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.”
Column contents © Mary Murray. All rights reserved.
Farmgirl
is a condition
of the heart.
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!
Column contents © Alexandra Wilson. All rights reserved.
Libbie Zenger
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
June 2010 – Jan 2012
Libbie’s a small town farmgirl who lives in the high-desert Sevier Valley of Central Utah on a 140-year-old farm with her husband and two darling little farmboys—as well as 30 ewes; 60 new little lambs; a handful of rams; a lovely milk cow, Evelynn; an old horse, Doc; two dogs; a bunch o’ chickens; and two kitties.
René Groom
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
April 2009 – May 2010
René lives in Washington state’s wine country. She grew up in the dry-land wheat fields of E. Washington, where learning to drive the family truck and tractors, and “snipe hunting,” were rites of passage. She has dirt under her nails and in her veins. In true farmgirl fashion, there is no place on Earth she would rather be than on the farm.
Nice post, Deb! I had no idea daisies had such a prolific background. What a fun flower. Happy 4th to you, too!
From your Farmgirl sister across the continent, Alex
Howdy Alex,
Me neither! 🙂 Wishing you a happy 4th with your new little family… hugs to Ava! Give her a tickle for me! Love, Deb
Happy Independence Day to you as well. You are blessed with such beautiful daisies. They always make me smile: not quite as impish as pansies with their cute little faces but smile inducing nonetheless.
Happy 4th Adrienne! We are getting rain today after nearly a month without anything worth reporting. Very rare for New England… I’m happy for the flowers today! They were getting parched!
Have a safe weekend! Deb
Wow! Thanks for reminding me of the beauty of these simple flowers….he loves me, he loves me not! Simple, clean, cheerful and fun! I think I’ll go buy a bunch this afternoon! 😀
Yay for daisies! Enjoy, Ann! Thanks for reading! Deb
I am thankful for the sources of flower meanings, I want to read those books. I have a garden club at school and we often talk about the history of a certain plant or flower. Aside from the beauty, knowing a secret flower language is exciting!
I think so too, Gayle! Thanks so much for reading today. 🙂 Deb
Happy 4th Deb, I have the Flower Fairy book, it is such a nice read. I will look into getting the other one.
While I read your letter just now, as you talked about driving up and knowing that was your new home, it reminded me of almost 23 years ago, when the realtor brought me here to my home. I looked down at the 2 1/2 acre property from the road, saw the house and knew right then I wanted to spend my life here without even looking inside the house. it needed a really good cleaning and work but it was all worth it.
I have felt so at home since that day. I am surrounded by woods, only have 2 neighbors.
Life is good and it is the perfect day to celebrate and be thankful for our freedom.
Hi there Peggy! Oh, that’s a neat story you shared… 🙂 Thank you for that.
Beautiful, the yellow flowers by them really set off the yellow in the middle of the white .
Great post! I love Daisy’s. I just love flowers. Thanks for sharing your beautiful pics and info. too!
Thanks Deb! I love my daisies, which are Shasta daisies. I planted then many years ago and I learned, after bringing a fresh bouquet in the house one year, that they are NOT meant for being in the house. I couldn’t figure out that awful smell at first . . . it was they Shasta daisies . . they smelled like stinky feet! 😀
So, they just stay outside in the flowerbed and grace my yard!
CJ
That’s to funny Cj! hahahah…. Yes, best they stay outside rather than in! Mine must not be Shasta Daisies, cause they don’t have a smell at all… Hmmm Now I need to go look them up to see if I can find what variety they are! 🙂 thanks for the note! Enjoy your daisies! Deb