Greenforge Grove is a community-rooted dream taking shape in Baker, Louisiana. We're building a vibrant botanical retreat where nature, folkcraft, and hospitality intertwine. Starting with The Verdant Niche, our cozy storefront for houseplants, artisan teas, and nature-inspired handmade goods, we're growing into a full-fledged destination.
Over the next 5-7 years, we plan to expand the Greenforge Grove to include several attractions.
A cozy storefront offering houseplants, tea, pastries, charcuterie & tea service, artisan goods, and nature-inspired crafts.
A curated garden space adjacent to the Verdant Niche for conversation, enjoying tea, and photo opportunities.
Destination bed and breakfast where visitors can stay while they enjoy the sights and activities of Greenforge Grove.
An enchanting evening market where local artists and makers share their work, connect with community, and bring the Grove to life after dark.
A small-scale homestead that will produce vegetable and fruit produce, animal goods, and eventually host tours for visitors of the Grove.
A future nonprofit collaboration to host traditional craft workshops, support resident artists, and keep handmade heritage thriving.
We’ve always been tinkerers. Crafters. Makers at heart. In a world where creative work is often treated as a luxury - squeezed into weekends or side-hustles, or reserved for those with abundant time or privilege, we felt a deep, persistent need to carve out space for people like us to make art and live creatively.
Individually, we each carried a vision: a shared studio space where craft and creation could be more than hobbies... where they could be a way of life. When we came together as partners, those visions began to grow. We dreamed more, and we dreamed bigger. What started as separate ideas - a petite planterie, a cozy tea shop, a homestead, a bed and breakfast, even a small winery - merged into one living, breathing dream. And somehow, it all fit. It all made sense.
We found our North Star in a simple but profound goal:
To build a place where people can slow down, create with intention, and connect deeply...
with nature, with craft, and with one another.
From this, four guiding pillars emerged:
Nature. Making. Community. Education.
Everything we bring forth from Greenforge Grove is rooted in these values. They shape our choices, our space, and our way of moving through the world. The response to this vision has been extraordinary. Friends, family, and kindred spirits have rallied around the idea. We’ve felt the universe nudging us forward, again and again, with encouragement, clarity, and connection. Now, as things align more tangibly, we’re thrilled to bring this mindful, imaginative space to life in the Baton Rouge area.
With Love,
Melinda Thiessen & Eric Wiggins
