Spring’s here! I want to scream it from the rafters! It’s like the whole world’s awake! In Connecticut, we can actually store away the snow shovels, bring out our sandals, and pull out the yard furniture! The season’s off to a busy and good start!
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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”.
Sounds Wonderful! All those smiling faces and such sisterhood… I will have to check out the book – Always up to adding to my skill sets. Have a wonderful Spring.
You have a wonderful Spring, too. Thanks for reading! -Nicole
Thanks Nicole! I enjoyed watching the hummingbirds at your house so much that I went to Agway and bought a hummingbird feeder for my deck, so I really appreciate the homemade recipe! Can’t wait to try the quiche recipe also!
Ali
Farmgirl#12
Ali, thanks for your recipe, too. Let me know how many hummers you see at your house! -Nicole
So that’s what ate my hostas last year! I had no idea deers loved hosta. Now I know!
Sarah, they eat mine down to the nubs, and unfortunately they don’t grow back until the next year, so they end up looking awful! If I am vigilant with my spray, they don’t eat them, but as soon as it wears off or rain comes, they go right for them! -Nicole
Nicole-
I always enjoy reading your blog…so fun and entertaining. I also love all of the pictures.. its so neat to see everyone’s little corner of the world that they call home.
Farmgirl Smiles,
Laurie
"Little HenHouse on the Island"
Farmgirl Sister#1403
Oh, thank you Laurie! Farmgirl hugs to you! -Nicole
Smithers is greatly concerned that Bonnie can’t seem to chase away your deer. He swears that as your "small but mighty" chief of security the landscaping will remain intact. That and all your math problems solved. Just sayin’.
Heidi, tell my little Smithers that while he IS "small and mighty", he may not be able to stand up against the red-tailed hawks. Just sayin’. Hugs, Sweetie! -Nicole
Hi Nicole!
I hear ya on the arrival of spring. It always feels as if it takes forever for it to get here! I’ll have to try your quiche recipe… We are always looking for ways to use up our backyard chickens eggs! Your farmgirl chapter gathering looks fun too.
Happy Spring!
Deb
Nicole,
Another wonderful blog that gives this out-of-town friend an glimpse of what you have been up to lately. Everyone in Chicago is ready for spring and a nice summer also! Thanks for the grandma book reference. It sounds like a fun book to read when one has a spare moment or two. And the advice in there is probably timeless. The 3 generations of females part of your family looks beautiful in the picture!
Rose
Hi Nicole,
I enjoy reading your blog. Our hummingbirds are out here too in Sandpoint. But you have the wrong amount of water for the sugar solution. It is one cup of sugar to FOUR cups of boiling water. That is what is written in my hummingbird books.
Nancy
-Nancy, I prefer to make mine sweeter, especially in the beginning. You can use more or less, if you like. I find when I use less, we do not see the amount of birds we do when we use more. -Nicole
Thank you for the hummingbird feeder recipe- would you believe I just today received a feeder from my MIL and put in calls to my mom and sis, because it did not come with the info. And now, just randomly browsing Mary Jane’s low and behold…sisterhood, indeed! Now I’m gonna fill my new feeder and hopefully meet some new neighbors. Happy Mother’s Day!
Susan, enjoy! Thanks for reading, and have A Happy Mother’s Day, too! -Nicole
Nicole,
Thank you for the beautiful brunch. It was nice to reminisce on your blog. The recipes you gave us are wonderful. And what a beautiful picture of you and your mom with your daughter. Stay as lovely as always,
Betty
–Betty, thank you for the gift of your friendship. You are a blessing in my life! -Nicole