Can you believe it’s already March? I’d hoped to write that the birds are singing, the tulips are waking, and Punxsutawney Phil the Groundhog was my hero this year. However, right at this moment, there’s still a thick layer of ice in my yard and it’s snowing.
Still, there’s something to be said for a cup of coffee in a warm house watching the snow softly falling outside. And though February was a short month, there’s been excitement – and I have good things to look forward to!
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”.
Enjoyed your March Blog Nicole, as I always do. Still have your goodies in my car. We have to get together. It’s been crazy lately. ❤️ Linda
Hi Linda! Thank you! I hear ya…winter has slowed us all up a bit. SOON! Looking forward to catching up! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi Nicole! Always fun to read your blog. So sorry about Cocoa. Looking forward to Spring with you and all that comes with it including new growth and prom pics. Hope we can do lunch soon. Maybe for your birthday? XO
Diane
Hi Diane! So nice to hear from you! I miss you and I look forward to catching up. Lunch would be super! I know we have so much to catch up on! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Yes, my daughter is a senior this year and college in the Fall – where did the time go? Just yesterday I was bringing her home. We already bought her prom dress, bag, shoes and jewelry. Still have to get the hair and makeup appointment, but do far so good. Your daughter is a beautiful girl and I hope that she enjoys her prom. It was one of the best nights of my life! I had my prom in 1980!!!! Have a great day!
Diane
Hi Diane, Awww, thank you, I will tell Audrey you said that. Don’t you feel like time goes faster when you have a child? Like you, I loved prom in high school. I was lucky and got to go to two proms, and I enjoyed both so much! Do you remember the 1980’s movie with Molly Ringwald, “Pretty In Pink”? I love when the character Iona says she has a friend who often feels like something’s missing…she checks her keys, counts her kids…then realizes it’s side effects of not going to the prom when she was in high school. That line always cracks me up. Take lots of photos when of your girl on prom night! Enjoy! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hello. My daughter in Texas is in labor today and I am babysitting her 2 yr old son. They are having a girl and…….the picked the same name as your sweet teenager
Thought you would be super happy about my news.
Oh Deedra! How exciting!! CONGRATULATIONS! How wonderful. Love the news, and what a great name! I will tell my daughter, too. We don’t run into too many “Audreys”. Wow – you really have good things to look forward to! Thank you for sharing and keep us posted. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi, Nicole – just read and enjoyed your blog – I have chickens also (usually 14/16 !) and with our weather being so bad this year (it is now snowing again which is not the normal weather up here in B.C. (Canada), the hawks and coyotes are always circling ’round the coop ! One thing I have tried for the past couple years is hanging a big flowered flag on one of the 8′ posts and have had no hawk ambushes since … I like to think this works and it also looks nice !
Hi Donna, I think we have your winter, too! We had an even bigger snowstorm this past Saturday and now it’s in the single digits at night and 20s in the day. It should be warmer here now, but hopefully soon the seasons will start to change. I love your idea to ward off the hawks! I will try that. I also use a small, inexpensive radio that is left on. It hasn’t helped with the brazen hawk but it has helped keep fox, coyotes and other predatory animals away. Thanks so much for the suggestion! I will work on that tomorrow! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Audrey is a lovely young lady. Wishing you a blessed March 17.
HAPPY ST.PATRICK’S DAY
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn, thank you so much! I am so proud of her. You have a great St. Patty’s Day, too! I usually cook something up. This year I think I will make an Irish Stew recipe I have had since I was eleven and used to make for my parents when I was young. It’s hearty and warms us up! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi Nicole,
Love the pictures ! What great memories . Can’t believe Audrey is going to the prom already! Where has the time gone! This summer my eldest daughter is getting married! Sorry about your chicken, we certainly have lots of hawks , coyotes , and foxes here! Hope to get together soon.
Jackie
Hi Jackie! So good to hear from you! I’ve missed catching up with you. How exciting that your daughter is getting married! Wonderful – congratulations! Let’s catch up soon. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I loved reading this blog, Nicole. Nice to see my granddaughter, Audrey and her lovely smile. I wish the picture of your dad and I was in color. My dress was hot pink silk organza and I had my satin shoes dyed hot pink .Cocoa was a cute chicken and made me sad to hear how she died.
Loved the pictures and reading about your plans for spring. Love, Mother
Hi Mama, I bet that dress was stunning in that color! And matching satin shoes to boot. Love it. Talk to you soon, Mama, I love you! XOXO Nicole
Winter is still hanging on here in KY too; low temperatures, brrr and snow which I like. Oh, poor Cocoa; my friend has chickens and a hawk got one of hers also; but she has a herding dog also, who tries to catch the hawk and protects the chickens and herds them back to the coop when they get out. He is such a good dog. Your daughter is very lovely and looks a lot like you did in your picture. Hope she has a wonderful time at the prom.
Can’t wait to see her in her prom dress. I love that red microwave oven. We use ours mostly for heating up leftovers and cold coffee too. That’s a lovely picture of your parents in 1959. I love looking at old black and white pictures of family members; also like watching black and white movies, classics mostly. Until next time, have a great month and hopefully it will start warming up soon.
Hi Sandi, yes, it is just awful when a beloved hen dies like that. My big dogs were barking the days the hawk got Cocoa, but I couldn’t get out to her in time. I also watch my chihuahua closely – the hawks would come after him if they could. Thank you for the kind words about my daughter. She’s so lovely inside and out, and I am so proud of her. I will post a pic of her prom dress, for sure! Keep watching those great black and white classics…soon we will be able to get outside more! Big Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi Nichole, your daughter is beautiful and they just grow up too fast…So sad to hear about your precious Cocoa..when I had my chickens that was my biggest fight hawks..one day one got into my chicken run and I saw him so I went out there with a broom and terrorized him so badly, he never came back again…I love watching hawks as I think they are magnificent right up there with eagles but I dont appreciate them eating my chickens… Chickens are so therapuetic I think just watching them, but there are challenges with raising them..Hope Spring shows her face soon and melts all your ice and snow and brightens your days. Happy glamping…Neta
Hi Neta, thank you! I can’t believe my daughter is a junior in high school. Time is warp speed. I hear ya on the chickens. There are so many challenges, but they are worth it in the end. I don’t blame the hawk, he’s beautiful and doing what hawks do, but he does scare me around my chickie girls and pup. Happy Glamping! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole