Spring has sprung and so have I … into action, that is. We’re not dormant in the winter, but ranch activity moves into high gear beginning with calving time. Then, there are all the other activities (and fun things) we’ve been waiting to get back into when the weather permits you to once again spend as many daylight hours OUTSIDE. Finally, that time is here …
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”.
I’m new to your blog and must tell you how much I enjoyed this post. I live in the country surrounded by pines and oaks, and your way of life is fascinating to me. In deep southeast Texas, sometimes we have way too much rain. I wish I could send it to you. Thanks for sharing your life with us.
Thanks for the vicarious high plains journey while I had MY morning cup of brew. I could almost smell the sage. It’s a smell I miss. I grew up in sage country but there isn’t any where I live now. Whenever I’m on the road and start to see sage again, I stop the car and darn near roll in it. I want my hands, my clothes, everything to smell like sage. Lucky you!
Ah, I so look forward to your postings!! and this one is right up there on special. Love to see your wonderful ‘rusty’s’ and how pretty you plant them. I too use all the rose moss I can get – old childhood memory. So glad you are so far along in the growing. Yea for the rain, green is great. Again thanks for sharing your space. God Bless
Shery … As usual, another great post. First of all, I’m so happy that you finally got some rain and have some green around you again. What a relief! Secondly, I love all the old, rusty stuff you have around. Thanks for sharing all the beautiful photos and stories about life in your part of the world. I’m also glad that you are bonding with Ribbon and beginning to feel more confident riding. Ahhh … the lessons we learn at this age! Carol from Pennsylvania
What a great post. I too live on some open plains but our mountains are much closer, Half Dome in Yosemite Natl. Park being part of the scenery. Alas, our green has disappeared and we are looking at another year of little rain. It isn’t the first and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Thanks again for the "refreshing" photos.
Shery, I love reading about your Wyoming life. We raise cattle in Missouri, but it is much different than what you experience. And I just recently regained my courage on a horse – or at least I’m working on it. I’ve had a few bad experiences and a broken elbow, and last weekend, I too used the Lord’s prayer to calm me down and get back in the groove. We were on a trail ride, and half way through I could finally feel myself calm down. Thanks for sharing!
🙂
Ahhh! Spring! It was here…then snow, now close to 90 degrees! New Hampshire (northern NH) is very much like your weather and growing season. Short. Planted beans this morning. And zucs and cucs. Small space but God always gives me a place to plant. And, I watered the tomatoes in my jammies this morning! Thanks, Shery, I do so love reading your life here.
Hi Shery, Another great post and wonderful pictures. You always brighten up my day. 🙂
I can sure identify with the confidence thing. My left knee has been bad for quite some time and now my right hip is giving me a lot of pain and making it very difficult to climb stairs and even walk some days. So working with my two horses and riding now I find myself having some confidence issues too. Thank the Lord that I have a good relationship with both of them. My mare, who is half arab with some fire, seems to knows when I am not feeling the best and becomes a really good girl. 🙂
Looking forward to your next post.
Happy Spring!!