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Well, Farmgirls. Here I am on our farm in Tennessee where the obsessing over the Momma Cows that haven’t had their calves yet, has begun. (And I’m the one that obsesses; not my husband!)
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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”.
Dori, this blog is fascinating! But I must say I now know more about calving than I previously thought I wanted to know. After all, I am – or was a city girl. Thank you for my education!!!
Loving country life!
Kris
Good morning Kris!
Thanks for writing – glad the information was fun!
Momma #88 had her baby and all is well! (I’ve added a picture at the bottom of my post.)
– Dori –
Oh Dori, I know what you mean! We walked the pasture looking for all the signs with our mama cow. She was very calm during all of this. She had her baby very early in the morning on September 4th, 2015. Mama is a black Angus and Daddy is a Registered Charolais. We now have a cute little smoky colored baby bull!
Here’s hoping number 88 delivers soon!
Take care.
Hi Emily,
I knew you could relate! 🙂 We had a calf last year from our Angus Bull and Charolais Cow and it was a smoky sort of color too. They are so pretty aren’t they?
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well!
– Dori –
Here I am in Anchorage, AK wishing I cd see the new baby…really enjoyed the blog, Dori!! I’ll bet Jillian and Rosetta love it!! Thanks for sharing with us city girls who have country hearts!!
Hi Judy!
I remember doing that the winter we were in Alaksa!
Yes… Jillian and Rosetta love all things on the farm!
– Dori –
I don’t blame you one bit for obsessing over very pregnant cows!! We Moms have gotta stick together. Especially in view of the big snow storm stretching across the eastern US!!
I hope #88 doesn’t calve until this storm passes through and you can make sure and find the little one if necessary.
Hi Winnie!
We Mommas do have to stick together! Once when we had a Momma cow in distress in her delivery I felt like she was looking at ME for help, not my husband! Kind of like that plea from one Momma to another! 🙂
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Dori, I remember calving season while growing up. First of all, as a girl, I could not go in the barn if a cow was calving – really?! It was sex ed on the farm, but my Dad sheltered me from it! But oh, I got to clean up all the shi#??. Poopy rugs to shake, coveralls that smell like they’ve been walked and pooped on by the cows themselves, etc. Would I change those experiences? Not for a million bucks. Seeing the calves’ cute faces and antics on a sunny day were so much fun. Enjoy!
Hi Nanette,
Isn’t that funny about not being able to go in the barn during calving? I’ve heard that from so many people. We are sort of the opposite on our farm…. it is a great way and place to teach our grand-girls about things! Maybe it is just different now than when we were growing up.
I loved hearing about your “part” in the birthing… just cleaning up the mess! Ha! But, yes… those experiences are priceless.
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Dori, I feel the excitement with you. Calves are so precious and like Winnie says, what mama of any kind doesn’t obsess over birth. Congrats! Hope all goes well.
Hi Bonnie,
Yes… we Momma’s just have that worrying instinct built right in us, don’t we? Regardless of who is giving birth.
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Aww, this city girl has only seen lambs, pigs and a lot of puppies born. So, i too, would be pretty anxious to witness a calf. On a side note, i delivered each baby with a storm.
Hi Shawna!
Maybe you can bring your girls to spend some time on our farm when you get moved and settled. We’ll have a lot of baby calves bouncing around the farm by then!
Hugs,
– Dori –
Is the new calf here yet? I’ve never seen anything being born, except for my own children. Praying she delivers safely and y’all stay safe in the storm.
Hi Jennifer!
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Hi Dori! We were waiting for our “CC” (Christmas Carol) to calf earlier this week and I was so worried she would wait for this blizzard! She was born on Christmas Day herself several years ago, and has had her calf every January since since she turned two! What a good cow! Anyway, she was wise and calved on Thursday morning, and has kept her baby bull in the run in shed since the snow started! Smart girl since we are expecting over two feet of snow! So I totally understand your stress! So glad your 88 did her job well too and has a lovely baby to show for it! Stay safe in this awful weather! ❤️
Hi Meredith,
So glad your new little calf was born before the storm and all is well! We don’t get that much snow here so we don’t put our cows up. They’ve got really good shelter in the woods and really seem to prefer going there.
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Oh I hope all goes well with Momma #88 and her soon to be baby calf!
Hi Denise,
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Dori, thank you for sharing. I have never seen any animals being born. This was very interesting to learn. My husband helps out on his uncle’s farm so I quizzed him on your signs! I asked if he knew how to tell when a mamma cow was going to have her baby and he listed them all! Looks like I need to take a field trip out to the farm and see some mamma cows!
I hope baby gets here soon and safe!
Hi Krista!
I always get nervous when I know that there are people that read my blog and know WAY WAY WAY more than I will ever know about cows!!! So, whew. I’m so glad I got it right! 🙂 And yes… you definitely need to take a trip to the farm and see the Momma cows. If there are any close to delivery you’ll have to see if you see any of the signs!
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture and an update of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Sixteen years ago, my “internship” began with my Dad’s cow/calf herd. Once had to lay down on a frozen pond and grab the leg of a calf and sling it back to Dad on the edge. Then had to wrap up the calf (in my good coat) and warm it up for a while in the cab of the truck. I love the farm life, took over care of the cows and babies in 2008 after Dad passed away.
Hi Robin,
Oh wow! That is a good calf story. We’ve had a few similar stories. And we’ll do just about anything to save those little things.
There is nothing like farm life is there?
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture and an update of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Yep, I’m certain of it ~ if I had the good fortune to live the true farm life, I would be just like you. Worry, stalk, worry some more, stalk some more. Hope, hope, hoping that the storm doesn’t stop you from being able to personally welcome little #88.1!
Hi Cindi,
Oh that worrying is just crazy. I laid in bed listening to the howling wind and blowing snow and worrying myself sick over the baby. Even though we have the best shelter of trees that create such a great protection and Momma Cows are very, very smart… I still worry!
Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture and an update of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Loved this blog entry and not so much too…now you have left me stressing about a cow I have never and will never meet…don’t wait till your next scheduled posting to tell us the outcome. Fingers crossed #88 and babe are doing just fine.
Hi Judy!
Not going to keep you worrying! Momma #88 had her calf and all is well! I’ve added a picture and an update of the baby at the bottom of my post!
– Dori –
Oh Dori, does this bring back memories. Several years ago I lived on a little farm in Idaho. Had my darling, precious Jersey milk cow, Nancee. What a sweet, gentle spirit she was. I obsessed over that cow consistently. Yes…especially when she was getting ready to calve. I had forgotten how nutty I was and all the “signs” I would look for. Thanks for bringing those precious memories back to me. Yep..like trudging out to our little barn to milk at 5:00 a.m. and it’s -15. Wouldn’t change it for the world!!
Hi Victoria,
Some people would probably call us a nutty group huh??! 🙂 The things we do for our sweet animals. And cows? Oh my word, they are sweet aren’t they?
Thanks for sharing your cow memory with me!
– Dori –
Congrats!!
?Is there not anything more beautiful then a new little life so full of promise,life and adventure!
Welcome little calf#88
Dori… Enjoyed this blog very much. Have been thinking about starting a blog about my mini ranch for some time – just not sure how to start. I am on mini calf baby watch today myself with 2 looking like they are coming soon. Difference is – I can pick my baby calves up and carry them. Can’t wait- so excited!
Thanks for the story lol. I’m going thru the same thing right now, I just had one calf born a month ago. I have two other heifers that teats have blown up but nothing’s happening which is why I googled this to begin with. Thanks for the encouragement!