Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.
In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, I led you here for a chance to win a FREE copy of my Milk Cow Kitchen book. To enter, tell me how MaryJanesFarm has helped you realize your farm dreams in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-August.
My book gives you how-to details for keeping a pet milk cow on your suburban half acre, a backyard lot in town … or at least, it’ll help fuel your fantasy of a someday cow grazing outside your kitchen window. Milk cow fantasy aside, my book is chock full of recipes using dairy—75 to be exact—along with 15 step-by-step cheese-making recipes.
Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.
I love the recipe & craft section. We have a small hobby farm with a few cows and chickens. I love relating with other Farm girla and learning new things from this publication!
So far, I’ve planted a “container garden” and I am composting! Also have gone back to grinding wheat for bread baking, and hanging laundry on my clothesline…I’m loving it!
I am about your age and when I read your first book when it was released it brought me back to my childhood and all that I held dear in my memories. I kept saying to myself, “Oh, I remember this” or “Yes, I had that dress or those shoes or that hair style”. Then I got caught up in the tasks of life and kind of forgot all those wonderful, simple times. Your books have rekindled that life style again. Thank you for bringing me back to myself!!
I’ve had my eye on this book for awhile! Would love to win it!
It’s taken the last 10 years to finally settle on my own piece of land, stop moving and renting every few months. With almost an acre, I have an already fenced in garden, a 125 year old shed that someone tacked old Victorian tin ceiling panels to, and an old Prairie Gothic house that has sunk about 5 inches on one side. But it’s heaven. MaryJanesFarm helped me learn a lot about chickens and cheese-making. I’ve woven my own chair seats and am making a quilt for my bed. There aren’t many places an avowed Laura Ingalls wannabe can hang out but MJF is certainly one of the few.
People think a Farm Girl Sister needs to be a farmer. Not true! What it entails is the community, friendship and sisterhood of women coming together and learning how to keep things simple. We craft, sew, quilt, garden, learn “green” ways to conserve and stay healthy. A garden can be anywhere: on a patio, deck, next to the kitchen or out in a field. But the sisterhood is what keeps me going. I love the new friendships I’ve made and especially the common goals and support we get from each other. Farm Girl for Life!
I read Mary Jane Farms cover to cover. Retired now but was born and raised on a farm. Still live on our family farm. Totally enjoy the memories brought back to life for me and to share with my new granddaughter RubyLee who will be fifth generation on this farm. Can’t wait to see what the future brings for her. She likes looking at the pictures from Mary Jane Farms now…she will soon be reading Grammys stories with her. Thanks MJF for stories and articles to be shared over generations….
Kathleen
It’s helped me by letting me know that having a farm life isn’t all about hard work. How it can be fun, simple.
Your magazine is put simply, beautiful. The creative ideas, concepts, and recommended products are reliable. My first issue was inspiring to say the least. The step by step process of finding and purchasing a farm/ranch. The share stories, old photographs, and how tos are AMAZING! Love this positive proactive magazine no matter what. Thank you for all you do.
When we first moves north to run the family farm, my aunt gave me your book. She knew it had always been my dream to run a self sufficient farm. It has been a slow process, but each year we add on to build our dream..
Each issue inspires me to try new things. I’m realizing I can do more than I knew and there is so much that nature can add to our lives. Thank you!
I was raised on a family farm and still live on the farm. Your magazine is an inspiration to me. I enjoy the articles and it gives me new ideas to try.
MaryJanesFarm has opened my eyes to the BEAUTY of farming. I’ve always enjoyed getting dirty, sweaty, and getting work done but I often thought there was nothing beautiful about it… boy was I wrong. There is beauty in every bit of it and all I needed was a little nudge from MaryJanesFarm magazine to open my eyes to everything I was missing! Thank you for that.
Reading your magazine for the years I’ve read it, has helped me obtain my dream of owning a mini-farm. I now live on just over 2 acres. I grow enough veggies for my family & we raise our own chickens for eggs & meat (& of course, manure/compost). I quilt, by hand, crochet, knit & when my arthritis allows, I embroider & cross stitch. I have all your other books & would love to have this one too.
Mary Janes has given me courage that if I can be Farmgirl of the Year, I can do anything.
I have my first heifer now!
Empowered me to see I can be an independent milk maiden. Helped me appreciate how precious dairy cows are. I was raised with beef cattle and was completely mistaken about dairy animals. Now, I plan to have my own Jersey within 2 years. Thank you!
I’m a ‘wanna-be-farmgirl’. I live in the city in an apartment.But….I dream of living on a farm, read about it, and visit them.
We are moving back to the farm and planning pigs chickens and a milk cow. This book would be perfect.
We, my husband and I just purchased an 11 acre homestead. No cow’s yet but would love one!
I’ve read your books and your time spent in the mountains was the most inspirational to me. It was your courage and beautiful values during that time that inspired me. I have finally secured a small 4 acre plot and while I’m still healthy plan to develop it to provide food and fun for my family. Thank you for paving the way MaryJane!
I was stuck in the hospital for almost a year and a half this year and last with my daughter who had Ewing’s Sarcoma. Even though I was in the most antiseptic artificial environment I would stare through the window of those pages and imagine what life might be like someday…your magazine gave me hope 🙂
Mary Jane, you remind me to keep trying. No garden this year, grasshoppers have been full on for the last few years and right now just a few trees and a little black mint are still have leaves.
Pasture, well, am leasing from the man that worked for a while. Bought many of his nice sheep and have just gotten back an ole grumpy milk goat. Her two buddies and am sure the reason for their sale was they sound scream just like teen age girls having a fit. Grumpy goat would like to go out in pasture, but sadly am being careful as this lease was well over grazed before I worked for the man.
Milk cow, it’s on my list. Did look at one and her calf the other day, but looking at her bullet shaped middle, passed her up, regardless what the cattle dealer said was gold. A cow with no real capacity to “eat her fill” just can’t make enough milk for her calf and a would like to make butter and cheese farm gal.
Love all the articles and have been spreading the love to family.
Mary Jane’s farm has helped me to become a better cast iron cook, and now I don’t even use non stick pans anymore–hooray!
Just love to read and this would be great for me, to dream of living on my own farm! Counting my blessings
PaulaAnn
Something about having my own animals, and the content feeling I get around them Yes the days are long and the work is hard & humbling. I work everyday with the goal in mind that one day not to far off my dream of having the opportunity to work and live off the land again will become.
Sounds like an awesome book
Have learned so much already from your magazine and want to learn more on making cheese so this book should get me there!
I was a city girl till I got married. I did help my father in law milk cows by hand. I did have goats and we milked them and used the milk. we had a girl scout group from town come out and we made ice cream with the goats milk.
I grew up in Maine and moved to Illinois. Homesick for years and found your magazine and knew I was not a fish out if water I still make my soap…can…quilt…knit/crochet. I have a llama and alpaca with chickens..mini donkey and Gilly the dwarf goat. We shear and use to spin the fiber. Tried to join the local group of Mary Janes but they said they were full so I wait for your magazine monthly. I bought a 1972 Shasta and 1969 Avion and with your ideas….Im a very happy women!! Thank you all your ideas and books….own a few but not this one. This give the ladies who want to try a reason .
Hi MaryJane: My name is Bonnie. I live in Pennsylvania and own the family farm I grew up on. It is wonderful. Sometimes I get upset with all the work to do here. I work part time and board horses here. When your magazine comes it just inspires me to keep going and even try new things. I would love to have a camp grounds here one day for people to enjoy the farm too. Thanks again for your wonderful magazine. I have every issue except the first premiere issue, i wish I could find it. Do you still do the emails to pick the cover of your magazine?
I read your magazine end to end and have learned so much from it. I try to incorporate that living in my life and on my (small) property. I love that you write for women, that we can do these things and take the initiative. Seeing how you’ve done for yourself and your family is a real inspiration, and one I take into my own way living now. Thank you for inspiring me. I share your magazine with several friends and we all talk about it and can’t wait for the next issue to come out!
i’ve wanted this book for a long time but couldn”t find the place in my budget for it. Maybe now I could win one.I’d be most grateful. Dottie.
MaryJane’s Farm has given me a peek into a life that I believe I was meant for but fate had other ideas. I revel in the old-fashioned ways of doing things: milking, quilting, cooking, and all things household. Even if I never get to be a farmer, I can live a farmer’s life through MaryJane’s Farm.
Mary Janes Farm allows me to create sustainable goals, simplify my life and keep its ingredients more “pure” and earthly. Even though I live in the city, I am able to surround myself with nature by growing some of my food and planting elements that sustain the nature surrounding me (such as bees and butterflies).
I grew up on a farm in East Texas. We had cows and pigs and chickens and an old bird dog that wasn’t very good at his job. Mother canned and washed using a wringer washing machine….after heating water in the washpot my great grandmother used….and we still drew water out of the well with a bucket and rope. I have not had dreams of farm living for a long time now but I have vivid memories and great stories. 🙂
What I enjoy most about your magazine is it’s simply and all natural approach to life. As I get older I want simpler days, less stuff, more experiences. Cooking from scratch and using my home grown foods and herbs. And you can’t beat walking out your door and picking your own flowers.
61 and finally having time to start spending time building my homestead. Small acreage now, planting fruit trees, have chickens, started my garden, made my first attempts at canning, have beef cows and would love a dairy cow….need more knowledge in all of it.
Would love to learn how to dfo this, getting chickens soon ,would love to get a cow and goat too. I would love recipes also.
My Dad was a cattle farmer when I was little. Mary Jains farm magazine brings back so many memories of those days.we loved having the cows to pet and we loved having chickens.My brother and sister in law are now the ones with a little farm.my brother built a really nice big chicken coop and they have a huge garden. Having a milk cow is something on his list to complete his little farm.I would love to share the book with him.I think his wife would love Mary Janes Farm magazine , maybe I should send her a subscription.
We would so love to own a piece of land that we could cultivate. Even though we have semi retired, It’s still on our bucket list. Dreams are what keep us forever young. I So love your magazine and enjoy the stories of other women living the country lifestyle. Thanks for all your hard work to show us a wonderful way to live!!
Mary Janes Farm has returned to me that long lost dream of owning my own dream; a sustainable farm where I can write and illustrate, my son can manage the farm, and my lovely daughter in law can drive into town to work at her fashion design job.
I lost my home almost twenty years ago, and my life since has been a sad repeat of trying to fit into environments I don’t belong in. That very first copy of MaryJanesFarm that was gifted to me opened my spirit back up and drove me to find possibilities.
Do I have the farm? I haven’t taken ownership, no. But that seed of a dream in my heart is growing and will produce the end result.
When I started ready MaryJanesFarm, it was with the hope that one day I would be able to fulfill my dream of owning chickens and alpacas. Four years later – it happened! Your magazine, as well as my husband, encouraged me to follow my dream. Today I care for 5 Buff Orpington chickens that produce wonderful eggs every day! I also care for 3 Huacaya Alpaca whose fiber I am learning to spin into yarn!
Mary Janes Farm helped me realize it’s not how big, small or intricate, it’s about the farmgirl spirit and attitude. My little city lot is now my farmette!
I’ve been reading your wonderful magazine for a few years now, and it’s my favorite magazine. I’ve been working on a rent house that’s out towards the country, and as I’m fixing it up, all I’m thinking about is getting it fixed so I can move out there some day. it’s on a big piece of property with enough room for a large garden and chickens and maybe a tiny cow. it’s my dream for the future.
MaryJanesFarm has given my daughter and I inspiration and motivation to homestead beautifully, and most importantly, a community of lovely ladies who aspire to be Farm girls, too – something we definitely lack “in real life”. Thanks, MaryJane!
MaryJanesFarm brings back so many wonderful memories of growing up on the farm. We are getting back to the farm and it helps with those ideas and ways that I was too young at the previous time to pay attention to or to watch how things were done or handled.
I love everything about your magazine and anxiously await my new copy each month. I have a small hobby farm, 2 horses, 7 goats and 12 chickens. My hen house is modeled after one in one of your magazines. Thanks for all the ideas!!
This magazine awakens the farm girl who was sleeping inside me and I like her. She knows what is important and the simple way to do things- no fuss.