Mary Murray
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
Column contents © Mary Murray. All rights reserved.
Farmgirl
is a condition
of the heart.
Alexandra Wilson
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Column contents © Alexandra Wilson. All rights reserved.
Libbie Zenger
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
June 2010 – Jan 2012
Libbie’s a small town farmgirl who lives in the high-desert Sevier Valley of Central Utah on a 140-year-old farm with her husband and two darling little farmboys—as well as 30 ewes; 60 new little lambs; a handful of rams; a lovely milk cow, Evelynn; an old horse, Doc; two dogs; a bunch o’ chickens; and two kitties.
René Groom
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
April 2009 – May 2010
René lives in Washington state’s wine country. She grew up in the dry-land wheat fields of E. Washington, where learning to drive the family truck and tractors, and “snipe hunting,” were rites of passage. She has dirt under her nails and in her veins. In true farmgirl fashion, there is no place on Earth she would rather be than on the farm.
Laura 
Candace Segar 
Jennifer Chappell 
Donna Kozak 
Marilyn 
Judy from Maine 
Judy allen 
Patricia Hamilton Mitchell 
Gigi 
What a wonderful event you had! Thank you for sharing your photos and menu.
Hi Dori,
That was just a beautiful story with great pictures of your event. I have to say those pies looked quite alluring. It looked like so much fun! Thank you for sharing this with us. Candy
What a lovely time! It’s all so beautiful.
It certainly looked like a perfect day to dine outside and enjoy your great view and check out your Farm Fresh Garden with all the beautiful flowers and butterflies – your lunch looked delicious !
Thank You for this interesting post. It looks like every one has a good time. Your granddaughters are beautiful young ladies.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
Wow, that looks like fun. I’m not so much of a gardener, but I am a quilter…did I spy quilts that you made used as table coverings? Beautiful and a perfect use, I love seeing quilts used. Thanks for sharing.
Such a heart warming story. Nothing like a great porch with good friends.
Dori, you made some pot holders and a dish cloth for me earlier 4 sets. Would you be willing to make 3 more sets for me. Please let me know. I am using for Christmas presents.
What a wonderful gathering! Good food, good friends, good weather and beautiful garden bounty, what a perfect combination!
You are truly blessed to have all this and grandgirlies so close to share your life with. Looked like so much fun and all were enjoying themselves.
I noticed the swallowtails on your tithonia. Have you ever tried raising swallowtails with your grandgirlies? If you have dill or fennel growing nearby it is a piece of cake and soooo satisfying watching the process and knowing you saved them from being eaten by hungry predators.
I’d love to join a garden club, your garden club, to be specific. That lunch sure looks delicious!