Everyone should be so blessed that they experience four distinct seasons at least once in their lifetime. Having grown up in a climate where shorts are worn year ‘round, in New England, I never tire of watching the transformation from season to season. We’ve been blessed this year with a perfect fall…sunny and relatively warm, perfect for late harvesting before the garden’s put to bed for a winter’s nap. While things aren’t as lush and green as summer, there’s still so much beauty, and still so much to do!
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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”.
Nice blog….Love the pictures!!
Thank you! -Nicole
Super rendition of Fall. The pictures are really wonderful.
Hi Joan! Thank you…I’m really loving this time of the year. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I’ve never thought about dehydrating food but you just made me want to do it! love the flower pictures too and of course Pip!
Hi Denise! I wanted a dehydrator to make dried fruit for wreaths and things (thinking of apples) but we are using it for all sorts of things. Dry apples and toss with a little cinnamon sugar for a treat! Thanks for commenting. Let me know if you get a dehydrator and how it goes. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi Nicole,
Enjoyed your post as usual. I just want to tell you that after reading the post when your Dad came for a visit and unplugged your sink, I looked for one of those little inexpensive dodads, found one and was so pleased with my results. Thanks for telling us about it. And thank your Dad!
Hi Bonnnie! Thank you! I will definitely tell my dad that you liked his tip! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Loved your post, Nicole. I’ve never dehydrated herbs – I need to do that next year. Don’t know why I haven’t. Oh, they will be lovely through the winter. One thing I really want to do is grow potatoes. I need to research it a bit and learn how! I’ve steered away from it because it always seemed intimidating; isn’t that ridiculous? I’m going to do it next year! My cut flowers are still going strong here in Middle Tennessee… but probably for only a few more weeks. I miss them when they are gone. 🙁 I think orange mums are my favorite too! – Dori, Ranch farm girl! –
Hi Dori! Thanks so much! I think next year I will start earlier with the herbs, so I have a great supply for all winter. Planting potatoes is really easy…when it is planting time, take your sprouted spuds and pop them right in the dirt. The plants will grow, and then when they look spent, start digging! It’s like hunting for buried treasure. Today the crazy weather got up to 75! Earlier in the week, we were in the thirties, and had the wood stove burning! I took advantage of the warmth and dug up ten poundsof potatoes! I have red and white, and oh, they smell so good! Hope you are all doing okay with the wicked weather that has been moving through your way. I phoned my mom first thing this morning to check on her (she’s in Georgia). Take care, and enjoy those cut flowers! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Love the photos! Thanks for sharing! Fall is my favorite season!
Hope your family is doing well!
CJ
Hi CJ! Thanks so much, darlin’! Hope everyone there is doing well, too. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
What a delightful post! I enjoy the changing seasons, too. It’s fun taking note of what’s different today than what it was a week ago. Watching a “v” of birds going south, seeing trees brightening with autumn colour day by day, feeling that brisk chill in the morning air – yep, it’s good to be alive and to be able just to enjoy God’s handiwork.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photographs!
Hi Marge, thank you! I agree…it’s neat to see everything turn. When it is 100 degrees out and so very hot, it’s hard to imagine us waist-deep in snow, but it happens each year. Then when everything is grey and brown for so long, it’s hard to imagine I’ll be outside planting soon. Each season truly is a gift. Thanks for “stopping by”! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Love the fresh cut flowers and Halloween pillow! Both are Beautiful! Congratulations to Audrey on winning the 4H Ribbon and Best in Show. I enjoyed reading your article on all the fall weather, animals, and flowers. I have never seen an orange spider, yikes!
Hi Rose! Thank you! As for the spider…he was not only orange but HUGE, too! EEEeeek! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Nicole, I love the pictures too. I was there when the mother doe and twins came out onto your yard so I still have the picture on my phone. The orange mums are beautiful. You grew these in your garden? And when my grandfather in Arkansas took me on his farm to dig up fresh potatoes I was ten years old. I will never forget the wonderful earthy aroma. You really have a lot of great comments on this blog. Good one, and I did not know poinsettias were a tropical plant.
Love, Mother
The family of deer were so cute, and became “regulars” here all summer. Love the story of the potatoes; guess digging in the earth runs in my blood! Love you, Nicole
Hi Nicole!
Loved your Fall blog! It so describes our New England ” Autumn Transitions” to a T! Your flowers are beautiful, and how fun for your daughter to win a ribbon for her coleus plant! She looks thrilled! I haven’t tried dehydrating food yet either. My big try this year will be pasta and pizza sauce made from scratch. I’ve got bags and bags of frozen maters in the frig! We aren’t danish, but we love our potatoes too! We’ve been busy with a big house DIY project so I haven’t gotten my Fall on yet. Your post put me in the mood! Thank you and blessings to your little family, pip too! Farmgirl Hugs, Deb aka Beach Farmgirl.
Morning, Deb! Thanks so much! I haven’t tried making fresh pasta yet…you will have to let me know how it goes! For pizza sauce, I haven’t canned it, but I do make homemade pizza sauce in small batches, using one or two cups for a homemade pizza, then freezing two small canning jars (with plastic lids) in the freezer. The next time, I don’t have to make sauce. I defrost and use on the pizza. Tastes great! I have to hop over to your blog and see what all you are up to! Big Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Beautiful pictures.I really miss the change of seasons living in Houston.Mums are one of my favorites.I have them in my garden.
Hi Holly, I do love the four seasons here…but growing up in Houston now I miss having so many sunny days, too! It can get very grey for long stretches of time. And barbeque! Oh I miss a good chopped beef sandwich smothered in Texas barbeque sauce! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
How interesting, Nicole! Love those gorgeous pic, too. Aren’t dehydrators wonderful?
Thanks, Portia! I do love my dehydrator…I can’t believe it took me so long to get one! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole