| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Cntrymom |
Posted - May 24 2004 : 09:05:19 AM
Hi - I just bought my first issue of Mary Jane's Farm and I absolutely love it. It's like I wrote the magazine myself. I live in the suburbs of Chicago, but my heart is in a log cabin somewhere in the middle of nowhere - like Montana, or upper Wisconsin. I am a Christian woman - 44 years old - married for 24 years, two children - 18 and 14. I day dream about my life on a farm, and this magazine helps me do that. Anyone else out there who is a wannabe??? |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Libbie |
Posted - May 11 2006 : 12:52:28 PM
Barb - welcome to the forum! I think you'll find so many "farmgirls at heart" as well as "farmgirls at the farm" here, that you'll think you're among best friends very quickly. I know I do. Enjoy!
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
| NicoleG |
Posted - May 11 2006 : 08:24:17 AM
Welcome Linda and Barb! Barb, I live in Elmhurst and my boyfriend goes to Lewis University so I am in your neck of the woods...or...suburbs a lot! Check out the Northern Illinois Chapter under Farmgirl Chapter Projects. We just started it so you haven't missed anything. We are planning our first event for the weekend of June 9/10 so check it out!
Nicole |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 8:31:33 PM
If only I would stick to one thing. Right now I am in a quilting phase, and then it will be embroidery, knitting or rug hooking, or maybe cross stitch or needlepoint. I love it all...I am very in awe of people who can stick with one thing. Summer tends to make me put it all aside for gardening, though.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| Phils Ann |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 6:21:26 PM
Wow, Linda...what a wonderful reply. There's so much there of interest. I have picked out Buff Orpingtons and debate over getting some males, simply due to questioning how fierce they might be (I saw "Cold Mountain" :) ) My other idea was to get a Plymouth Barred Rock male, as they're so gorgeous. So, thanks for telling me about those roosters! The idea of sending livestock to a processor is a good one, if I can keep from making "babies" out of whatever it is. I've been looking on the net at Dexter cattle, which I think are about 130 pounds for a cow. Also, they're heritage which is good, as maybe calves can be sold, and not slaughtered. I really want the milk. And I'm very glad to know the shetlands are so easy! Aunt Jenny's descriptons of the Icelandics have sounded good, too. Spinning wool sounds so neat. I used to knit, but turned into a quilter, and don't want to get too thinly spread with "playing"...which is what quilting is for me; what I get to do when all the work is caught up. It is such a blessing to have the dreams shared with our husbands, I heartily agree. Yes, the Lord's work is glorious.
Ann
There is a Redeemer. |
| Linda Schimpf |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 07:55:00 AM
Hi Phil's Ann! Thank you!Our sheep do get sheared.I have a friend who is teaching me to spin.Over the winter I learned to knit and I hope to use some homegrown wool this year! We started out with Shetland sheep because they are small, easy to handle,birth easily, don't need their tails docked(ouch!)are resistant to many diseases and have gentle temperments which is a prerequisite for living on this farm(I'm the only one allowed to get cranky!).Even our 20 chickens are calm~Araucanas(they lay gorgeous blue eggs!),Buff Orpingtons,Plymouth Barred Rocks and Black Australorps.We've never had a problem with our 3 roosters unlike some of the horror stories I've heard about aggression~these guys are sweethearts!Murray McMurray has an excellent website describing the various breeds. We do not eat our lambs (no, I'm not offended) though until this Spring one of my family's favorite meal was roast lamb~Greek style. That has all changed now.I can't even imagine it after seeing these precious little ones! For years I was a vegetarian and that is still my preference but while raising my children we ate from all the food groups.When we bought our first lambs 2 years ago the sellers made us promise we wouldn't slaughter them~I couldn't even if I wanted to! People who are part of the Shetland sheep association say I'll get used to the idea in time. And of course as you say knowing your meat is organic and where it comes from is a good idea but......We do purchase beef from a local farmer~it comes all neatly packaged and I know it's safe. There are a number of life-long farmers who feel the same way. They send the animals (beef mostly)to the 'processor" and they do the difficult part.Many of us are very sensitive and I don't think we need to apologize for that. My great-grandmother was a vegetarian way back when it was definitely not popular~so I say it's in my genes!! I would say do a lot of research and then visit the animals you're thinking about.I had originally wanted Highland cattle~same reasons as above. We went to see them in person and wow they were HUGE! Lou actually agreed to purchase a few (they were extremely docile)but before we could get back that next week to pick them up he had 5 nightmare-filled nights of chasing the bull across Albany County.They were, as I look back, not the animal to start with! So I settled for Shetland sheep(they were next on my list anyway!). Recently I found a farm to buy raw milk from(another topic)and they had mini-jerseys.I thought oh wow, we could get one of those!Up close and personal they were still huge. I hope that helps a little.Oh and enjoy the journey! Lou and I have had more fun and precious times together just dreaming and planning and then watching the Lord's awesome creation do there thing~all to His Glory!
Be encouraged! Linda |
| Phils Ann |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 05:24:14 AM
Hi Linda! You've certainly accomplished a lot since leaving NJ! I'm interested to know if your sheep get sheared? Do you just have them as "friends" or do you sell/eat (hope you aren't offended) them? I've got an interest in having sheep, a small cow for milk, as well as chickens. I'm apprehensive about slaughter or selling the babies. Trying to be adult about it... we do eat meat after all, and organic is the way we try to go. I laughed at your description of Lou and his surgical gloves! It's so neat that your dream became his also. I think my husband is in favor of whatever I decide regarding livestock, but has concern I won't be able to "think like a farmwoman" when crunch time comes.
Phil's Ann
There is a Redeemer. |
| Linda Schimpf |
Posted - May 10 2006 : 02:58:41 AM
Thank you Aunt Jenny!This morning I'm up at 4:30 am (that's early even for a farmgirl!) to make breakfast for the men in my husband's prayer group.It's only once a week and while I have to drag myself out of bed I really love doing it.Today I made an Egg Puff~MJ's recipe of course!How nice to check the mail and see that you wrote! Yes, it is sad about my goose...we're being EXTRA vigilant now...and yes how we enjoy our sheep!We are soooo blessed!
Be encouraged! Linda |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - May 09 2006 : 10:11:40 PM
Welcome Linda!!
How sad about your goose!!
Arn't sheep wonderful?..I just love mine..only have a few (Icelandics) but just love them..especially lambing season!! I have three adorable little lambs romping around here right now. ONe staying and the others off to a new home in a couple weeks.
You will love it here..and you will fit right in I am sure...just jump right into the conversations..it will be fun to get to know you!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| Linda Schimpf |
Posted - May 09 2006 : 6:50:15 PM
Thank you! It is good to hear from another "farmgirl"!Very few people here are interested in organic farming or even eating healthy~it gets lonely sometimes. This was a sad day for us~one of our Pilgrim geese was killed by a hawk,we think, possibly a fox.There are some drawbacks to country living but we wouldn't trade it for anything!
Be encouraged! Linda |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - May 09 2006 : 1:48:27 PM
Welcome, Linda! Your little sheep babies sound adorable. You will love it here and I hope you keep telling us more about your farm!
Peace |
| Linda Schimpf |
Posted - May 09 2006 : 07:12:07 AM
Hi! I am also new to the forum.I'm looking for other farmgirls in my area to start a chapter here. I live in Kempton PA~smack between Allentown and Reading.My husband and I left suburban NJ 6 years ago and now are living my dream on 18 acres raising Shetland sheep(we had our first lambs 3 weeks ago!)", heirloom" breed chickens and Pilgrim geese We also have a llama,Levi, as a companion to our ram.The garden takes much of my time but oh how I love it! I'm forever doing research and my dear husband ,Lou so far hasn't tired of "building fence",constructing hen houses and sheep shelters,etc.For a man who never had any pets except a french poodle he is doing remarkably well. He thoroughly enjoys watching the chickens (our friends back home think we're crazy) . The birth of our lambs brought a whole new dimension to our lives.I read out loud to Lou almost every night during" our girls'" 5 month gestation.Years ago I would read James Herriot's books to him~ I think they primed his pump! The Monday before Easter Lou was all set with shoulder length surgical gloves and a vet kit filled w/ stuff just in case anybody needed any help. But alas, Shetlands are easy lambers and all 4 of our ewes delivered uneventfully~even Faye who as a first time mom gave birth to triplets! I knew I was married to a farmboy at heart when Lou scrambled in on his stomach up to his elbows in amniotic fluid and afterbirth to help the littlest guy get a drink.
Funny, we've had a non-stop stream of visitors to see our lambs(they are irresistible!)and now they spend more time watching the chickens and geese.They want to "chat" with Levi which inevitably involves him stealing a kiss.One of our friends from NJ recently said,"now I see how you can live without TV".
Be encouraged! Linda |
| amaron |
Posted - May 26 2004 : 11:29:13 AM
Hi! I also love MJF magazine and read each issue several times. I live in eastern Pennsylvania about an hour north of Philadelphia. I am a farmgirl wannabe in the biggest way...but with only 2 acres, I didn't figure I really qualified. It has been nice to figure out (from reading a lot of the posts) that "farmgirl" is as much an attitude as anything else. So I've decided to follow the "takes one to know one" route. So, welcome, from one farmgirl to another. |
| HiDez Gal |
Posted - May 26 2004 : 09:44:33 AM
Hi,
Welcome. There are a bunch of us here who share your enthusiasm for the MJF magazine so jump right in and join us in conversation.
While you are not living your exact dream, where you live at present, are there ways that you have brought the dream to life for yourself while you wait? I think incorporating the life style into our lives, even though things aren't exactly as we would like them, can be a good start. One of our members uses "Bloom where you are planted " as a tagline i think that is very appropriate for many of us. When i did some things to "practice" before we moved here i discovered some interesting things about myself and some of the things i thought were good ideas at the time. Trying them out beforehand helped me realize that some of these things were not anything i wanted to do - like raising and butchering my own chickens or canning. There are also certain things that i learned weren't worth growing because we don't care to eat enough of them to give them the space or use our precious water to grow them. It can be a good way to start. Well, here i am rambling on without even knowing whether you are already putting your dreams into practice so as MJF magazine says "Every Woman Has a Story" join us and tell us yours! Welcome again.
From my favorite coffee cup:
"A gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do." Minnie Cody, 1901 |
