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 am so honored to be mentioned. It has been a joy to share what little bits I know, I only hope what little I do share will help and inspire others. I must say though, I give God all the glory for everything that I do, with out Him nothing would be possible. I also must say that you have to have a very supporting spouse, which I do, she gives me much inspiration as well! The big thing with gardening is to have fun and enjoy what you have been blessed with, never let it become work. Thank you again Debbie and blessings to all!
Hi there Clint! Nice to see you here! Having a supportive spouse makes everything we do so much easier. Just yesterday my hubby helped me find a better spot than the one I had orginally chosen for my coveted future hoop house! Thanks so much for all you share…and Happy Gardening! xo Deb
I can see that good old SPRING FEVER has struck in your neck of the woods! We discovered the labor intensity that is involved with having our garden areas a few years ago. My hubby used to work on alot of highway jobs, so he had access to the heavy-duty type of weed barrier, one that does not break down. Our whole garden area is 95% covered and we cut holes for our veggie pockets, everything from cucumbers to tomato vines. Not only does it regulate the heat, but helps immensely with the moisture loss. The only thing that I don’t like about it is the way that it looks, kind of black and utilitarian, in other words UGLY. I also think that it has massive amounts of mice colonies, maybe voles (?) underneath it..
Back in the day, my folks had a fellow bring in beautiful soil for our garden area from a bog area nearby and his business was called ‘Wirt’s Dirt’. That was all he did, formulate and deliver DIRT….Another cottage industry!
I am preparing to watch the ‘Back to Eden’ video. I took a peek and I love the concepts behind it!
You have to try ‘Tendergreen’ cucumbers in you garden. They have a thin skin and you can just grab them and CRUNCH..No peeling required…
I am excited for you and your gardening endeavors!
Hello dear Jan! LOL!!! Yes, I guess you could say Spring Fever has struck…:) We’ve had such a mild winter that my need to be outside has come much earlier than previous years. Thanks goodness cuz as usual I have bigger plans than any one season allows for! Hehehheh!!! The Tendergreen’s sound lovely and I like the no peeling part too… Thanks for reading my dear! xo sister Deb
Hello Deb!! It was so nice of you to mention Clint’s (I’m the other half) blog here! He is doing a great job on his blog and his garden, very proud of him.
I love the seaside garden, makes me want to go there but of course I would have to leave the digging to the hubby as I would want to be stitching while enjoying the sea air. And I love the Pinterest inspiration photo, what a beautiful garden! Reminds me somewhat of the gardens in Williamsburg Virginia. Have a wonderful weekend!!
So nice to meet you Dana! It’s clear he consider’s you a big part of his gardening adventures…I’ve got a nice big cypress tree I sit under at the beach where I love to read gardening books while I watch my hubby dig… ( I do help too ) I love it! Have a wonderful weekend and come see us again… here and at Dandelion House!
xo Deb
Debbie, thank you for this wonderful post. And especially thank you for sharing the "Back to Eden" video. I have been transfixed this morning…I garden in an apartment backyard on a very small scale, but I put down newspaper over a 6’X10′ chunk of grass about a month ago, covered with soil. I look forward to adding the wood chips and incorporating the techniques from Paul’s movie. Thank you again!
Hi Fawn,
Yes, why not add those wood chips! Perfect no matter the size of your garden plot! I believe Clint is going to try this method in his raised beds and I’m going to be using it in my new Backyard Flower Farming venture too! Keep us posted won’t you? Thanks for reading! xo sister Deb
What I love about our Mary Jane-ers is that we all are so deeply passionate about the wonders of God’s creation and long to be a personal part "in" it. The wind, the waves, the fields and farms call us all. Thanks you for your words so fitly spoken!
Darlene (Ava, Missouri sister)
Darlene, Your comment gave me shiver’s! It’s so true how we Mary Jan-ers ( love that ) are all so deeply passionate about all of nature and our desire to be in the midst of it where ever we live. Thank you for your note today… xo sister Deb
I watched the video. So interesting, thank you for sharing!
Hello Debra! You’re welcome! Thanks so much for reading! xoDeb
Oh, Deb, what an inspiration! I, too, am wanting to enjoy working in my garden as much as planning it (which will be quite a challenge with 90+ temps and humidity most of the summer). Thank you for the heads-up about Clint’s blog. I can’t wait to get my hands dirty!
Nancy
http://www.liveasavorylife.com
Good luck Nancy! We have similar high temps and humidity too for part of the summer so keeping those weeds at bay and moisture at a high is very important… I’m really looking forward to implementing the " covering " methods too! Thanks for reading! xo Deb
That film totally answered my prayers! I have been so frustrated and last year didn’t even do a garden…I am so inspired now. Can’t wait. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Becky! I was feeling the same way as far as veggies go but now I’m ready to try again! So glad you are ready too! Keep us posted! xo Deb
your excitement is contagious, thanks!!
xo Laura
p.s. your seaside garden and cottages are ‘pinterest’ pin-tastic!
Hi Laura! Well, thanks! xo Deb
OH, first off, I LOVE your seaside place…so adorable. I live near the sea myself, so it’s nice to see that it’s still possible to grow stuff, even near the ocean 🙂 🙂 I"m still in the "planning" stages, because I’ve got to make sure I"ve got the money to buy supplies. However, I do LOVE reading about other people are actually doing this…gardening and growing food 😉 🙂 In our area we have LOTS of deer and gophers. That’s something we have to contend with here, since they both think the front/backyards are the endless snack bar 🙂 🙂 Have a great weekend. I’m going to check out some of the sites you mentioned 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of CAlifornia, Heather 🙂
Hi Heather! Yes, something about the sea air really agrees with flowers and veggies where we are! You keep planning and dreaming… Have you looked on freecycle in your area for needed supplies? I’m going to start looking for old doors and windows form my upcycled garden room! Where there’s a will there’s a way right? Thanks s much for reading and your note too! xo Deb
OMG, I can’t begin to tell you how blessed I am to have seen that video. AWESOME!!! I can’t wait to get my wood chips and get going and I can’t wait to call around and find someone to drop them off and start building me some piles like he had. I absoblutely could sit and listen to that guy all day and learn from him. He is such an inspiration and I love the way he gives God all the credit. I can’t wait to go back and order the dvd with footage showing how to prune. This was so timely as I have been diligent this year as well about researching how to have the best care free garden I can have and to do it organic. I am so impressed. I started last year with the newspaper and compost but not the wood chips. I’m soo excited now I can hardly wait until time to plant. And the part about saving water. I too am on a well, and hate to use my water wastefully. My chickens will come in handy as well. Until your next blog, BE BLESSED and I can’t wait to see what you grow this year.
Hi Vivian Isn’t that video just the best? I felt the same way… Asnwers to so many of my gardening prayers! Keep us posted on how it works for you and I’ll do the same! Thanks so much for reading and for your lovely note! xo Deb
I forgot to tell you, I have a green house made out of old windows that I bought at a antique shop/junk shop and I pay $1 ea for them and my husband framed them together to make me a potting shed/greenhouse. I got my door which is smaller panes with a glass door knob at habitat for humanity for $5. My friend and I painted on the windows scenes on the inside so the front windows are summer, the sides are spring and fall and the back windows are winter. I call it the four seasons. I wish I knew how to send you a picture. then I have it all fenced off about 30ft by 30ft and I have raised bed inside and container gardens. if you know how I can send picture tell me and I will. again BE BLESSED
Oh your garden house sounds just wonderful! If you can get a jpeg off of your computer you can email one to me! I would love to see it!
xo Deb
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have read many books from the library and even purchased a couple and still can’t grow fresh veggies. My ground here is so hard and dried up I thought I would have to buy a tiller and now I know I don’t have to. I watched the Back to Eden DVD and loved it and bought it to watch over and over again. I loved the scriptures and references. I bought lumber to build a raised garden last fall. I found some plans on how to build it, but when I tried to purchase the mesh for the bottom it comes in large sheets (to stop weeds) it was too expensive. All my wood and hardware are sitting in my garage. I felt so defeated. Now I just need to contact my friendly tree trimmer for wood chips and ask my neighbors to save their newspapers for me. I am so excited. Blessings, Deb
Hi Jeanne! You are most welcome. I hoped everyone would be as excited as I was about the " covering "method of gardening…AND the inspiration behind it. Do keep us posted on how things go for you! So glad you will try again! Blessings to you and yours too! xo Deb
Dear Deb, What a welcome escape! This is the time of year out here when you really start to ache for springtime. I so look forward to seeing your garden plots this summer. It was a treat just seeing the planning stages. I’m hoping a greenhouse might be in my future. C’mon spring!
Hi Shery! I hear ya! We are ready for Spring here too! We’ve had such a mild winter here my spring engine is raring to go. Glad to have you along as always my dear! xo Deb
Thank you for the link to the Back to Eden video! I have forwarded it to all my gardening friends. I have been using the Ruth Stout method of deep mulch gardening for 3 1/2 years and it has made a wonderful difference for me in Alabama. We have been faced with severe droughts for years and the hay has kept the soil cooler, moister, and richer. No more tilling. I have earthworms and hardly any weeds. I was sold on keeping the ground covered years ago and now I know of another source of mulch to use. By word of mouth people come to see my garden and many are now covering their garden year round with mulch. Paul’s video was very well done and it is right to give all the glory to God. It is so exciting to grow your own food and know how good it is for you!
You’re welcome Carol! It’s great to hear you have been having success with this method already! How fun to have folks visit your garden and learn from you! Good for you ( and your visitors) . Thanks so much for reading Carol… xo Deb
I can hardly wait to start my garden this year! Thanks for sharing the Back To Eden website. After telling a friend about what I was going to do with my garden this year, she told me where I can get chicken manure and even mushroom soil. I bought a composter at the end of Fall and I’m so excited about using it. My husband and I also fish so I also have plans to start a small worm farm. It’s so nice to be able to share my plans with people who are just as excited as I am. Most people just shake their heads and laugh.
Dear Linda, This sounds great! Love your plans! I know what you mean. Thank God for the Maryjanesfarm and all the ways we can connect, share and dream! Thanks so much for your note today and happy gardening! xo Deb
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