A farmgirl reuses, recycles, and re-purposes! She also loves her “treasures”, especially great bargains! With winter’s hold tightly gripping us, summer flea markets and tag sales seem so far away. Recently, I was introduced to a great resource I hadn’t heard of before now…
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”.
What a great idea! Going to check it out. I have utilized Craigslist, Freecycle, and local swap meets, but it all gets so HUGE to wade through.
Greetings
Heike
Farmchick #2245
Hi Heike, I agree…I really thought this was a super idea, too. You just never know what you might find. Let me know if you find one in your area and how it works for you! Farmgirl hugs, Nicole
Nicole what a wonderfully written article about our little Sandy Hook Tag Sale FB page. You are a gifted blog writer. It was such a pleasure to talk to you yet another great neighbor I have yet to physically meet. I am excited about the treasures you found. I too get giggly about some of my “finds”. We hope you continue to enjoy our little shopping treasure trove. Regards, Rae
Hi Rae…Oh my goodness, thank you and Katie for all the work you put into the site. It’s great, and such an awesome idea! – Nicole
This is such a great idea. I have yet to try it, but my daughter does this all the time. She’s scored some great items for her six year old and two year old….a playhouse, wonderful bedroom sets, as well as lots of other useful things. She has re-purposed a lot of the things they no longer use, too, so it saves her money twice. Oh, and I love your woodstove. It looks like your cat does, too!
Hi Rebecca! Sounds like your daughter found some great items, too. Isn’t the wood stove cute? It has an embossed squirrel on the side, which I love. I can’t believe the heat it gives off, and we’ve been cleaning up our property of all the downed trees from the past storms that have made their way through here. Thanks for reading and commenting! -Nicole
Nicole,
You and your story are a girl after my own heart. I love the thrill of the hunt and finding bargains and treasures. I live by the motto one mans junk is another mans treasure….it’s just SO TRUE!! I am actually thinking about starting a little challenge for myself where for 1 month I have to try and purchase anything that I ” need/want” from thrift stores/ second hand shops etc ( with the exception of food etc). I think it will be fun to see if I can get by just on second hand items( I bet I can!!!)
Thanks as always for your great blog post!
Hugs to you!
Laurie
Laurie, That sounds like a fun challenge! I’d love to hear how that turns out. My dad built his entire farmhouse at his ranch (quite beautifully, might I add) from re-purposed, reclaimed items. I think I get my eye for bargains from him, with a little love of vintage/antique mixed in! Every time you leave a comment, I think, “This Farmgirl and I are so much alike!” Can you imagine us “treasure hunting” together? (Giggle)…What fun we would have! Thanks for commenting…Farmgirl hugs, Nicole
Oh I love hearing about this ‘tag sale’ site idea. Going to check my area right now. Thanks for letting us know about it. God Bless.
Hi Joan! I was not aware of sites like this until my friend introduced me to it. I just knew farmgirls would love to know about them! Farmgirl hugs, Nicole
This one was perfect, and it is a Danish one from Morsø a little Ø in Limfjorden in North Jutlland, Nicole
love from far
Mors
Mors eller Morsø er en ø i Limfjorden mellem Salling og Thy. Arealet er 363,3 km² og indbyggertallet 21.474. Mors forbindes mod nordvest med Thy via Vilsundbroen og mod sydøst med Salling via Sallingsundbroen. Wikipedia
Hi Far! We were very happy to see it is a Morso, since we had been shopping that brand. Such high quality! Love to all in Denmark! -Nicole
Nicole, this is very thorough regarding the benefits and rules of a tag sale. Rae and Katie were smart to not allow designer handbags. I love a bargain, but have never really thought some sites on the internet were safe. Love the pictures, too.
Love,
Mother
Hi Mom,
It’s good to be cautious, but with good rules set in place, tag sale sites can (and are) great places to shop. Same with auction sites like eBay. I’ve found some awesome things.
Love you! – Nicole