Happy AUTUMN, dear readers! What an exciting start to fall it has been here at our house! The last month has been one of the most exciting for our family in some time! Grab a cup of pumpkin spice tea, and celebrate with me, decorate for fall, and meet our newest (furry) little family member!
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”.
Such a fun post. Congratulations to your daughter and that new fur baby is just precious!!❤
Hi Judith, thank you so much! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Wonderful blog
Hi
Lori, thank you so much! Have a wonderful fall! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Happy anniversary! We celebrated our 40th at beginning of the year. Such a beautiful time of year. Autumn is my favorite and October my favorite month!
Congratulations to your daughter. I have never heard of an organic hair salon. Interesting.
Your photos are so beautiful. Enjoy your day!
Hi Denise, thank you, and Happy 40th anniversary to you!!I hope you got to do something special!
We are very proud of our daughter, thank you so much for the wishes. The salon she works at only uses organic-based products, whichI think is really great! I’m glad you enjoyed the post – that makes me happy. Enjoy the fall! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Nicole,
Thank you for sharing the part of the country that you love and your family with us! The Gidget is adorable! Wish she was in my yard. Trooper I’d too cute for words!
Best,
Renee
Hi Renee, thank you so much! I am glad you enjoyed the post. Now that the weather is cooler, we really enjoy Gidget! I hope to one day attend one of the Halloween camper rallies. Enjoy the fall! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
How exciting. Fall is my fav time of year. I have a birthday October 27. But a trip this Friday for 9 days in Ohio to have a sisters week with my two sisters. We are going to an Animal Sanctuary for pieroghis and farm fun one day, Witches Night Out shopping spree another day and Amish Country for the day. And many other surprises and treasures the rest of the visit
Farm girl
ThisChickenRoadChick
Happy Happy Birthday! Enjoy your trip – it sounds so wonderful! I have a cousin in Ohio; looks so pretty there. Have a fun, happy fall! Thanks for reading and commenting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I really enjoyed your post today. Fall is my favorite season of the year, for many of the reasons you mentioned. Here in Indiana we have the Covered Bridge Festival which highlights many small towns with (you guessed it) covered bridges, old mills, etc. Vendors stack up on the town streets to sell hand-made goods and celebrate the season.
Hi Diane,thank you! I bet where you are is just beautiful, too! I have yet to make it to the midwest but it is on my list. The Covered Bridge Festival sounds wonderful! Enjoy the fall! Thank you for reading and leaving me a comment! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
What a great September you had. Your new dog is cute. Wishing you and your husband many more years of happiness and blessings. Happy Belated birthday to your husband, Congratulations to your daughter.
HAPPY FALL
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
Dear Joan, Marion and Marilyn, thank you ever so much! I hope you all have a very Happy Fall! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Lovely post! October is my favorite month! On Oct 30 hubby and I are celebrating our 51st anniversary! Our twin daughters turn 43 this Friday. Hubby and I met in October. I love the colors of fall as well. Congratulations on your wedding anniversay.
Hi Sandy, thank you so much! And CONGRATULATIONS on your anniversary! Wow! 51 years – so awesome. And a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your twins! October is such a nice month. Enjoy all the fun and fall colors! Thank you for sharing with me today. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole