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We’ve had a huge dead tree on our farm that is right next to our driveway. My husband has talked about cutting it down all summer and he and our son in law were just waiting for the right day to get started on it. Knowing that once they felled it, it would block the road and they would be cutting wood for an entire day kind of kept them from starting.
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”.
What a project that turned out to be! Life on a farm is like that, isn’t it? Anyway, you had a very special day with your grand-daughters, and one they will never forget! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Hi Virginia,
You aren’t kidding… everything on the farm is harder than I thought it would be! And I grew up in the country, I ought to know better! 🙂 I’m thankful for my husband who isn’t afraid or unwilling to handle the hard things! 🙂 And loves every bit of it!
Those days with the grand-girls are special beyond measure.
Thanks for writing!
– Dori –
Love this story. I am sure the girls will remember it for a long time. I love your snowmen! We don’t have very many trees where we live, but, if I found a few pieces, I would try to make them. Have a very Merry Christmas!
Hi Bambi,
Thanks for writing. I hope you get the opportunity to make yourself one! They are pretty cute!
– Dori –
These are adorable snowmen. What a fantastic project and I love that you included your grand daughters. Merry Christmas, enjoyed!
Hi Carole,
Yes those little grand-girls get included in all kinds of fun things! Luckily they only live about 2 miles away so I get to grab them whenever I want!
– Dori –
What a great share!! Thank you!! Such great fun!! All that hard work and family time, making adorable snow men paid off!!!
Sunny,
Thank you! Yes, sticking with something (even when I wanted to just throw them in the wood stove!) is sure worth it, isn’t it? 🙂
– Dori –
Oh, these are definitely Pinterest-worthy. I love, love, love them!… If I were the girls, I’d be so excited to show “everyone” the project after it was finished!
Hi Mary,
The girls were very excited! I actually need to take a picture of them sitting on the mantle at their house with tiny little twinkle lights interspersed around them. They are really darling.
– Dori –
My daughter bought one just like this at our local nursery for $35!
Hi Sandy,
Wow! How big is it? I think if you were making little ones (like my little grand-girls made) and had an assembly line sort of thing it wouldn’t be so bad. The first time I do anything is hard! 🙂
– Dori –
Love this post! Even though you have discovered what I suspected when I first saw this project, I’d still like to make some. Yours most certainly ARE ‘Pinterest-worthy’!
Hi Barb,
If you make any, PLEASE email me a picture! 🙂 redfeedsack@gmail.com.
They are pretty cute and knowing the work involved I really appreciate their imperfections!
– Dori –
OH Dori…I WANT ONE! Truly those are the most adorable snowmen! We have lots of trees that my hubby has been working on for firewood, clearing, etc., so I am going to show him this and tell him we have to make one (though I won’t show him the bit about how difficult it is). Love seeing your sweet grand-girls, and your mom is so cute! What a stunning photo of them together. Merry Christmas, Nicole (Suburban Farmgirl)
Hi Nicole,
Maybe knowing up front that they are kind of tedious and time-consuming to make will make it not quite so hard! And if you don’t have little girls waiting on you, that will help a lot too! 🙂 Let me know if you make one!
– Dori –
Oh how darling and what fun!
Ellen,
Thank you… and yes, once we got past the frustrating part they were so much fun! 🙂
– Dori –
Can’t wait to see them! I’m not big on projects that take forever, but they do build patience!
Hi Angela,
Looking forward to seeing you guys tomorrow! 🙂 YAY!
– Dori –
super idea and good looking snowmans..
HUgs
Hi Kristeen,
Thanks for writing!
Hugs back!
– Dori –
A 5-generation memory: your Momma and Daddy, you and Eldon, your son-in-law, your grand girls, and your snowmen! Not so sure the snowmen will remember, but they will be remembered, probably for many years. How wonderful!
Hi Wayve,
I love the way you express yourself (and in so doing, you express my thoughts)! Kindred farmgirl spirits maybe? 🙂
Hugs,
– Dori –
Thanks for sharing this experience. What a clever idea concerning the wooden snowmen. Your granddaughters are beautiful young ladies. I enjoyed this post tremendously. Wishing you and yours a blessed and Merry Christmas.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn,
Yes, those little grand-girls are pretty special little things!
Thank you for your kind words.
– Dori –
Hi Dori,
Wayne & I enjoyed the birth of the snowmen. We talked about how your grand girls are not walking around with iPhone or tablets in their hands — they are creating something beautiful with their hands and using their minds. What a treasure they have with you and Eldon in their midst and vice versa we are sure.
And, the best of all is you did this as a family unit, talking, laughing and doing. God bless you all!
Marvene & Wayne
Hi Aunt Marvene,
Well… to give credit where it’s due, Andrea and Justus are the ones that have laid down the law with their little girls on electronic devices! 🙂 Eldon and I just get to reap the benefits of their great parenting! 🙂 But yes, we are so lucky to have them close by and that they love our farm and everything we want to do!
Big hugs… hope to see you soon???
– Dori –
They are adorable, and so are your grandgirls!
Thank you Marsha!
– Dori –
Dori,
those snowmen are absolutely gorgeous. If we don’t get snow soon, I may have my son do this project. I love snowy winters and snowmen, but these are really special when the snow doesn’t show up any time soon. Especially at Christmas and New Year’s. Thanks for a wonderful story. So glad you had family there to enjoy this time with you.
Hi Sandi,
Yes! Have your son make you a few! 🙂
Family is the best. My parents live across the United States in New Mexico and I miss them terribly. I cherish every little bit of time we get with them.
– Dori –
Dori, These are adorable! My pastor’s wife is a high school teacher who has a huge collection of snowmen. She decks out her house throughout with these little fellows right after Thanksgiving. She would love these. Merry Christmas!
Marge,
I love snowmen too. I don’t have a ton of them, but they are my choice for winter decorating!
Thanks for writing!
– Dori –
That’s cute, love it!
Thanks Jeff! 🙂
– Dori –
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! I so wanted to make some too but — well maybe next year. The girls snowmen are really spectacular!!! great job cutting a wowzer the painting is superb.
Merry Christmas and God bless.
Thank you Joan!
Yes… next year!
– Dori –
Dori!!! Oh my word, these are darling!!! This will be a project for my babe and I. We are in Portland, OR and it doesn’t snow here either. I miss the snow of Iowa this time of year. We’ve got a tree that needs felled, so I see these little snowmen in our future. I shed a little tear when I read that Jillian called you “Gram”. I had a Gram and she was the most dearest person in my heart. Your relationship with your grands remind me of Gram and myself. Keep on memory making! Thanks for the inspiration! Love your crooked head/had snowman! Perfect imperfection! Also love that Eldon got in the spirit, too! Merry Christmas!
Hi Jodie,
I’d love to see a picture of your snowman if you get to make one! email me: redfeedsack@gmail.com.
My grand-girls used to call me Grammie but the little one shortened it to Gram, which I absolutely adore! So now I am Gram. 🙂 Eldon is Gramps… so we are Gram and Gramps!
I’m so happy that you have such special memories of time with your Gram and I always just hope that my grand-girls will grow up with those amazing memories of our time together.
Thank you for writing,
– Dori –
Hi Dori,
Those adorable snow men most certainly are pinterest worthy! Love the story and your day with the girls!
You made some great memories that day!
Merry Christmas to you and yours my dear!
Big Hugs,
Deb
Thank you Deb! Maybe 2016 will the year we get to meet in real life! 🙂
– Dori –
Looks like sweet Christmas Grand time memories made. And adorable snowmen, I love that idea especially the big one. Merry Christmas to you and yours and a very blessed New year. Neta
Thank you Vivian! Yes, I like the big one too! 🙂
Happy Holidays!
– Dori –
What a wonderful project, Dori!! I love the way these snowmen turn out and the little ones the Grandchildren made are just precious. It looks like it was all such an adventure! And yes, I do believe these snow friends are Pinterest worthy!!
Thank you Winnie! In hindsight… they were a super fun project!!! 🙂 Doesn’t seem like near the work now! Ha!
Happy Holidays!
– Dori –
Love the snowmen…..clevera!
LOVE IT!!!THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY!