Written from contributions by Samantha Hokulani on her recent trip to hand-forage her clays Old Ferry Ember (formerly Red Brick Dirt) and Montana Coal
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For anyone who might want to know a little more about this journey—this one means a lot to me.
I’ve always loved history, but if I’m honest, I love the earth even more. There’s something about being out there, hands in the ground, knowing every layer has a story behind it. That’s what pulled me back again.
We left at 5 in the morning and didn’t get home until about 11:40 that night. Nearly 17 hours of driving, hiking, searching, and just spending time doing what I love most. It’s a long day by anyone’s standards—but it never feels like a burden when you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.
It actually took me a while to find the right name for this one. I didn’t want to rush it. I needed something that truly reflected the place, the feeling, and the history tied to it. And eventually, it came to me:
Old Ferry Ember.
Where it comes from
This clay comes from the Missouri River country near Lloyd, in Montana—close to where locals remember an old power plant, and not far from the grounds of a ferry crossing that once connected people long before modern roads existed.
That land is deeply personal to me.
I spent my summers there growing up—living on that old ground, wandering the hills, and exploring a place that always felt like it was holding onto something. You’d find weathered timbers, old iron spikes, and layers of rich red earth just sitting there quietly, like pieces of history waiting to be noticed.
Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, those ferry crossings along the Missouri River were essential. They connected ranchlands, homesteads, and travelling communities. Life moved through those crossings. The nearby power plant area became part of that same working landscape—built by hard hands and shaped by the rhythm of the river.
Even now, you can still feel it.
What makes it special
The colour is what first draws you in—that deep, warm ember-red. It comes naturally from iron-rich earth, giving it those terracotta and weathered brick tones that feel so grounding.
But it’s the texture that really tells the story.
It’s layered and flaky, breaking into crisp sheets that crumble down into soft, earthy dust. It feels raw. Untouched. Exactly as it should be. This isn’t something refined or processed—it’s the land itself, shaped by time, weather, and everything that came before us.
Why it matters to me
This isn’t just about sourcing clay.
This is about returning to a place that helped shape who I am. It’s about walking the same ground I knew as a kid and seeing it with new eyes—but still feeling that same connection.
Every piece I gathered carries that history. Not just the history of the land, but my own memories tied to it.
There’s something really special about that.
A little piece of Montana’s soul
At the end of the day, Old Ferry Ember is exactly what I hoped it would be.
Raw, natural, and gathered with care—it holds the warmth of the earth, the quiet of the landscape, and the stories that live in that ground. It’s a little piece of Montana’s old soul, carried forward in every flake.
And after a 17-hour day out there, I can honestly say—
I’d do it all over again. 🧡
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