When you’ve got a jumbled mix of things and you toss them in the same pot, you’ve got a “hochepot” – the french word for hodge-podge. A little of everything went into this article, resulting in a heaping helping of hochepot “pie”. Also included is the edible recipe!
is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
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.”
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!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
Shery,
I had a great time on our ride…Pictures are awesome! I always enjoy hanging out with my farmgirls…and I’m sure everyone that reads your blog will feel like they were in the saddle with us:) See you soon my friend.
Always Michele
Shery,
Your words never fail to create scenes so vivid and real that they are almost palpable! It’s so easy to just join you on your journeys and in your stories. Always a blessing! Always a gift!
Thanks for sharing and gifting me with a beautiful and pleasurable escape in my hectic day! You are a treasure!
In deep appreciation,
Ruth
Oh I had a wonderful time on the ride and the parade AND the sale – what fun things to see – Yes, I know this fun was all through your wonderful pictures and writing but as always YOU made me feel like I was THERE!!!!
Thanks,
Joan
Thanks for taking us with you on the ride! It looked lovely.
Shery,
Your blog is wonderful. It describes the lifestyle that I wish I had. So, living it vicariously through your experiences and photos makes my day.Thank you so much for the time you give to this effort.
Vickie
Incredible pictures. Great fun to read about it all…thanks for sharing.
Shery,
I always read your blog and love your photos! Your stories are enchanting and I wish I could go horseback riding also. Your sisterhood is to be cherished as I am sure you know. You are very lucky!
Smiles, Cyndi
Are you in Upton Wyoming?? My husband and I use to go up there yearly with my inlaws and hunt Antelope….hunted on the Barton’s ranch back then, but haven’t been back there for many years since our family grew bigger. We live in eastern Nebraska and I totally LOVE the country and all the miraculous sites!! Thanks for sharing and it’s so cool to see the pictures!! 🙂 btw, would LOVE to learn to make a basket like you showed!! NICE!!
Shery,
I, too, have been meaning to start on my badges forEVER. I mean, really, I should at LEAST have the gardening ones, doncha think?
As always, I love your blog posts. Wish I was there to ride with you and the gals.
Mary Ann
Shery, Great photos as always…I’m headed outside in a few minutes to get John out there. After major foot surgery, he is "walker bound" and in the house most of the time. I hope to remedy that. Picnic in the yard is better than nothing. Thanks for sharing Wyoming…still very homesick.
Love the old Ford pickup. One of my dream "to owns". The pictures of the wildflowers are beautiful. Was out at my piece of Wyoming yesterday enjoying the Black Eyed Susans.
I love your blog … I was raised a "city girl" in a small town, and have always enjoyed the outdoors! Your blog makes me want to move out into the deep woods and live off the land! Well, maybe not entirely off the land! 😉 But, I would really like to find some acreage and get a few horses to ride, and take time to smell the wildflowers! Thanks for sharing … until I get to do my dream, I will live vicariously through you!
hi
i have a daughter and son-in-law who live in weston, very small community about 60 pop. they go to oshoto community bible church. the nearest town is gillette an hour south of them. wondering if you had heard of it or are you near there? thanks
they are managing a 700 acre cattle ranch.
becky