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Debbie Bosworth
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.’”
Rebekah Teal
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.
Cathi Belcher
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
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.
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.”
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!
Nicole Christensen
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”.
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Your blogs about your ranch life are very interesting. My husband and I are from a PA farm background. (We met on a Farmall M tractor!) We were grain farmers and can relate to much you share…so glad to learn more. Keep it up.
Busy time for you, and I can imagine of accomplishment now that your work is done, but I bet there is always "something" to do. Enjoy the down time! Carol
This is interesting but I for one do not know anything about the west really, I’m a north-easterner, nor do I know much about any kind of cattle besides dairy cows. Could you provide info that describes what the pictures are showing? Which horse is Harley? etc. Your photography is great and I enjoy looking @ your pictures, & reading what you have written, but this latest blog doesn’t grab me because I know so little. The stuff you written about your grandfather is so real & brings back my grandpa.
hi,I have done this too,only on a smaller scale,we didn’t have semi loads,we just had a trailer full.But,on a beautiful fall day, it is refreshing, and just ok to listen to the cattle, and smell the manure, being outdoors with nature. blessed be, carol branum, lamar mo. themofarmersdaughter@blogspot.com
What beautiful photo’s. My grandpa was a cattle rancher in Decatur, Texas for most of his life. We visited the ranch once while I was growing up, but the cows were out to pasture. We saw nothing of his actual "operation"… but being a Texan, he was full of stories. He always used the nickname heifer for his female grandchildren and my granny too sometimes! It was definitely in his blood. He ranched until his late 70’s then he finally retired. I’m a western girl born in Texas, raised in Nevada, transplanted in New England and I just love your blog… Your pix are like little shots from home that warm me up when I look at them… I enjoy your writing as well! Keep sharing your wonderful way of life…It is a great reminder to us all that our food does not just " appear" wrapped up nice and neat at our local meat counter ready for our choosing. Cattle ranching looks like hard work, but it’s easy to see, there is joy in if for you!
Hi Kris from the Ranch Farmgirl herself! You asked for some details pertaining to this post.
My horse, "Harley" is the horse standing by himself in the alley with calves we were moving through the part of the corral system called the alley. The calves were separated by gender and they were also vaccinated for several diseases. You can see the alley work being done in the bottom photo (middle) from my vantage point being horseback and holding the calves as people afoot work the calves by gender into separate pens.
The photo of the sunrise suggested the time of day when shipping begins (which is also the case with some other workdays too).
The fella and his dog were among about 15 riders that were spread out as we took the entire herd into the corrals — after we had gathered them from a nearby pasture.
The cowboy on his gray horse is a friend who had volunteered to help with the day’s work. After the job is done (about noon), everyone loads up their horses and heads to the main house for a GREAT lunch. Afterward, we visit awhile and then all the friends and neighbors head back home. Thank you for asking about the How-To, I hope I explained things clearly. Happy Trails, Shery Jespersen
Thank you for explaining it all. I wish you Happy Trails also and a great holiday season. The expression Happy Trails sounds so Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Is that where that expression came from or is it in general use?
How are you enjoying the cold? I woke up in the middle of the night and turned on the weather channel, and it was minus 24…but that was the Greybull temperature so I am not sure what it was here in Cody. Usually it is a few degrees warmer. Winter is my favorite season in Wyoming (don’t ask me why) but I have to admit that I am looking forward to the weekend when it will be above zero…we’ve got a Christmas tree to cut down! Stay warm! Deb
I was referred to your website via twitter. I’m glad I was referred; it’s been an enjoying read. This post reminds me of a recent quote I read- "No matter how much horsepower your truck has it still can’t cut a calf from the herd."
Hi Sherri, I have been so busy with trying to start my business, and family life, that I have neglected my emails and Mary Jane. I guess cause I’m a farmgirl and a horse person I am receiving your blog? Great stories, inspirational, beautiful photos. Thanks for taking the time to write to us.
I live in the Adirondacks mtns. of NY. It is 8:13 am,9 degrees outside, with at least 20 inches of snow. We live off the grid, which makes it hard without a lot of sun light for the solar panels this time of the year…How DID they survive here in the old days! Happy Holidays, Claudia
Wow what beautiful pics. For a native Tarheel (NC) it’s really nice to get a peek into your life out west.