Welcome, friends, to the latest chapter of life at Liten Hobbit Stuga, our 5-acre haven in Astoria, Oregon! As spring unfurls its vibrant greens and the Pacific Northwest shakes off its rainy cloak, our farm is buzzing with growth, community spirit, and a deep commitment to permaculture principles. From heirloom seeds sprouting in the Upper Meadow to rare-breed chicks in a brooder in the bathtub getting ready to spend their summer in the Lower Meadow, every corner of this land tells a story of resilience, biodiversity, and joy. Grab a cup of tea and join us for a stroll through the latest happenings.
A Permaculture Paradise Takes Root
Our vision for Liten Hobbit Stuga is to weave a food forest inspired by pioneers like Ketelbroek in the Netherlands, blending food production with nature’s embrace. Permaculture is our guiding star, and we’re nurturing a layered ecosystem where every plant, animal, and microbe plays a role. This spring, we’ve made leaps toward that dream, direct-sowing a dazzling array of seeds across our zones: the Garden Beds north of the house, the Upper Meadow in the NE corner, the Pumpkin Patch, and the Berry Patch. Each zone hums with purpose, designed to support Astoria’s damp climate and our five rambunctious dogs while fostering pollinators and wildlife.
In early May, we scattered seeds for microgreens, peas, beans, sunflowers, melons, fennel, snapdragons, and poppies, holding back tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, and indigo for later planting to dodge late frosts. The Upper Meadow is a riot of perennial ryegrass, teff, rice, white clover, barley, lupine, yarrow, and blanketflower, sown to withstand dog traffic and bloom year after year for sensory delight. Our Pumpkin Patch will host watermelons and Amish melons, relocated to thrive alongside pumpkins and squash, freeing up Garden Beds for strawberries and beverage plants like tea, coffee, chamomile and mint. This chaos gardening approach—sprinkling seeds with abandon—mirrors nature’s own artistry, and we’re thrilled to see what emerges. No better way to see what will work and what won’t!
Heirloom, Heritage, and Rare Species: Seeds of the Past, Present, and Future
At Liten Hobbit Stuga, we’re stewards of genetic diversity, planting heirloom, heritage, and rare species to preserve flavors, stories, and resilience. Our Garden Beds boast Masai beans, a European bush bean variety that’s rabbit-resistant and perfect for tall pots, and North Georgia Candy Roaster squash, cherished by the Eastern Band of Cherokee for centuries. The Berry Patch glows with heirloom strawberries, their tiny, sweet fruits a nod to simpler times. In the Upper Meadow, sunflowers and millets stand tall, their seeds destined for our pantry and seed library launching this fall.
We’re especially excited about our rare finds. The Garden Peach tomato, with its yellowy-pink blush and juicy sweetness, is sprouting in peat pots, ready for transplant after Mother’s Day. Our Sugar Cube cantaloupe, a disease-resistant hybrid with roots in North Carolina’s heritage melon tradition, promises summer sweetness. And in a nod to our love for the unusual, we’ve sown woad and indigo, a dye plant that ties into our passion for sustainable crafts and vibrant hues. These plants aren’t just crops—they’re living archives, carrying stories of cultures, climates, and communities.
Our mushroom forest in the North Meadow is another experiment in rarity. We’ve tossed shiitake mushroom plugs and sawdust spawn into the soil, embracing chaos gardening to encourage fungal networks. This complements our conservation efforts, where we’ve spotted over two dozen trilliums and countless wildlife species, from deer to bats, thriving among native plantings like red alder and bigleaf maple.
The Feathered Stars of the Lower Meadow
No farm update would be complete without a shout-out to our 21 rare-breed chickens from Greenfire Farms, who arrived in early May and are stealing hearts in the Lower Meadow. These gentle, pet-like birds—chosen for their mellow temperaments—are settling into their brooder in the basement bathtub for now… And soon they will have a 25x12x12-foot fortress against coyotes, raccoons, and mink.
Our goal is to develop a Liten Hobbit Stuga Landrace, a unique blend of these breeds adapted to Astoria’s coastal climate. Their eggs, in hues of blue, green, copper brown and cream, will soon grace our farm stand, and we’ll offer pullets to local farmers. These chickens aren’t just livestock—they’re partners in our permaculture system, scratching the soil, spreading compost, and delighting visitors to Pop’s Dog Camp.
Sustainable Practices and Community Roots
Sustainability is woven into every task at Liten Hobbit Stuga. We’ve repurposed tin cans with drilled drainage holes for seed starts, echoing our commitment to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Grass clippings, dryer lint, and cardboard are molded into presto logs for our woodstove, a project we’ll scale up this summer. Our fish tank water, rich in nutrients, irrigates our plants, closing the loop on waste. And those hemlocks we harvested to prevent rot? Their stumps are left for regrowth, ensuring diversity in our forest edges.
Our farm is also a hub for community connection, inspired by our Liten Hobbit Stuga Community ethos of mutual aid and resource sharing. The Astoria Regatta Festival is on the horizon, and we’re pouring energy into organizing events that celebrate local food and crafts. Our seed library, set to launch this fall, will share heirloom and rare seeds with neighbors, fostering a resilient local food system. And through Pop’s Dog Camp, we’re inviting dog lovers to experience our permaculture paradise, where sunflowers nod, chickens cluck, and native shrubs bloom.
Looking Ahead: A Season of Growth
As we move into late spring, our task list is brimming with promise. We’re prepping for tomato, Brussels sprout, and indigo transplants in mid-June, ensuring they thrive in Astoria’s mild summers. We will get a dehydrator to soon hum with herbs, fruits, and veggies, preserving our harvest for winter soups and teas. We need to get busy tackling fencing upgrades to keep elk and deer at bay, while we scatter more wildflower plugs to boost butterfly habitats.
We’re also dreaming big for our food forest. Inspired by permaculture’s call to work with nature, we’re planning overwintering crops like kale and parsnips and drought-tolerant plants like lavender to fill seasonal gaps. Our dry river bed, running from the NE to NW corner, will channel runoff while showcasing native sedges and rushes, a nod to Astoria’s wetland heritage.
Join the Journey
Liten Hobbit Stuga is more than a farm—it’s a living testament to what’s possible when we nurture the land and each other. Whether you’re a neighbor, a fellow gardener, or a dreamer across the globe, we invite you to join us. Visit our Jitterbug Perfumes to explore our herbal perfumes, crafted with the same progressive spirit that fuels our farm. Follow our progress on Wiley Lane, share your own heirloom stories, or swing by for a farm tour when the sunflowers bloom.
Here’s to rare seeds, clucking chickens, and the magic of permaculture. Thank you for being part of our story—let’s grow something beautiful together.
With dirt under our nails and hope in our hearts,
The Liten Hobbit Stuga Crew
Want to support our vision? Check out our perfumes at Jitterbug Perfumes, join our seed library this fall, or stay tuned to Liten Hobbit Stuga to meet Rod Sterling and friends. For more on permaculture and heirloom seeds, keep following along!