Jennas perspective
http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.ca/2013/10/lovin-indie-days.html?m=1
Comments from participant
http://jacquidenomme.wordpress.com/
"Jenna had two immediate concerns on our arrival: 2 of her sheep were limping because they kept trying to jump the fence and getting their legs caught. She keeps a careful eye if this happens to make sure the injuries are not serious and heal properly. Jenna is also becoming a falconer and today was the day that State authorities were arriving to scrutinize the facility she had built for her hopeful hawk. If they approved (which they did) they would sign the paperwork she would submit in advance of receiving a license to trap a hawk of her own which she would then train and use for hunting. Jenna just received a book advance to write about falconry and was really hoping her license arrived before winter after which it would be too late to get a hawk of her own before spring. This was all new to me and although I don’t have a personal interest in this subject, I thought it neat that she never seems to run out of new adventures to embark on that are at the same time interesting and practical."
It is beyond my ability to reason why a 'shepherd' continues to allow her sheep to injure themselves on half ass fencing.
Wonder if the pigs ever got their forest field or if they're still in the preliminary pen.
Miss Jenna needs some serious learning when it comes to proper animal husbandry.
It's unfathomable people pay to be taught skills the instructor herself still needs to learn.
Fencing I'd farming 101.
Sure, farming is a career and lifestyle of constant lessons...but you'd think one would eventually use those lessons to learn a thing or two...or 22.
Perhaps she should concentrate on building her skills level before she takes on new projects. All I see is her behind a camera while other people are building her farm. Knowing how to use a hammer, saw, drill, post driver, etc are much more useful than training a hawk.
ReplyDeleteI am just glad that people are able to see it for themselves and spread the word.
ReplyDeleteShe has already been paid to write about about something she has not done? Good LORD.
ReplyDeleteSo...she updated on the sick ram lamb this morning, and had this to say of it, "I can not call the vet, as its simply too expensive right now to even consider for the cost of the lamb." That's right...a vet for your lamb is too expensive, but you can DEFINITELY afford to spend time and effort building a goddamn aviary for a hawk so you can live out some sort of Celtic fantasy while your sheep (the "passion" that started your whole farming venture to begin with) linger in illness. I am so blown away right now.
ReplyDeleteMe too. Also, soaking in a hot tub while your livestock is sick.
DeleteThe amount of land she has and the amount of animals is just bad news all around.
Ok, I'm sorry, is that a picture of the year old ram???? He's so little. And in a dog crate! Now, after 30 years raising sheep I'm familiar with a lot of breeds but none THAT small at a year. Did she stunt the poor thing?
ReplyDelete"Observed constantly". Really? Did she observe that the little guy has no water or hay?
Doesn't she realize that poorly cared for sheep also produce poor quality wool. Yep, bad nutrition and illness shows up in weak and brittle wool that breaks when you try to spin it. So...when she ever gets around to filling the long paid for Wool CSA all those poor folks are going to get for their money is pillow stuffing, because the wool won't be strong enough to spin. Farming has a trickle down effect that eventually bites you in the ass.
Why isn't she making these repairs herself? Doesn't she know how?
If she thinks a few cords of wood, a 10 pound chicken and 25 bales of hay will get her through a New England winter then she is also dillusional as well as self centered, incapable and dim. What is she going to do when there are no friends to help because they are taking care of their own place.
If they really were friends they would talk to her straight and honestly and stop stroking her ego saying how determined and resilient she is. Those words are just flameing the fire that keeps her making bad decisions.
I for one will pray Mother Nature DOES NOT bring a hawk anywhere near her, Why can't er hawk mentor see she's not a good candidate for this?
Anonymous November 6, 2013 at 10:16 AM
ReplyDeleteI have to slightly disagree re the land and animals, but I honestly understand where you're coming from.
I have a small place (less than 1/2 acre) and DD raised 6 market lambs each year along with meat rabbits & chickens, layers and a goose.
They all had plenty of space even though it was not pasture. But, more importantly they all had plenty of good feed, clean water and shelter that didn't fall apart.
What CAF lacks is all the above. Ms. Jenna can't afford feed, materials, supplies or anything else to properly care for that many animals. No matter how much land she has it wouldn't make a difference because she can't afford to fence larger areas for grazing much less any other improvements.
I should have been more clear when I said the amount of land and animals she has, because I agree with proper management you can have a successful small farm. But with CAF she isn't managing very well and she keeps adding more animals, like the hawk idea.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you...too many animals and poor management. She certainly doesn't have a talent for learning from her mistakes.
ReplyDeleteI know many people gave her great advise when she first bought the farm. Many women who were "going it alone" talked a lot about the importance of proper facilities to make life as a single female farmer manageable and safe for themselves and their animals.
But, we all know she doesn't want sound advise.
I've owned sheep for 20 years and I've never lost as many sheep in all that time that she has lost in just a few short years. I think that ram lamb was one of the only lambs born on that place this spring, so he is probably 6-8 mos old. Still VERY small for a that age, it looks like.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, I've got an acre and have meat rabbits, dairy goats, 5 sheep, and chickens. I've also raised turkeys and pigs, and all my animals had way more space and pasture than her animals ever have. It just takes planning and hard work.
She needs to keep writing books though...how else will she lure in new, unsuspecting victims/suckers to pay her way?
And it cracks me up she wants advice on what to do with the lamb. I've got lots of advice, but I won't give it. Time and time again she has poo poo'd those of us with words of wisdom to give, simply because she thought she knew everything. Now when she wants it? Tough. Google it.
Yep. Pretty soon Google is going to be her only friend. I cannot BELIEVE she is writing books about this epic failure of a "farm."
DeleteThe saddest and scariest thing about all of this, is that the person Jenna had over for an indie day thought nothing of Jenna's animals getting hurt jumping fences that need fixed, or any of the other issues she witnessed and Jenna made excuses for on her one short day on that "farm". Jenna is creating a new herd of careless farmers by encouraging people to jump in head first without preparation or consideration for the welfare of the animals she is raising. These indie days are not a good thing for the unsuspecting people she lures to her "farm".
ReplyDeleteI know Jenna personally, from before and since she's been a "farmer," and she's all about excuses. Always has been. With every job she's had and lost, every animal that has died, every extravagant purchase. Always an excuse following shortly behind. Someday it will all catch up to her. I just hope the trail of dead animals doesn't get much bigger.
"I just hope the trail of dead animals doesn't get much bigger." Amen.
DeleteIf I was thinking of moving to the country and starting a farm and saw her operation I would run for the hills. Can people really be this ignorant to think that this is the way you do it. I was struck also by the Indie visitors glowing comments of Jenna's place. Is she blind!
ReplyDeleteFrom the pictures her place is a dump.
I just read CAF posts for today. Please someone save this farm and all its animals from this lunatic woman.
ReplyDeleteShe's so self absorbed...all she can do is focus on her weight/body image issues while her "farm" is in shambles around her!
DeleteAnd she refuses to see the real problem. She kept doing TOO MUCH. People kept telling her, one step at a time, one thing at a time, but she refused to listen. Then she wants to have a pity party and make everyone feel sorry or her? Please. It's great she has big dreams, but when the animals suffer and she can't afford to pay her bills, reality needs to take back over. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like she has any reality in her life. Her adoring and ignorant fans (who truly have never raised livestock) keep telling her what a great job she's doing...as if the "want" for something is enough to keep it going.
ReplyDeleteShe ignores any advice from people who know anything about livestock, and then tries to manipulate people into feeling sorry for her when she fails at something, because just just jumps in without doing proper research.
It's fine if a person wants to live their life like a train wreck. What's not fine is to drag innocent and helpless animals in with you. Did you notice how she only got the firewood split and stack because several friends "helped" did it for her...as well as the rooster killing "community" event. She shows a feeble attempt to start a garden but where are the photos of her harvest or even later in the season to show that she actually followed through with the garden. I agree that she is a horrible example to those who dream of a little farm. Let's just hope that none of them actually follows her lead. The problem with Jenna is that she plays at farming. She's never progressed past being 5 years old. She plays at life. Sadly, it will never change or get better. She will burn through friends and neighbors and forever tilt at windmills. Heaven help anyone and any animal that comes near her. She leaves in her wake, a trail of dead bodies all while lamenting that she is misunderstood. Think of it, her personality disorder even shows in her writing. She waxes poetic to the extreme but can't seem to master grammar or spelling! It's tragic really..
ReplyDelete"2 of her sheep were limping because they kept trying to jump the fence and getting their legs caught" And WHY are these sheep continuously trying to get out? Nothing to eat? Filth? I'd want out, too. I know that goats are "climbers" and very curious, but SHEEP?!Oh, and I suppose a vet for these poor sheep is "too expensive" also. Gawd. Sell/give those poor animals to someone who has the resources to care for them.
ReplyDeleteSheep are, by far, the EASIEST of farm animals to fence, and she can't do it right.
ReplyDeleteYeah, they're probably starving...
DeleteNew update on the lamb. "Nobody can figure out what's wrong" (including a vet, so she says). What the????? First she can't afford a vet, then she posts what the vet said... and still, the lamb is probably on its deathbed.
ReplyDelete