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.
Hi Shery! Your camper is looking great and all your pretties inside are bringing it all together. My mom in love just sent a large Scottie door stop over that was left from an Aunt who had passed recently. It is the exact duplicate of one I already have and the first thought that came to mind was now I have one for my dream camper. I am doing as you said and keeping my eyes open as I drive around the countryside we live in but I do not really know anyone since we have only lived her four years and am not brave enough to stop and peek around and in barns. I have enlisted more helpers for the search though. We have been going through our own kind of drought here in Michigan also. All our berries that we have on our property were shriveling up from the heat before they would even get ripe enough to pick. Finally the rain came and it has been raining for two days straight. Our back pond is the lowest I have seen it and I was a little concerned because that is where we pump water for our garden from. Oh how I wish I lived close to you and could come for a visit in your sweet little hideaway garden. I prefer coffee but am always happy for a cup of tea! Many blessings on your Glamping trips! I will look forward to pictures.
Hi Shery, Love the things you have done to the camper. I really wish I could find one for myself. It looks so cute and I envy you farm sisters. Go have alot of fun.
Talk about the weather, It is very dry here too. I live on the Eastern Shore of virginia and it has been hot and dry also. I too have a small garden and I have had to water every day to keep things going, but it isn’t like the rain. I love your moon flowers. I have never grown them. They are beautiful. Keep up the good work on your blog. Juanita Massey Farmsister #1020
Up until I saw your camper, my idea of camping was staying at the Awhanee Lodge in Yosemite. But when I saw your little sleeping nook I just wanted to crawl in and stay. You have just the touch!
You mentioned that you painted the line on the outside free hand. Looked great, I wouldn’t have known except you said so. In case you need to paint lines again, use masking tape to outline the area you want to paint, make sure it sticks well. This will give you a crisp edge without all the time.
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Hi Betty, Thank you! I did use blue painters tape, but there was still some bleed-under that I had to go back and tidy up after I took the tape off. At some point though, ya just gotta say ‘good enough is good enough! :o)
Shery, LOVE LOVE LOVE the camper and the garden area. My husband and I moved into a townhouse once and I had a little back patio that I literally tried to use all the stuff I had brought from my 23 acres that we sold. LOL! I had a end unit so I also got to have a flower bed down the side of mine. My back patio was so cozy with all the greenery and garden art. (I’m not sure the neighbor down the way from me thought so) lol! I know y’all will have a great time glamping. I just sent Deb (beachgirl) pics of the one my husband and I are re-storing. We will be going on our maiden voyage in it in September as well. We are going up around Boston. We wanted to go to North Dakota/South Dakota but I would rather wait to see how Thumper does on his first trip before we venture off that far. We have been camping for 20 years and we only have 5 states left to visit. ND, SD, MT, Iowa, and Nev. Have fun and be Blessed. Neta
Oh Shery,
How I luv Moonflowers, and their faint ‘baby powder’ scent….
I also luv your re-purposed metal tray…
A Glamping we must go!
I am having some gal~pals over on the last weekend of Aug., for a Trailer Slumber Party… (one of the perks of owning property)…We’ll hit the "Buggy Barn" for their annual Quilt show and then into town for some good ol’ fashion Junktiquing… wish you & your ‘gang could come join us…
Wagons HO!
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Hi Grace!, Your get-together sounds great. Y’all have FUN … I know you will. :o)
shery
Shery,
My husband found a camper for me 2 yrs. ago. He found it one fall afternoon parked in a yard on an old country road with a For Sale sign in it’s window. It’s a 1952 model and maybe a bit smaller than yours. I love that you painted yours. What kind of paint did you use? My camper was originally for overflow hunters during our MI hunting season. It is my little play house now. I look forward to your ‘stories’ each month. Thank you for sharing your life.
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Judy, Thanks! About the paint…I used exterior gloss enamel paint. Two coats plus a third on the top … and a lot of touch up with a tiny brush. Be sure to get the BLUE paint tape. It comes up really easy. I also used a roller – large one for the body, small one for the stripes. My girlfriend helped me. Fact is, if she hadn’t got me going, I’d probably still be wrestling with how to paint it… Polka dots or no, what color etc. Have fun with your playhouse — that is exactly how I see mine :o) Shery
Love all your beautiful flowers but have to say that I believe that you do not have "moon flowers". I grow them on my upper porch and they are a vine. You have the common name is jimson weed or datura..which is a beautiful deadly plant! We in the south call it loco weed and it grows a lot behind the barns! I think if ingested etc you go a little crazy…so you gals watch the glamping! If you ever want to come visit Tennessee, come park at Watermelon Moon Farm. Would love to host such creative souls! Enjoy the rest of your summer and be safe on that long highway!
Oh honey…..all of us when we get "our age" have to wear magnifiers!!! And yes, I’ll vote for Autumn also! Something about the subtle shift in the way the sun shines through the windows, the first smell of wood smoke in the air, (even in So.Cal), football back in full swing, putting up food, those ageless rituals are so comforting. I’m looking forward to it. Even here, with the beach culture and all that, I put Indian corn bunched at my front door, dried corn stalks (from our garden!)on our porch and pumpkins all about. Love it!! Don’t know why, but there is something very primal about fall. P.S. I’m totally jealous about all this glamping stuff. I wannna to do it too!!!! (Yes, I’m whining).:=)
I love moon flowers. I don’t have to make an effort to plant them though. They just pop up wherever they choose on our ranch. It is always a pleasure to be wandering around and see those lovely flowers. I just don’t want them invading the veggie garden and they do have a tendency to invade if left to their own means. Love your photos too! Thanks for the effort of sharing.
Howdy Shery,
Well, you sure are having a wonderful summer! Our says sound similar… I’m staying in with the air conditioning too, getting some naps and trying anything to beat the heat and humidity! Your "little garden" is thriving and so, so beautiful! I remember well the arid west in the dog days of summer and many drought years with watering regulations for suburban neighborhoods etc…Not an easy environment for gardening, but not impossible with a can do attitude and some shade here and there! It’s perfect that your garden yard is sheltered by a fence too! Your moon flowers are amazing! Dahlias are tropical as well and a delight to watch unfold in the garden!
I did a little research for you about the Dahlia’s… Here’s a link for you to peruse about the planting and care of Dahlias’
http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=2063
I do know that they love heat but need to be kept moist in the dryest of days. I think you’d do great with them in containers with mulch on top… that way you can keep them watered regurlarly with ease and they should perform for ya quite well! I love the pom pom you chose for next year! They are an annual and can be planted in late spring two weeks before your last frost date.
Your glamping adventures sound just dreamy… and espeically in Autumn… ( my favorite season too )! Oh what fun you’ll have! Can hardly wait for that post!
Sending hugs and good wishes for the remaining summer days!
Deb ( Beach Farmgirl )
Howdy Shery: Love your paint job on the camper. You did good. Also love your flowers and garden. I love your newsletter and can’t wait for the next one. Have a great camping trip. Guess we won’t be hearing from you in a while.