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A Farm of My Own:  How did you get started?  |
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Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 10:38:56 AM
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Welcome TiaLD77..sounds like you are off to a good start.
It is odd to hear of someone actually wanting to ADD blackberry bushes...come to my place, you can have ALL you want.LOL We cannot get rid of them, constant battle.
Oh, and say Hi to Phil for me next time he comes out!! |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 12:05:33 PM
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Boy, I wish I could come get some of those berry bushes too..I know just where I would put them!!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
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Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 12:41:29 PM
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| Are you KIDDING? They are THE biggest nuisance here in Northwest Washington state...They are so tough and prolific I bet if I sent you some roots wrapped in wet paper they'd take off and take over... |
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TiaLD77
Farmgirl in Training
27 Posts
Tia
Punxsutawney
PA
USA
27 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2005 : 08:27:31 AM
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*l* we have Wild Black berrys around the house, Unfortunatly the berries are small & Seedy. I am hopeing to plant a few canes that will give me larger berrys & more juice to make Jelly & Cordials, also Pies/Tarts etc!
Phil & Phyllis are Languishing at the Park/Zoo Basking in thier Glory & Birth Announcement of a wee Baby GH. No Name for him yet.
Why not go out on a limb? That is where the Fruit is! |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2005 : 09:22:16 AM
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Hey Diane..if you want to try it...I am up for it. Let me know how much postage would cost and mail me some of your pests!!!....it would be fun to have something besides those dang bindweed/morning glory things try to take over!!!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
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MBurns
True Blue Farmgirl
1822 Posts
Marlene
Swisher
IA
USA
1822 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2005 : 1:06:51 PM
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| Bluesky - where was the dairy farm in Iowa? Just curious. The farm I grew up on is in Iowa County near Iowa City. We are trying to buy 10 acres of my parents farm but have found that land goes for a premium here in Iowa. |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2005 : 8:14:30 PM
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Very interesting topic!
I've been at this place for twenty-two years. We moved when hubby got out of grad school, and was promoted to the corporate headquarters. That place is in the suburbs of Chicago, so he commutes from out in the corn. We decided we wanted our daughters to grow up being responsible for animals, and to avoid becoming mall princesses. There was so much at the time that seemed so superficial.
I always needed this. I remember going with my mother as a child to local farms to buy produce for her to can. She put up a lot of pickles and relishes, as her mother did. I was fascinated by the outbuildings, the smell of the animals, the wild vines curling into shed windows, the birdsong and sunshine winking through the trees. I wanted to explore! But of course I wasn't allowed.
I've always been horse crazy. I love their rich smell, their big soft eyes, the squeak of leather, the feeling of a rocking horse canter underneath me. I went to camp as a kid to be with the horses, and fell in love with the woods. To this day I love to ride alone in the woods, hearing just the footfalls of my horse, the wind in the trees, and the birds singing. I breathe deep and feel healed.
We had a few Jersey dairy cows, chickens, and feeder pigs. And a huge garden, where I grew most everything we ate. I baked all our bread, made our cheese and churned our butter. I live in a house on land that was given to a doctor as a grant for his service to the Union in the Civil War. I walk through this house and I imagine the hopes and dreams of the people who built it; their long skirts and coarse shirts, their lack of amenities and the blessings of quiet. I look in my old barn at the mortise and tenon joints, the wooden pegs, the careful craftsmanship that has allowed it to stand for more than a hundred years, at the wood worn smooth by leadropes tying mules in a tie stall, where horses or cows rubbed smooth by their itchy necks, and imagine how someone probably breathed deep and felt like I do when I smell the loft full of rich new hay. There's writing in some of the doorways, some of it almost worn away. I sometimes go there and touch the old rough wood, wondering at the hopes and fears of the men and women who built it so long ago, now long dead, and wonder if it brought them as much joy as it has me.
I live on flat prairie land. I see the corn waving in the breeze outside my door, I see the beans roll like a giant emerald carpet unfurled under the sun. I see every sunrise and sunset that I want to from my front porch. And I can saddle up, ride down a farm lane, and disappear into the woods and see the purple trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, brown eyed Susan, Queen Anne's lace, deer, foxes, and all sorts of towering trees, pastures with ponds and creeks, and feel the warm sun on my shoulders.
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Deb H
Farmgirl in Training
46 Posts
Deb
Glendale
Missouri
USA
46 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2005 : 8:34:25 PM
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Well, even though we are all saying it, "I love these stories"! I live in the suburbs of St. Louis and really like where we live, because we have easy access to the zoo and the park, but as I get older I find myself yearning, as it appears we all do, for a less busy life. I hate St. Louis summers and am a rather poor gardener, but love to cook and sew and want to begin quilting and canning and I love the idea of a house on a piece of land with a pond, so my boyfriend can stock it and fish (he would be in heaven, also!). I find that this forum is the only place I feel comfortable sharing these ideas, and have not yet mentioned how I feel to my family, as I am sure they will think I have lost my mind. But I love to read your stories and I welcome the opportunity to join in. And am still hoping to find enough "Farmgirls in Training" in my area to start a chapter...
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jenny louise
True Blue Farmgirl
166 Posts
jennifer
cass city
MI
USA
166 Posts |
Posted - Aug 25 2005 : 12:31:55 PM
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Hi all, wonderful stories you have! Same thing here, as far as gramma's and grampa's farm, also in Iowa, and the other set of g'parents on a mountain in georgia. I loved both places and strangely enough, both of my parents were in a rush to get off their prospective farms and into the city as well. Summer visits to either farmstead were sweet bliss and I couldn't wait to get onto my own place.
That came as my hubby and i were thinking about it, and looking on sunday drives. Then someone got shot and wounded in the parking lot oustide our apartment and we decided to rent a little place in a tiny town out in the country just to get going. We ended up buying the place, even though it was really run down, and kept looking for a farmstead. After three years of searching, we found a place on 40 acres, but it had been let go for so long that the house was condemned, holes in the walls, and leaking, electric wires exposed, and garbage everywhere. But the land held such promise, and actually spoke to us, our hearts. So, we plunged, and have sometimes regretted not tearing the house down, but never a regret when it comes to this land. Alamost fifteen years later, we feel this is the only home we have had, and even after a rough day, just a simpl;e walk out back gives us peace and centering, grounding, I guess. Jenny |
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RobinSong
Farmgirl at Heart
2 Posts
Kathy
Bloomington
IL
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - Aug 25 2005 : 3:53:52 PM
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I love dreaming about living on a farm again. I lived on the family farm until my father passed away when I was young. I miss everything about living in the country. I yearn for the quiet and peace that farmgirls enjoy. I do everything I can to keep my dream alive. I am hanging clothes in front of an open window inside my house since my neighborhood has rules about clotheslines outside. I still enjoy the benefit of the wonderful ozone smell the fabric takes on. I even bake my own bread.
I am just wondering (in order to keep my dream alive) if anyone ever temporarily swaps intown/city environment for the farm. Are there families out there who would share their farmhouse (with very simple chores for the non-farmer in me) for a couple of weeks or longer to vacation in the city or town. Just think of the connection possibilities. For farmgirls like me, we would be able to get our farmfix from time to time and allow others to enjoy some city time.
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 11:47:10 AM
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I was raised in a valley of small farms and ranches, next door to our church, on an acre of irrigated ground. My folks didn't farm, but my family had run cows here since the 1860's. We had a big garden, with raspberries, and gooseberries, a crossbred Guernsey cow, chickens, calves, dogs, cats, sometimes lambs, etc. We led the cow to pasture in the 2 acre school yard across the road, which I irrigated. My sister and I raised bucket calves and bum lambs. In summer my sister kept her horse at our uncles, but in winter we both had horses to ride. I knew from the beginning I wanted a cowboy of my own, and I was lucky to get one. His folks lived about 5 miles from us, up on the hill. We we got married, his Mom wanted to travel, go fishing and not be tied down. She asked us to move in with them. So, we moved to the ranch, and I went on with a garden, bucket calves, and a small family orchard. We improved the ranch, developed springs for irrigation water, planted trees, built fences, and raised cows, colts, and 2 daughters. It is a great place to live, quiet and isolated. Everyday I see deer, coyotes, birds of all kinds. It isn't easy to live here, we have snow in winter and bad roads and anywhere you go it seems like it is up hill, but I love it. We were so lucky that my in-laws shared their life with us. I can't imagine trying to start ranching from scratch in this day and age. Without lots of money it just doesn't see possible. We have taken advantage of 3 previous generations of know-how, machinery, cows, horses and land. I only hope we can pass it on to our kids.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 12:08:12 PM
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Hey, I didn't mean to sound like it was impossible to start farming. I think with hard work and luck, it is still possible, it is just easier if you have a head start. Farming is the most rewarding thing I can imagine doing, worth all the work and worry. I have spent winter days slogging thru snow and mud saving cavles that would have died had I not been there, there is nothing better than that. Delivering calves in snow storms in a snug straw-filled barn at midnight is a religious experience. Watching rows of grain come up in black dirt fields is wonderous. I wouldn't trade any of it.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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Kathy A.
True Blue Farmgirl
116 Posts
Kathy
Utah
USA
116 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 12:37:26 PM
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| westfork woman, WELCOME! to the forum, you are a double true blue farmgirl. Your posts gave me chicken skin, These things are spiritual experiences you put it so nicely! |
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 12:56:38 PM
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Thanks for the welcome. All these stories are so inspiring, and make me feel blessed.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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gracie
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Gracie
Ohio
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 1:22:38 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sqrl
Stories mean so much to me. I would love to hear how you gals got started farming or gardening, however you want to call it. My husband and I are still in school and we have a tiny piece of land that we grow the heck out of. And I'm wondering how you got to where you are, how did you find your land? How long did you look for your home before you found it? All that kind of stuff.
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com
life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and
screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" |
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gracie
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Gracie
Ohio
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 1:28:06 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sqrl
Stories mean so much to me. I would love to hear how you gals got started farming or gardening, however you want to call it. My husband and I are still in school and we have a tiny piece of land that we grow the heck out of. And I'm wondering how you got to where you are, how did you find your land? How long did you look for your home before you found it? All that kind of stuff.
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com
I hope that I am doing this correctly. I have just joined after visiting this site often. We are in the process of aquiring 30 more acres (this is added to our current 5) so now we need a name and I am blank!!!!! We have a lot of natural springs, oak trees, (it is mostly wooded) I like days of past, porch swings, summer breezes, lazy days, and I am looking for a name that says "come on over, kick your shoes off and enjoy our home. We have 2 daughters and 1 dog and 2 cats. PLEASE HELP!! I thoughly enjoy this web site!
life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and
screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" |
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gracie
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Gracie
Ohio
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 1:38:35 PM
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I have just joined so I hope that this goes thru. We are in the process of acquiring 30 acres in addition to the 5 we already own. I am in desperate need of a name and I am coming up with nothing. We have alot of natural springs, oak trees, and woods. We have 2 daughters, 1 dog and 2 cats. Everyone likes to come to our house for parties because it truly is a beautiful place. My main goal is to make sure that everyone feels at home as soon as they enter. Please help with the name!!
life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and
screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" |
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gracie
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Gracie
Ohio
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 2:46:07 PM
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just checking to see if I am doing this right. I have just been searching through all topics and I think I may be "getting it"???????
life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and
screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" |
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Kay in Kentucky
Farmgirl in Training
35 Posts
Kay
Dunnville
Kentucky
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 6:23:43 PM
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"Dear Me" These stories sound like they come from the hearts of true farmwomen.
I was raised in the city, but every summer I was sent to the farm. My Aunt and Grandparents owned a chicken and egg farm. It was small only about three or four acres. My other Uncle had a larger family farm near by and he had corn fields,an egg farm, and raised sheep,beef,and milked a cow as well as a family garden. There was always lots of work to do, weeding the garden feeding and caring for the stock, picking berries, canning produce, selling eggs, cooking, laundry on the clothes line,milking the cow, swimming in the pond, getting chased by the bull :)baking, shelling peas, talking to neighbors about,what else, farming. My home life was always stressful beyond what a child should bare except for the time at the farm. I wanted that dear little farm so badly. Sadly it was sold as the land was more valuable than the farm ever was.
To this day I can remmember how the coffee smelled in the morning perking on the big black stove as Grandmother busied herself preparing breakfast, her hair in a long grey braid down her back. I now have purchased my own farm and just a few days ago I was standing at the black stove cooking breakfast, no long braid yet; there might be a braid in my future though. All I need now is the chickens, cow, garden and the wind in the trees. I have some of it, the rest is on the way.
Kay
My blog;
http://oakspringfarm.blogspot.com |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 7:17:30 PM
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| 'retired' .. ha! no such word! and moved from the 'big city' to south-central kentucky .. saw our civil war log cabins in country living 'twelve' years ago .. knew this was my 'nirvana' .. soooo .. when they came up for 'adoption'! i was SO here!!!!!! we have 30 acres in a 3,000 acre forest .. it is heaven on earth! don't have lots of farm critters .. but honey hunk and i want to do LOTS of travelling ..... soooo .. we've decided to not get so many to caretake .. jus' two big bounding sheepdogs! love gardening .. grew lots of 'fleurs' and some 'veggies' this past summer for the first time in my life! had apple, peach, apricot, cherry trees already here .. grape vines and blueberries .. just enough for us and the birds .. don't get enough to take to 'farmer's market' .. tried corn! lordy! never did get even one decent 'ear' .. but i loved looking at them struggle along. had oooooodles of gourds and pumpkins climbing like jack's 'beanstalk'! loving not only our farm 'country' life but the wonderful little county seat 'village' we are 12 miles from. heaven couldn't be any better than this! xo, frannie |
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cajungal
True Blue Farmgirl
2349 Posts
Catherine Farmgirl Sister #76
Houston Area
Texas
2349 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2005 : 4:12:58 PM
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The last 4 "pages" of this topic have been better than any novel. They were filled with adventure, intrigue, trials, triumphs, romance and love. You are all such an incredible stock of women. My life is richer for learning about all y'all. I love the stories.
My story starts back when my Moma married my step-father when I was two. We lived a double life on our land. We lived in a huge 7000 sq. ft. Colonial mansion and lived the high life including entertaining the Governer Edwin Edwards a few times. But, outside were acres of land with all the standard livestock and critters. My favorite place was to be outside pretending to be Fern from Charlotte's Web. I had all the childhood morning duties before going to school, fished, crabbed, did the 4-H thing, rode my horse and learned cooking and homemaking skills from my Moma.
In my young adult years I strayed away from simple values to live the big city life in New Orleans. I returned back to the "life" about 15 years ago when I married my man, Jason. I've wanted to give my children the life I grew up in....not the mansion and stuff....the farm stuff. We don't have as many animals as I had growing up. But, we have so much fun together tending to what we do have....raising chickens for eggs and selling pullets to feed stores, raising ducks and selling their eggs, and just having fun with our cats, dogs, goat, pig and gerbils.
My favorite place is my garden. I do Square Foot Gardening with 20 blocks and a 30 foot trellis. It supplies enough for us, friends and canning. My daughters have their own plots that they tend to, also. Us girls sew, crochet, paint, draw, quilt, embroider, make soap, etc... Ride horses, nap with our animals and lay in the grass watching the clouds drift by. Actually,laying in the grass with my girls is my favorite place to be.
Again, all y'all ladies are something quite extraordinary!
Blessings to all!
Catherine
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt." |
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country lawyer
True Blue Farmgirl
1022 Posts
1022 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2006 : 1:27:20 PM
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Oh my! What an inspiring thread I stumbled upon. For any one who hasn't read these posts, go back and savor every one. I searched for "downsizing" and this one popped up. I had to reply just so those new Farmgirls could read this. Here's my kinda relevant question. Who out there has downsized? We are really going to try to make a life change ( so that I can ultimately add "my story" to this thread.) I can't wrap my mind around getting rid of the stuff I've worked so hard to acquire. What's the secret? I really do want to live more simply. I really don't want to have so much. But, how to part with it? Any insights? Love you Farmgirls!
"All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well."
Julian of Norwich |
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MullersLaneFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
596 Posts
Rock Falls
IL
596 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2006 : 2:02:47 PM
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Rebekah,
I did just that – went back and read all these wonderful stories! How blessed we are.
My own story isn’t so different than some here. I grew up in either very small towns or the outskirts of town. We always had access to plenty of woods and fields to play in. Daddy always kept a garden and it was part of our chores to weed it. We never kept animals, outside dogs & cats. I grew up with the Little House BOOKS. I always dreamed that one day my garden would be big enough to feed my family- that we’d have hens for eggs and Sunday dinner – a couple hogs, a milk cow and even a beef steer. First husband didn’t really share my dream, even though he was a country boy himself. We had a couple acres – I had my garden – he had his birds. After we divorced, the 3 children & I bought 6 hens for eggs and a pair of rabbits. Never mind we lived on a half acre in a subdivision in IL. The kids & I started doing historical re-enactments and I become proficient cooking over outdoor fires, making soap and spindling. About the same time I met a guy in CO through a mutual acquaintance. We talked on the phone all the time and we found out we shared a dream of a lifestyle. We dated long distance for a few years, broke off since we were both too stubborn to move. About 5 years ago we got back in touch and found our dreams were still the same. During a Christmas visit here, we went out looking for small acreage. We fell in love with the first place we saw. It was in shabby condition, needed a LOT of work BUT the house had enough bedrooms (as soon as we converted the dining room to the living room and the living room to the master bedroom), a huge barn, a machine shed and a workshop. There were two fenced pastures and 5 acres in alfalfa hay. There was a space for a decent sized garden (35’ x 140’), apple orchard and grape vines. Paul sold his house in CO, and we closed on the place April 2002. We got married later that year and I rented my house in the subdivision. The last four years has been a dream come true. We have an old fashioned farm. We use draft horse when time and weather allows it, an ancient Farmall M when it doesn’t. We have our milk cow and beef steer and hogs. Meat and egg chickens, geese, heritage turkeys, Muscovy ducks and honey bees. We’ve planted more fruit trees and I know make cheese and am learning to weave.
Our farm is open for tours so folks can see what living in the late 1800 to early 1900 was all about. I can’t imagine my life any better than this. I thank the good Lord every day for my loving husband and terrific kids and the life we share.
Cyndi
Joshua 24:15
Ol 'MacDonald has nothing on us!
http://www.mullerslanefarm.com |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2006 : 7:27:16 PM
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Weeeellll...I was blessed to be able to live on an old homeplace, that belonged to my in-laws, right after I got married. Even spent my honeymoon there! A town girl all my life, my dream had been to live in the country. I always took art & home-ec classes in school when all the other girls took typing! From there I read every book I could find, and watched and questioned those around me who "knew things". I joined Home Ec. associations and garden clubs, took weaving classes. My old granny, a TRUE pioneer, taught me to braid a rug, make lye soap, bake bread, sew a homemade teddy bear, and make sauerkraut & pickles, (among other things). My MIL taught me how to grow a garden, can food, put in a zipper, glaze a window, raise & butcher chickens, and so on! My Mom taught me how to cook, refinish furniture and shop for a bargin. She also taught me to never, ever turn down anything someone offers to give away!
When I was in my twenties, DH & I "went back to the land". It was HARD work! We read the Mother Earth News and Mothering Magazine religiously. Helen & Scott Nearing were our heros! After our second son was born we were tired...it ws then that we "discovered" Pampers...and even ate an occasional hotdog. Hope I won't offend... but homesteading, for us, sounded much more romantic than it was in reality! LOL I wouldn't trade the experience for anything! We learned a lot. But now, at the age of 45, I see that there is a happy medium. I still do the things I enjoy, like sew & cook from scratch...but somehow it's a lot more fun when you are't depending on the garden to feed your family for the entire winter! As in everything, I guess I just learned things as I went along. Life is the great teacher, no?
Blessings,
Rhonda
...and I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance, even if I'm the only one! |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Mar 01 2006 : 07:58:32 AM
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I am a latecomer to this thread - what beautiful and inspiring stories - treasures, really.
Thank you all for sharing the details of your stories.
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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A Farm of My Own: How did you get started? |
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How did you get started?
