Damn Jenna! I just love your writing! I have for years. Ever since I read Barnheart I knew this was something special! I grew up in Greenwich, lived in Troy when I read Barnheart and I thought it would change my life. I had dreams of homesteading. Living off the land, with goats and chickens and whatever the Good Lord would provide. Playing
My fiddle in what leisure time I had and loving every difficult minute of it!! You inspired all that back when you were in Vermont and you still do. These days find me in southern Maine, seven surgeries later with mobility issues that killed the dream for me. There are new dreams, new gifts every day, and life is truly joyous. But the old dream is still there. It’s more of a “what if” thing now, but I tend to live part of it vicariously through your writings.
The world would be a better place with more like you. New, young farmers, ready to make their way and inspire another generation. Reconnecting with what matters and teaching others.
Keep going Jenna! You’re making a difference in ways you probably aren’t even aware of!!!
it's absolutely not too late to ask no shovel-girl out!
it's only too late when we're dead.
i bet she has a story she told herself about why you rejected her and she probably never thought it was about the snow shovel, and your fear. i bet if you texted a short apology and a link to this, it would probably not cause any harm to anyone, might lead to some healing on both of your parts, and could lead to an exciting connection.
This was beautifully written. My mom worked hard her whole life to avoid me a life having to put my back against the sun. She wanted my nails to be freshly pedicured and not covered in French dirt. I never grew up knowing anything about farming or even being outdoor. And yet I walked into it all accidentally and every cell in my body yelled “this is it”
Love the way you weaved this story and its ultimate message. As someone who has always wanted to garden but has killed every house plant she's attempted to "own," you inspire me!
"We forget most of us only made it this far because no one did that to us."
At some point in my 53 years of life, I realized that you can class most people into two categories, those who say, "I struggled, so you should, too," and those who say, "I struggled, and I'd love to do what I can to help you when you struggle."
The world needs more people in the second category. Thanks for this piece. I find your style of writing enjoyable.
I think the big barrier at this point is the price of land. Of course folks can rent land, but I do think people are going to have to get creative if they want to own (an acre goes for $200k where I live. Bonkers). We’re chatting with some friends about purchasing land together (they have zero farming aspirations; for them it’s the idea of a little more space, but that’s fine by me if it means I can grow on part of the land and we all have dinner together a couple nights a week).
My grandfathers were farmers. My dad wanted me to be a doctor. I wanted to be a farmer. I'm a microbiologist, homesteading my back yard & there's always some kind of poultry feces on me somewhere.
I love reading your thoughts here about helping new young farmers. And as a non-farmer, I have been having similar thoughts and feelings about this change coming. It’s time for another back to the land movement, for those who can, and a resurgence of small food co-ops for those of us living in cities and suburbs. We have lots of farmers markets and a few food co-ops left in the Twin Cities where I live, but we could use more. And smaller, more local and on a micro level again, like in the 1970s. I think life is about to get much more hyper-local, and some of these things (like patio or backyard gardens even for those of us in condos and townhomes) will rise organically out of need as much as desire. I don’t like what’s going on in our country right now, but a back to the land movement and gardens/co-ops/local life would be a good thing in response.
Damn Jenna! I just love your writing! I have for years. Ever since I read Barnheart I knew this was something special! I grew up in Greenwich, lived in Troy when I read Barnheart and I thought it would change my life. I had dreams of homesteading. Living off the land, with goats and chickens and whatever the Good Lord would provide. Playing
My fiddle in what leisure time I had and loving every difficult minute of it!! You inspired all that back when you were in Vermont and you still do. These days find me in southern Maine, seven surgeries later with mobility issues that killed the dream for me. There are new dreams, new gifts every day, and life is truly joyous. But the old dream is still there. It’s more of a “what if” thing now, but I tend to live part of it vicariously through your writings.
The world would be a better place with more like you. New, young farmers, ready to make their way and inspire another generation. Reconnecting with what matters and teaching others.
Keep going Jenna! You’re making a difference in ways you probably aren’t even aware of!!!
All the best!!
Scott
THANKS SCOTT!! that was really kind, and I was in Greenwich yesterday! Go witches!
it's absolutely not too late to ask no shovel-girl out!
it's only too late when we're dead.
i bet she has a story she told herself about why you rejected her and she probably never thought it was about the snow shovel, and your fear. i bet if you texted a short apology and a link to this, it would probably not cause any harm to anyone, might lead to some healing on both of your parts, and could lead to an exciting connection.
You a fire sign!? That is some move-the-plot-forward talk!
I don't think I saved the convo/texts?
Lol! Yes I'm an Aries, guilty as charged.
Bummer. Well, you've put it out in the universe! Who knows what will happen next?!
I originally was going to ask if you were an Aries!!!!
I really hope you're right - I can't think of anything we need more right now than to reconnect with the land and with each other 🧡
Amen
This was beautifully written. My mom worked hard her whole life to avoid me a life having to put my back against the sun. She wanted my nails to be freshly pedicured and not covered in French dirt. I never grew up knowing anything about farming or even being outdoor. And yet I walked into it all accidentally and every cell in my body yelled “this is it”
Yup. Same!
may you continue to prosper both personally and professionally. as you do so will we by basking in your gifts of knowledge and generosity ✨💕
Love the way you weaved this story and its ultimate message. As someone who has always wanted to garden but has killed every house plant she's attempted to "own," you inspire me!
"We forget most of us only made it this far because no one did that to us."
At some point in my 53 years of life, I realized that you can class most people into two categories, those who say, "I struggled, so you should, too," and those who say, "I struggled, and I'd love to do what I can to help you when you struggle."
The world needs more people in the second category. Thanks for this piece. I find your style of writing enjoyable.
I agree 100% - you have nothing to gain hoping for someone's misery because your are miserable. It's like wearing ankle weights in quicksand.
I think the big barrier at this point is the price of land. Of course folks can rent land, but I do think people are going to have to get creative if they want to own (an acre goes for $200k where I live. Bonkers). We’re chatting with some friends about purchasing land together (they have zero farming aspirations; for them it’s the idea of a little more space, but that’s fine by me if it means I can grow on part of the land and we all have dinner together a couple nights a week).
May I ask where you live? A whole farm here in Washington County costs less than an acre where you live?!
I do think people will leave places where land is expensive, and move to states and regions where it isn’t.
Pacific Northwest. Property is increasingly unaffordable here.
Sounds like it. Yikes.
My grandfathers were farmers. My dad wanted me to be a doctor. I wanted to be a farmer. I'm a microbiologist, homesteading my back yard & there's always some kind of poultry feces on me somewhere.
I love reading your thoughts here about helping new young farmers. And as a non-farmer, I have been having similar thoughts and feelings about this change coming. It’s time for another back to the land movement, for those who can, and a resurgence of small food co-ops for those of us living in cities and suburbs. We have lots of farmers markets and a few food co-ops left in the Twin Cities where I live, but we could use more. And smaller, more local and on a micro level again, like in the 1970s. I think life is about to get much more hyper-local, and some of these things (like patio or backyard gardens even for those of us in condos and townhomes) will rise organically out of need as much as desire. I don’t like what’s going on in our country right now, but a back to the land movement and gardens/co-ops/local life would be a good thing in response.
Yes! Yes! Yes! So much this!!! We need programs and resources that help connect people who want to farm with the land to do it on, too!