Welcome To Gretchen's Happy Homestead
Here you will find all the inspiration and information you need to build your homestead. I will take you with me through the journey of setting up my own homestead. It is spring, so right now my focus is getting outside. I love playing in my garden, but that is not all there is to homesteading. It encompasses so much more. From food preparation and preservation to animals and homemade products and crafts. Not only will I take you on the journey of growing food, but learning and developing a multitude of other skills as well.
Growing your own food not only saves money but ensures that you know what is in your food. Keeping our food local is better for the environment in so many ways. Food is fresher, so there is less waste and packaging going to the landfill. Greater diversity in the garden uses less chemicals and pesticides. We are conserving fossil fuels by not transporting our food around the world.
Building Your Homestead Community

Gardening and homesteading builds community. Throughout time people have come together over the table. Learning from our neighbors and sharing the bounty of our crops is one of the most rewarding parts of growing our own food. Here we can learn and grow together.
Services To Build Your Homestead
We offer a variety of classes, personalized consulting and resources to help you plan and implement projects to grow your homestead and become more sustainable. I will share what I have learned, so you can save money and feed your family healthy food from your own garden.

Microgreens
If you are in the North Idaho area, between Coeur d’Alene and Wallace, you can order locally grown greens that will be delivered to you within 24 hours of being harvested.

Garden Planning
This beginning garden planning course will walk you through planning your garden from an idea to implementation.

Homestead Planning
Wherever you are in your journey, I can help you brainstorm your next steps and set a plan in place to get you where you want to be.
Join the discussion on my blog page, or send me a message about a topic you would like to learn about. I am so excited to be on this adventure with you.
Free Companion Plant Chart When You Sign Up For The Monthly Homestead Newsletter
If you’re looking for a way to improve your homestead, consider companion planting. Companion planting is the practice of planting different crops in close proximity to one another to improve growth, reduce pests, and increase yields. But how do you know which plants make good companions? That’s where my free companion plant chart comes in.
When you sign up for our monthly homestead newsletter, not only will you receive valuable tips and tricks for sustainable living, but you’ll also get a free companion plant chart. This easy-to-read chart lists common garden vegetables and herbs and their compatible companions. With this chart in hand, you can plan your garden with confidence and maximize your harvest.
By filling out this form you will receive my free Companion Plant Chart that I put together with many of my favorite things to grow.

Hi There, I’m Gretchen Hayes
The seeds which would grow into Gretchen’s Happy Homestead were
planted in the beginning of my childhood. Over the years, at each home, I have had a garden.
Growing food brings us together, friends and neighbors would come over
and walk in the garden. We would talk about what they could grow and I
could share knowledge and fresh food.