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 […]
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, Hettie […]
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 […]
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 […]
Ask Hettie Quackers Q: How do I celebrate Day of the Dead in a way that makes a difference? A: Hettie says, tell them about the altar…. and the Feast. Well, we here at Tierra Soul started building our Day of the Dead altar yesterday. I went down to the basement and brought out the […]
Dear Hettie, We can’t drink all our milk before it goes sour. It’s so precious, what can I do to prevent it in the future? ~ Heather Well, Hettie says, sour milk is not really something to prevent. Rotten milk is and that is really only a problem with bad or pasteurized milk. Really, she […]