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”.
It is a truly fortunate thing to have come across the Amish funeral. These experiences are a gift. A small glimpse into a different life indeed a reverent glimpse. These things always make me feel as though my eyes have been opened again and I feel better for it. Seeing that others live differently and well in their own way with conviction and dedication something I sometimes lack.
Rene, isn’t WI beautiful. I love the green-ness right up to the edge of the road. I love the myriad of hosta plants that are planted around houses. I love the farm barns and back roads that lead to everywhere. My BF lives in LaCrosse and we have been up and down some of those roads. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. Those buggies on the road are a sight, except when you unexpectedly come upon one at the crest of a hill. Sometimes those horses pulling the rigs look downright tired!
Thank you for such lovely thoughts, maybe if we could see thru a child’s heart and eyes or better yet the Lord’s heart and eyes we would have a peace and knowing that all is well with whom love. God Bless Kristen
P.S. I am very happy for you to spend the time to see the world around.
Oh Rene’….your observation of the floral arrangements gives such a great analogy to the way we present ourselves to the world…either as obvious individualists, or as humble conformists in the case of the Amish. Once again, you have shown your gift for looking at daily situations very poetically.
Oh, and the tub scene….fantastic!
when we went to Lancaster PA with a Amish tour service, we were fortunate to see all the "buggies" gathered at a home for Sunday Services, we also went to a working Amish farm where things were run by a generator, no phones, or mirrors. We also went to an Amish country restaurant where seven sweets and seven sours were offered. Their Chicken Corn Chowder was very tasty . We went to a Amish store where there were quilts, wooden kitchenware, jams, jellies etc. They had a farmers market also. We saw the scene from "The Witness", and the phone booth. This was one of the most memorable trips we have taken, I would not hesitate to go back again.
Good Bloggie Rene’…
That’s sooo cool… I use Organic Farm’s dairy products, and plan to order their powdered milk for my
"Emergency Food Bin".
I’m glad you got a opportunity to see the Amish…
We have Amish here in the Sarasota area, and back Home in Tennessee we have Mennonites, a similar sect. As I mentioned in a previous comment, I had the Privilege of going to a Mennonite Home, and it left a profound impression with me, as to their sincerety, devotion to simple living, and forthright manner.
You are correct Rene’… it is wrong to photograph them, just as it is an insult to photograph a traditional Native American.
The World is a better place with them in it.
Thank You, and…
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
I agree Gary~ thanks always for your kind words for my "bloggie" it doesnt go un-noticed!
Dear Rene: The Amish are so full of grace and caring. I had the privilege of living amongst them for several years in Pennsylvania many years ago. I tried to imagine what that funeral scene was like–I know you will never forget it, ever. I learned some wonderful things from them about cooking, housekeeping, gardening, crafts/sewing, faith, and living.
I loved the photo of you and Linda in the old cast iron tub. I have 3 of them tucked away in my back yard, mostly out of sight. They came from some old houses we owned years ago. I’d love to do something creative with them in my garden. Does anyone have any good ideas for what to do with them outside? Thanks and I am enjoying your blog–I am new to it.
MaryJane has her tubs set up with propane heaters for outside bathing~ there is nothing better… You can check in her outpost book for directions~ I love it~
Rene,
Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. I truly enjoyed this story. I have always been captivated by the Amish way of life too. Their humbleness & devotion to their faith & living the simplistic & practical way of life. Your analogy of the floral arrangements is great. I love it…
You have a wonderful gift, Thank you of sharing it with us.
Hugs,
Grace
Rene: I have lived all over Texas. Many times I have lived near the Amish. I admired them from afar. They seem to be such gentle people. I would imagine they NEVER disagree or have children that are stubborn. How uncomplicated their lives must be without television, cell phones, computers, vehicles that are unreliable at times. We take so much for granted in our lives. My husband and I often feel we were born 100 years too late. Today, with the economy as it is and our future cloudy, we should all return to a simpler life, be grateful for what we have and learn to do without. The Amish have survived hundreds of years, we can’t we?