The Greening of Things

Green. This word conjures up a handful of images. What does it make you think of? The color? An inexperienced person? Money? Envy? New growth? I, along with many of you, my fellow Farmgirls, am inextricably drawn towards shades of green.


These brussel sprouts want to be outside.

The Final Countdown

It's finals week here at Alaska Pacific University, and this farmgirl is feeling the crunch! Fortunately, I have some de-stressing techniques. While sometimes it's hard to find the time to actually employ those techniques... they are still nice to think about!


Easy Stress Relief in the form of Taz!

My Muse Is Cute and Fluffy

Exciting news from Spring Creek Farm! Well...at least exciting for my learners, other folks on the farm and me. The eggs hatched! We now have ten adorable chicks. Five hatched from the first clutch and five from the second. They were here just in time for Easter, and I have to say...I’m in love.


Is this where Cadbury Mini Eggs™ come from?

Eggsperiments!

After my last post about feeling wanderlusty and yearning for a change of scenery, it appears that my wishes have been granted. The last few weeks have been full of growth, new faces at Farm School, almost an hour and a half increase in sunlight (!!), and new adventures in chicken egg incubation.


Our homemade candler. This egg is infertile.

Springtime is the Land Awakening!

Every once in a while, I get extremely wanderlusty. Wanderlusty is not a real word, but it is so fitting for what I feel as winter comes to an end ... it’s different than cabin fever. I don’t want to leave this amazing farm at all; yet I still dream about venturing to far-away places.


The Greenhouse longs for spring and wind-less days, too!

Every New Beginning...

Lately, I have been ruminating over the word "beginning." It is so fitting at this time of the year, with the New Year right behind us, and the spring waiting to peek its face out at any moment.

An early spring sun begins to shine over Pioneer Peak and the snow-covered hay fields

Good times...available FREE!

Welcome, welcome to the new year -- full of good times, challenging times, and wonderful things yet to be...

Milking it for all it's worth...

I was thinking the other morning that I would just love to have some company while milking my dear cow Evelynn (whose photo appears below). And, actually, I would love to show you all what I do and how I do it - I'm not an expert, but I've been pretty successful. And to all of you experienced milkers out there - I would love to hear your tips and hints, too!!!

 

With thanks...

Now is the time around the United States that folks focus on what they are grateful for - a time to give thanks for who we are, what we've been given and those who make our lives worthwhile. Yes, for me, you are all included...

 

Confessions of an almoster

Merriam-Webster defines "almost" this way:

ALMOST: adv.; very nearly, but not exactly or entirely.

And what does this have to do with this particular farmgirl and the past while? Well, go get yourself a cup of tea, sit down in a comfy chair and I'll tell you a little story...

 

...the door that is "almost" finished...

Alexandra Wilson out and about

Alexandra Wilson,
Our New Rural Farmgirl,
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.

Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!

Column contents copyright © Alexandra Wilson. All rights reserved.

Little Farmer Girl

Farmgirl
is a condition
of the heart.

Libbie Zenger
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
June 2010 – Jan 2012

Libbie’s a small town farmgirl who lives in the high-desert Sevier Valley of Central Utah on a 140-year-old farm with her husband and two darling little farmboys — as well as 30 ewes; 60 new little lambs; a handful of rams; a lovely milk cow, Evelynn; an old horse, Doc; two dogs; a bunch o’ chickens; and two kitties.

René Groom
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
April 2009 – May 2010

René lives in Washington state’s wine country. She grew up in the dry-land wheat fields of E. Washington, where learning to drive the family truck and tractors, and “snipe hunting,” were rites of passage. She has dirt under her nails and in her veins. In true farmgirl fashion, there is no place on Earth she would rather be than on the farm.