Mid-summer…these early harvest days have a busyness to them that begins early and ends late. There are gardens to tend, beans to snap, and corn to shuck. Weeds need pulling, grass needs mowing, and hay needs stacking. July days are hot and sun-soaked, and by day’s end, often come with rumblings of thunder bringing much-needed rain.
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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”.
Love seeing how you weave your herbs! There is nothing like fresh straight from the garden. Thanks for sharing how to easily dry them.
Good morning! You’re so right – fresh is always so nice…and drying them is really easy. The weaving is fun to make with a group of girlfriends…one gal I know used a tall, skinny frame and it was a perfect fit for her old chimney cupboard! Thanks for stopping by to visit, Mary
I love the idea of herb weaving. I’m going to try this. Thank you for sharing this.
Hi Lynette – let me know how yours turns out! I’d love to hear what herbs you used – maybe one weaving with Italian herbs and one with Mediterranean herbs! I like using the frame – there’s so many great designs and colors to choose from. Leaving the frame in place is great for beginners, but there‘s also a way to remove the frame if you want to while the herbs are still fresh – just let me know and I can share those how-to instructions if you’d like them. Mary
I love this post Mary!!! And I’m DYING over the herb weaving. I just want to sit down with YOU and YOUR herbs and learn!
Oh Dori, we need a good, old-fashioned girls only day! Some stitching, some herb weavings, some food…I see a whole lot of fun!
Your posts are just amazing!! Your captured “summer” perfectly! I love your kitchen herb patch. (It’s beautiful as well as fragrant and useful!). My herb garden isn’t outside my door – it’s in my son’s old sandbox LOL, but I love having it. I usually band my herbs together and have started hanging them from the curtain rods in my kitchen, although I do have a little wooden herb drying rack I use as well. Love the sauce and salt recipes as well…will definitely give them a go. And herb weaving…ok, that’s new to me. I’ve heard of and have done lavender wands but it’s different than this. Great ideas, great post! ~Robin~
Hi Robin, always appreciate it when you pop over here! Having your garden in a sandbox is a great idea…it means everything’s contained and keeps most of the weeds out. And yes, I LOVE seeing herbs hanging in windows…it reminds me of a quieter time and simpler life. Just what we all could use more of these days…thanks for the reminder. Mary
I have a large box of tomatoes that need using up, so I will be making the pasta sauce later. Thank you.
Also, the herb weaving looks amazing. What a great idea! Xx
I hope you like the recipe, Jules…be sure to let me know. It’s simple to make the ingredient amounts however you like so it’s just right for you – add or delete anything you please. I’m thinking I may try and cook it down just a little in a Dutch oven to make it thicker for pizza sauce…something we always need around here! Thanks to visiting, Mary
What a lovely picture of summer you have created. The herb weaving is genius! What a beautiful gift it would make as well.
Thank you for reminding me that beyond the heat and humidity, there is much to celebrate about this season. Mighty blessings…
Daisy, my fellow gardener…thanks for coming by to comment! I’m sure you could whip up an herb weaving in no time at all…let me know if you do. And you’re right…the heat and humidity lately have been a trial, but when I hear the mockingbirds at twilight or see the fireflies, it reminds me to take a step back and be grateful. Mary
Such a sweet sweet post and I LOVE the herb weaving. A great idea!
Hi Staci, thanks so much! I’m so grateful for the lady who taught me to make an herb weaving ages ago…she sparked an interest in herbs for a 20-something girl that’s stayed with me for decades. I’m hoping I can share her ideas and pass that love along to someone else. Mary