Dear Hettie: I would like to have backyard chickens. Is it really as easy as people say?~ Adrienne Well, Hettie says, “Haven’t you heard? Chickens are out. Ducks are in! You should really get yourself some Ducks!” I know what you’re thinking, of course Hettie prefers ducks – she IS a duck. How do I know […]

Q: Dear Hettie — I love organic gardening and want to do more. I want to be more ecological and self-sustaining. I’ve heard the term “permaculture” used by like minded acquaintances, but I can’t really pin-point exactly what people mean by it. What is permaculture? Can learning about it help me do more for my […]

Q: Dear Hettie, What’s the difference between Honey Bees and Mason Bees? I have been focusing on planting edibles in my yard and think I should have honey bees since they actually produce something I can use – honey. Why would I want to add Mason Bees anyway? Answer: Oh, my…. quacks Grandmother Hettie (yes, […]

If you’re like me (Mama Soul) you have the best of intentions for planting a garden, but even when the weather is right you tend to procrastinate. It’s partly because your too lazy to bend over to do the planting, and then you have to count 2-3 seeds and dig holes of certain depths for […]

Dear Hettie, I love the soap at Tierra Soul. Is the recipe a farm secret? Lori (a Farm-Stay Guest) It is all in the Lard, Lady! When we passed this question on to Madame Hettie, she didn’t even skip a beat before answering. She’s right, Lard is our secret, and now it can be yours! […]

Dear Hettie, I am an urban farmer, but recently heard about wildcrafting and wonder, is it is compatible with what I’m already doing? ~ Jennifer Well, says Hettie, You really should know about a thing called “backyard wildcrafting.” Let me explain: Urban farming is all the rage. in our hometown of Portland, Oregon. There are […]

Now, I’ll be honest. Hettie was stumped for awhile after hearing this question (and thus the tardiness of this post). After, hearing both our sides (David thinks celebrating Thanksgiving is a sin and Krista loves butter drenched stuffing too much to pass it up) she announced her stand. Read on: She started on about something […]

Dear Hettie Quackers, Has living on a farm and connecting with the earth helped you understand the meaning of Easter? ~ Dawn This time last year I had a huge epiphany. As Easter was approaching, I had been pondering the season and feeling rather uninspired. I didn’t feel like forcing myself into a false celebration […]