The historic Deer Flat Mercantile is located in the town of Huston, one mile from Peaceful Belly Farm. Built in 1909, the Mercantile served the bustling farming community until it closed in 2005, when Judy Smith finally retired, after working there almost constantly since 1960. Previous owners were Roy and Darlene Stahn, who operated the Mercantile from 1956 - 1999. We are still assembling a timeline of earlier owners.

For Polum Bolum, the The Mercantile represents relations through time. With over a century of history in its walls, this building has been present during much of the growth and development of the Treasure Valley. An interurban electric rail loop once ran through Huston, connecting it to the other towns in the area.

As a hub for commerce, the Merc has been a place where people could purchase goods without having to make a long trip to one of the larger towns in the area. It once employed its own currency- a token system, complete with actual coins in various denominations. Local farmers could choose between being paid for their goods in cash or with Mercantile tokens, to be spent on the plethora of goods offered there.

Polum Bolum is re-activating this historic landmark with a new vision: to foster the growth of knowledge, skills, and ways of being that feed our collective hunger for meaningful, grounded culture, and to experiment with economic forms that prioritize reciprocity with the earth and each other. We invite you to visit this space of continuity, where we can gather, connect, and build toward an earth-aligned culture, together.  The Deer Songs Residency will be our first program.

If you have stories, photos, or memories of the Mercantile, or would like to tour, please get in touch: community@polumbolum.org