MaryJanesFarm Sister Issue - October 2013 by MaryJane Butters

Sister Issue

October 2013

W ith some

added pluck, we came up with this easy way to click (er, cluck) your way back to the farm in between magazine issues. As with any nesting hen, we prefer to accomplish our work with regularity. That’s why, if you’re an official member of MaryJane’s Farmgirl Sisterhood, our Sister Issue (formerly MaryJane’s CLUCK) will be showing up in your e-mail box on the first day of every month (well, except for January, because we head henchos take a much-needed break every December). With a cluck-cluck here and a clickclick there, we’re here for you just when you need a sisterly cyber hug the most. Let the braggin’ (er, clucking) begin!

Life made us

FRI ENDS,

MaryJanesFarm made us

SISTERS

© 2013 MaryJanesFarm • Moscow, Idaho Print Shops: You have our permission to print this in color for your customer, one of our readers. We do not consider it a violation of our copyright. –MaryJane Butters of MaryJanesFarm.

Contents

{ just a click away! } 20

each other with Megan

Hello 1 6 from Sister #

each o ther ly

with Me

ssa Willi

ams

welcome

new and renewing sisters

October 2013

homescho oling with Cathi

tchen farmithkAishley w

ÂŠ 2013 MaryJanesFarm â&#x20AC;˘ Moscow, Idaho

Stitching

& Craftin g

with Rebekk

Gate:ht n e d r a G lig autumn de ned

old-fashio

wild cherr y cough syrup elderberr y, echinacea &

make it easy

with Sher y

Mountain Rose Herbs

t Outpoersy with Sh

October 2013

Contents continued ... 48 56

Sisterhood special Cleanin handmade

g up: ha ir care

68 sisterhoo d necklace

October 2013

merit badge awardees

Farmgirl chatter ÂŠ 2013 MaryJanesFarm â&#x20AC;˘ Moscow, Idaho

Sister L|ves

{ staff picks ... only a click away! }

What girl doesn’t love to shop, even if all you can afford is some window shopping? Here’s where we treat ourselves and our readers to the things we love most. Come shop with us! Our favorites are only a click away.

p. 41

p. 18 Shery

Mega

p. 73

Molly

p. 10

p. 24

Carol

Saralou

Karina

October 2013

Hello

f rom Sister #1

Wild About ChillOver I recently received a lovely letter from Mary Krystinak, a member of the Flour Sack Farm Girls of Naperville, Illinois. Letters like Mary’s are the icing on my cake ... the pecans on my pie? ... the blueberries in my muffin! I love to hear from farmgirls who are putting a fresh spin on classic traditions, and Mary is doing just that. Mary wrote to tell me that she is wild about my ChillOver Powder—she uses it faithfully to firm up her jams. She explained, “Common commercial pectin requires that you use a certain amount of sugar in order for the fruit to set up. If you have four cups of strawberries, you need four cups of sugar. So you’re not really making jam—more like fruit-flavored sugar! With ChillOver Powder, I am able to reduce the sugar by more than half and have a product that is almost pure fruit.” How sweet! Mary doesn’t just can the occasional jam, however. She is changing the world one jar, one person, one class at a time through her small business known as Mary’s Wholesome Living. In her comprehensive kitchen classes, Mary teaches not only canning, but pickling, preserving, baking, fermentation, and homesteading arts galore. Her goal is to offer “reallife” experiences and helpful connections that encourage her students to pursue a more downto-earth lifestyle.

“Beautiful Wear” by magnoliapearl.com

October 2013

“My passion for homemaking began when I was in 8th grade, making homecooked meals for my dad, younger sister, and brother. Having a hot meal on the table

Megan and MaryJane with the Flour Sack Farm Girls

for my family was important to me, even then. I was creative when preparing new dishes, and quickly learned that simple ingredients made from scratch rivaled anything that came out of a box—both in taste and cost!” Mary recalls. “As a young wife, my mother-in-law taught me to cook the Polish/Czech food that my husband grew up eating. She explained the importance of using fresh, homegrown vegetables, and together we planted a garden overflowing with tomatoes and peppers, a staple in many of our family recipes. She instructed me in compostmaking and traditional gardening methods that fed the soil and wasted nothing—the secrets of an abundant garden without expensive fertilizers or dangerous pesticides. When the summer garden overflowed, she taught me how to can and preserve our bountiful produce for winter meals.” Mary now brings her passion for homegrown food to the classes she teaches at Whole Foods in Naperville and Heritage Prairie Farm in Elburn, Illinois, as well as at local libraries, park districts, and community events. She firmly believes that people crave hands-on education about food traditions and has made it her mission to reestablish this knowledge in as many kitchens as she can reach. “In the past, households were multigenerational, and all the women learned basic home economic skills. These days, people are separated from older generations and no longer receive this vital information. Many remember summers helping out their grandmas and yearn to get back to the simpler times. With Home Ec no longer taught in most schools, many people no longer even know how to cook.”

continued ...

October 2013

... continued

ChillOver Strawberry Jam

She stresses that canning is so green and economical that it would be a crime to lose touch with it. “Jars are used over and over until they break or chip—I have some that are close to 40 years old! You can re-use the rings until they get rusty, so all you need to purchase for each new batch are the lids for a few dollars. And once your produce is canned, it can be stored on a shelf without further expenditure of energy for up to two years.”

(recipe at right)

Mary acknowledges that there is a booming resurgence in canning, and many how-to books are available, but she points out that people have a nagging fear that they will brew up a batch of botulism and inadvertently harm their families. “This is very funny, since we and our parents all survived on canned goods,” Mary chuckles. “So it’s wonderful that people are able to come to my classes and learn hands-on, ask questions, and see that it is not dangerous if you follow the basic rules.” Two of Mary’s most popular monthly classes may surprise you (here’s a hint: they’re bright and bubbly!): How to Make Kombucha and Jamaican Ginger Beer. Mary says, “These effervescent elixirs offer a double dose of energy with probiotic and digestive benefits. Jamaican Ginger Beer is a pungent beverage made famous by British soldiers in the 17th century, and Kombucha is a very popular modern-day marvel.” I’m tingling just thinking about it! If you’re lucky enough to live in the greater Chicago area or are planning a visit, I highly recommend signing up for one (or, heck, a bunch) of Mary’s Wholesome Living classes at www.MarysWholesomeLiving.com.

October 2013

“

Hi MaryJane, My name is Linda Stritzel and I’m the one attached to this jar of jam! The results were amazing. I actually like it more than traditional pectin recipes—I didn’t realize how much flavor pectin robs from the fruit! The color, taste, and texture are perfect. I’ll be sure to have plenty of ChillOver powder ready for the next jam season!

”

Your Midwest farmgirl, Linda

ChillOver Strawberry Jam 2 lbs strawberries, washed, hulled, and crushed to yield 4 cups crushed berries 2 cups organic cane sugar 2 packets MaryJane’s ChillOver Powder 1. Combine crushed strawberries and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. 2. Sprinkle and stir ChillOver Powder into liquid and boil rapidly for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. 3. Remove from heat and can in sterile jars (refer to a canning manual for complete canning instructions). ChillOver Raspberry Jam Substitute raspberries for strawberries. ChillOver Blackberry Jam Substitute blackberries for strawberries.

❉ You’ll find recipes in every box. For more ChillOver recipes, buy our “8th Issue, Farm Kitchen” at www.maryjanesfarm. org/backissues.asp.

To order, call 888-750-6004 or go to www.maryjanesfarm.org

Looks like gelatin. Tastes like gelatin. But it isn’t. It’s better!

My innovative ChillOver® Powder is for all the people who grew up loving gelatin desserts but gave up on them, knowing their animal origin. It sets up in half the time gelatin does. It seals in flavors more quickly. And it doesn’t melt at room temperature. Once you try it, you’ll never go back!

To buy, scan here with your smartphone.

Sister L|ves

{ our favorites ... just a click away! }

Carol’s pick s

(just

a click

away

e sign, CowboyBrandFurnitur

)

pillow, Retroland

tea towel, Tw oGirlsLaugh

chTX poster, LuckyStarsRan

Fall’s upon us, and I’m dreaming of glamping. I don’t have a glamper and don’t know if I ever will, but in my dreams, I’d cowgirl it up with these lovelies from Etsy (my favorite window-shopping “store.”).

wine charms, tartx

, graphic designer usiast ukulele enth (sister #3)

ing

thermometer, MyUrban Finds

blanket, punkrocks quirrel

October 2013

You can visit Carol’s picks by clicking on the photos.

he beleaguered honeybee needs our love now more than ever. “Won’t you Bee My Honey, oh tiny wee one? Come look,” I whisper. “This year, I’ve planted extra honeysuckle, dozens of butterfly bushes, patches of phlox, and a field of clover for your nectar needs. Your journey is long and hard; let us help!” For every yard of Bee My Honey that is sold, designer MaryJane Butters is able to continue supporting the important work of TheHoneybeeConservancy.org. “Thanks for bee-ing the change with me!” -MaryJane Butters of MaryJanesFarm Ask for 100% cotton Bee My Honey fabric at your favorite quilt store, February 2014.

Look who got married ... Karina & Adam Overfelt Everyone loves a DIY wedding, and when it’s the wedding of a MaryJanesFarm graphic designer, you know that great, creative ideas will abound! We’ll feature Karina’s wedding in the June/July “Something Borrowed” issue of MaryJanesFarm, but we wanted to give you a sneak peek here. From a heartfelt message to her husband on the bottom of her wedding shoes to a unique, handmade cake display, you’ll find lots of great ideas as you follow our blushing bride down her aisle of bliss. Click below to watch Karina’s wedding video, one of the best we’ve seen!

October 2013

ÂŠ 2013 Eden Foods 06381

300 pure and purifying foods and 1,100 free recipes edenfoods.com

Big welcome to our new and renewing Sisterhood members! Adrienne Klotz-floyd Alberta Kambestad Aleta Robertson Alishia Mounts Amanda Cortright Amber Warfield Amy Marquardt Anna Murfield Anna Cook Ann-Marie Cunniff Ashley Montague Barbara Gordon Barbara Bennett Beth Ann House Bonnie Pollard Bonnie Smith Brooke McCollum Carla Besser Carol Slater Catherine Douds Cathleen Griffin Cathy Shonk Cheryl Murphy Cheryl Villebrun Christina Hudson Christina Smith Cleora Sharkey Connie Ashby

Dahl Currington Deb Ice Debora Carr Denise Meister Donna Thomson Dustie Franks Elizabeth Thomas Elizabeth Landin Elizabeth Brassfield Ellen Prang Ellen Janeene Nelson Erin Smith Gail Boo Helen Jo Workman Hilary King Janice Kennedy Jeanice King Jeannie Pierce Jennifer Fiddler Jerilyn Purkey Jessica Rasmussen Jill Smithson Jo Anne Cox Judy Bradley Karen Zamora Karen Polenz Katherine Reinhart Kathryn Saucedo

Kathryn Zimmer Kathy Wood Keirsten Gustafson Laura Hacker Lauren Trank Linda Stikkel Lisa Rohr Lori Sorrell Luanne Bailey Margaret Kirk Marianne Christensen Marilyn Lehto Mary Jordan Mary Ann DAvis Mary DeStaffany Mary Jane Hanson Melanie Ruesch Melinda Witt Melissa Pezzolo Melissa Bierer Norma L. Rodriguez Pamela Sanford Pat Hamilton Patrice Giordano Paula Harris Penny Jones Penny Henson Priscilla McGee

“

Rachel Nelson Rachel Cleveland Rosann Kent Sandra Merritt Sandra Gold Sandra Reeves Sara Nevill Sarah Spruill Sarah Shipley Sharon Good Sharon Suzanne Moran Shelly Schrader Stephania Papi Sue Poster Sue Hacker Sue Feely Susan Roby Tamara Jarrow Tamoria Sliz Tara Bianchi Tawnya Becker Tina Shillington Tina Lemke Tina Hale Twigs Wakeman Valerie Jean Hernandez Vanessa Wergin Vickey Kasko

A true f riend

reaches for yo ur han d an d t o uches yo ur heart.

October 2013

– Author Unknown

”

“

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.

”

– Marion C. Garretty

October 2013

Sister L|ves

{ our favorites ... just a click away! }

Megan’s picks a click (just

whimsysworkshop

away)

Editor Staff writer / (sister #2)

Halloween might be my favorite holiday. I think I have more Halloween décor than I do everyday décor! I am a huge fan of costumes and have been known to put more effort into a Halloween costume than possibly my wedding dress! So here’s to daydreaming …

SawdustMarket

Victorian Trading Co.

Victorian Trading Co. Co. Victorian Trading

You can visit Megan’s picks by clicking on the photos.

overthebarn

door

October 2013

ami

Meiorig

Go beyond traditional embroidery Wash-Away

Stitch Stabilizer

simplify your embroidery & quilting

10 sheets

81/2˝×11˝

Print • Stick • Stitch • Dissolve

1 Print, copy, or trace your design on to a sheet 2 Stick it down in position on your fabric 3 Stitch your design right through it 4 diSSolve it…the printed stabilizer washes away easily in water without damaging your work

Complete instructions and tips for use inside

www.ctpub.com

Simplify Your Embroidery & Quilting Print, Stick, Stitch & Dissolve $13.95, Pack of 10 sheets, 8.5˝ x 11˝ 103522

AVAILABLE AT QUILT, FABRIC AND BOOK STORES

www.ctpubBlog.com

Many of your favorite titles are also available as eBooks at www.ctpub.com

FREE pattern with catalog order! Receive a fREE pattern & list of retailers near you with catalog order ($8):

www.patchabilities.com (563-778-2101)

6" x

Welcome the Winter size: 6x12 (each section) with 6x12 Tri-stand

Call us with your credit card info OR Mail check/money order to: Patch Abilities Inc. 29783 Quail Rd West Union, IA 52175

shed

ni 22” fi

Why are these mini quilt patterns so refreshing?

www.ackfeldwire.com (888-272-3135)

12” x 14” finished

• small projects you can easily finish in 1 day! • use fusible applique method - so easy peazy, you don’t have to be an experienced quilter. • applique stitching IS the quilting - no additional quilting necessary • so affordable - patterns retail at $7-9 each & over 130 designs to choose from. • HEY! You just found great holiday gift ideas!!

Each Other In the Shelter of Each Other

{ EACH OTHER } with Megan Rae | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { EACH OTHER } category, CLICK HERE { E A C H O TH E R } with Megan Rae | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { E A C H O TH E R } category, CLICK HERE

Countdown to Halloween Growing up, the anticipation of Halloween was ever so exciting. It was one of the few times my mom would let my brothers and me eat regular old candy like everyone else! Although, we usually forgot about our stash after the first few pieces were gobbled down. My mom made us some pretty cool costumes, and back in those days, we would all pile in the pickup and drive to the neighboring farms to trick or treat. With only a few farm kids passing through, our neighbors were usually quite generous with the treats, and if we were extra lucky, fresh-baked goods were a big bonus. Megan Rae (Sister #2) grew up “on the farm”— MaryJanesFarm. She attended Gonzaga University and received a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. After marrying her college sweetheart, they moved to Kansas and bought their first home on a cobblestone street. Her love for writing, editing, and well, her Mom, finally brought her back to the farm. Raising her 6-yearold and 4-year-old farmgirls and working alongside her husband, mother, and family is the perfect lifestyle mix for Megan. She rounds it out with travel across the country to visit her five dearest college girlfriends who she loves with all her heart (they’ve all been in each other’s weddings), and one of her favorite farmgirls that she met when she lived in Kansas (scheduled around working the cows, of course).

October 2013

When I was in college, Mom surprised me with a beautiful Halloween party in our oneroom schoolhouse, complete with her delicious caramel apples, in honor of my birthday. I have always loved that my birthday falls in the same month as the ghoulish holiday; however, as far as October birthdays go, it couldn’t be farther from Halloween, falling on the 1st of the month. Halloween has continued to be an important tradition for me. So here’s my latest Halloween décor addition. We have advent calendars covered for Christmas, but we haven’t made the countdown to Halloween official yet this year. So, using Wilton favor tins, paper, and number stickers, I kept it simple by using only a glue stick and mini magnets. Embellishments such as buttons and ribbon would be adorable too. I did decide the project would be a lot easier with a 1½" crafters’ hole punch for the circles. I glued the paper to one side of the tins and magnets to the other side. The magnets are strong enough to hold a tin filled with gummy worms to a cookie sheet. I did notice that Annie’s is making orange and black crackers for the holiday. I think I’ll go that route to limit the sugar this month. Happy Halloween!

October 2013

Each Other

Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Mamas { EACH OTHER } with Melyssa Williams | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { EACH OTHER } category, CLICK HERE { E A C H O TH E R } with Megan Rae | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { E A C H O TH E R } category, CLICK HERE

She Only Wanted to Shower Alone Once upon a time, a mom of three (who had, up until recently, homeschooled all her children) realized—with great joy—that it was now possible to shower alone. The eldest wee one being now 13 years old, the mom did her math and discovered that it had been at least that long since she had lathered, rinsed, and repeated anything without a throng of witnesses. Checking out her ankles, she also realized it may had been that long since shaving as well, but that’s another tale. Melyssa Williams (Sister #161) was a homeschooler back in the day. She spent a perfectly ridiculous amount of time reading and writing, usually in a tree, sometimes with pet chickens. Now she stays out of trees, but still reads and writes. There are three small fry in her house that refer to her as Mom, and keeping in tradition, she puts them in trees with good books. She is the author of the Shadows trilogy for Young Adults, and can be reached at www.shadowsgray.com.

Giddy with excitement, she dropped her offspring off at school while wearing her pajamas and raced home to fill the tub with exotic bubble bath. A cup of (hot!) coffee in hand, an organic face mask applied, and the door locked (in case of bogey men), she settled wearily into the water. For mere moments, she simply reflected on life and all that is good. Meditated, if you will, on the state of the world, religion, politics, and what to make for dinner, and got goose bumps of happiness that no one was doing a number two inches from her head. Suddenly, the bath toy basket, filled with pirates and fish and boats and fishing gear and one decapitated Barbie, tumbled down on her unsuspecting head, causing our heroine to scream in fright because she was pretty sure the villains from Taken had just entered her sanctuary. And while her father is, in fact, a burly guy, he’s no Liam Neeson. Once her heart started beating again, she cleaned up the mess, forgot to shave, and wrapped

October 2013

herself in a Disney princess beach towel. Emerging from her adventure, she remembered that she had taken down the curtains that someone had used as a napkin, and was putting on quite a spectacle should any of her nice neighbors glance her way. Sprinting nimbly for the stairs, she tripped over the dog, who was already quite nervous and anxious over the bathroom debacle and who doesn’t like to be more than two inches from Mom’s feet at any given time. She decided that solitary bathing rituals were for the birds.

October 2013

Sister L|ves

{ our favorites ... just a click away!}

Saralou's picks (just a

Lanared

Goodwill

)

click away

Graphic designer (sister #6)

Brit+Co

I always have time for DIY projects, especially when it’s cold outside. Here are a few recent ones I am dying to try. Especially the yarn and leather scarf! How cute and easy is that? Follow the links and try them out for yourself.

The Work Is Ge tting To Me

Shopruche

You can visit Saralou’s picks by clicking on the photos.

October 2013

100%

BOTANICAL

GOODNESS

Panax quinquefolius

American Ginseng is a member of the Araliaceae family and can be found growing with bright red berries under moist, shady canopies. Native to the eastern forested mountains of the North American continent, the Chinese consider it a superior choice to Asian ginseng for improving immunity, increased mental performance, and balance. However, popularity of this root as an adrenal tonic and vitality boosting herb has severely impacted the wild populations in this region, making organically grown American Ginseng the most ecological choice.

Traditional Preparations American Ginseng can be taken as an extract, tea, or capsule. Some people also enjoy the mildly stimulating effects felt from chewing on its roots.

Herbal Curiosities The word Panax is derived from the Greek word “pan” which means “all” and “akos” which means “cure”. At its peak, wild Ginseng root was harvested and sold for $1000 per pound.

Each Other Homeschooling with Cathi

{ EACH OTHER } with Cathi Belcher | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { EACH OTHER } category, CLICK HERE { E A C H O TH E R } with Megan Rae | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { E A C H O TH E R } category, CLICK HERE

In the Swing of Things We’re well into fall, so whether you’re a veteran homeschooler or brand-spankin’ new at it, by now you should be somewhat “in the swing.” So how’s it going? This is a great time to stop and take stock of your personal homeschool situation, because you could be experiencing any number of emotions and I’m here to tell you that they are ALL perfectly normal! Let me run down the gamut for you; I’m sure you’ll find yourself somewhere in the following examples or at a place in between—and believe me, it’s all good! Cathi Belcher (Sister #1295), who pens our Mountain Farmgirl Blog, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner,” she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. She’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi is married to her childhood sweetheart, and owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. “Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage,” says Cathi. “I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing.”

“Best thing since sliced bread!” is certainly the best way to feel and something we all strive for, but if you aren’t there yet, don’t freak out … you’re not alone!!! In fact, if they’re honest, everyone has been here at some point in “homeschool time,” and I’ll be talking to you about it in just a minute. However, if you’re sailing along enjoying the homeschool ride with your family, then I say: FANTASTIC! Three cheers for you, because this is how it’s meant to be. Everyone’s idea of a great homeschool day is different, of course, but regardless of your style, you’ll know it’s working when learning is happening and everyone is enjoying the ride. If this is you, then just keep doing what you’re doing; it’s working. “What did I get myself into?” is on the opposite end of the spectrum, and if you find yourself there, I want to talk to you next because you probably think you’ve made a huge mistake. You didn’t, and I’m here to reassure you that this is very normal. EVERYONE feels doubts, has insecurities about their abilities to teach their children adequately, and sometimes feels like a failure. You CAN do this and here’s why: no one cares for, loves, and knows your children better than you do. You were their first and best teacher. But if you’re feeling a bit shaky, here are a few reasons why you might feel this way: 1. You don’t feel qualified or smart enough to teach subjects that you weren’t good at yourself. This is one of my favorites, because it’s the best way to illustrate to your kids the concept of lifelong learning: “I don’t know the answer to that, but let’s find out together.” But if you legitimately feel you’re in over your head in a certain area, you can always use an online curriculum, DVDs, get a tutor, or substitute whatever else works when you’re feeling lost. There’s plenty of help at your beck and call. You don’t have to feel like you’re in this by yourself. 2. The kids aren’t cooperative. There could be a number of reasons for this. The biggest is usually with kids who were previously in a school setting, and got “turned off” to learning. I’ve known dozens of families in this situation, and sometimes— depending on the severity of the damage done to them by public schools—it has taken

October 2013

the better part of the first homeschool year to “decompress” from their concept of “learning.” Trust me, kids are naturally curious and they will grow out of it in almost all cases. Another reason may be that the kids don’t listen to you. Getting a handle on this now is really important. Be loving but firm in your expectations; attach rewards at first to work completed, or withhold special outings if it doesn’t get done. Kids will test you; be ready! 3. You find yourself impatient with your children. A lot of times, this is because you feel stressed out yourself. Homeschooling takes a lot of time and commitment. How do you juggle this plus everything else in your life, too? Setting boundaries for yourself and for them by structuring quiet times for reading and resting gives everyone some needed space. You’ll feel more tolerant and patient if you are not exhausted and pressured. Take stock of where you currently are regarding your homeschooling, whether that’s lovin’ it, hating it, or somewhere in between. Relax and realize that it takes time to find what works for you and your children, and also what doesn’t. Remember, Thomas Edison discovered 10,000 things that didn’t work before he invented the light bulb that did! Trust that you WILL find the balance, and then enjoy the process. Learning is awesome!

October 2013

Farm Kitchen Where the Cookin’ Begins!

{ FARM KITCHEN } with Ashely Ogle | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { FARM KITCHEN } category, CLICK HERE

Mushroom & Swiss Chard Stuffed Pork Tenderloins At first glance, it looks like there are a lot of elements to this dish, but it is really a simple, hearty, and flavorful meal that celebrates the earthy flavors of fall. It is one of my favorite meals to prepare on a crispy fall day—the active kitchen time is limited, the entire dish can be cooked in the same skillet, and the smells from the kitchen during cooking are irresistible. To complement the earthy flavors of the chard, mushrooms, and sunflower seeds in the filling, I like to roast beets to serve alongside the tenderloin. Ashley Ogle (Sister #2222) was born and raised in northern Idaho, and has always had an intense interest in anything kitchen. Shortly after marrying MaryJane’s son, Brian, at the historic one-room schoolhouse his grandfather attended, Brian and Ashley moved back to the farm and began renovating the 1890 farmhouse that both Brian and his grandmother grew up in. And in keeping with tradition, they’ve begun to raise a family in the same house—their daughter is now 3 and a new baby just arrived. Ashley works at MaryJanesFarm as a recipe developer/food stylist, and now spends each day inventing and preparing the delicious food you see in our magazines, books, and websites.

Ashley’s Stuffed Pork Tenderloins Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 60–65 minutes Makes: 4–6 servings Pork Tenderloin 1 lb pork tenderloin 1/4 t salt 1/8 t pepper 1 t olive oil 1 sprig rosemary 1/2 cup white wine

Filling 2 T butter 10 button mushrooms, halved and sliced 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1/4 lb Swiss chard, stemmed and diced (about 3 cups) 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1/4 t salt 1/4 t pepper Gravy 2 T butter 2 T flour 3/4 cup chicken stock pan drippings salt and pepper to taste

continued ... October 2013

continued ... 1. In a large skillet (preferably oven-safe), cook butter, mushrooms, and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft. Add chard and cook an additional 2 minutes, until chard barely begins to wilt; remove from heat; add sunflower seeds, salt, and pepper. 2. Preheat oven to 400°F. 3. Cut pork tenderloin lengthwise 3/4" from the top, stopping about 1/2" from the back. Unfold, and make another 3/4"-thick cut in the other direction, stopping 1/2" from the edge. Unfold so that the meat rests flat on the cutting board. Cover with plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the meat to roughly 1/2" thickness. Remove plastic wrap. 4. Lift pork tenderloin up, line up cooking twine on cutting board, and place rosemary over center piece of twine. Place pork back on cutting board, spread filling out over the top, and roll up. Tie firmly with twine. 5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub olive oil over the surface. With the same heavy, oven-safe skillet used for filling, sear meat over medium high heat for 5 minutes on each side. Add wine and cook for 3 minutes, Cover and transfer skillet to oven (if your skillet isn’t oven safe, transfer pork loin and wine to a casserole dish) and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. 6. For the gravy, melt butter in a small saucepan, whisk in flour, and cook for 1–2 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and pan drippings. Cook until thickened and season to taste with salt and pepper.

October 2013

Garden Gate Bloom Where You’re P lanted

{ G A RD E N G A T E } with MaryJanesFarm | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { GA RDEN GATE } category, CLICK HERE

Old-fashioned Autumn Delight: Caramel Apples Let’s say you and I are perched on a porch here at my farm. We’re cradling warm cups of spiced cider in our hands and watching rust-colored leaves drift and dance on the October breeze. It’s the time of year for gathering, you know. Food, friends, and fond memories are each part of the harvest that will see us through the winter. So we’re enjoying a moment together, you and I, sharing stories. And somewhere along memory lane, I ask you what autumn treat you remember as a favorite from childhood. Wait—let me guess ... caramel apples? Me too! The crisp, tart snap of a fresh apple blanketed in sweet, sticky caramel is one of those palate-pleasing sensations that last year after year. Unlike the grab-it-and-go sugar rush of packaged Halloween treats these days, kids of past generations went crazy over caramel apples. The season wasn’t complete without them. And, as you know, the excitement over these old-fashioned delights still lingers today. If your kids (or grandkids) are planning a crash course of trick-or-treating this year, there is likely no swaying them from the intensity of their mission. But the memories of all those brightly colored wrappers will surely dim over the years to come. You can make this fall season more special by providing your family with goodies that are more substantial, for both the belly and the heart. Round up your little loved ones for an afternoon of homemade caramel-apple fun, and they’ll be savoring the sweetness of the experience when they’re our age. The recipe is as easy as it is delicious (those chemically treated versions from the store don’t even compare). Take a look:

October 2013

continued ... Homemade Caramel Apples Makes 6 6 1 1 3/4 1/2 1/2 1 6

tart organic apples (Granny Smith or Pink Lady) at room temperature cup heavy cream* cup sugar cup corn syrup** cup butter t vanilla cup chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts, or peanuts (optional) stout twigs (You can use wooden craft sticks or chopsticks, but natural twigs have a rustic charm, and they’re free!)

1. Line a tray with wax or parchment paper. 2. If apples have a waxy coating, wash well with dish soap and hot water. Rinse and rub dry with a towel. 3. Make a small cut in the top of each apple (the stem end), and insert sticks about 2". 4. Combine cream, sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a deep saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until mixture reaches 245°F on a candy thermometer. 5. Remove from heat, placing pan in ice-water bath to stop the cooking process. Stir in vanilla. 6. When the caramel mixture temperature decreases to about 150°F, dip each apple and roll in the caramel to coat. A spoon may come in handy to cover the entire apple. 7. Place coated apples on your parchment-lined tray, and refrigerate about 15 minutes until set (some caramel will pool around the apples). 8. Now pick up each apple and press the pooled caramel back onto the apple. If desired, press chopped nuts into the caramel too. 9. Chill about 1 hour until nuts are set. Now your homemade caramel apples are ready to eat, or you can cover and chill for up to 1 week. Ingredient Notes: * I recommend using cream and butter from Organic Valley, an organic farming cooperative of over 1,200 family farms. ** Because most corn syrup on store shelves contains unhealthy high-fructose corn syrup, look for Organic Light Corn Syrup made by Wholesome Sweeteners.

October 2013

Revisit your childhood with homemade caramel apples.

October 2013

Sister L|ves

{ our favorites ... just a click away!}

Karina’s picks (just a

)

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seasonald

elights

905

natalya1

graphic designer (sister #4) Fall is finally here. I can feel the crisp air hit my face when I walk outside, and the leaves around me have already started to change. Since it has started to cool off, I’ve been thinking about starting to knit and craft more. Here are some fun, simple projects that inspired me to get started.

My Honeys Place

thevelv

etacorn

You can visit Karina’s picks by clicking on the photos.

October 2013

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Stitching & Crafting Room Stitches of Fun & Laughter! { STITCHING & C RA FTING } with Rebekka Boysen-Taylor | to earn a Sisterhood badge in this category, CLICK HERE

Canapè Knives This summer, my friend’s father passed away. He was a writer, volunteer, editor, husband, father, and activist. Soon after we met eight years ago, he brought me his entire cork collection to use for crafts with a preschool group I lead at the Moscow Food Co-op. Over the years, the children have used his collection to make everything from puppets to tiny rafts. Recently, I found the last handful of those corks in my craft bin and decided to turn the remains of so many dinners into something for his daughter. She is a gifted cook, so I repurposed them into a set of canapé knives for her kitchen.

Rebekka Boysen-Taylor, (Sister #40) was born in Spokane, Washington, right around the time Mount St. Helens blew her top. She studied Geography at Portland State University and taught grade school in the Bronx and inner-city Los Angeles. She lives with her family on the Palouse. As a stay-at-home mama to two organically growing little ones, Rebekka rounds out her organic lifestyle by volunteering at the Moscow Food Co-op, working as an instructor for MaryJane’s Pay Dirt Farm School, embracing a DIY ethic, winning blue ribbons at the county fair, and living simply.

October 2013

To make a set of cork canapé knives, reuse a plastic-handled set from the back of your kitchen drawer or the local thrift store. To remove the handle, wrap it up in a kitchen towel and place it on a solid surface (a cement walk works well). Hit the handle with a hammer until it cracks away, leaving you with the metal blade. Push a flathead screwdriver into your cork on one end to start a hole for the blade. Depending on the density of your cork, you should be able to push the blade firmly into place, but on a few denser corks, I created a narrow, deeper opening first (think of this step as pre-drilling the hole). The fit should be snug and will not require glue, as cork expands after being compressed.

October 2013

Make it Easy Happy Hearts Make Light Work

{ MA KE IT EA SY } with Shery Jespersen | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { MA KE IT EA SY } category, CLICK HERE

Playing Ketchup I’m surrounded by “beef people.” We know beef. We love to eat beef. Ranching is to beef what California is to wine. As is true in wine circles, there are the elite partakers that become beef snobs. A friend of ours falls into that category. He thinks eating beef in any form with ketchup (or catsup) is almost a sin. Me? No way. I LOVE the tangy red stuff. Okay, not on steak, but a burger? Oh yeah! And on a lot of other things too … BLT and grilled-cheese sandwiches dipped in it …with a side of homemade soup. Real French fries made with garden potatoes without ketchup? Are you kidding me?! Mmmm! I also add a tablespoon of it to my bowl of chili.

Shery Jespersen (Sister #753) is a Wyoming cattle rancher who’s been horsecrazy all of her life. Shery is a leather and lace cowgirl. Her other interests include “junktiques,” creating eclectic “make do” arts and crafts, collecting antique china, and cultivating mirth.

Okay, so I’m not a beef snob, but I’ve become a ketchup snob. There’s nothing better than the homemade version made with homegrown produce. I tweaked an old Farm Journal recipe. If you like a little heat, add some Tabasco to your puddle of ketchup. Oh, and this too: I recently found ReCaps made by Mason, and they’re a great addition to a farmgirl’s kitchen tool set. All you have to do is a pop a ReCap on a jar of homemade dressings or sauces and the jars are cute enough to serve from. Note: I usually double this recipe.

Shery’s Ranch Ketchup 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1/2

qts fresh tomatoes medium onion medium red bell pepper t celery seed t ground allspice t ground mustard t ground cinnamon cup sugar T salt T paprika cups white vinegar

In a food processor, purée the tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper until smooth. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat (stirring regularly) until thickened to the proper consistency, about 1 hour. Watch carefully to avoid scorching. Ladle hot ketchup into jars, leaving about 1/2" headspace. Adjust caps. Process 10 minutes in hotwater bath. (Refer to a canning manual for complete canning instructions.) Yield: 3 pints.

October 2013

Bonus Make It Easy Glamping Tip: Just slip a roll of TP on a vintage belt and hang it in your glamper for easy access.

October 2013

“

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird, I would fly about the Earth seeking the successive autumns. – George Eliot

”

Sister L|ves

{ our favorites ... just a click away! }

Shery’s

Picks

Mason Jar R eCaps

Myler Low-port rt Snaffle Bit Western Comfo

You can visit Shery’s picks by clicking on the photos.

MaryJanesFarm Packaged Meals

MaryJane’s Glamping Fabric

Ranch Farmgirl Sister #753

r Music made fo ally farmgirls, especi e rs ho e ar at th those crazy.

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October 2013

Elderberry, Echinacea & Wild Cherry Cough Syrup Syrups are a tasty and effective way to enjoy the medicinal properties of herbs. This recipe includes a combination of herbs and spices that boost and build the immune system, soothe sore throats, reduce irritation and inflammation, assist with coughs, and have antiviral and antibacterial properties.

Irene Wolansky (Sister #1144) is the Marketing Director at Mountain Rose Herbs. Born and raised on the Oregon coast, Irene spent her childhood learning about beekeeping, growing and preserving fruits and vegetables, building forts in the forest, and going on adventures with her dog. She has many interests, which include making her own body care products, mushroom harvesting, gardening, arts and crafts projects, nature photography, mead and beer making, camping, herbal medicine, baking, traveling, hiking, and spending time with her boyfriend and friends. Click here to visit Mountain Rose Herbs on the Web.

October 2013

3 T organic elderberries 2 T organic rosehips 2 T organic wild cherry bark 2 T organic echinacea root 1 T organic mullein leaf 1 T organic licorice root 1 organic cinnamon stick, broken into pieces 1 t organic ginger root 1 pint organic raw local honey brandy (optional preservative) Mix all herbs together and combine with 1 qt of water in a pot. Allow to soak for 2–3 hours (this step may be omitted if short on time). Then, heat at a low simmer until the mixture has been reduced to approximately half of its original volume (1 pint). Remove from heat, and strain out the herbs. Return the strained liquid to the pot and add 1 pint of honey. Gently heat the mixture over low temperature, until the honey warms and the mixture can be thoroughly blended. Once mixed, remove from the heat and allow to cool. To help preserve and extend the shelf life, add 15– 20% brandy to the syrup. Pour into clean bottles, and store in the refrigerator where they will last for several weeks to several months. Take 1–2 teaspoons every hour throughout the day, or as needed.

October 2013

MARYJANESFARM

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Outpost

Unleashing Your Inner Wild { OUTPOST } with Shery Jespersen| to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { OUTPOST } category, CLICK HERE

A Horse of a Different Color Buying a horse is a huge commitment. Did you hear me? H-U-G-E. It should also involve many of the same considerations that are part of choosing whom you will wed. Yes, I’m serious about that, no jest intended. There are a number of reasons for this to be profoundly true. At the very top of the list is safety. A nice horse, through no fault of his own, can involve you in a scenario that involves serious injury. Reference the movie Horse Whisperer. Horseback riding is less dangerous than riding in a car, so I don’t want to frighten you. However, a horse has an independent will—unlike a bike, a car, or an RV— and it’s important to take that into consideration. Shery Jespersen (Sister #753) is a Wyoming cattle rancher who’s been horsecrazy all of her life. Shery is a leather and lace cowgirl. Her other interests include “junktiques,” creating eclectic “make do” arts and crafts, collecting antique china, and cultivating mirth.

So, in choosing/buying a horse, it is of critical importance to make the important things the MOST important things. Let’s assume, for the sake of this story, that you’re a person in the middle of horse “experience”… being neither a beginner nor advanced. The advanced rider already knows what I will share with you. The beginner needs to highlight and bold what I tell you. This little essay is for the general pleasure rider. Depending on what kind of activity you plan on participating in, add those considerations to the mix. The horse you choose needs to, first of all, be healthy and sound. He cannot be truly safe for you, physically or financially, if he is not healthy. That accomplished, this horse needs to fit your personality and level of experience to a T. Now, square that. Also, this part of your horse-shopping phase demands that you be brutally honest with yourself. I mean, there is absolutely no wiggle-room for childish daydreams. You may be trying to fulfill a dream in buying a horse, but this is no time for flights of fancy. If you are not entirely realistic, your dream can become a nightmare in any number of ways. So, what things should you place at the bottom of the list of buyer priorities? 1. Color 2. Beauty 3. Height or lack thereof On color: The most beautiful color is a good horse that is perfect for you in every way. Please surrender favorite colors or markings. That’s vanity, pure and simple. We all have favorite colors, including me, but I learned the hard way that color belongs at the very bottom. On Beauty: What is true of people is true of horses. It is what’s inside the horse that counts. A kind and willing temperament, a solidly confident personality, a sweet and friendly demeanor all combine to make the most gorgeous horse in the world.

October 2013

continued ... On Height: Some people have a strange idea that tall is better. That’s a bunch of hooey. They might think they look better on a tall horse or that a tall horse is smoother to ride. A. Who cares what you look like as long as you and your horse are happy together and safe?! B. A smooth ride does not have ANYthing to do with height. A smooth stride comes from the angle of the shoulder. The more laid back the angle, the smoother the ride. Lastly, Breed. I didn’t list it as something to pay attention to, but since choosing a breed is or can be important, I should mention it. Choosing a breed of horse can be a matter of personal preference. The activity or sport you’re interested in comes into play here, too. For all-around pleasure riding that can include showing, you can find a horse that will fit you in just about any breed. For trail-riding, this is especially true. I am a huge fan of a smooth ride. A rough-gaited horse just makes me mad. It feels like my innards are being rearranged. So, for this and several other reasons, I chose the Morgan Horse as being ideal for me. I also bred Morgans for several years. They wrote the book on versatility, and contrary to some other breed propaganda out there, the Morgan Horse was America’s first registered breed. They are, by and large, lovers of people—behaving much like dogs you can ride. That said, my husband, who has trained horses for 40+ years, is a lifelong Quarter Horse person. If I had not gone with Morgans, I would be riding an Arabian. I also have a strong affinity for mares. It’s a girl thang! There are good horses in every breed and gender … and bad ones. The old saying, “buyer beware,” is very true. Here’s my own version: Buyer Be Aware. So proceed with a smile, full steam ahead! I hope you find the horse of your dreams. From the back of a good horse, the world looks to be, and is indeed, a finer place.

October 2013

“

No hour of is life No hour of life No of life is wasted No hour hour of life is is wasted that in wasted that is spent that is spent in spent the saddle. wasted that is in is spent in the the saddle. ~Winston ~Winston Churchill the saddle. ~Winston saddle. Churchill Churchill

”

– Winston Churchill

October 2013

Cleaning Up The Work of Our Hands

{ CLEA NING UP } with MaryJanesFarm | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { CLEA NING UP } category, CLICK HERE { CLEA NING UP } with MaryJanesFarm | to earn a Sisterhood badge in our { CLEA NING UP } category, CLICK HERE

Handmade Hair Care Have you ever stood in the shower with a shampoo bottle in your hand and thought, “There must be a better way?” I know I have. Over the years, I’ve lathered my locks while reading the lists of ingredients on various shampoo bottles, wondering which of those chemicals were responsible for actually cleaning my hair. I have also imagined how big a pile of plastic shampoo bottles each of us has contributed to landfills and energy-consuming recycling plants, not to mention how much money we spend on those bottles (if I only had a dime for each one). A bit of interesting hair-cleaning history is that shampoo wasn’t introduced until the early 20th century; before that, many people used soap. Unfortunately, soap doesn’t work great for most people’s hair, particularly when it’s rinsed with mineralladen hard water. The soap doesn’t wash away clean, leaving scummy residue on the hair. Enter the “new-and-improved” formula we call shampoo. There’s no denying that shampoo’s detergent additives help it rinse better, but it’s also harsher. It strips the natural oils from hair, leaving us wanting something to replenish our soft, healthy-looking locks. So, along came conditioner—yet another bottle to buy. But conditioner is merely a quick fix; its oils don’t last long, and so we end up washing and conditioning again to keep looking our best. The trouble with this system is that we’re playing catch-up, trying to mask the damage that shampoo causes. And, worse yet, we’re swimming in chemicals like isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, and others that carry heavy health risks over time.

Is No-Poo For You?

A growing number of people are reclaiming their roots and shucking spendy bottled shampoos altogether. They’re calling their concerted effort the “No-Poo” movement (no shampoo), and they swear by the scalp’s natural ability to nurture a healthy and clean head of hair. On my Farmgirl Connection chatroom, Babette from Minnesota told us, “My family has been shampoo-free for several months. I was worried initially about my long hair and keeping it soft. Once we stopped using shampoo, I was amazed by its own natural softness. I’ll admit sometimes I miss the convenience of reaching for a premixed bottle. But mostly I am rewarded with a true feeling of nourishing and loving my body by making healthier choices.” There are a variety of different no-poo hair care recipes bubbling around blogs and chatrooms these days, but they boil down to the same basic formula of baking soda and vinegar rinses, tweaked to suit individual needs. While plain warm water will remove almost all the dirt we get in our hair, a little baking soda will not only remove the rest, but it also takes care of the build-up from commercial hair products. Ideally, wash with the baking soda solution once or twice a week, even less if your hair is in great condition or easy to manage. Apple cider vinegar helps promote scalp circulation, acts as a natural antiseptic, dissolves excessive fatty deposits, and reduces scaling or peeling of the skin. Plus, it untangles, balances hair’s pH level, and seals the cuticles to promote shiny, smooth hair. The smell will rinse away with the water, leaving you fresh and clean. For more information on going “no-poo,” click here.

October 2013

Better Than Bottles

Of course, everyone is different. Maybe a no-poo ’do doesn’t appeal to you, or maybe it simply doesn’t work with your unique hair chemistry. Another hair cleaning option that beats bottled shampoos is shampoo bars. They look just like bars of soap, but they come in planet-friendly paper packaging and they have the added benefit of not being full of water, which is generally the number one ingredient in bottled shampoos. Not to mention, they’re terrific for traveling. Not all shampoo bars are created equal, however. “Bad” bars can leave your hair with sticky soap residue, and some contain artificial fragrances and other icky additives. Look for handcrafted shampoo bars that are free of chemicals and scented with natural essential oils. Two farmgirl-approved crafters of superb shampoo bars are Heart of Iowa Soapworks and Chagrin Valley Soap & Craft Company. Each offers a fabulous variety of fragrances and formulas tailored to different hair types, and their websites are chock full of helpful information about transitioning to shampoo bars. If you’d like to experiment with your favorite herbs and spices, try the Healthy Hair Shampoo Bar from Organic Creations. It’s unscented and comes with instructions on how to “rebatch” by melting and making it your own. How long does a shampoo bar last? According to Karla Moore of Heart of Iowa Soapworks, one bar will generally last about a month. “Handcrafted soaps require a little different handling so that they don’t dissolve too fast,” she says. “Extend the life of the soap by storing it in a well-drained soap dish up out of a puddle of water.”

October 2013

continued ... How to use a shampoo bar, excerpted from Farmgirl Maggie’s (forum name, Prairielandherbs) website: Prairieland Herbs. “To use the shampoo bar, simply rub the bar over your scalp, then work the lather through with your fingertips. Our handmade shampoo bars have a surprising amount of lather! Commercial shampoos contain chemical “conditioners” that collect on hair and weigh it down. When you start using your handmade shampoo bar, it will begin to strip off all the extra “junk” commercial shampoos leave in your hair. This can INITIALLY cause your hair to feel stiff, or sticky. Don’t panic! This is what we call “funky hair syndrome,” and it is curable! Use a vinegar rinse (2 T of any kind of vinegar in 1 cup of water) for at least the first week. Simply pour the vinegar rinse over your hair after shampooing, and then rinse out or leave in, however you choose. The vinegar helps remove the “junk” from your hair—with the added benefit of balancing the pH of your hair and adding shine and body! After approximately a week (often, much sooner), you will no longer have “funky hair”—just soft, shiny all-natural hair. (Not everyone gets funky hair—we just wanted to warn you in case you are one of those that do!)”

October 2013

Inspiration For the Soul { INSPIRATION } with MaryJanesFarm

“If you’re about to throw away an old pair of pantyhose, stop.”

Photo courtesy of the Mullaney Family via ABC News

So begins the delightfully unique obituary of Pink Mullaney. Pink (née Mary Agnes) Mullaney recently died at age 85 in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, but she won’t soon be forgotten. Although she is no longer here in body, Pink’s spunky spirit is touching the lives of people she never knew, thanks to her family’s unusual approach to her eulogy ... “We wanted to write 1,000 stories,” said Meg Vartanian, the youngest of Pink’s six children, told Legacy.com. “She was just so silly all the time. Growing up, everybody wanted to come to our house. They’d say, ‘Will your mom be home?’ Because they wanted to see her.” Meg and her siblings decided to skip the mundane obituary material and focus on the fabulously funny facets of their mom. After all, Pink was no ordinary woman. So, what’s with the panty hose? Pink’s advice, which kicks off her obituary, was: “Use the old ones to tie gutters, child-proof cabinets, tie toilet flappers, or hang Christmas ornaments.” Why not? But, Pink, what about … possums? “If a possum takes up residence in your shed, grab a barbecue brush to coax him out. If he doesn’t leave, brush him for 20

October 2013

continued ...

Photo by bmendez68, CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

minutes and let him stay.” You might have guessed there’s a story behind this one … When she was 10, Pink’s daughter Meg found a possum holed up in their shed and thought it “was going to pull my eyeballs out.” She ran to tell her mom, who charged into the shed armed with a metal grill brush. “I’m standing and waiting and waiting and waiting, and she came back and I said, ‘Did you get him?’ and she said, ‘No, but he really does like to have his hair brushed.” Love it!

October 2013

Pink’s other morsels of wisdom included: • • • • • • • • • •

Let a dog (or two or three) share your bed. Go to church with a chicken sandwich in your purse and give it to your homeless friend after mass. Go to a nursing home and kiss everyone. Invite new friends to Thanksgiving dinner. If they are from another country and you have trouble understanding them, learn to “listen with an accent.” Put picky-eating children in the box at the bottom of the laundry chute, tell them they are hungry lions in a cage, and feed them veggies through the slats. (Can you just imagine the tale behind this tidbit?!?!) Correspond with the imprisoned, and have lunch with the cognitively challenged. Keep the car keys under the front seat so they don’t get lost. Offer rides to people carrying a big load or caught in the rain or summer heat. Take magazines you’ve already read to your doctor’s office for others to enjoy. Do not tear off the mailing label, “Because if someone wants to contact me, that would be nice.” Write letters to everyone, about everything.

October 2013

The Scoop MaryJanesFarm News

Index Available!

We have all the back issues of MaryJanesFarm Sister Issue available for download on our website. CLICK HERE to read back issues.

[TIP] Use the search/find tool in your browser to look up keywords in back issues.

Farmgirls Unite! If you are hosting a farmgirl event, open to all farmgirls, send the event description, date, location, and contact info to megan@maryjanesfarm.org. Megan will keep Sisters up-to-date on upcoming gatherings.

Upcoming Events: Glamping, Bedias, Texas, October 18–20, 2013 (see p. 59)

Gathered Up, Celebrating Fall: A Virtual Gathering! September 21–throughout the fall, 2013 (see p. 59) If you’re a Sisterhood member, click here to download a FREE Farmgirls on the Loose logo! Enter your Sisterhood number; password is: FGLoose (case-sensitive) (Fun logo ideas: frame it, use it for transfers on shopping bags, totes, and pillows, or make it into a sticker for your trailer!)

October 2013

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WHY PERCALE? In a percale sheet, yarns are woven one over and one under each other to produce a tighter, higher-quality weave than that of standard sheets. Percale sheets are longer lasting, hold up better to washing, and are smoother. They also have that crisp, oldfashioned, delicious feel from an era gone by when sheets were built to last.

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Farmgirl Chatter

What are farmgirls chatting about? Check it out at The Farmgirl Connection link here!

Farmgirl Calendar Glamping, Bedias, Texas, October 18–20, 2013, Submitted by arabianhorselover It’s time to start getting ready for the Glampout! This year’s theme is Hawaiian Luau. We have some new ladies interested in the Glampout and I have added them to our group. So far, I have bought a bunch of decorations to decorate with. I couldn’t resist! I found them at the Dollar Tree and they had a bunch of luau things. We are now on a burn ban, so hope we get some rain between now and Oct. so we can have a campfire. For the new ladies, we do a homemade item that we put in a bag and put them all together and we take turns picking out a gift (bag). Does anyone have something they would like to share on Saturday during the day? I know Shannon has something planned for us. Oh, and Shannon, please bring your dishcloths and scrubbies to sell. Mom and I both want some of them. If you have anything that you make and would like to sell, please feel free to do so. We can set up a table this year for that. Just put a tag with a price and your name so we know who to pay for it. On Saturday evening, we will have our luau. It will take the place of our prom this year. Any suggestions on food for the weekend? I can do the main dish for Sat. night like I normally do. Do we want to do egg tacos for Sunday morning? Don’t be shy. I am always up for new ideas and suggestions. Don’t forget to decorate your tent or camper for the prize for the best decorated! I am already getting the prize together for it! :) I will also ask our food pantry what they need this year and let you all know what to donate. I am so excited! I can’t wait for Oct. to get here. If it is still hot in Oct., we can also swim, so bring your suits with you just in case. Can’t wait to meet our new ladies, too! Welcome to our group. You will be meeting some really nice ladies when you come. For More Information, click here. Gathered Up: Celebrating Fall: A Virtual Gathering! Submitted by Ninibini Hello Farmgirls! You are cordially invited to join us for very special farmgirl event. A virtual autumn gathering right here on The Farmgirl Connection. Beginning Saturday, September 21, throughout the entire fall season. Post your favorite stories, pictures, and more as we gather together to celebrate fall over cider, tea, coffee, and goodies. Come, share, enjoy! See you soon! Click here to find out more.

October 2013

continued ... Across the Fence: eBay score! Photos! Opinions? Submitted by texdane Needed two chair pads for two wooden, teak, Windsor chairs to tie in with my other ones that all have cushions. Found two vintage rooster, hand-hooked chair rugs for $15 for the pair. They came yesterday and are the perfect color to complement and tie in the other chairs together with the all-wood ones. A little stained, but I steamed and spot-cleaned them. Don’t you love it when you find a bargain and it’s just what you were looking for? P.S. Photos posted. Taking a poll: Do you like or dislike the “mismatched chairs”? A friend of mine said she doesn’t like it, that I should keep only the matching ones at the table. Votes? Place your votes here. Across the Fence: Member since … Submitted by jpbluesky Just for fun, I went to the members listing in the above right above the login. Then I clicked on the “Member Since” column. At first, it gives a list beginning with the newest member and going back. Another click on the member column gives a list beginning with the first member going forward. Interesting to see the first members, beginning in spring of 2004! Time flies when you are a “having fun” farmgirl! For more information, click here. Across the Fence: Easing Into Fall. Submitted by texdane Haven’t gone wild yet, but I pulled out my fall placemats and am burning some spicy pumpkin candles. Next week, I will just have to pull up my box of autumn goodies. How about y’all? Let me know what you’re doing here. Across the Fence: Text message from 1971!?! Submitted by CindyG My jaw dropped when I found this in a collection of postcards of my grandma’s. I was admiring the ornate ones, the charming ones, the designs I see reproduced so often now but I have the true vintage item in my hand ... and then this one, postmarked 1917. Interesting, huh? Check it out here. Barnyard Buddies: Wildlife in my front yard! Updated! Submitted by marjean Can you identify these birds? If you can, you win a prize from me. I’ll send the first person who can identify them a gift. Read more here. Barnyard Buddies: newest member on the farm Submitted by FieldsofThyme Meet (12- or 13-year-old male) Alias. Owner lost his job and surrendered him, and was not able to care for him. So far, he does not care about the other dogs, cats, or even the chickens. We have yet to determine house training (they were not sure). We have 10 days to see if he’ll get along with the others, and if not, he can go back, but he was scheduled to be put down tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes. The kids want me to go back and get myself the Chihuahua mix—ha ha! Keep updated here.

October 2013

Barnyard Buddies: Here are some cow pictures ... Anyone else got some? Submitted by nndairy Here are my “barnyard buddies” (a few of them, anyway). I’d love to know if there are any other dairy farmers on here and see some pictures of your farms and cows. Check out my pictures here. Barnyard Buddies: Which is better … Submitted by Room To Grow I am wondering which is best: a donkey or a dog for guarding goats. Let me know what you think here. Cleaning Up: Cabinet doors cleaner … Submitted by sunflowercritters Does anyone have a recipe to wash off tacky grease off kitchen cabinet doors. Give your input here. Family Matters: Only in our house … (add your own) Submitted by FieldsofThyme I thought this would be fun. Start a sentence with “only in our house,” followed by whatever you’d like to share. Here are a few from our house: Only in our house ... ... New Year’s Eve parties are not complete without 48 party poppers, a dozen blow horns, 10 party hats, several bags of confetti, a bunch of leis, and five cans of of silly string. ... can a person say the word “laundry” and find a black lab flying into the doorway of the utility room, tail wagging and tongue hanging out, waiting for you to go put the laundry on the clothesline. Find out more here. Garden Gate: Tomato cages? Suggestions please. Submitted by gramadinah Just pulled out the tomatoes and really want a different solution to the tomato cage. What are your tomato growing solutions. I have the round towers, the ones that fold up into a triangle, and round ones made out of fencing wire. Hate them all. Or do you just let them vine on the ground? Give your input here. Hogs & Quiches @ Prayers Round-up: Farmgirl Sisterhood Day of Prayer On 10/17. Submitted by wildflower17 Something very special has been on my heart for months ... so after much thought and prayer ... I feel led to ask each of you to join me in a special day of prayer. My dear, sweet friend Jenny (auntsmelly) has been so kind and generously given her time to help me put this together. We are happy to announce a date for the first Farmgirl Sisterhood Day of Prayer. It will be on Thursday, October 17. God is so good to all of us. Let’s not forget to give Him thanks and praise for His goodness toward us. Jenny and I are asking that each of you who commit yourself to prayer on this day pray as much as possible. Try to set aside a time where you can truly focus on praying for others as well as your own family needs.

October 2013

continued ... There are so many things that we, as believing farmgirl sisters, need to pray about. First, we need to pray for our nation and our leaders. Secondly, for our church pastors and leaders in our churches. Thirdly, for our families and for our employers. Also, for those who may be out of a job right now. For those who are hurting. I know we have farm sisters who have needs individually and in their families. Please lift them up in your prayers. And especially, for those who have physical and emotional illness. Jesus spent much time in prayer and went about doing good for others, so ... As a part of this special day of prayer, we would like to ask each of you to try to do a Random Act of Kindness during the month of October. Some examples could be donating food to a local food pantry, donating your time working at a soup kitchen, nursing home animal shelter or food pantry, spending time with a special needs child, cooking a meal or baking something special for an elderly person, or just sending someone a card of encouragement. There are so many things that we can do to uplift someone else. We would love for each of you who do a Random Act of Kindness to post on the forum and let us know what you did for others. We know that God will richly bless you for every effort you put forth to do something for others. If you have a special prayer request that you would like to share, please do so when you sign up for the special Day of Prayer. Also, please send Jenny and me your mailing address so we can send you a card of thanks for committing your time to pray and uplift the needs of others before the Lord. We sincerely hope that many of you will find it in your heart to dedicate this special day to a time of prayer for others. Get more information here. Make It Easy: Found Décor. Submitted by Dare2BUniquelyMe I have a shelf in my sewing room that I put odds and ends on for inspiration and meditation. It’s a place to keep treasures like a robin’s egg I found on the ground, an abandoned wasp nest that had fallen, a pretty rock, a brass apple from my deceased grandmother, and some figurines from my sister-from-another-mother. The treasures come and go according to what I find lying around and what season it is. My daughter very much enjoys helping me with the treasures and the arranging of them. Check it out here.

October 2013

Off the Grid/Homesteading Skills: Hand pump for a well. Submitted by FieldsofThyme If you have purchased a hand pump for your well, where is the best place to buy one? Give your input here. Outpost: Withdrawals … Submitted by katmom Ugghhhh! I am so going through glamping withdrawals ... and I (and hubby) are still living in our 23' vintage Sliver Streak trailer with two katz ... but it’s not the same as glamping in my wee lil’ Scotty trailer ... but on the plus side, our escrow is due to close within the next two weeks, and then we can move in ... and that’s when the fun begins ... painting, carpeting, etc ... and then maybe I can get a lil’ glamping in, even if it is just on my property, before winter sets in. Comment here.

Here’s to Your Health: Wart Removal … Submitted by churunga The wart on my right index finger is just about gone, thanks to a remedy I read about in my handy-dandy book of natural healing, New Choices in Natural Healing: Over 1800 of the Best Self-Help Remedies from the World of Alternative Medicine, edited by Bill Gottlieb, Editor-in-Chief, Prevention Magazine Health Books. In the morning, I crush up a vitamin A tablet, mix it with just enough water to make a paste, and apply it directly to the wart. I put a piece of medical tape around it to keep it on the spot. In the afternoon, I apply a drop of castor oil. I tape this also to keep it from getting all over my hands. In the evening, I apply a drop of lemon juice. I’ve been doing this for a week. Now the wart is almost gone. Other advice was to eat foods rich in vitamin A. These foods are liver, paprika, sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, butternut squash, dried herbs (parsley, basil, marjoram, dill, oregano), red and green leaf lettuce, dried aprocots, and cantaloupe. I’ve been eating kale and collards and putting herbs in my food. Next week, I will be doing sweet potato chips, carrots, kale, red leaf lettuce, and cantaloupe. I’ll post when it is gone.

October 2013

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Farmgirl Sisterhood Social Media I’m doubling back to make sure you’re aware of all the social media happenings at MaryJanesFarm, because you won’t want to miss a thing—especially the moment when YOU’RE the sister featured on one of our Facebook pages simply because you’re just so farmgirl awesome or you’ve earned a badge or your blog post from our Sisterhood blogging community over at www.GirlGab.com was featured. (This is my favorite daily pleasure. I LOVE GirlGab!) As ladies of the Sisterhood, now numbering 5,508 (and counting), we’ve earned an amazing number of Merit Badges so far—7,653 total! We’ve recently started alerting earned Badges daily on our MaryJanesFarm Facebook page. We started out alerting just the expert-level earners, but decided recently to alert all levels AND add photos if you include them. We’re just so durn proud! Can you hear the clucking? My blog, www.raisingjane.org, is a little bit more of the fun and frilly that you’ve come to expect from MaryJanesFarm, and is my outlet for conversation in between magazines. If you’re a Facebook or Twitter kind of gal, you’ll find my posts teased on my Twitter account and my Facebook account. Updates for all things glamorously glampifying for International Glamping Weekend can be found here, at its Facebook fan page. Facebook and Twitter not your thing? Then, our Pinterest page can keep you up-to-date with recipes, projects, products, and beautiful images captured here at my farm.

October 2013

Exclusive for Sisters! Sisterhood Necklace

We’ve partnered with Elaine Tolson of Washington to offer this lovely bit of vintage-style jewelry—for Sisterhood members only. Your necklace will be emblazoned with your own unique Sisterhood number, setting your braggin’ rights in stone. Whether you wear it as a secret code for those in-the-know, or as a conversation starter about the Sisterhood, is up to you. Click here to order yours.

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October 2013

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Merit Badge Awardees

Merit Badge Awardees Farmgirl Legends:

Kristina Nelson: fieldsofthyme #800 Chapter Leader Casey Comstock: #5366 Beginner badge: Make it Easy / Make it Pretty Christina Marsden: #4411 Beginner badge: Make it Easy / Carp-hen-try Ciara Neill: infinite_wallflower #5005 Beginner badge: Each Other / Entrepreneurial Spirit Intermediate badge: Each Other / Blogging Expert badge: Each Other / Blogging Connie Warren: Killarney #3392 Beginner badge: Each Other / Families Forever Beginner badge: Each Other / Lend a Hand to Farm Families Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Bustin’ Out Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Recipes Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Birds Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Horse Dreams Beginner badge: Make it Easy / Make It! Cynthia Graziani: CindyG #4735 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Bustin’ Out Debi Chandler: herb19355 #2512 Beginner badge: Make it Easy / Grease Chicks Intermediate badge: Make it Easy / Grease Chicks Emily Hack: alterationsbyemily #2951 Beginner badge: Each Other / Plant it Forward Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Organic on a Budget Beginner badge: Outpost / First-Aid Intermediate badge: Garden Gate / Herbs Intermediate badge: Make it Easy / Relaxation

continued ... October 2013

continued ... Jennifer Knox: #4359 Beginner badge: Each Other / Civic Heritage Intermediate badge: Each Other / Civic Heritage Jennifer Mackey: Jen Mackey #4218 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Get it Together Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Get it Together Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / Get it Together Jennifer Prior: critzyj #5297 Beginner badge: Cleaning Up / Water Conservation Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Forage for Food Intermediate badge: Cleaning Up / Water Conservation Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Forage for Food Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / Forage for Food Jessie Yonkovit: JessieMae #134 Beginner badge: Stitching & Crafting / Nellie Will-do Jodi Fairchild: jdf0202 #5433 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Cheesemaking Kristina Nelson: fieldsofthyme #800 Intermediate badge: Each Other / Get ‘er Done Laura Hacker: laurahdoll #5473 Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Backyard Farmer Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Horse Dreams Beginner badge: Outpost / First-Aid Intermediate badge: Outpost / First-Aid Expert badge: Outpost / First-Aid Michelle Foster: littlepurpleflower #4962 Beginner badge: Cleaning Up / Recycling Beginner badge: Cleaning Up / Shopping Green Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Get it Together Beginner badge: Make it Easy / Let’s Get Physical Beginner badge: Make it Easy / Relaxation

October 2013

Renee Soto: stereo1 #5396 Beginner badge: Cleaning Up / Shopping Green Intermediate badge: Cleaning Up / Shopping Green RoDonna Carson: kymomma4 #2361 Beginner badge: Each Other / Entrepreneurial Spirit Beginner badge: Stitching & Crafting / Cross-stitch Intermediate badge: Each Other / Entrepreneurial Spirit Sharon Demers: Calicogirl #5392 Beginner badge: Cleaning Up / Going Green Beginner badge: Each Other / Farmgirl Grammar Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Bustin’ Out Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Forage for Food Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Get it Together Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Know Your Food Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Unprocessed Kitchen Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Birds Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Bee Good to your Mother Earth Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Heirlooms Forever Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Herbs Beginner badge: Garden Gate / The Secret Life of Bees Beginner badge: Stitching & Crafting / Buttoned Up Intermediate badge: Cleaning Up / Going Green Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Forage for Food Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Get it Together Intermediate badge: Garden Gate / Heirlooms Forever Intermediate badge: Garden Gate / Herbs Intermediate badge: Garden Gate / The Secret Life of Bees Intermediate badge: Stitching & Crafting / Buttoned Up Expert badge: Garden Gate / Heirlooms Forever Expert badge: Garden Gate / Herbs Sherrilyn Askew: Sherri #1350 Beginner badge: Each Other / Farmgirl Grammar Beginner badge: Each Other / Farmgirl Shutterbugs Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Bee Good to your Mother Earth Beginner badge: Garden Gate / Grow Where You’re Planted Beginner badge: Make it Easy / Carp-Hen-Try Beginner badge: Outpost / Disconnect to Reconnect Beginner badge: Outpost / “Out There” Women Intermediate badge: Cleaning Up / Shopping Green

October 2013

Intermediate badge: Cleaning Up / Water Conservation Intermediate badge: Each Other / Blogging Intermediate badge: Each Other / Farmgirl Gratitude Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Bustin’ Out Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Self-Sufficiency Intermediate badge: Garden Gate / Heirlooms Forever Intermediate badge: Make it Easy / Build it Green Expert badge: Make it Easy / Make it Pretty Expert badge: Make it Easy / Relaxation Expert badge: Stitching & Crafting / Embroidery Sue Daniel: subfarmgirl #3727 Beginner badge: Each Other / Blogging Terry Steinmetz: teryouth54 #3600 Beginner badge: Each Other / Languages/Culture Beginner badge: Each Other / Plant it Forward Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Forage for Food Tiffany Whitelatch: Spiffytiffy #5438 Beginner badge: Cleaning Up / Shopping Green Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Recipes

October 2013

Sister L|ves

{ our favorites ... just a click away! }

Molly’s picks (Just a

Buca Boot

)

click away

son John J. Tomlin

graphic designer (sister #1867) This month’s picks are inspired by a recent discovery in my family tree. John J. and Margaret Tomlinson, my third great-grandparents, were amongst the first pioneers to reach the Yellowstone Valley in Montana. J.J. was a patented inventor, mill man, and surveyor. Multiple saw and grain mills were established under his name in southern Montana, where they settled. J.J.’s love of milling led to the invention of an improved mill grinder; his surveying experience began the development of the small town of Salesville. Click here to read diary excerpts and stories about the Tomlinsons. Inspired by J.J.’s 19th-century invention, I’ve picked my favorite 21st-century innovative ideas and inventions from Kickstarter, an online platform for showcasing and supporting new ideas. To learn more about Kickstarter, click here. © 2013 MaryJanesFarm • Moscow, Idaho

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Backy

Modula r Green Roofs

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Dirt to Dreams You can visit Molly’s picks by clicking on the photos.

October 2013

Farmerettes & Young Cultivators Merit Badge Awardees Alysha Krell: Young Cultivator of Jessica Krell #5148 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Caleb Krell: Young Cultivator of Jessica Krell #5148 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Chevelle Marsden: Young Cultivator of Christina Marsden #4411 Beginner badge: Make it Easy / Do Your Eyes Light Up? Emma Krell: Young Cultivator of Jessica Krell #5148 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Ethan Krell: Young Cultivator of Jessica Krell #5148 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up

What’s a Farmerette? Farmerettes are young farmgirls-in-training between the ages 14–18. They can earn the same Merit Badges as adult Sisters, so long as there is a Farmgirl Sisterhood member nearby to work with them. Click here to find out more. What’s a Young Cultivator? Young Cultivators are girls and boys between the ages 6 and 13. They can work with Farmgirl Sisterhood members to earn badges, but have their own unique program. Click here to find out more.

Hailey Philip: Young Cultivator of Nicole Philip #5090 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Make it Fruity Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Make it Fruity Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / Make it Fruity Hannah DiGiuseppe: Young Cultivator of Joanne DiGiuseppe #5092 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Make it Fruity Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Make it Fruity Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / Make it Fruity Lila DiGiuseppe: Young Cultivator of Joanne DiGiuseppe #5092 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / Make it Fruity Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / Make it Fruity Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / Make it Fruity

October 2013

Paige Krell: Young Cultivator of Jessica Krell #5148 Beginner badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Intermediate badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up Expert badge: Farm Kitchen / All Dried Up

Woo-Hoo!

October 2013

Young Cultivators Group Rebekka Boysen-Taylor, our Stitching & Crafting columnist, also coordinates a Young Cultivators group. She’ll report on their activities here and in future issues.

County Fair Another county fair has ended and the kids are already busy planning next year’s entries. So far, those plans include growing strange varieties of flowers, making real potato heads, contacting 4-H about raising animals for show, and learning the proper way to display a collection. Each year, they are curious about new categories and have entered chicken eggs, Lego projects, flowers, crafts, produce, and poetry. As a kid growing up in the city, going to the county fair was like stepping into another world every fall with my family. We would visit all the animals, ride the Ferris wheel, and peruse building after building of exhibits. I ate elephant ears and wandered around carrying goldfish that I won on the midway. It never occurred to me to enter something myself. If, like me, you haven’t a clue about the entries and judging that goes on at your county fair, search for the fair information booklet online. This booklet contains all the information you need to enter items in the fair. There are dozens of categories for entries along with specific requirements. For instance, home canning entries require you to use a current Ball recipe and label them in a certain way. The fair is an excellent place to display individual or group work from your Young Cultivators group. There’s something about seeing a ribbon of any color hanging off your project that appeals to children and adults alike, so start daydreaming about next year’s entries today!

October 2013

Coming Soon to a Magazine Near You

Love the thought of decorating with pumpkins but don’t love carving ... the danger, the goop, the not-so-fresh look? And don’t feel quite artistic enough to paint faces like a master? In our current issue of MaryJanesFarm, we give you ideas that only require acrylic paints and simple shapes ... or leaves and glue ... or ribbons, buttons, and pins! Our October/November issue (Turning the Page) hit newsstands Sept. 17. Don’t risk missing MaryJanesFarm magazine on newsstands. Subscribe here!

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Meet our Bloggers

Being a farmgirl isn’t where you live, but how you live! Farmgirls are tapping away at their keyboards to bring you news from the homefront, no matter where you live or what your interests. Rebekah Teal, a former judge, writes about being a farmgirl in the city; Alexandra Wilson blogs from the rural perspective; Nicole Christensen gives you the suburban viewpoint; Cathi Belcher shouts-out from her mountain top, Shery Jespersen shares the ranch view from Wyoming, and Debbie Bosworth writes from the beach. You can click to our farmgirl blogs right on our home page (www.maryjanesfarm.org). While you’re there, sign up for our e-mail blog alerts and recipe of the week.

city

rural

suburban

mountain

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Rebekah Teal is a farmgirl from a large metropolitan area who recently made her dreams come true by moving to a farm. Given her dyed-in-the-wool city-girl background, she still writes our City Farmgirl Blog. She’s a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution, and she has been a judge, a business woman, and a stay-at-home mom. She’s not only downhome citified, she’s a true-blue farmgirl ... in (the occasional) pair of stilettos!

Alexandra Wilson is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, Alaska—the agricultural seat of the last frontier—and she shares her adventures on our Rural Farmgirl Blog. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University, pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She is focused on developing a program to inspire young women to become beginning farmers. She lives and works on the university’s 700-acre educational farm. When Alex has time outside of graduate school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with newfangled ingredients.

Nicole Christensen, our current Suburban Farmgirl Blogger, calls herself a “knitter, jam-maker, and mom extraordinaire.” Born and raised in the great state of Texas, she now resides in suburban New England in picturesque Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York state.

Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about, she says, is the essence of being a farmgirl. Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit.

Married for 18 years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields and has been a worldtraveler, entrepreneur, knitting teacher, and homemaker, but considers being a mom her greatest job of all. Loving all things creative and domestic, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted.”

Cathi Belcher, who pens our Mountain Farmgirl Blog, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner,” she fiercely values selfreliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. She’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi is married to her childhood sweetheart, and owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. “Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage,” says Cathi. “I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing.”

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beach

fa r m g i r l

Shery Jespersen, Wyoming cattle rancher and outpost writer, shares the view from her saddle in our Ranch Farmgirl Blog. Shery is a “leather and lace cowgirl” who’s been horse-crazy all of her life. Her longtime love is Apple Pi “Dolly” Rose, a 20-year-old Morgan otherwise known as “The Best Darn Horse in the Universe.” Her other interests include “junktiques,” creating eclectic “make do” arts and crafts, collecting antique china, and cultivating mirth.

Debbie Bosworth 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, Massachusetts, where she, her “beach-bum Yankee” husband of 20 years, and her two homeschooled kids are now firmly planted. Debbie writes our Beach Farmgirl Blog. “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.’”

Honeybee Gardens PowderColors Eye Shadow Fall is in the air! Pumpkins are turning orange; it’s time to wrap up in colorful, cozy sweaters; and falling leaves are red, gold, and brown. Being around all these beautiful jewel tones makes me crave color. I’m a nature girl who also loves glamour, and fall makes me feel like dressing up. Mascara and lip gloss are my staples all summer, but with darker evenings and summer’s colors fading, it’s time to add more polish (especially with busier fall schedules and the holidays soon right ’round the corner). Eye shadow is one of my favorite fun cosmetics, and a great way to highlight pretty peepers! It’s also one of the most difficult products to find that’s not chock-full of nasty chemicals and eye-irritating ingredients. Eye shadow really highlights your eyes. For fall 2013, “cat eyes” are back, using softly smudged shadow in the outer corners. I have dark brown, deep-set eyes, and as a busy farmgirl and suburban mom, sometimes my eyes can look tired. A little eye shadow can remedy this. The best colors for me are plums and purples. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to the dye used in most every eye shadow in those colors. Even ones marked “for sensitive skin” can have me looking like I have a bad case of pink eye within moments of application! As I’ve aged, that sensitivity has expanded to include other colors of shadows as well ... until now. I love Honeybee Gardens PowderColors Stackable Mineral Color shadows! Made with gentler ingredients, they’re vegan, free of dyes, carmine, FD&C colors, parabens, and petroleum, and contain none of the fillers like talc or bismuth oxychloride (an inorganic pigment found in most conventional and mineral makeups that can be very irritating for many women). For my brown eyes, I love the colors “Spellbound,” a matte plum, and “Angelic,” a shimmery silver-lilac. I use these loose powders dry for everyday, or with a damp brush to make the colors more intense at night. There’s a lot of product in their stackable, portable containers, so at $7.99, Honeybee Gardens PowderColors Stackable Mineral Color shadows are a beauty bargain. Try generously-sized samples as well, for just 50¢ through their website, HoneybeeGardens.com. Make eyes simply “bewitching” with their latest steel-greyblue color, “Wicked.” From pale to intense, with 17 colors to choose from, there’s something for everyone.

MaryJanesFarm Marketplace

H E A LT H B Y E L D E R B E R R Y ! G R O W I N G & P R E S E R V I N G E L D E R B E R R I E S

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ROAD TRIP ISSUE JUNE–JULY 2012

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Health & Beauty

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American Garden Tools

FREE ESSENTIAL OIL GUIDE & NATURAL PRODUCTS CATALOG. 170 pure essential oils. www.AmericanGardenTools.com 800-294-1951. Large selection of blends, liniments, creams, rubs, Incredibly durable and exclusively American-Made cosmetics, diffusers, and supplies. 800-308-6284. Garden tools and accessories. The best American-Made www.AromaTherapeutix.com/mj gifts to give yourself and others.

Project F.A.R.M.

Business Opportunity Buying something made by hand from someone you is our concept of howPRODUCTS the world should $500"know" WEEKLY ASSEMBLING from be. Become oneinformation, of our Project sellers and home. For free sendF.A.R.M. SASE: Home Assembecome part of a powerful rural movement. bly-MJ, PO Box 450, New Britain CT 06050-0450 iris@maryjanesfarm.org

Juice Beauty

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Interest to all J.R. WATKINS ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS. Shop & Buy with us - Phone, Email, or Website. Or start your own WATKINS from Home Business. Barb Birch – WATKINS No. 080207 Call 800-215-2743. barbbirch@mchsi.com or visit. www.watkinsonline.com/birch

Music Instruments ACCORDIONS, CONCERTINAS, Button Boxes, Rolands. Buy, sell, trade, repair, tune. Catalogs, $5. Castiglione, PO Box 40, Warren MI 48090. 586-755-6050. www.castiglioneaccordions.com

Composting Worms RED WORMS(Eisenia Fetida) perfect for composting.$26.00 per pound, five pound limit per order. Free Shipping. Greenway Farms of Georgia, 1100 Beasley Rd., Roberta, GA 31078. www.greenwayfarmsofga.com

Earth Worms

Organic Beehives QUALITY TOP BAR Bee Hives for easy backyard beekeeping. Raise Bees, process your honey the natural, organic way. 270-703-5877. www.organicbeehives.com

Business Wanted Opportunities to Buy

GREEN HOME BUSINESS. Make a living while BUYING VINTAGE RADIOS, vacuum tubes, www.GreenGregsWormFarm.com Bedrun making a difference from home. P/T or microphones, Westernworking Electric items, audio ampliRedworms – 5,000/$42, 10,000/$65, 20,000/$118, F/T. Flexible hours. No large investment. www. fiers, turntables, old movie equipment. 203-272-6030. 50,000/$280. Postpaid. Fishing, Composting, GardenEcoTeamUnited.com. Larry2942@cox.net ing. Greg Allison, 112 Stilwell Drive, Toney, AL 35773. Free “How To Guides” included. 256-859-5538

European Garden Tools The Marugg Company European-style scythes, snaths, and sickles. Free catalog. P.O. Box 1418, Tracy City, TN 37387. www.themaruggcompany.com

YOUR AD HERE YOUR AD CAN BE HERE Call Brian

Call 203-263-7171 1-888-750-6004

Magazines, Books & More Our Oct/Nov issue (Turning the Page) hit newsstands Sept. 17. In it, you’ll learn to make Thanksgiving dinner in just 2 hours, find homemade Halloween candy recipes, see gorgeous one-of-a-kind clothing from Magnolia Pearl, get ideas for no-carve decorative pumpkins, meet three sisters who turned their love of primitive quilting into a thriving business, and more.

Click here to subscribe to MaryJanesFarm magazine. If you’re a subscriber, you probably received your magazine around Sept. 10. (Those of you near postal hubs get faster delivery; rural delivery takes a little longer.) If you didn’t receive your magazine, you can call our publisher’s subscription department at 800-476-4611 to check on your delivery.

MaryJanesFarm

Calendar

Our 2014 calendar is in the works. Each month’s top page features a full-color image from our farm and each calendar page includes dates, holidays, inspirational sayings, lunar phases, and fabulous farmgirl culture. This is a Project F.A.R.M. (First-class American Rural Made) product. All 26 pages are printed here at the farm on 8 1/2" x 11" card stock and are bound with black spiral wire, unfolding to 11" x 17". Current Holidays: October 1 ~ World Vegetarian Day October 2 ~ World Farm Animals Day October 5 ~ Do Something Nice Day October 8 ~ National Children’s Day October 11 ~ World Egg Day October 12 ~ Farmers’ Day October 14 ~ Columbus Day October 16 ~ World Food Day October 19 ~ Sweetest Day October 24 ~ United Nations’ Day October 26 ~ Make a Difference Day October 27 ~ Mother-in-Law Day October 31 ~ Halloween

Magazine “Goodies” on the MJF Website “For those who are looking for the magazine portion of the website, here is the place to find additional patterns, instructions, recipes and such! Yum!” – Alee, Farmgirl Sister #8 To find the goodies, click here!

2014

Farmgirl R omance

Calenda

“

I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, things of life which are the simple real ones aft ls Wilder er all.

– Laura Ingal

”

5,508 Sisterhood members and 7,653 Merit Badges earned — growing stronger every day!

October 2013