Welcome to my little celebration sisters! I’m so glad you could join me today! Spread out your beach blanket and raise a glass with me in honor of farmgirls everywhere! We would not be here today if it weren’t for Sister # 1 bringing us all together! Three cheers to MaryJane for creating a place where farmgirls can gather up to gab and gush! Hip- Hip Hurray! Hip -Hip Hurray! Hip- Hip Hurray!
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”.
WOW, a YEAR!!! Congratulations, Deb. I can’t believe it’s been that long already … although you are such a Natural at it, embodying true Farmgirl spirit, that in many ways I can hardly believe it’s been ONLY one year that we’ve all been loving your columns! Clink! Clink! as I raise my cup of tea to you this morning … and to Farmgirls everywhere! Here’s to another fabulous year as we plow our way to our dreams and reap the harvest! Much love and a BIG hug to you, Cathi, The Mountain Farmgirl
Dear Cathi, I know what you mean. In some ways it feels like we have ALL always known eachother… But isn’t that the way with kindred spirits? Especially those of the " farmgirl " sort! Much love to you too my sister in the North! Thanks for celebrating with me! xo Deb
I just love all these beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing! You and MJF has helped to inspire me to truly go for my dreams. Thank you for that too. Congratulations on all of your dreams that have come true and continue to share all those new ones along the way to up build us and keep our fires burning. And may you soon gallop into the sunset on that very long awaited horse on the beach.
Thanks again, patiently awaiting for the presentation of your scrape book.
Dear Emma,
You are most welcome! Thanks for your kind words and may all of our farmgirl dreams come true…! I promise a post when my scrap book is done! ( or nearly done ) which ever comes first! xo Deb
You go girl!!! get that horse – it is never too late to fill a dream. With all the up lifting encouragement and joy you have brought to so many of us in this past year – well I only hope at least one of us has done the same for you and a special gift should be realized. My only criteria for picking a horse is a kind face – no matter the color, breed, stud, mare – it’s all in the face. Thanks for YOU!!!
Dear Joan,
So true! It’s never to late to fill a dream! Kind eyes and a good horsey smell. What else does a farmgirl need? Oh, don’t answer that!!! Thanks for reading! xo Deb
Dear Deb, Congrats on your blogiversary and the ‘girl genius’ idea coming to pass. I’m holding the vision of you loping along the shoreline on a trusty steed. Sommmmmmeday :o) Love your scrapbook idea too!
Hi Shery! Thanks my dear! A special thanks to you for keeping my beach farmgirl blog fires burning back when this idea was just a wee spark in my heart! And I KNOW you have my back in the " trusty steed " department! 🙂 Bless you and big hugs! xo Deb
Thank you for your creative and welcoming spirit !!! You are inspiring to us all, and I have enjoyed your blog tremendously. Congratulations on your anniversary !! Your scrapbook looks beautiful and your dreams are heartfelt, keep them alive, no matter what age !! (and I will do the same ; ) xxooo
And thank you for always responding, what a loving touch !
Dear Laura,
Well, thank you for your kind words and for coming along on my farmgirl journey here on the shorelines! Keep the Faith… and I will too!
xo Deb
Your blog has been a place of encouragement and retreat! Well done sister-farmgirl!
Thanks so much dear Julia! Hope all is well with you!!! xo Deb
Congratulations Deb from your farmgirl sister across the bay on the Cape! Having a blog of my own I know how much saisfaction I get when an encouraging comment comes through with kuddos! I’ve really enjoyed your blog and a peek into the life you’ve created, and can relate to your beach life. Thanks and keep it up, we love hearing from you! Perhaps one day we’ll meet.
Sandi
Sister #3956
Hi Sister Sandi from across the bay! Thanks for helping a sister celebrate! Comments make blogging so much more fun and worthwhile don’t they? It’s the fuel we need to keep writing! Perhaps we will meet one day? xo Deb
Happy Anniversary Deb! It’s a delight to read your blog and get to know where your farmgirl heart is. I am tickled that you live where I grew up, and that you take lots of great pictures from your neck of the woods to share with all of us. Keep on keepin’ on girlfriend!
Howdy Pam! Thanks so much! I know what it is to live away from " home "… I always get misty when Shery J ( ranch farmgirl blogger) posts images of her wide open spaces and sagebrush! She even sent me some once when I just couldn’t take it anymore! 🙂 xo Deb
I was so pleased to see the current issue of MJF and your article about Sally Jo Pollard. I even commented to my husband something like this: ‘Remember the Beach Farmgirl blogger that published our garden sink pics!?! She has her OWN article in the MJF magazine!’. You should be so proud of yourself, girlfriend!
No! Don’t give up on the horse dream…It was always my dream to be able to ride a Harley solo. In the past few years I kind of gave up on that idea, due to physical limitations (mostly arthritis in my hands). Since I have been working out more I find that my strength is much better and my attitude is soaring. Who knows…
We have to continue to have our dreams!!
Congratulations on continuing to achieve!
Thanks so much Jan! Like you, my horsey dream ebbs and flows.. right now it’s flowing again! It’s great to hear you’re hands are feeling better and your spirits are highter too! Dealing with chronic pain on a daily basis is a tough challenge to meet. You continue to work out and feel better too!
Dream on sister!!! xo Deb
A year! Well Deb time flies when we are having fun don’t it! I enjoy reading your blogs I have never seen the east coast but I feel I have through your blog. Thanks for the year! And here is to many more!
Howdy Kimberly! It sure does! Happy to share this slice of the US with you! Glad you enjoy.. and thanks so much for reading Kimberly…xo Deb
I read all of the farmgirl blogs and look forward to them, but when I see yours I know that I’m going to feel uplifted and enlightened when I’m finished reading. Your comments on each person’s comment is also a nice touch.
I love your sincerety, your topics, your pictures and your brightness – you are truly a ray of sunshine.
Dear Marion, Such kind words…You touched my heart today! 🙂 Writing for writing’s sake can be a lonely affair…. But to know ones words bring a smile, a lift, or inspiration to someone else, well, that’s the reason I write. Thank you for reading and your note! xo Deb