The Humboldt Honey Resurrected
The iconic ‘Humboldt Honey’ image depicting a woman in layers of clothing, Birkenstock sandals, and headscarf was created by Ingrid Hart, a Humboldt State journalism major, back in 1983. High Times writer and local woman, Sharon Letts, interviewed Hart about the history of the ‘Humboldt Honey’ as Hart gears up to reprint the iconic poster at the beginning of 2023.
“After 40 years, this is a gift I’m giving back,” Hart is quoted as saying in the article. Hart originally designed the poster for herself but quickly realized that it was just as expensive to print one copy, as it was to print a thousand copies. Soon, the ‘Humboldt Honey’ was garnering attention after being featured on the front page of the Times Standard, selling out in just two months.
With the attention came the criticism. According to Letts, conservative groups were “appalled” of the apparent celebration of “drug culture”. After a radio interview, Hart had to disconnect her home phone due to harassment. The negative attention became too much and Hart “shut the whole thing down”.
Letts quoted Hart, “I just couldn’t deal with the negative energy surrounding her. It was just too much for me. In my mind, she was a positive force to be reckoned with, not something to be hating on.”
Forty years later, Hart is ready to resurrect the ‘Humboldt Honey’ image with a commemorative poster that will be available on January 1, 2023. Visit the Humboldt Honey website to pre-order the poster: www.thehumboldthoney.com.
To read Letts’ in-depth look at the history of the ‘Humboldt Honey’ including the subject and history of the poster, click here: Higher Profile: Ingrid Hart & The Humboldt Honey | High Times
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40 years? Seems like it was only yesterday…
The Humboldt Honey Poster is inaccurate, in many ways…
Generally speaking, the woman pictured here is much too trim, svelte even, to qualify. Also, like the woman on the Garberville Farmer’s Market T-Shirt, Humboldt County Women tend to be busty, and generally they can’t afford to go out in the winter in Birkenstocks, especially not Arizonas, which would be quickly destroyed in the rains of Northern Humboldt, and not unless the socks are Merino Wool, not just those Army Surplus Wool socks we all used to wear in college…
Long skirts are so over, and these days you will observe Lululemons and Crop Tops on nearly everyone female, with an “ugly sweater contest” perpetually held, or a simple down vest, and nobody wears a Babushka or remembers the “Grateful Dead” any more than they remember Bod&Carol&Ted&Alice…
Some things don’t last, and earrings are still cheap and made everywhere by neo-hippies, but the Southwestern Hippie Ethic has melted into the Millennial Ooze, and you should have to travel further North, like to Coastal Oregon, to find even one woman dressed like an 80’s college woman…
The poster is an interesting cultural artifact, that nobody outside your weird county would understand, but it was amusing, the first time I saw it, some ten years ago in the used book store in Garbistan…
I might, just might revive it myself, except that I would study the women of Olin College of Engineering in Needham Mass, looking for important trends to ridicule, searching for a style which may not exist at all, like a “typical” “Humboldt State Woman”…
I will discuss it with the women software engineers of San Francisco, and get back to you, but the Humboldt Honey is probably insulting to most, grossly inaccurate, and overall, an insignificant artifact from a colorful time that never existed at all…
We’re gonna ignore your whole post. -a Humboldt honey
Well said. Another Humboldt Honey.
You, sir, are inaccurate, in many ways…
Mostly what you write is so negative about our community anyway.
The Grateful Dead’s music is alive and well in Mendo and Humboldt. There are radio shows featuring Dead music, and a well attended festival in Laytonville, The Days Between, celebrating their music. Lots of people here wear Birkenstocks, even in the winter. Women here come in all shapes and sizes, just like they do everywhere. To say they are “busty”, or that the woman in the poster is too thin is just being sexist.
If you want to talk about women from Mass or software engineers from SF, that’s fine, but that has little to do with what’s going on here, in Humboldt County. The Humboldt Honeys are alive and well and still here (I’m married to one).
It’s pretty obvious that you don’t like it here,and don’t really know anything about what life is like here in Humboldt county, or what it was back in the day. You keep spewing negative inaccurate comments about something you just don’t get. Yes, our county is weird, and we’re proud of that.
So, say all the negative things you want, but don’t try to present your personal opinion as facts.
Garberville businesses are struggling to survive through hard financial times, but the community is strong and thriving. We have so many good organizations, like Heart of the Redwoods Community Hospice, KMUD radio, the VFW, the Mateel Community Center, and over a dozen volunteer fire departments, all existing through community volunteers.
I’ve seen your comments on many different subjects on this site, and what they have in common is your negativity.
What do you do to contribute to our society? Do you help people in need? Do you volunteer you time to any worthy causes? Do you have anything positive to say?
Thank you, Ingrid Hart.
I love the Humboldt Honey poster, even if it’s dated. I think it’s fun and cute.
Born and raised in Humboldt,A Humboldt Honey is what most of us are all shapes and sizes 💖we love our berks 🤣rain or shine when it snows we traid in for boots ✨Ilove Humboldt 💖we can’t let people tell us we don’t exist 💕
Actually, I’m married 40 years to a woman who wore long skirts and tank tops without a bra, babushkas to this day and I myself, will wear Birkenstocks unfailingly through any weather, along with my Garberville Farmer’s Market T-Shirt, which people will comment about from the Captain Cook Green Market to Sedona at Tlaquepaque…
Don’t discriminate against everything you don’t understand, and it is notable that the woman pictured on the poster looks very much like Telegraph Avenue in 1968, Haight Ashbury in ’67, and almost any college campus in the early 70’s…
Now she looks like a homeless gal asking for a couple bucks for the bus or even a Spanish Trimmer outside the ShopSmart in Redway, trying to get back to Spain and go back on Spanish Welfare, but, it’s all in fun, so don’t take it so seriously… And my Grateful Dead Playlist on Spotify is about 27 hours long…
We don’t care. Get back in your lane.
But for a real news item, read about Harvey Weinstein’s Testicles
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/harvey-weinstein-abnormal-testicles-rape-trial-1235448425/
I’m buying the poster…
Very negative posts.
Long time local came here to attend college and now thinks he can judge others opinions
Good for you. Said everything I would have said, now I don’t have to say it.
There was a great poster of the humboldt honey in the mens bathroom at the Ingomar club for years but she was wearing combat boots.
So glad you said that. I remember the one in boots as well, boots is what I wore in winter.
As are you, sir ( an insignificant artifact). Nice stab at deriding women who never gave you the time of day, while pretending to defend them.
But what are we talking about anyway? Women’s fashion? Or an artwork that evolved into a pesky commercial venture, as artworks tend to do….
ur a real buzz kill
a diverse unfiltered review, with aromas of arrogance and aloof sarcasm, that finishes with notes of ‘I am better than most of you’ – LOL thanks for your input!
Oh Jebus, who cares if it is « accurate » it’s fun and for the sake of fun… you must be the life of the party at a diner table, aren’t you??
They used to eat cat food too.
Cat food? Who, the Hippies?
Please post a link to your reference…
Saw hastily abandoned camps in the 70s as a firefighter. Heard from others as well. I don’t think they wrote it down anywhere.
It existed…Where were you?
It seems you haven’t a clue of NorCal culture. I have spent my lifetime here and have lived through all of the changes, styles, and evolution of the microcultures. Believe me, the “Humboldt Honey” stereotype was no unicorn, and what’s more, there were some amazing moments in rural living guerilla growers’ styles before the decay and downfall.
It leads me to wonder; what exactly are your credentials? Are you some clueless disgruntled Midwesterner? What culture do YOU have? Do you have any at all? I picture a fat, balding embittered white collar couch potato pleased with his own snarkiness. Am I wrong?
I believe you…
Ignoring you and don’t care about your ignorance
The historical comucrats can’t stand a differing opinion ,just wait
Wow. Lol. Merry Christmas n Happy New Year to you.
We live here? Cuz folks like u, generally don’t.
I always got a kick out of the bag around the neck for carrying mushrooms, and the bandana from Bobby Magee. Lol GOOD TIMES!
I didn’t got to Humboldt State, but I have friends who did back in the early ‘70s and would visit once in a while. I’m pretty sure I remember a poster of a “hippie chick” all decked out with joint in hand referred to as Humboldt Honey years before 1983.
Hey Touch-Down…..is that You Mr Timmons ?
In 1968 there were few hippies in humboldt. They came right after that.
There were plenty by the early to mid ‘70s. Nope, I’m not Mr. Timmons.
Ok thanks TD, my mistake.
After reading Ingrids background on herself and the humboldt honey image on the website, I thought I could have written that about myself. I definitely resonate with humboldt honey and find nothing offensive about her. Either you can relate or not. Anyone living around here before say, 15 years ago would have seen quite a few young women like this around. I think she’s beautiful and honestly, sometimes I miss seeing her around.
Beautiful effort. Wonderful!
Is there a Mendocino Momma?
somewhere
Yeah there is!!!
I seem to remember other “Humboldt Honeys” depictions. The one that I remember the most is the one with muddy combat boots. We used to get a lot of rain back then.
Yeah, yeah, that’s the one I remember and identified with. The boots with the skirt—the real deal. I ditched the skirt but wore my boots today with great pleasure.
Do you guys remember the Humboldt Honey calendar……that’s a more modern version of the Humboldt woman….
ARCATA — The 2008 winners of the Humboldt Honey calendar contest have been announced and they include women from varying backgrounds and interest
Damn, I knew should have taken that poster when we moved out of that old house.
Wonder if it’s still on the wall?
I was 22 when Humboldt Honey came out in print but I knew her way before that.
She was a life style Thinking back, I can still smell the patchouly oil.
I’m still in love with her.
Yup! Seems like yesterday. What a difference thirty or forty years make. Glad to have been around in this particular slice of time. The next thirty or forty years will bring a lot of changes. With the wind energy project and poly- tech university, there are apt to be some growing pains. Hopefully our roots won’t undermined to much. In the 90’s I always associated honeys with hundreds. As in a big roll of honeys,
I had one on my wall…
Any of us NorCal ladies. ❤ The essential layers sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s cold. Sometimes vast extremes in temperature in one day . You never know when you’re going to be stuck somewhere so you might want to have a few extra things with you. I love my tie dyes and beautiful velvet fabrics. Stuff is still very much alive at Mazahar in Willits. Or Moon Lady. The Uggs trend was kind of a spillover when it wasn’t conducive weather to the Birks. Prior to that if you could get your hands on a good pair of Wellies or Danners before winter you could keep your feet toasty n dry. Once a lot of the free money started rolling in the Humboldt Honeys or the Mendocino Mamas started wearing zip up hoodies, Miss Me jeans, Uggs…the uniform upgraded with time.
Being someone who was born and raised in Humboldt County I’m extremely confused by the responses to this. I thought that being defined as a Humboldt Honey had far more to do with the person that you are; a more holistic approach to life, an appreciation for what nature has to offer and the desire to give what you can back to her in return, the desire to not live a “conventional mainstream American lifestyle”, etc. rather than the clothes you wear. Fashion changes but the ideals that we hold dear are what define us as Humboldt Honeys. Idk maybe I just don’t get it.
Leave Britney alone!
this look and lifestyle came from New England by transplants of hippie parents. i just thought i should throw that out there.
I knew Leoni. That late summer/early fall we hitchhiked to Washington State together to pick apples. She was not a trimmer. A local man, well known floor refinisher- funny enough- picked us up on I-5 in Oregon and took us north. I am sure he remembers. We worked on the same farm for a bit and then parted ways. I found it quite amusing that she was chosen to represent the Humboldt Honey since she wasn’t one, not even remotely. Anyway that is my story and I am sticking to it. What would be interesting is how her life transpired. I suspect she returned to Scotland.
I knew Leoni for a short amount of time. The first time I met her was at the Arcata Co-op where the barefoot Rastafarian would sometimes play his flute in the produce section. The quality that attracted me to Leoni was that long hair all the way down her back. And her charming smile. I knew she would be perfect for the poster. The next time I saw Leoni was at the photoshoot that Pat and I did at Humboldt State. The whole thing lasted less than two hours. Leoni was a true pro, trying out different poses for us. Her thick Scottish brogue made us all feel a bit cosmopolitan. After that night, I never saw her again. I often wonder if she knows what a cultural icon her likeness has become. Should we hire a private detective to find her?