About us
It all started with a rosebush, and herbs for the garden…
The Backyard Farmette
My friend Jen coined the word Farmette for me, only hers is several acres in rural Minnesota.
Ours… well it’s a backyard in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle, but it comes complete with chickens and an orchard.
We converted the front and backyard lawn to growing only organic edible plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables, as well as roses and flowers for cutting. The chicken coop we built turned out to be a luxury mansion by accident. Books on building chicken coops were reserved for months at the library, so I borrowed a book on building a house and the rest is history.
From Veterinarian to Beekeeper
While staying at Jen’s Farm showed me how cool and lovely chickens are, (and where I learned peacock poop will take the paint off your car if not hosed off), it was my Grandpa who inspired me to keep bees. And my friend David, whose veterinarian I was (before I retiring early for health reasons), taught me most of what I know about managing colonies and keeping bees happy and productive. Plus, (don’t laugh) until I tasted his beekeepers honey I never quite liked the taste…
Keeping pets, including chickens and bees probably comes natural to someone whose calling it was to help animal. Growing and nurturing a garden, living simply and creating for the sake of creating, this is where I found peace of mind after I could no longer practice veterinary medicine.
— Anna Kihara