Pet Project

When it comes to unconditional adoration, nobody does it better than our pets. That’s why most of us just can’t leave the lil’ critters out of holiday gift giving. But there are better ways to thank your pet than with a mass-produced toy made who-knows-where or a store-bought treat full of who-knows-what. Nothing says love like homemade—and even the furriest and most feathered among us will notice the difference.

Continue reading

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I have been making homemade and wholesome cheese dog bones for many years. My yellow lab would run over to his stocking and put his nose on it and turn with those big eye, “now?? Can I have it now?” Now I make them for dogs of my friends. I get very positive results too– dogs ask for them by a resounding tail wag!!

    • Mary says:

      Could you please send me your recipe for homemade cheese dog bones? They sound wonderful, I do rescue and funds are tight for treats, but our rescue dogs would love them. Thank you so much!

    • Jennifer allen says:

      Would you share your cheesy dog treat recipe? The animal shelter pups would love them. TY

  2. Pingback: Homespun Christmas, Part II | Raising Jane Journal

  3. L. Gonzalez says:

    The exact measurements of Mary janes farm recipe for the peanut butter dog biscuits, Please Thank you

  4. Love this! I especially like the sweet potato chews as I have strong chewers. ❤️ Farmgirl hugs, Nicole

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Luna the Leaping Cow

This girl from Germany wanted a horse, so when her parents said no, she set about to ride the next best thing—Luna, her cow. (Check out the last name of the neighbor they interview.)

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I have seen this before and thought it amazing that a cow would be so cooperative. Why not a cow? I would have done the same thing if I was her!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Have you heard?

There’s still time to solve your gift-giving dilemma. For the person who has everything, how about giving them peace of mind? Here’s how …

Continue reading

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Big ol’ Apple

Now, that’s a BIG apple.

Ace found this behemoth at our local co-op the other day.

A 4″ Honeycrisp. The apple of that farmer’s eye, no deny.

  1. Terry Steinmetz says:

    That looks so-o-o good! All of our apples were either frozen off with the late frost in June or eaten by some bugs that sucked all the juice out of them. I’m going to miss any apple this winter!

  2. jean says:

    Love me a good honeycrisp. Luckily I live in Washington State so they are plentiful.

  3. Winnie Nielsen says:

    Honey crisp apples are some of the best. We can find them here in the south for about $2.99 a pound but worth every delicious bite!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

it’s the little things

We’re always looking for ways to make our operation more eco-friendly around the farm. Did you know that 100% of our electricity comes from alternative, renewal sources? Today, Lucas came up with the great idea to re-use our pay envelopes. All we have to do is tuck our paycheck into our purse or pants, grab the envelope and take a little stroll to Brian’s office to return it.

It’s little ideas like these that contribute to our world communities’ BIG goal of reusing and recycling. What kind of unique efforts do you make to reuse and recycle?

  1. Terry Steinmetz says:

    After I’ve read a magazine, I pass it on. I recycle all papers that have been used on one side, by using the other side for notes, reminders,whatever. We recycle anything we can to something useful. You should see how many things we do that with! We love to recycle !!!

    • Megan says:

      Doesn’t it feel so much better to take the trash out when there is only one half-full bag, because we’ve repurposed so much of it?! Happy recycling!

  2. Elizabeth says:

    Another good idea from your farming family! Way to go Lucas; sounds like something everyone can do readily. I am big on recycling…pretty much any & everything.

    One thing we do here at home daily is collect shower water as it first flows from the faucet; too cold at first to bathe in. I keep two clean & empty fruit juice jugs by the shower & take them in with me. As soon as I turn on the water I have a jug catching the cold water (the other light weight jug is also in the same hand) & the other jug is moved under the facet as soon as the first one is full. By the time the second jug is full the water is at the perfect temperature. I then use all the captured water to water all of my seedlings & houseplants.

    Another thing we like to do is use both sides of the paper when using the printer (not always possible if needed for an official document but nearly everything else is double sided). And I leave us a little note inside the printer at home here that reads, face down for printing on both sides. The printer’s at our respective offices’ are usually in reverse & the note makes it a lot easier to follow when we are in a hurry.

    Could write more but hubby is up now & it’s time for breakfast:-) Enjoy your Sunday.

  3. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I love all of these useful ideas for recycling paper and other resources. There are so many ways to recycle and you can never know enough to do more!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Reindeer Cam

You know Dasher and Dancer
And Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen.
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph, of course!

click here to see the live web feed of Santa’s reindeer! This is his live camera, at the North Pole of course, operational all day. Santa comes out to feed at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST. See the nice list in the background? Want to get on it? Well come on over here

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Holiday Decor for the Little Janes

We’ve been getting crafty. The girls had a few friends over and we worked on some holiday decor. Using several wood-framed 8 x 10 pieces of canvas, we got started…

We painted. Kids can paint for hours …

Continue reading

  1. Terry Steinmetz says:

    How precious! I bet those pictures will go up EVERY Christmas with lots of GREAT memories!

    • Megan says:

      They’re hanging on the wall and every time my littlest, Mia, walks by she acts like she is seeing it for the first time. 🙂

  2. Elizabeth says:

    Such a neat idea Megan. The girls look blissfully content. And the sunlight streaming through the window adds that special touch….everything looks so calm & peaceful (that really is the best time to create).

    You have actually given me a couple ideas. My sister has a beautiful painting on canvas that she bought a long time ago after she moved into her (then) new house. And for many years now, I have considered having one of my favorite pictures transferred to canvas but have yet to do so? I love to paint but haven’t in quite awhile…? Think I may look for a sunny nook today & see what inspires me.

    Another fun thing I find young & even older kids enjoy is starting seeds inside. This is my busy season for indoor seed starting & every room with a window or sliding glass door has peat pellets ~with seeds inside~ pressed up against them. When little ones are visiting I usually have them choose the type of seeds they would like to start. I have over a 100 packets of seeds for them to choose from. Most packets show a picture of what the full grown plant should look like in a few months from planting time. If the child is old enough to read, I ask them to read the planting directions out loud. Then they can plant the seed at the level recommended & have a general idea of when it should bloom or produce fruit. I also keep a little journal which each child signs their full name, date of when they started which seeds. But will also ask the older kids to help the younger with reading & writing if necessary. Also keep sticky sheets available for easy marking & plant ID.

    It’s actually a fun project. And it almost never fails that whenever or wherever I see a child that has planted a seed here, they will ask, how their seedling is coming along & ask me when can they come & visit again:-) When the plant has reached maturity (all the better if it’s an annual or a quick or first year blooming biennial/perennial) I will inform the child & parent so they can visit while it’s in bloom & I can take a picture of them with their blooming/fruiting plant.

    • Megan says:

      We LOVE growing things! The look on a little one’s face when that tiny little plant breaks through the dirt is priceless! I love it when one of my girls asks who grew this or that vegetable. Makes me proud that they know where their food comes from and the process it takes to grow it. So wonderful to share with them. 🙂

  3. Winnie Nielsen says:

    These trees turned out really cute. What a perfect project for the girls with stunning results. I am thinking this would be fun for “big girls” too!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

mail call

Mail for International Glamping Weekend keeps on rollin’ on in. Have you sent in for your bumper sticker yet?

They’re free!

Send a self-addressed, stamped, standard-sized envelope to:
GLAMPING
PO Box 8691
Moscow, Idaho 83843
(limit one per address)

I’d rather be GLAMPING.

Have you also listed your glamping event with us on the “gatherings” portion of the site? Send an email to …

Continue reading

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I have my bumper sticker . Now I need a glamper!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

National Bathtub Party Day?

Did you know that December 5 is National Bathtub Party Day? This sounds like a farmgirl holiday thru and thru … why, of course, I’ll proudly celebrate this one! Just FYI, I should clarify, my party will not include any guests. A nice cold beverage, a good book, and I’m set to celebrate. Happy soaking!!

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    It is amazing how a good long soak can be transformative in our outlook and mood. It is so much easier to opt for that quick shower when a nice hot bath would do so much more for us. Is it not just so easy to not take the time when we need it most? Why are we so stubborn?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

when I am an old cowgirl

I shall wear diamonds
And a wide-brimmed straw hat
With silver and leather on it …

and I shall spend my social security
On white wine and carrots
And sit in the alley of my barn
And listen to my horses breathe.

I will sneak out in the middle of a summers’ night
And ride the chestnut mare
Across the moonstruck meadow.
If my old bones will allow.
When people come to call I will smile and nod
As I walk them past the gardens to the barn
And show, instead, the beauty growing there
In stalls fresh-lined with straw.

I will shovel and sweat and
Wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel.
And I will be an embarrassment to all
Who look down on me.
They’ve not yet found the peace in being free
To love a horse as a friend,
A friend who waits at midnight hour
With nuzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For the kind of woman I will be,
When I am old.

Old Cowgirl by Patty Barnhart
Originally published in The Arabian Horse World magazine in 1992.

  1. Terry Steinmetz says:

    How wonderful!

  2. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I love horses and was privileged to ride a lot in my teens. Horses are amazing animals and provide wonderful memories !!

  3. Kathy says:

    This is beautiful.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *