrum.

"He's done plumbing for 20 years, but he wanted to make sure before we started a business here that everything was the same because we moved from a different state," Christine said.

The move to Idaho had been planned for years, but COVID-19 accelerated their timeline. 

After Shane got his Idaho plumbing license, he worked for another plumbing company to make sure there weren't any major changes between the way things were done in California. 

"We wanted to start the business up again because there’s a need for small businesses. There are so many of the big equity out of state businesses coming in," Christine said.

Her family had roots in Idaho roots through her grandmother, so the move felt like they were finally coming home. 

"It was an adventure to be sure. It was a good fit for us, we’re outdoors people and this is where’re going to start and raise our family," Christine said. "This was the first home we ever bought in Idaho. we were outpriced in California."

The Coreys went out of their wat to connect with other Rathdrum-based businesses and start getting to know their neighbors.

The small-town community mindset has been their biggest source of joy from the move to North Idaho. 

"Rathdrum just feels different I feel like I can go to the grocery store and I run into somebody I know," Christine said. "Having a business, it really makes a difference because the residents really want to work with somebody in the area."

And for the Coreys, they are reminded that their neighbors have accepted Ridgeline Plumbing as part of the close-knit community in Rathdrum.  

"We want to be the community for the community is the way we want to do business and they want a local company that knows them," Christine said. "Homeowners and residents are just so happy to have someone trusted."  

Homesteaders find community in North Idaho

When Abby Henning lost her job at a metal fabrication job due to the pandemic, she never though she would become a business owner.

She threw herself into her hobbies and her husband built her a fence tall enough to prevent deer from eating her flowers at her home in Dalton Gardens.

"I’ve always been an artist on a lot of levels and so I had lavender, but I’ve always wanted to have bees, so I decided to get bees and then have this garden that’s for my bees," Henning said.

When the holiday season rolled around, her daughter encouraged her to join in the Christmas market at Emerge CDA where she worked. 

"I made a bunch of lavender pillows and I sold about $1,000 of them in five hours," Henning said.

For the first time, she realized her passion could translate to something more.

"I have a business, maybe. I just grew into this business and I have all of these amazing friends," Henning recalled.  

She connected with other homesteaders and enjoyed the camaraderie and crafts of their shared interests. 

Rachel Buck, of Upper Left Trading Company, said she, Henning and Laura Denning came together to create a specialized homesteader market that wasn’t as commercialized as others they’ve encountered. 

“We wanted to do something different. I wish we could create a market with real homesteaders,” Buck said. “You look around and it’s just this growing movement.”    

Fellow homesteaders can buy wares, share skills or learn more about specific types of artisan practices during the two-day market.  

“The bigger picture is that we’re all supporting one another and this movement came out of covid where people were stuck in their space and they started cooking again and making stuff and crocheting,” Buck said. 

Laura Denning, owner of the Broken Barn Farm and manager of Lake Village Farmers Market, said that the DIY aspect of food preservation appealed to her when she first though about trying some forms of homesteading.     

“I started my business by making shelf-stable foods from food that I grow myself, so everything is organic and handmade,” Denning said. 

In the winter, she teaches food preservation workshops about canning and fermentation and teaches poultry butchering in the summer.   

She said the community connections have empowered her to share her knowledge and help give others the homesteader tools she has found purpose in utilizing. 

“A lot of people are at the point where they want to take control of where their food comes from or what goes into clothing. What can I do for myself that I’ve been letting other people do for me,” Denning asked. 

Henning, Buck and Denning are planning a Gather and Grow Market for artists and homesteaders on May 15 and 16 at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.

For more information, call 208-704-4219 or email [email protected].

    Christine and Shane Corey of Ridgeline Plumbing in Rathdrum.