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.”
Column contents © Mary Murray. All rights reserved.
Farmgirl
is a condition
of the heart.
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!
Column contents © Alexandra Wilson. All rights reserved.
Libbie Zenger
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
June 2010 – Jan 2012
Libbie’s a small town farmgirl who lives in the high-desert Sevier Valley of Central Utah on a 140-year-old farm with her husband and two darling little farmboys—as well as 30 ewes; 60 new little lambs; a handful of rams; a lovely milk cow, Evelynn; an old horse, Doc; two dogs; a bunch o’ chickens; and two kitties.
René Groom
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
April 2009 – May 2010
René lives in Washington state’s wine country. She grew up in the dry-land wheat fields of E. Washington, where learning to drive the family truck and tractors, and “snipe hunting,” were rites of passage. She has dirt under her nails and in her veins. In true farmgirl fashion, there is no place on Earth she would rather be than on the farm.
Oh the beach the beach! What beautiful pictures and cottage! The lobster pot is calling out an invitation to me for dinner…. I can hear it so clearly!
Spring fever has me also! I am planting many of my green babies this weekend. I cannot wait! Happy “almost spring”!
Happy almost Spring, Debbie! I bet you and Michale would love it. No restaurants or stores, though… it’s wonderfully remote. 🙂
We would love it. And no restaurants or stores? NO PROBLEM!
Oh Deb…. this just makes me want to visit your little cottage on the shore more than ever!!!! That little place is so darling. 🙂 Glad you’ve had a more mile winter – I know last year was a doozy!
Hugs,
– Dori –
Well, Dori… I’m ready when you are! Hurry up!!!
Deb
Oh how I am missing the beach right now! I am super ecstatic to have warm weather rolling in soon. I wish I was sitting on your cozy sun porch right now with the warmth of the sun and a glass of lemonade. Your cottage is adorable. I bet it’s a fun place to stay in the spring and summer. Enjoy your delicious lobster dinners and beautiful sunsets this coming season. I’m just a tad bit jealous!
I promise to keep the beach life coming your way. How’s that sound, Krista? Wishing you some time near the shore this year!
I grew up near the ocean myself and even though I live in northernmost NH nowadays, I swear I have salt water in my veins. This time of year I start craving time at our ocean place in York Beach, Maine, which has been in our family since it was first built in 1905. Currently I co-own it with 10 family members. I’m always the first one lucky enough to spend time there and have already booked my first trip for April!. Can’t wait! I can already smell the salt air on the wind (in my imagination, of course.)
I can already smell the salt air on the wind… beautiful.. Enjoy, Ann!
That Max just melts my heat!!!
Ooopps!!! I mean’t HEART!!!! My HEART!!!! (cringe).
Me too, Victoria! heheeh!
Hi! My name is Cindy & I live in California’s Central Valley, lots of farming. I get beach fever pretty consistently & my hubby and I are spending this weekend in Avila Ca. It’s our favorite place. Whenever my heart or soul needs a boost we come here. Thank goodness for the beach and ocean!
Cheers to the beach and the ocean!
Wow! Enjoy your life to the fullest every day love the ocean! I miss it hear on my farm in Idaho but!! Farm life is the best!!
Hi Cindy,
I can only dream of actual farm-life, but I come close in my backyard flower farm!;) Thanks for the note! Deb
Hi, Debbie!
Love your blog and especially this post as my heart beats best by the sea! I am a fellow New Englander who lives 2 hours inland from the ocean but Cape Cod is our second home. If it were the last place on earth, that would be fine by me! My Dad was a Contractor and growing up, I spent summers on Cape with my family as he built many places down there. In fact, my first steps were taken at Cape Cod….maybe that explains it! Five plus decades later, it is a place that remains close to my heart and that of my own family (my Husband and our 4 kids!). We continue to spend lots of time there….in fact, we were there just last weekend! I can tell by your blog that when people speak the same language, words aren’t necessary! Kindred spirit and hearts! And here is another wonderful tidbit….in his college years, my Husband worked the wilderness trails of Idaho during the summers. Many years back, I was in a bookstore and came across MaryJane’s magazine when it first began publication. I bought it and brought it home and showed my Husband. “Look at this magazine! This woman did the same work you did in Idaho…do you know her?!” Guess what! He did! He was so excited! He since has been in touch with MaryJane and they have been able to revisit memories of their work/experiences they had in Idaho and most especially, the people they worked for and with! Some of whom remain endeared to them both! We both love getting her magazine now. As for me, I don’t milk cows or anything but she indeed brings out and celebrates the farmgirl in all of us! We live in a beautiful rural area of MA where I can practice the preach in many ways nonetheless and I love it! Thanks for doing your part as well….it’s all about the joy!
Hi Tina!
What a nice note. Thank you! I love all the little connections too. MaryJane has a knack for bringing like-minded folks together!My husbands parents were teachers and like you, he spent his entire childhood summers at the beach. Not many families can afford to just check out like that any more for weeks on end. It’s truly one of the best gifts they gave their children and one he’s never been ungrateful for. We appreciate it every day. It’s all about the joy!