She's real tired.. I mean, she had to traipse to the "laundrymat" as all homesteaders have this curse of washing their laundry for money.. And she had to cover THREE WHOLE bales of hay.. I mean, think of how much leaning she had to do! It is SO much work keeping up with everything. Work of a fraud-steader is never done. Next, she will have to UN-COVER that giant pile of hay in the truck, but never fear, she will grab a hot styrofoam cup of Jo when she goes and gets more wood from Stewarts.
"Laundry mat" ????!!!! You're kidding right? Isn't she the one that preaches preparedness and self sufficiency? How is that self-sufficient? She buys fancy carts and lifestraws and itty bitty stoves and she doesn't have a freaking washing machine? I truly feel sorry for the sheeple who follow her and hang on her every word. They are doomed when the SHTF! Denise
I would hit the like button, Denise, if we had one. I can't imagine why she would be buying 5 or 10 bales of hay at a time. She has been paid thousands of dollars in the last 3 months. She couldn't buy 100 bales of hay? And yeah, she could buy just a washing machine and then hang her clothes out to dry.
LOL, thanks redhorse! It just boggles my mind! I don't understand how people don't see through the whole charade. Are they really that clueless? Denise
" I covered the hay and wished I bought tarps for the exposed parts of the wood pile. I stopped myself from letting out a four-letter word. This would only be an inch of snow at the most and would melt in plenty of time for me to remedy the situation. Plus, why stain such a beautiful night with angry sounds? "
I think she means, why stain such a beautiful night with work?
Since this is the newest postings here, even though this is off topic from the hay/CA thing, I thought I'd post this link.
Apparently, JW has a long, looooong, LONG history of standing people up for things ordered from her. This is from her animorph (or whatever the eff they are) days in 2006.
http://www.oakpawart.com/newthings.html
Maybe this should get posted over at the "I didn't get my wool order" site.
Anybody know if Birchthorn is happening? I gave her 2 grand on Kickstarter amd really want to read about my character being slaughtered in the woods by this thing....NOT
Posted regarding the outdoor pigs: "They have a bowl of a nest they curl into at night and it was getting muddy, so I sopped it up and added hay for a good blanket. "
Does she not have any sort of shelter with a roof on it for these poor creatures? Does she expect them to live through the winter completely exposed to the elements???
No roof for the poor PIGS (I refuse to use her childish terminology). She's been paid over $22,000 in the past 3 months, she could have had a small roof or shelter built for the poor pigs. Probably wouldn't cost more than $50-100.
JW - if you are reading this- and I know you are-you are not fooling ANYONE who is a real farmer, homesteader/shepherd/pig raiser...or self employed person. The pig post - a mere attempt to make yourself feel better and show the blind Jennaites that you know what you are doing, which you don't. Seems like you read the cristicisms here and you are always having to prove yourself in blog posts, in words, instead of real life visual examples. Firstly, you knew rain was coming months ago, but when you should have been prepping for your pigs, you didn't. The fact you had to 'sop up' an area, and then think that just laying down sawdust and hay will help an area that will once again get wet-do you even do drainage control? [Watch, she'll miracuously do a VLOG on good drainage, which she is googling right now] You are correct, a wet pig in even cool temps is a soon to be sickly one. What I find pathetic-you are sure to make VLOGS of your own face all the time-why not get a helper and show the world your comfortable pig pens? Knowing you, you'd go to someone's farm and fake the whole thing. Let's see you give some pig shots, on your own, and explain what shots you are giving. Yep, she'll VLOG on that next too. A former supporter, Minnesota
I suggest that she Google "pig shelter for winter" and look at images. Most consist of a hemispherical structure made of wood and covered with galvinized steel, closed on the back and with an opening in the front. It couldn't be expensive to make. Failure to build them a place to retreat during snow, ice and rain is CRUEL.
I feel sorry for the people who spend hard earned money for her pigs that live in stressed out conditions because that can affect the meat. And, not in a good way.
Jenna, get your pigs shelter. Give me a break. Are you that lazy that you can't get up, and find something for them? OR are you planning a workshop to build it for you? And, honestly, it has become apparent that you are so desperate for companionship that you are having workshops for *everything* and *anything* that might construe a learning (joke) event. It is clear from the information gleaned here that you have been a scammer as long as you have been able to type.
Well, face it, she has been busy with all her workshops, falconry, her Tae Kwon Do tournaments (which I thought she gave up because it was too expensive), and playing Worlds of Warcraft. It's plain to see how she spends her time when she has the money to do what she wants. The poor pigs are only there to fill her wallet and her freezer, and all her fine words and articles are empty and meaningless. Poor pigs.
I think her pigs are there to make it look like her books aren't a total sham, which I think we are finding, are a sham. She uses animals as props, like J.Katz.
There are lots of resources on the internet about building shelters for outdoor feeder pigs. A well ventilated, three sided shelter with hay or straw for bedding seems to be the minimum. Meredith would know, I'm sure - I'd like to see her opinion on this. If Jenna reads this, she might decide to follow the suggestions and the pigs would have a better winter.
I thought this review on Goodreads from 2013 about Barnheart said it all {i know JW bashes Goodreads reviews, and there are some nasty, unkind or inaccurate ones on anyone's book, but this is accurate, she just can't stand the truth} "I am completely obsessed with farming memoirs. This may be because I am a goat farmer and love reading about like minded people. I have to say though that I really did not like this book. I found Jenna extremely immature and pretty judgmental for someone who was constantly complaining about being judged. She was not in the position to have the farm she was trying to establish, and just because you slightly exceed animal control's care requirements does not mean you are taking good care of your animals. If anyone questioned her methods of housing and caring for her animals she accessed them of not being educated in the ways of farming. As a goat farmer I can say that the way she cared for her goat was not acceptable. No goat should be kept on a chain. When the short chain was questioned by a neighbor she defended herself by saying if it were any longer the goat could jump the fence and choke itself... If that is the case you do not have the space necessary to have a goat. She took on a lot and was constantly moving on to new projects. It didn't seem like she gave any one thing enough attention. There are far better farming memoirs out there."
How is this any better than CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) pork? Swine kept in a state of discomfort by exposure to the elements, improper housing and living in their own filth...don't most people try and buy local meat in order to avoid purchasing meat produced under these conditions?
The above provides a link to a shelter built by someone in Michigan out of essentially found and discarded materials. They claim it works. It's not too impressive, but it's better than nothing.
Jenna knows all about providing shelter for animals. She is simply too cheap, lazy and negligent to give a shit about them. It is not a matter of money people, it's a matter of laziness, and not caring. Please know this.
What is really frustrating is that people who are thinking of getting animals are asking HER for advice on requirements and housing! I can't believe people don't just google something and do some easy reading and they could read how REAL farmers keep their animals. Asking a FAUXsteader how to properly house animals makes me sad that more animals may be kept in unacceptable conditions. Denise
It's no wonder her horses don't use the "shelter". Isn't it just a roof? Not providing much protection, there. They need at least 3 sides on their shelter for it to be of use.
So in case you're like me and threw up in your mouth a little when you read JW's blog post about making fires this morning, here's a good blog post that also showed up in my feed this morning, from a truly authentic writer--it deals with similar subjects (firestarting, hunting, living close to the land) but without JW's endless typos, flippancy, and insecurity. http://theindigovat.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-embered-eye-of-buck.html
Thanks for sharing. I also think people here should continue to share other writers/freelancers/bloggers/farmers/artists that they respect and are the real deal...and who know how to edit themselves and use spell check!
I never know what she is really trying to say, they're written so badly. Is she trying to justify her life or convince herself about her life? She really comes across as talking more to herself than her readers. So strange.
Well when I read it, I almost feel sorry for her, for a few minutes. To me it sounds like someone who has very, very low self-esteem and is trying to convince herself otherwise.
But then it also smacks of narcissism: 1. excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance, 2. extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one's own talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type, 3. self-centeredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of mental disorder.
Yup, there we have it, son. Uggh!
The only book of hers I read was the very first one. HATED the writing style, her purple prose makes me gag.
We need to play a drinking game. Take a drink every time jw mentions being behind on her mortgage.
Also, while i've done a lot of sub-zero camping and have tried the whole, "sleep naked! It's warmer!" thing...is anyone else a little squicked out that she sleeps naked while clutching her dog to her body?? Maybe I'm not 'feral' enough to get it...but the idea umm...rubs me the wrong way.
"We need to play a drinking game. Take a drink every time jw mentions being behind on her mortgage."
Sorry Anon, no can do. The ensuing alcohol poisoning might make me fall down while sopping up muck in my pig pen with perfectly edible hay. Then my steamy naked Rubenesque body would get frozen to the ground making me prey to the mighty Birchthorn.
Personally I think it might take me days to get the image of her crouching naked in front of her woodstove, puffing away at the coals, out of my mind. TMI, lady.
Yeah, that's something that is gonna burn in my brain for way too long. I think she mentioned her nakedness like 12 times. Geez... I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.
From today's post: "I knew I was behind in the mortgage, over my head in many ways." Well, her readers didn't have to wait long for this kind of comment to start appearing again. Boggles the mind considering that, according to Kickstarter, $15,675 dollars were donated to Jenna as of August 22, 2014, money she would have gotten sometime in September. That was only two months ago.
I simply cannot believe that she got that kind of money and her animals STILL have no shelter, no above-ground mangers, no new fencing (including one for the poor pigs stuck in the barn). AND she claims her mortgage is behind AGAIN?! Someone call the guys in the little white coats.
When we get up and make a fire, and it's really chilly, cold....we put sweaters and-well, you know, clothes on-to stay warm. I suggest JW try this for starters. Secondly, I agree-why are you still talking about being behind on the mortgage? If there is anyone still willing to give this narcissistict spoiled scam opportunist money...well...shakes head.
Let me tell you a little bit about my morning. And Jenna, listen carefully (And yes Jenna I know you read this blog--Meredith, you should put a hit counter on this blog that registers hits by geographic location. It would be interesting to see just how many times a day a reader from Jackson, NY visits this blog. Sitemeter.com has a great free one that's very easy to set up).
This morning I woke up in a house that was 60 degrees. Not a heroic 48 degrees by any stretch of the imagination, but last night I decided to forgo the 5 minutes of sleep it took to pack my stove before I went to bed. Call me crazy, but I can deal without that few minutes of lost sleep when it means waking up to a bed of hot coals in the morning. Which, by the way, I wake up to every morning. Because I know how to manage my stove. And yes Jenna, my stove is the same size as your Bun Baker. I digress. I woke up to a 60 degree household, but after a few minutes of stirring hot coals and throwing on a dry log, I had the house up to 72 degrees in no time. I'm guessing your house is just hitting 60 degrees around 12pm. Such a talented homesteader you are!
Jenna really upsets me for a lot of reasons. Her horrible livestock management, her cheesy style of writing, her unoriginality. Her accepting (and EXPECTING) donations. It drives me nuts. But Jenna has done one thing for me, which is make me appreciate myself and all the hard work I put in day in and day out to live my life on my own terms. You see, I'm self employed. I went to art school, worked in an office for a few years, then decided it wasn't for me. It wasn't working in general that wasn't for me, just working in an office. Which is why I used to admire Jenna, I thought we were kindred spirits in that respect. I did leave my office job 18 months ago. I'm a self employed artist now, and I work my ass off every day, and yes paying bills is sometimes a struggle. But one thing I'm very proud of, is that I've never been behind on my mortgage. Or should I say, mortgages. I own two homes. And we have the rent on my husband's business (he is also a self employed artist). So that's three mortgages. And I've never needed a hand out once. Just consistent, hard work.
While I feel Jenna's attitudes and actions are disrespectful, in a childish way she does make me feel a lot better about myself. When you're self employed it's easy to feel like you're not doing enough of this, or that. It can get hard to leave your work at work. I don't feel the need to broadcast to the world that my husband and I heat our home completely with wood (no space heaters!) because we can't afford the price of oil or electric heat. It's a choice we made to be able to live our lives the way we choose. Instead we put in the extra work of splitting wood, keeping on top of the stove, etc. to reap the reward of not having a heating bill. I guess Jenna's lack of authenticity is what gets me the most. She wants to go on and on about heating with wood, but she is either too lazy to do it properly or doesn't know what she's doing.
That diatribe Jenna wrote today will be the last I ever read of her writing. Her delusions are getting out of control, and it makes me feel sick inside that she is bating her donors with tales of the mortgage being behind. It makes me feel slimy to read it at all.
I hadn't read her post this morning. When I went to her site she had some workshops she's trying to sell. I don't know about you guys, but I'm saving up to go to the "backyard livestock" workshop. Snort!
Well, she's mentioned twice now she plans to get another draft pony since Jasper is gone. Wouldn't you think she'd get a few months of savings put aside before adding another mouth she can't feed? She was just waxing eloquent about mortgage wolves, and now a new horse?
Which really makes me wonder if what others have suggested is true, that she really is NOT that hard up for funds. Just keeps crying poor so the donations keep rolling in. ~k~
After reading the blog for a couple of years, I would have to agree that she misrepresents her financial status. The statement about getting another horse is an excellent example.
She's stark raving insane -- can't pay her mortgage, but wants another horse? Something's fishy in Denmark. The easy money that came in was supposed to pay for the mortgage, but she's still behind. Why? Where's the money from the seminars going?
She is either totally insane or stupid. Totally. I believe she's a liar as well, and now that she has a dedicated coterie of donor fans, she's really pushing the limit.
She mentioned that her truck tire was flat. Maybe it was unrepairable, and she needs to sell the cart to get the money for new tires. That Kickstarter money sure went fast!
She just bought that cart but can't justifying keeping it? What the heck happened to all that Kickstarter money? Can't pay her mortgage either? And she's talking about another horse? Something here is very, very wrong.
Her insulting comments to other people are becoming more and more judgemental - now people who can chicken broth are "nasty", people who ask why she doesn't proofread - she even makes the fact that she doesnt use recipes but tries it out musically as something that seems snarky and better than thou.
I think she meant "hasty" but like you said, she doesn't proof read. That's why I only read her stuff if I read something here first that doesn't make sense. It's so hard to figure out what she's trying to say. Her logic, if there is any, is all over the place, like in that piece about killing.
Well, calling people who can their own chicken stock "hasty" makes absolutely no sense either. I can my own, and it's a long, slow process. Nothing "hasty" about it.
The cart incident reminds me of me when I was younger. I had a spending problem, different from JW's but a problem just the same. I would buy something expensive, then couldn't pay the bills, so I would panic and either return it or try to sell it, usually at a loss. Got myself into serious debt and was afraid to go to the mailbox or answer the phone.
I knew I needed help and contacted Consumer Credit Counseling. I attacked my problem with gazelle intensity. I am now 100% debt free with a modest savings account.
It takes grit and determination to admit you have a problem and to do something about it. If she is as gritty as she says, she will seek help and maybe actually follow sensible advice.
A spending problem is a spending problem, whether it is carts or Cartier.
In her latest blog entry (on hunting) she posted an unflattering comment from a reader - hurry and read it before she deletes it! (Ha ha) Also - she said that she was going to hunt on Maurice Sendak's old farm (blog entry about flat truck tire). Maurice Sendak lived 150 miles south of Cold Antler, in Danbury CT. Does JW have hunting tags for CT? It seems kind of expensive to drive to CT to hunt deer, when you have good hunting just outside your doorstep. (NY Times on-line has a front page article about the woman who takes care of his property - I'm assuming the same woman JW said she met last weekend at the wool workshop.) Seems kink of weird unless you are looking for some of his celebrity to rub off on you.
Jenna got me started on the road to homesteading. It was thanks to her that I made my first loaf of bread, really planted my first garden, and started to get into the homesteading community. I'm on the road to become an Organic Master Gardener. I write the Accreditation exam to become an Organic Landcare Practioner next week. I've devoured book - how to's, text books, soil books, homesteading books. I've just bought my first piece of land and my first house, and I can trace that back to her and an impulse buy of "Made from Scratch".
But now, I find Jenna has moved away from what I have found the most warming and welcoming part of homesteading and agriculture - the community. I won't say much about her blog, since I'm blogging about my experiences (I have degrees in English adn writing, so writing something down in essay or book review format cements my learning processes) as well, other than that she no longer shares informative things on her blogs or in her books - it has become more about painting visual pictures. But more and more, I find her intense criticism of everyone who doesn't live her specific life incredibly grating and alienating. The wonderful thing about our community is that everyone, no matter where they live or what they are able to do, are able to start to make the moves towares sustainable and self-sufficient living in whatever way they are comfortable with, with no angry judgement towards others or snarky, critical comments about "nasty" things, or people as poodles, or, today's "Are you afraid of death, because you aren't a small farmer?". She uses large, blanket statements to cover groups of people, which I find problematic. The homesteading community is one that I have found incredibly encouraging and knowledgable - not only will they tell you to go for something, they tell you how to do it, and how to do it responsibly. There is an abundance of friendly folks that want you to do the best you can do and will support you with their knowledge and their friendship. Their criticism is constructive, not derisive. I do hope Jenna goes back to the way she was, without the purple prose, the mean comments aimed at noone and everyone in particular. She was great.
Hi wannabe, nice to have you here. I think you'll find that most of us feel the way you do. We were once fans and supporters of Jenna. I think she started to change around the time she quit her job, and when she bought Merlin. I think everyone has the right to live their own lives any way they see fit, unless they expect others to support that lifestyle. I just wish Jenna was more honest about the path she's chosen.
I think your post also really represents my experience with Jenna's work. I can remember picking up Made From Scratch, and reading the synopsis of Barnheart and thinking "what a great niche for publication! Books with projects/strategies for people who want to homestead by don't own their own property and/or live in a city!" Unfortunately, that's not what her work is turned into. Instead she's turned into what I've started to call The Mauve Poet, her writing is neither helpful or informative, nor is it entertaining or pleasant to read. What a disappointment. I keep going back to her blog in the hopes that things will have changed, but so far no luck.
She seems to assume that vegetarians have not thought of these issues. I'm a vegetarian because I am trying to do as little harm as possible, but I recognize that eating plants (agriculture) is not harmless. As Joseph Campbell said, life lives by killing - whether it be animals, plants or insects. My goal is to live as ethically as I can, given that reality. Her post is poorly thought out, and she attacks those who don't live her lifestyle. I also agree with Redhorse that she is unethical in other areas.
I should add that I also eat a plant based diet because I think it's healthier, although that is a different question. Regarding her assertion that eating a vegetarian diet is not a "green" option, I would like to say that I don't usually rely on ingredients that have to be flown in from other locations: there is tofu produced locally here, as well as cheese, eggs and lots of produce. You also can eat seasonally to minimize the produce brought in from elsewhere.
She's real tired.. I mean, she had to traipse to the "laundrymat" as all homesteaders have this curse of washing their laundry for money.. And she had to cover THREE WHOLE bales of hay.. I mean, think of how much leaning she had to do! It is SO much work keeping up with everything. Work of a fraud-steader is never done. Next, she will have to UN-COVER that giant pile of hay in the truck, but never fear, she will grab a hot styrofoam cup of Jo when she goes and gets more wood from Stewarts.
ReplyDelete"Laundry mat" ????!!!! You're kidding right? Isn't she the one that preaches preparedness and self sufficiency? How is that self-sufficient? She buys fancy carts and lifestraws and itty bitty stoves and she doesn't have a freaking washing machine? I truly feel sorry for the sheeple who follow her and hang on her every word. They are doomed when the SHTF!
DeleteDenise
I would hit the like button, Denise, if we had one. I can't imagine why she would be buying 5 or 10 bales of hay at a time. She has been paid thousands of dollars in the last 3 months. She couldn't buy 100 bales of hay? And yeah, she could buy just a washing machine and then hang her clothes out to dry.
DeleteLOL, thanks redhorse! It just boggles my mind! I don't understand how people don't see through the whole charade. Are they really that clueless?
DeleteDenise
Why did the pigs escape twice yesterday? Didn't she and 2 of her friends just fix the fence a few days ago?
ReplyDelete" I covered the hay and wished I bought tarps for the exposed parts of the wood pile. I stopped myself from letting out a four-letter word. This would only be an inch of snow at the most and would melt in plenty of time for me to remedy the situation. Plus, why stain such a beautiful night with angry sounds? "
ReplyDeleteI think she means, why stain such a beautiful night with work?
Since this is the newest postings here, even though this is off topic from the hay/CA thing, I thought I'd post this link.
ReplyDeleteApparently, JW has a long, looooong, LONG history of standing people up for things ordered from her. This is from her animorph (or whatever the eff they are) days in 2006.
http://www.oakpawart.com/newthings.html
Maybe this should get posted over at the "I didn't get my wool order" site.
Apparently also a long history of failing to proofread what she publishes online. Spell check, dear, spell check.
DeleteInteresting. And speaking as an illustrator/designer, non-delivery of work can end your career really fast.
DeleteI used to work with her at Coldwater Creek in Idaho. She also had a habit of not delivering work when she worked there. Which is why she was laid off!
Delete-M
Not surprised. I think one of her former Orvis co-workers said pretty much the same thing.
DeleteAnybody know if Birchthorn is happening? I gave her 2 grand on Kickstarter amd really want to read about my character being slaughtered in the woods by this thing....NOT
ReplyDeleteAh, but why buy it herself when she can merely mention it online and one of her Amen Charlies will send it to her?
ReplyDeletePosted regarding the outdoor pigs: "They have a bowl of a nest they curl into at night and it was getting muddy, so I sopped it up and added hay for a good blanket. "
ReplyDeleteDoes she not have any sort of shelter with a roof on it for these poor creatures? Does she expect them to live through the winter completely exposed to the elements???
No roof for the poor PIGS (I refuse to use her childish terminology). She's been paid over $22,000 in the past 3 months, she could have had a small roof or shelter built for the poor pigs. Probably wouldn't cost more than $50-100.
DeleteJW - if you are reading this- and I know you are-you are not fooling ANYONE who is a real farmer, homesteader/shepherd/pig raiser...or self employed person. The pig post - a mere attempt to make yourself feel better and show the blind Jennaites that you know what you are doing, which you don't. Seems like you read the cristicisms here and you are always having to prove yourself in blog posts, in words, instead of real life visual examples. Firstly, you knew rain was coming months ago, but when you should have been prepping for your pigs, you didn't. The fact you had to 'sop up' an area, and then think that just laying down sawdust and hay will help an area that will once again get wet-do you even do drainage control? [Watch, she'll miracuously do a VLOG on good drainage, which she is googling right now] You are correct, a wet pig in even cool temps is a soon to be sickly one. What I find pathetic-you are sure to make VLOGS of your own face all the time-why not get a helper and show the world your comfortable pig pens? Knowing you, you'd go to someone's farm and fake the whole thing. Let's see you give some pig shots, on your own, and explain what shots you are giving. Yep, she'll VLOG on that next too. A former supporter, Minnesota
ReplyDeleteHear hear.
ReplyDeleteI suggest that she Google "pig shelter for winter" and look at images. Most consist of a hemispherical structure made of wood and covered with galvinized steel, closed on the back and with an opening in the front. It couldn't be expensive to make. Failure to build them a place to retreat during snow, ice and rain is CRUEL.
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for the people who spend hard earned money for her pigs that live in stressed out conditions because that can affect the meat. And, not in a good way.
ReplyDeleteJenn
Jenna, get your pigs shelter. Give me a break. Are you that lazy that you can't get up, and find something for them? OR are you planning a workshop to build it for you? And, honestly, it has become apparent that you are so desperate for companionship that you are having workshops for *everything* and *anything* that might construe a learning (joke) event. It is clear from the information gleaned here that you have been a scammer as long as you have been able to type.
ReplyDeleteWell, face it, she has been busy with all her workshops, falconry, her Tae Kwon Do tournaments (which I thought she gave up because it was too expensive), and playing Worlds of Warcraft. It's plain to see how she spends her time when she has the money to do what she wants. The poor pigs are only there to fill her wallet and her freezer, and all her fine words and articles are empty and meaningless. Poor pigs.
ReplyDeleteI think her pigs are there to make it look like her books aren't a total sham, which I think we are finding, are a sham. She uses animals as props, like J.Katz.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of resources on the internet about building shelters for outdoor feeder pigs. A well ventilated, three sided shelter with hay or straw for bedding seems to be the minimum. Meredith would know, I'm sure - I'd like to see her opinion on this. If Jenna reads this, she might decide to follow the suggestions and the pigs would have a better winter.
She could easily put plywood sides on that roof structure her friends built. Even I could do that by my self and I'm 20 years older than she is.
ReplyDeleteMy gosh up state NY is suppose to get 4 feet of snow. How much protection does she think that hay will provide in that kind of weather.
If ANYONE takes animal care tips from her they are down right FOOLS!
~j~
I thought this review on Goodreads from 2013 about Barnheart said it all {i know JW bashes Goodreads reviews, and there are some nasty, unkind or inaccurate ones on anyone's book, but this is accurate, she just can't stand the truth} "I am completely obsessed with farming memoirs. This may be because I am a goat farmer and love reading about like minded people. I have to say though that I really did not like this book. I found Jenna extremely immature and pretty judgmental for someone who was constantly complaining about being judged. She was not in the position to have the farm she was trying to establish, and just because you slightly exceed animal control's care requirements does not mean you are taking good care of your animals. If anyone questioned her methods of housing and caring for her animals she accessed them of not being educated in the ways of farming. As a goat farmer I can say that the way she cared for her goat was not acceptable. No goat should be kept on a chain. When the short chain was questioned by a neighbor she defended herself by saying if it were any longer the goat could jump the fence and choke itself... If that is the case you do not have the space necessary to have a goat. She took on a lot and was constantly moving on to new projects. It didn't seem like she gave any one thing enough attention. There are far better farming memoirs out there."
ReplyDeleteHow is this any better than CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) pork? Swine kept in a state of discomfort by exposure to the elements, improper housing and living in their own filth...don't most people try and buy local meat in order to avoid purchasing meat produced under these conditions?
ReplyDeletehttp://springmountainliving.com/pig-husbandry-in-extreme-cold-conditions/
ReplyDeleteThe above provides a link to a shelter built by someone in Michigan out of essentially found and discarded materials. They claim it works. It's not too impressive, but it's better than nothing.
http://www.9sites.org/pigcare/housing.htm
ReplyDeleteThese are really nice, too, since she now has some money.
Jenna knows all about providing shelter for animals. She is simply too cheap, lazy and negligent to give a shit about them. It is not a matter of money people, it's a matter of laziness, and not caring. Please know this.
ReplyDeleteWhat is really frustrating is that people who are thinking of getting animals are asking HER for advice on requirements and housing! I can't believe people don't just google something and do some easy reading and they could read how REAL farmers keep their animals. Asking a FAUXsteader how to properly house animals makes me sad that more animals may be kept in unacceptable conditions.
ReplyDeleteDenise
It's no wonder her horses don't use the "shelter". Isn't it just a roof? Not providing much protection, there. They need at least 3 sides on their shelter for it to be of use.
ReplyDeleteSo in case you're like me and threw up in your mouth a little when you read JW's blog post about making fires this morning, here's a good blog post that also showed up in my feed this morning, from a truly authentic writer--it deals with similar subjects (firestarting, hunting, living close to the land) but without JW's endless typos, flippancy, and insecurity. http://theindigovat.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-embered-eye-of-buck.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I also think people here should continue to share other writers/freelancers/bloggers/farmers/artists that they respect and are the real deal...and who know how to edit themselves and use spell check!
DeleteI am a big fan of the 'Matron of Husbandry' over here:
Deletehttp://matronofhusbandry.wordpress.com/
I second Matron of Husbandry!
Delete~k~
Sylvia Jorrin is excellent: http://www.sylviasfarm.com/FarmStoriesArchive1.html
Delete-L
I just read JW's post this morning, and I wanted to gag.
ReplyDelete~k~
I never know what she is really trying to say, they're written so badly. Is she trying to justify her life or convince herself about her life? She really comes across as talking more to herself than her readers. So strange.
ReplyDelete~j~
Well when I read it, I almost feel sorry for her, for a few minutes. To me it sounds like someone who has very, very low self-esteem and is trying to convince herself otherwise.
DeleteBut then it also smacks of narcissism:
1. excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance, 2. extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one's own talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type, 3. self-centeredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of mental disorder.
Yup, there we have it, son.
Uggh!
The only book of hers I read was the very first one. HATED the writing style, her purple prose makes me gag.
Denise
We need to play a drinking game. Take a drink every time jw mentions being behind on her mortgage.
ReplyDeleteAlso, while i've done a lot of sub-zero camping and have tried the whole, "sleep naked! It's warmer!" thing...is anyone else a little squicked out that she sleeps naked while clutching her dog to her body?? Maybe I'm not 'feral' enough to get it...but the idea umm...rubs me the wrong way.
"We need to play a drinking game. Take a drink every time jw mentions being behind on her mortgage."
DeleteSorry Anon, no can do. The ensuing alcohol poisoning might make me fall down while sopping up muck in my pig pen with perfectly edible hay. Then my steamy naked Rubenesque body would get frozen to the ground making me prey to the mighty Birchthorn.
~j~
Personally I think it might take me days to get the image of her crouching naked in front of her woodstove, puffing away at the coals, out of my mind. TMI, lady.
DeleteI'm with you.
DeleteMaybe she's hoping a reader will send her a bathrobe.
DeleteYeah, that's something that is gonna burn in my brain for way too long. I think she mentioned her nakedness like 12 times. Geez... I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.
DeleteIf that's how you do, then do, but jeez...must it be posted to the whole world on the interwebs?? I agree, TMI, TMI, hey JW, TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!!
DeleteFrom today's post: "I knew I was behind in the mortgage, over my head in many ways." Well, her readers didn't have to wait long for this kind of comment to start appearing again. Boggles the mind considering that, according to Kickstarter, $15,675 dollars were donated to Jenna as of August 22, 2014, money she would have gotten sometime in September. That was only two months ago.
ReplyDeleteI simply cannot believe that she got that kind of money and her animals STILL have no shelter, no above-ground mangers, no new fencing (including one for the poor pigs stuck in the barn). AND she claims her mortgage is behind AGAIN?! Someone call the guys in the little white coats.
DeleteWhen we get up and make a fire, and it's really chilly, cold....we put sweaters and-well, you know, clothes on-to stay warm. I suggest JW try this for starters. Secondly, I agree-why are you still talking about being behind on the mortgage? If there is anyone still willing to give this narcissistict spoiled scam opportunist money...well...shakes head.
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you a little bit about my morning. And Jenna, listen carefully (And yes Jenna I know you read this blog--Meredith, you should put a hit counter on this blog that registers hits by geographic location. It would be interesting to see just how many times a day a reader from Jackson, NY visits this blog. Sitemeter.com has a great free one that's very easy to set up).
ReplyDeleteThis morning I woke up in a house that was 60 degrees. Not a heroic 48 degrees by any stretch of the imagination, but last night I decided to forgo the 5 minutes of sleep it took to pack my stove before I went to bed. Call me crazy, but I can deal without that few minutes of lost sleep when it means waking up to a bed of hot coals in the morning. Which, by the way, I wake up to every morning. Because I know how to manage my stove. And yes Jenna, my stove is the same size as your Bun Baker. I digress. I woke up to a 60 degree household, but after a few minutes of stirring hot coals and throwing on a dry log, I had the house up to 72 degrees in no time. I'm guessing your house is just hitting 60 degrees around 12pm. Such a talented homesteader you are!
Jenna really upsets me for a lot of reasons. Her horrible livestock management, her cheesy style of writing, her unoriginality. Her accepting (and EXPECTING) donations. It drives me nuts. But Jenna has done one thing for me, which is make me appreciate myself and all the hard work I put in day in and day out to live my life on my own terms. You see, I'm self employed. I went to art school, worked in an office for a few years, then decided it wasn't for me. It wasn't working in general that wasn't for me, just working in an office. Which is why I used to admire Jenna, I thought we were kindred spirits in that respect. I did leave my office job 18 months ago. I'm a self employed artist now, and I work my ass off every day, and yes paying bills is sometimes a struggle. But one thing I'm very proud of, is that I've never been behind on my mortgage. Or should I say, mortgages. I own two homes. And we have the rent on my husband's business (he is also a self employed artist). So that's three mortgages. And I've never needed a hand out once. Just consistent, hard work.
While I feel Jenna's attitudes and actions are disrespectful, in a childish way she does make me feel a lot better about myself. When you're self employed it's easy to feel like you're not doing enough of this, or that. It can get hard to leave your work at work. I don't feel the need to broadcast to the world that my husband and I heat our home completely with wood (no space heaters!) because we can't afford the price of oil or electric heat. It's a choice we made to be able to live our lives the way we choose. Instead we put in the extra work of splitting wood, keeping on top of the stove, etc. to reap the reward of not having a heating bill. I guess Jenna's lack of authenticity is what gets me the most. She wants to go on and on about heating with wood, but she is either too lazy to do it properly or doesn't know what she's doing.
That diatribe Jenna wrote today will be the last I ever read of her writing. Her delusions are getting out of control, and it makes me feel sick inside that she is bating her donors with tales of the mortgage being behind. It makes me feel slimy to read it at all.
-H.
H, you would write the kind of blog I would want to read. I enjoyed reading about your truly self-sufficient ways.
Delete"Slimy" is the perfect word for some of those post-read feelings!
DeleteI hadn't read her post this morning. When I went to her site she had some workshops she's trying to sell. I don't know about you guys, but I'm saving up to go to the "backyard livestock" workshop. Snort!
ReplyDeleteWell, apparently, she is still not making good on those she owes refunds to.. Coldantlersham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWell, she's mentioned twice now she plans to get another draft pony since Jasper is gone. Wouldn't you think she'd get a few months of savings put aside before adding another mouth she can't feed? She was just waxing eloquent about mortgage wolves, and now a new horse?
ReplyDeleteWhich really makes me wonder if what others have suggested is true, that she really is NOT that hard up for funds. Just keeps crying poor so the donations keep rolling in.
Delete~k~
PS What the heck does she need another horse for anyway?
Delete~k~
After reading the blog for a couple of years, I would have to agree that she misrepresents her financial status. The statement about getting another horse is an excellent example.
DeleteShe's stark raving insane -- can't pay her mortgage, but wants another horse? Something's fishy in Denmark. The easy money that came in was supposed to pay for the mortgage, but she's still behind. Why? Where's the money from the seminars going?
ReplyDeleteShe is either totally insane or stupid. Totally. I believe she's a liar as well, and now that she has a dedicated coterie of donor fans, she's really pushing the limit.
DeleteLooks like she's selling the Meadowbrook cart...maybe at least some of the things we've said here have gotten through to her. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteI saw that too. Or maybe she found something better, or she found another horse she wants.
DeleteOr, she's getting another pony and wants a pair vehicle instead of one for a single hitch.
DeleteShe's barely owned or used that cart. Now selling it because she can't justify it?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't those things be thought of before you buy? What a waste of other people's money.
Jenn
She mentioned that her truck tire was flat. Maybe it was unrepairable, and she needs to sell the cart to get the money for new tires. That Kickstarter money sure went fast!
ReplyDeleteShe just bought that cart but can't justifying keeping it? What the heck happened to all that Kickstarter money? Can't pay her mortgage either? And she's talking about another horse? Something here is very, very wrong.
ReplyDeleteHer insulting comments to other people are becoming more and more judgemental - now people who can chicken broth are "nasty", people who ask why she doesn't proofread - she even makes the fact that she doesnt use recipes but tries it out musically as something that seems snarky and better than thou.
ReplyDeleteI think she meant "hasty" but like you said, she doesn't proof read. That's why I only read her stuff if I read something here first that doesn't make sense. It's so hard to figure out what she's trying to say. Her logic, if there is any, is all over the place, like in that piece about killing.
DeleteWell, calling people who can their own chicken stock "hasty" makes absolutely no sense either. I can my own, and it's a long, slow process. Nothing "hasty" about it.
DeleteI'm pretty sure she actually did mean "nasty," because she went back and edited, and was careful to change "your nasty" to "you're nasty."
DeleteThe cart incident reminds me of me when I was younger. I had a spending problem, different from JW's but a problem just the same. I would buy something expensive, then couldn't pay the bills, so I would panic and either return it or try to sell it, usually at a loss. Got myself into serious debt and was afraid to go to the mailbox or answer the phone.
ReplyDeleteI knew I needed help and contacted Consumer Credit Counseling. I attacked my problem with gazelle intensity. I am now 100% debt free with a modest savings account.
It takes grit and determination to admit you have a problem and to do something about it. If she is as gritty as she says, she will seek help and maybe actually follow sensible advice.
A spending problem is a spending problem, whether it is carts or Cartier.
In her latest blog entry (on hunting) she posted an unflattering comment from a reader - hurry and read it before she deletes it! (Ha ha)
ReplyDeleteAlso - she said that she was going to hunt on Maurice Sendak's old farm (blog entry about flat truck tire). Maurice Sendak lived 150 miles south of Cold Antler, in Danbury CT. Does JW have hunting tags for CT? It seems kind of expensive to drive to CT to hunt deer, when you have good hunting just outside your doorstep. (NY Times on-line has a front page article about the woman who takes care of his property - I'm assuming the same woman JW said she met last weekend at the wool workshop.) Seems kink of weird unless you are looking for some of his celebrity to rub off on you.
I guess she did delete it!! What did she say??
ReplyDeleteIt's still there.
ReplyDeleteI figured that out--I thought you meant she put it IN the blog post itself. I hadn't had coffee yet.
ReplyDeleteJenna got me started on the road to homesteading. It was thanks to her that I made my first loaf of bread, really planted my first garden, and started to get into the homesteading community. I'm on the road to become an Organic Master Gardener. I write the Accreditation exam to become an Organic Landcare Practioner next week. I've devoured book - how to's, text books, soil books, homesteading books. I've just bought my first piece of land and my first house, and I can trace that back to her and an impulse buy of "Made from Scratch".
ReplyDeleteBut now, I find Jenna has moved away from what I have found the most warming and welcoming part of homesteading and agriculture - the community. I won't say much about her blog, since I'm blogging about my experiences (I have degrees in English adn writing, so writing something down in essay or book review format cements my learning processes) as well, other than that she no longer shares informative things on her blogs or in her books - it has become more about painting visual pictures. But more and more, I find her intense criticism of everyone who doesn't live her specific life incredibly grating and alienating. The wonderful thing about our community is that everyone, no matter where they live or what they are able to do, are able to start to make the moves towares sustainable and self-sufficient living in whatever way they are comfortable with, with no angry judgement towards others or snarky, critical comments about "nasty" things, or people as poodles, or, today's "Are you afraid of death, because you aren't a small farmer?". She uses large, blanket statements to cover groups of people, which I find problematic. The homesteading community is one that I have found incredibly encouraging and knowledgable - not only will they tell you to go for something, they tell you how to do it, and how to do it responsibly. There is an abundance of friendly folks that want you to do the best you can do and will support you with their knowledge and their friendship. Their criticism is constructive, not derisive. I do hope Jenna goes back to the way she was, without the purple prose, the mean comments aimed at noone and everyone in particular. She was great.
Hi wannabe, nice to have you here. I think you'll find that most of us feel the way you do. We were once fans and supporters of Jenna. I think she started to change around the time she quit her job, and when she bought Merlin. I think everyone has the right to live their own lives any way they see fit, unless they expect others to support that lifestyle. I just wish Jenna was more honest about the path she's chosen.
DeleteI think your post also really represents my experience with Jenna's work. I can remember picking up Made From Scratch, and reading the synopsis of Barnheart and thinking "what a great niche for publication! Books with projects/strategies for people who want to homestead by don't own their own property and/or live in a city!" Unfortunately, that's not what her work is turned into. Instead she's turned into what I've started to call The Mauve Poet, her writing is neither helpful or informative, nor is it entertaining or pleasant to read. What a disappointment. I keep going back to her blog in the hopes that things will have changed, but so far no luck.
Delete-MJ
She seems to assume that vegetarians have not thought of these issues. I'm a vegetarian because I am trying to do as little harm as possible, but I recognize that eating plants (agriculture) is not harmless. As Joseph Campbell said, life lives by killing - whether it be animals, plants or insects. My goal is to live as ethically as I can, given that reality. Her post is poorly thought out, and she attacks those who don't live her lifestyle. I also agree with Redhorse that she is unethical in other areas.
ReplyDeleteI should add that I also eat a plant based diet because I think it's healthier, although that is a different question. Regarding her assertion that eating a vegetarian diet is not a "green" option, I would like to say that I don't usually rely on ingredients that have to be flown in from other locations: there is tofu produced locally here, as well as cheese, eggs and lots of produce. You also can eat seasonally to minimize the produce brought in from elsewhere.
ReplyDelete