Online Grimoire (Blog)

Duck Math
Duck Math
The first eggs came when the ducks hit 19 weeks old. The triumph of finding the first egg escaped as a yell, Brian and A were nearby to hear and... Read more...
Duck Tales
Duck Tales
I am sitting in a bathroom with a duck.Couldn’t tell you what I expected from our move to this farm, but I don’t think it was that.The space between reading... Read more...
Tired
Tired
I am slowing down. It’s been almost a year of the most physical work I’ve ever done. I am far stronger than I began, and I. am. tired.Mornings are slower.... Read more...
July Packed a Punch
July Packed a Punch
After the slow, sticky heatwave dissolved, July flew by like someone hit the gas. As we rapidly approach our first year anniversary living on this land, and our tenth anniversary... Read more...
Turning up the heat
This week went by in a hazy, sweaty blur. Days were spent watering everything, plants, animals, people; the cool water from the well the only relief from the brutally high temperatures. They call it a heat dome, it felt a lot like being trapped in an oven, a very moist oven.The first day of the heat was spent further securing the bird yard after I ran into a raccoon in the bird yard, while all the birds were out. I scared it away, and quickly counted all the birds, all... Read more...
The Week the Farm Tried to Humble Me (It Mostly Succeeded)
There’s a thing that happens when you’ve read enough permaculture theory, watched enough no-till YouTube, and spent enough time nodding along to podcasts about working with nature instead of against it. You start to believe you are, in fact, building something that will eventually love you back.And then it rains five inches in a day, your paths turn into a drainage experiment, you find squash bug eggs on approximately every leaf you own, and a rooster you didn’t want to deal with today forces the issue by being just charming... Read more...
This week on the farm
This week on the farm
I’ve started doing this weekly recap because otherwise there’s so much that I forget by the end of the day, much less the week. And because the to-do list is... Read more...
This week on the farm
This week on the farm
Every morning after my bird chores, I try to take a look around the garden to see what deer damage occurred overnight. Of course, it’s not just deer, the raccoons... Read more...
The One Where We Get Back Up
Three things happened in the last couple of days to get me back on track: I had a good cry. My photo memories showed my garden from last year. I had quadrupled it, and it felt abundant, but it was still hopelessly shaded and permanently soggy in our swampy, tree-covered suburban lot. A tiny fraction of what we have now, after a move we didn't have any idea we'd be making one year ago. Oh no, poor me, there are too many deer in my huge garden. Chatting with a... Read more...
The end of Winter
The end of Winter
We all caught the plague a few weeks ago, the kids rebounded first but Brian and I are still cough cough coughing. Finally a little bit of energy returned this... Read more...
Mother of Geese
Mother of Geese
Ryan, of Ryan's Goslings, wanted to know if I was excited. I have no chill, and it's obvious. I'm okay with that, how delightful to find something that makes me... Read more...
Settling In: A Winter Week on the Farm
Settling In: A Winter Week on the Farm
This week on the farm was filled with our first Christmas at our new home and a cold that knocked out most of the house. Christmas was a hit for... Read more...
Welcome to the Hearth, to Hearthroot Farm.
Welcome to the Hearth, to Hearthroot Farm.
I’m Heather, the resident witch, the chaos-maker and tamer, depending on the moment. I’ll stir the soup pot and the figurative pot, depending on the day. I believe in community... Read more...
Moving Diary: Day 1
Moving Diary: Day 1
Over the next little while, I’ll be weaving in pages from our real-time move diary, just as they were written, dusty boots, surprise animals, tender moments and all. Think of... Read more...