I’ve decided that’s the way farm life is:
Joy, Pain, Joy, Pain.
I’ve concentrated on the JOY and not on the PAIN.
Until….
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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”.
"Snowflake, Sweetie Pie"! I have a feeling that Sweetie Pie will end up being the name you use the most. It kind of just rolls off the tongue. I do like Snowflake also! Having more than one name is a good thing. My dogs, kids and Husband have many! I am so happy that you have started to straighten out the unnecessary complications! Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas! Look forward to hearing more about your horse education.
Through it all – JOY!!!!
Thanks for another wonderful visit to THE FARM – oh yes I do remember the JOY of living on the farm – oh the bottle calves – that was my chore – feed the calves – we had buckets with feeder nipples – we’d hang the buckets on the fence – the calves would come running – making their darling bawl sound and then no sound other than the sucking – ahhh the JOY. A round pen – the only way to go – no corners to hide in. After a time and it sounds like it won’t be long, your Snowflake/Sweetie Pie will be talking to you like a dear friend – JOY. I just had my main living area, hallway, master bath and closet floorings redone – oh my goodness what a mess the whole house was – but cleaned up and now onto the next project – I know my ‘redo’ is NOTHING in comparison to what you are doing – my family did that big job when I was just about 9 – our ‘new’ house had been used to store grain – so yes I can relate to your pain – JOY. You are one strong farmgirl/family. Yes I do need to hear your pain for such is life and you do handle it with such JOY. God Bless and Merry Christmas to ALL – people/dogs/cats/horses et al.
I remember calves sucking on my hand as a young girl on my grandparents farm in Montana….what fun calves are and cows in general are my favorite farm animal…course I love chickens too. Not much of a horse person, think it is because they are soooo big.
Enjoy your horse of many names…….Happy Holidays!
Rebekah, That was a great idea to look up Snowflake’s pedigree to choose a name. It gives him roots. Like that. I can totally relate to your feeling of ‘newness’ dealing with a horse on your own for the first time. My daughter was 10 when we got our Morgan horse, and she could handle him so much better that I could. I got the "Don’t you tell me what to do" behavior when I tried to ride him. He would just march me right back to the barn…very humbling. I did take some lessons, but not enough to have the confidence I needed to win him over. We were good buddies though, and he always came running to me when I headed near the pasture to sniff my pockets for possible carrots.
You are really getting your feet wet with this new chapter of your life, but before long you will be helping to encourage other newbie farmers. I love that you were able to share that your life has been upside down with all of the transition. Whose wouldn’t? This is a big undertaking for you and your family. Just the new house is enough stress! I think that you are pretty amazing!
I would name him Sweetie Pie, since that is what you have been calling him and he seems to be one too! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Sounds like your horse has Grit! Didn’t you do a post on grit one time? Maybe that should be his name! I’m learning the ways of country life too. I’ll post about it when I get a computer that works (sigh)
Cindy Bee
Sometimes it takes awhile for herd politics to re-organize. Your Snowflake was asserting himself and letting whomever might bully him know that is isn’t going to take it anymore. He just might work his way to the top. My dad’s old gelding did that years ago when he was moved to a new location (new pasture). One by one, he elevated his way up to ‘Boss Hogg’ through about a dozen pasture mates.
Keeping livestock is tuff on the tender-hearted. *Really* tuff. Over the years, I’ve grown callouses where needed, they came by way of tears and heartache.
For some of us, the many anxious places between livestock and possible deadstock is named Dreadville. Prayer is my #1 coping tool with all of the animals we are stewards of. "The righteous looketh well to the care of their beasts". Praying your way through farming is as ancient as the lifestyle itself.
Love the name Snowflake. Just like people, horses also find themselves in a state of re-inventing themselves when they land in a new home. Sometimes the adjustment is slight. Other times they require of us more patience, probably discipline … and 4-sure confidence. You’ve got good help available and determination being a core trait in you will get you to the other side…JOYJOYJOY!! Happy Holydays to you in your new home.
Hi Becca,
I heard that the yellow milk heifers bring more at the sale barn than the black and white ones and that white and yellow are second,because they withstand heat and cold better,you only want to keep them for ten weeks and then sale.You can double your money.Lots of work,but,you do have a daughter that can help,it would be remodling money.Have a nice Christmas. carol branum