And Why We Let Them Bloom at Drunken Duck Farm
Not all weeds are garden villains. Some are undercover superheroes—throwing on their leafy capes to heal the soil, woo the pollinators, and deliver centuries-old herbal wisdom right to your teacup. At Drunken Duck Farm, we’ve got a soft spot for the rebels. The misfits. The scrappy survivors who refuse to be mowed down without a fight.
Yes, you read that right: we grow weeds. On purpose. With pride. And with just enough chaos to keep things interesting.
When most folks think of beneficial weeds, they think dandelion—and yes, dandelions are the golden retrievers of the weed world: loyal, cheerful, and a little too eager to pop up everywhere. But they’re not the only rockstars in our “Weeds With Benefits” club. Our farm is sprinkled with wild things that bring flavor, function, and flair to our teas and spices. We plant them in well-behaved beds… well, most of them. The dandelions? We let them do their thing, the free spirits that they are.
Here’s a peek at some of the glorious green gatecrashers we lovingly cultivate:
🌼 Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) The MVP of the weed world. Dandelions are the plant equivalent of a Swiss Army knife—useful, reliable, and never where you last left them. Their greens pack a nutritional punch, their roots roast up like herbal espresso, and their sunshine-yellow blooms are basically a hug for the bees. We toss them into teas, salads, and syrups—and if they want to move into the whole lawn, who are we to stop them? You’ll find their charm bottled in our Prairie Roast Herbal Brew and Drunken Duck Detox Tea.
🌱 Burdock (Arctium lappa) Imagine a cranky old wizard living in a root cellar—that’s burdock. Gruff on the outside, pure magic on the inside. This taproot titan purifies, detoxifies, and gives your gut flora a feast worthy of a royal banquet. It’s also a prebiotic powerhouse with culinary cred from Tokyo to your teacup. Around here, it’s the backbone of our Drunken Duck Detox Tea and a beloved ally for deep, earthy healing.
💙 Chicory (Cichorium intybus) Chicory is that effortlessly chic friend who always looks pulled together, even when digging deep. Its electric blue flowers turn heads, but it’s the root that does the heavy lifting—roasted and brewed into a coffee doppelgänger that supports your liver while keeping your mug full. The leaves are bitter in that sassy, gut-loving way, and the whole plant hums with prebiotic potential. You’ll find its graceful bite in our Homestead Hearth Tea.
🌿 Nettle (Urtica dioica) The punk rocker of the herb world—spiky, misunderstood, and secretly brilliant. Nettles may sting if you get too fresh, but once cooked or dried, they turn into a nutritional powerhouse with a gentle side. High in iron and calcium, kind to your kidneys and sinuses, and loaded with plant-based protein, nettle is a leafy legend. We suit up in gloves, whisper our thanks, and steep its magic into our Golden Fields Tea.
Other Wonder-Weeds We Love: Amaranth, aka pigweed (the nickname it got from jealous neighbors), is a plant that shows up uninvited and steals the show. Its leaves, seeds, and roots are all edible, packed with vitamins and minerals, and oddly charming. Think of it as the surprise guest who brings dessert and helps you do the dishes.
The Hidden Cost of “Weed and Feed”
While our weeds are working overtime to heal, feed, and keep things fabulous, many commercial weed-killers are out here playing the villain in a green-washed costume. “Weed and feed” sounds friendly, but it’s often a double agent—targeting dandelions and other broadleaf beauties while sparing the grass (for now).
But let’s get real: ingredients like 2,4-D, Dicamba, and MCPP don’t stop at weeds. Bees get dazed, frogs start falling apart, birds eat contaminated snacks, and your dog might just roll through a chemical cocktail. Not to mention what happens when those toxins wash into streams and creeks. A tidy lawn isn’t worth a frog funeral.
Skip the Spray OMRI-Approved Alternatives
Don’t worry—there are ways to keep your weeds in check without becoming the neighborhood supervillain. OMRI-approved herbicides are the unsung heroes of sustainable gardening. We love Avenger Weed Killer (powered by citrus peels), Green Gobbler Vinegar Herbicide (with the bite of a thousand pickles), and BioSafe Weed & Grass Killer (safe enough for veggie patches but tough enough to take down thistle).
Suppressed® and Weed Slayer® round out the dream team with their plant-based prowess. And Corn Gluten Meal? The pre-emergent party crasher that stops weed seeds from even thinking about germinating—plus it feeds your soil while it’s at it. Win-win.
Look for the OMRI seal, and give your lawn some crunchy street cred.
Let the Weeds Work for You
At Drunken Duck Farm, we believe in wild beauty, a bit of controlled chaos, and giving the underdogs a chance to shine. These plants know how to survive, thrive, and give back. Let the dandelions dance. Let the bees boogie. And for the love of the mud, skip the poison and pour yourself a rebellious cup of tea.
As we welcomed these botanical misfits into our fields, we started noticing something weird and wonderful happening beneath the surface…
The Crayfish Comeback
One sunny day, while checking the death ravine, we spotted what looked like a miniature mud volcano. Then another. And another. Turns out, we weren’t just growing herbs—we were hosting an underground mudbug metropolis. These blue-tinged, burrowing crayfish had moved in like tiny crustacean contractors, digging tunnels, building chimneys, and basically aerating our land like soil-loving superheroes.
Crayfish—also called crawdads or mudbugs—are like the backstage crew of the wetland ecosystem. They may not seek the spotlight, but without them, the show doesn’t go on. They dig tunnels that keep our soil breathable, their presence boosts biodiversity, and they’re a snack (or six) for other critters higher on the food chain.
But these muddy marvels are also incredibly sensitive. Their gills act like chemical sponges, and since they burrow right where herbicide residue tends to settle, they get a face full of the worst runoff. Herbicides like 2,4-D, Dicamba, Glyphosate (especially with POEA surfactants), MCPP, and Atrazine can leave them struggling to breathe, molt, or even survive.
So, we’ve made our farm a mudbug sanctuary. We use OMRI-approved products carefully and far from waterways, pull weeds the old-fashioned way (hello, weed forks), and keep lush buffer zones around all our soggy spots. And in return? We get to witness their muddy chimneys rising like earthy little totems to biodiversity.
So here’s to the misfits. The wild things. The weeds. And the crustaceans who know how to throw a dirt party.
Stay scrappy,
The Drunken Duck Crew
