I wonder what it feels like to be the man with the missing front tooth that sent her a donation for a root canal only to see that she had a puppy flown in from Idaho?
Oops! Looks like Jenna's frenemy let the cat out of the bag and went and posted a link to the Mill Iron S Ranch page. Jenna's been trying so hard to keep it a secret---- you gotta wonder, did the breeders put a gag order on her? A three-sheep shepherd makes for a pretty underwhelming testimonial.
It won't be long before she gets in another brown study and strikes out to find a four-legged pick-me-up. I've got $10 that says she has a new horsey in her pasture by August. In the meantime, she will be having many, many root canals.
So she can't pay her bills,she owes people money,she constantly struggles with things on her property ( so not calling it a farm), and her answer to all of that is to lie about a root canal to get funds for a new puppy?
I've got a suspicion her "bad news" was she had to pay for the puppy in full. If Mill Iron doesn't get a new logo made by Jenna in the next little bit there's your answer. Well, assuming she doesn't just stiff them on it of course.
Some of her BC friends are making some subtle criticisms about the breeder. Yeah, 17 puppies this month alone -- priced $500-1000. That's a nice little chunk of change. They take credit cards and ship worldwide....what are they, the Wal-Mart of the Border Collie world?
Probably the only kind of breeder she could find that would agree to sell her a puppy. She tried to get one from Gibson's breeder but the breeder wouldn't sell to her anymore.
I suspect no one local would sell her a dog either. I was involved in the rescue she got the female border collie from a few years ago. The dog's name was Sarah-- which she later returned, claiming it bit people. In actuality, she did not understand how to handle that dog, and at the time had little understanding or experience with how complicated border collies can be. In once instance she relayed, she told us she had the dog in a small, crowded store, when it snapped at the owner who then threatened to sue her. She never should have brought the dog into that store. In another instance she wrote about on her blog but didn't tell the trainer who gave her Sarah (I'm guessing out of embarrassment), one of her sheep almost killed Sarah by ramming her into a fence post, due to Jenna's incompetence.
Anyways. She has a horrible, awful reputation in the Vermont/New York border collie breeding/training circles. No one I know would EVER sell her a dog, or trust her with a rescue dog. She's clueless. No matter how much she wants border collies to be "her" dog breed, I don't think she's well suited to them. When I've been around Jenna in person she was always too clumsy, too jerky with her animals. She lacks awareness of herself and any animal she's handling. You have to have a certain amount of grace and confidence around animals to be successful with a border collie. She just doesn't have it.
She said on FB a big part of the reason she got the puppy from these folks is that they would take payments.
I would think for a non-essential like a second dog you could just save up your money first.......like, what was the rush here? Boredom imminent! Must get new puppy now!
I don't have sheep but even I know that BCs are highly intelligent animals who need constant work, training, and stimulation to keep them happy. There are plenty of dog breeds out there for someone who insists on a purebred but doesn't want a lot of work to go with it. It's criminal that Jenna has somehow managed to let two BCs go utterly to waste, let alone get her hands on a third.
If you know what you're doing, and you work really hard for the first 2 to 4 years, you can train a working BC. Then they are really good dogs and make you feel like they can read your mind and that they'd do anything for you. But, you can't be lazy and you can't get bored easily or decide you don't like to pay attention to the details.
I have a BC/blue heeler mix that I rescued and he is ridiculously intelligent and trainable. But some things took all 5 years of his life to get down due to life getting in the way and throwing inconsistencies at me. However, I didn't get him with the intention of being a working dog. He's a pet and I am under no delusions to the contrary. This person's tendency to acquire animals and then become too lazy to put in actual work with them is beyond annoying. Her lip service toward working animals actually is doing more harm than good because she has destroyed her reputation.
New horse in the works? New kitten, new puppy--- she's on one hell of an animal accumulating streak.
Jenna: So there is a freak chance that I may be picking up a new horse this day, and it is the only day I can do it since a friend is offering her trailer and vehicle.
Jenna's gonna tow a horse trailer now? This should be good....
Yep. You can purchase items to help offset the cost of the meetup group at $20 month-shirts, stein, stickers.....
Funny....no money for dental care, but found $20/month for that, $$ to create themed items, $$$$ for a puppy, etc., etc.
And she has time to deal with such trivial things as delivering items to people who have already paid.....but she has time to do all of the above.
Someone down below said it best....reading that site creeps me out too. ICK! I used to want to see her succeed, but my opinion is rapidly changing. None of what she does is making an income, she's just lazy play-acting her way through life. It's disgusting really.
What a coincidence. Jon Katz just got a new puppy and new horse. Jenna must be keeping up with the Katz's.
So how can she afford a new horse if she's always squawking about wolves at the door and late mortgage payments and root canals and bad news? You tell me.
This is way off topic, but I wanted to share my own little suburban homestead story this morning. I have a Black Australorp hen that went broody on a bunch of duck eggs about a month ago. I decided to let her set them, but it had been so long I was afraid the eggs were duds.
This morning I went out to do coop chores (I have 10 hens and 7 ducks) and lo and behold, there were three little black puffballs under that hen! They are either purebred Khaki or Khaki/Cayuga crosses. I'm thinking a cross because they are really dark. I don't think my Khakis were that dark when they were ducklings.
I set up a chick waterer and nonmedicated feed for them, and showed them how to drink and eat. Mama was calm and clucking quietly while I was handling them, but very attentive to them so I think instead of pulling them out and into a brooder I'll let her raise them.
Today I'll be busy setting up a separation panel in the coop so they'll have a separate space from all the other adults. I bet mama will freak out the first time her "chicks" go swimming! LOL Thanks for reading, and thanks for hosting this blog Meredith.
Because I don't think the majority of her poodle readers would take as kindly to the whole 15 years as a pagan thing. She hints at it here and there but never really comes out and explains it all, her faith. I guess that's between her and the wolf gods, or whatever, but I think it wouldn't be the very best in marketing for her "brand". Just me thinking outloud. Of course, it all fits with the fantasy, magic, kilts and all that stuff in her life. She's really not a homesteader in my mind... she's a fantasy reenactor with a big yard and a lot of props.
The nasty heathen religion thing creeps me out. ..explains the naked running around the yard. I don't think I will go to her web site anymore. yuck. I thought she was playing dress-up with the Highland clothes and such, but she is really a believer in paganism. That's a step away (or already into) black magic and BAD karma.
Not to be all #notallpagans about it but paganism isn't a monolith any more than Christianity is. If anything, less so since arguably all Christians at least agree on believing in Jesus even if they practice that belief in different ways. Pagans have different gods and goddesses which may have little to no overlap. Some pagans believe in magick and formal rituals and others simply like to take note of the wheel of the year and say a quick prayer of thanks for whatever blessings life sends our way.
That being said, as someone with pagan leanings, I must admit my own first thought about finding out that Jenna is is to sigh and facepalm over how she's probably giving THAT as bad of a name as she is her animal husbandry.
-CdP I agree with you in this respect. Some people using the label of Pagan would be just as creepy under any other circumstances, but are doing damage to minority practitioners due to their creepiness. I just facepalm and sigh, because there's not much else I can do.
I've known a few pagans in my time and most were very decent and well rounded, thoughtful people. And I think they would find her annoying. Everything she seems to do, she exploits and wears like a badge of honor. She is always seeking the pat on the back, oh yes, you are so unique and fascinating... when in reality, ALL people have some neat little facet of their lives that others might admire... and don't seek to always exploit it.
Anon 9:21-- I love your comment. She thinks she's so unique and amazing because she does X.....yet she never seems to have any trouble finding other people who also do X....should this not clue her in to the fact that she's not the rare bird she thinks she is?
I feel quite sorry for the people who donated money for her "root canal". I hope that they (and her other readers) at least ask themselves why Ms. Wogenrich would lie on her blog, saying that she had no money for dental work, while she was secretly making payments on a new puppy. Yet I see no such comments on her blog. I know that she screens them, but you'd think one would stay up for a few minutes if someone had asked.
I believe she sees them first before they get posted. In other words, they don't get posted until she approves. So if anyone questioned her, she probably deleted the comment.
Facebook is another matter. I wonder if anyone questioned her there. The comments come up immediately.
A quote from her draft horse primer meet-up page: "We will learn, pull some logs out of the woods, stack, chop, and help prepare the farm for winter. Winter is always coming! " Basically I think she's having to find new ways to convince people to do her farm work for her... I imagine her local facebook friend free labor pool has pretty much dried up.
She has lifted her MO right out of the pages of Tom Sawyer. Remember how he got other people to whitewash the fence for him? Heck, he even got people to pay him for the 'privilege'!
She has taken a lot of flack for buying wood when she has acres of her own, yet she would not harvest it herself. I'm not surprised she has figured out a way to get free labor.
Someone posted a comment about her puppy about how they can't wait to see her two border collies working side by side to help her on the farm. That is so hilarious, riiiight??!!. I almost hope it is someone making fun of her, but she took it seriously and let it be published. And YES - she sees the comments FIRST and decides if they get published. I wish someone would call her out on face book about the root canal/Gibson's bills/new puppy issue. If I did facebook, I totally would. If she has that kind of money then I want my $100 for the dang instructive videos I never got.
Her excuse for not making the webinars was that she didn't have the necessary equipment to make and edit videos......well, she does now--- she's cranked out tons of vlogs. She should have refunded everyone the moment she came to the conclusion she couldn't make the webinars.
And yes, her readers! Dumb! When has anyone witnessed Gibson doing anything resembling useful work?
I haven't looked but are her meetups scheduled the same day as workshops? Are some paying while others aren't? Is she doing these instead of workshops...if so her "yearly pass" members should be pissed.
Out with the old in with the New.
Notice she has time to make a New lifestyle logo for herself and create another brand while her paying customers wait and wait....
I could care less that she's Heathen, frankly, I find it boring, it's no more or less offensive to me than any other religion. What is interesting to me is the apparent disconnect between what she's writing about her life and values and reality. She's been posting on reddit as Sheildmare in a Asatru subreddit ----- while this woman was begging and manipulating her readers to pay for a root canal and help her out when she got "bad news" she was making payments on a puppy. She owed her mechanic money. Yet, she writes a long-winded piece about how her reputation is improving and she's a better person now...... Oh, really?
You can click on Shieldmare and read the rest of her crap. For some reason she felt the need to repeatedly point out that she's ok with eating horses. And yes, she totally exaggerates her doings on the farm as usual. Couldn't farm without her sheepdog, Merlin's used for logging......
WOW her post on "If gender identity is fluid how about cultural identity?" Just WOW. I'm trying to imagine how to make that even more offensive and it is just not coming. Wow.
That post was just effing sad. She trolls the web posting all sorts of me, me ,me, look at me posts to gather new fans for her fantasy.
As for that book of what ever...sounds like my "to-do" list and project book for long and short term projects. Has nothing to do with Heathen, ancient Norse religion of the Gods. It's just common sense from an organized person.
As I was reading it, I began to wonder if this was the Stephen Covey edition of the Havamal she was talking about. At 32 years old do you really nead a Viking self-help book to tell you to pay your bills?
I find it interesting that on her Meetup profile, she claims to be a practicing Pagan or whatever for 15 years. When I first started reading her blog over 5 years ago, she was a Zen Buddhist who went on Zen retreats. She had been a Zen Buddhist since she was in college, according to her. She's what, 30 or 32? Why can't she just say she's been a Pagan for the past 3 years? Why say 15 years? Why does she have to be perceived as an expert at everything she's interested in at the moment? She's always searching for something, and at this point I'm afraid she won't ever find it if she hasn't already.
I read the reddit post referenced above. I'm pretty shocked that she stiffed the MECHANIC in her OWN TOWN! She would not be in that position if she got an actual job in her vast spare time.
Can you imagine the f'in arrogance it takes to not pay your mechanic because you are using the money to buy a puppy? What, the mechanic doesn't have bills to pay? He should carry her debt because why??
But she's standing taller because she sent $50 on the bill---- huh? It's assumed you're going to pay the bill--- why puff up with pride for sending a fraction of it? Does she stand taller when she buys gas?
If someone had a health issue, either physical or mental, which made it difficult to pay their bills I could see how even managing to pay a small portion could be a huge step worth celebrating.
But for Jenna all I can think of is Chris Rock. What does she want, a cookie? You're SUPPOSED to pay bills. Does she genuinely think the mechanic is dancing for glee because she finally arsed herself to pay a fraction of what she owed?
Also? Not for nothing but it's a classic con artist trick to pay just a tiny amount of what's owed as a way of stringing people along. People see the gesture as proof that the con isn't lying, and really will pay the full amount someday, so they just have to be patient and keep waiting. And when the con comes back at a later date and asks for even more money, that feeling of trust from the smaller payment makes it more likely that people will hand over more cash, making it a net positive from the con's perspective.
I love this line: "It has improved my reputation in this little town." As we have all suspected for awhile, we are not the only ones who are on to her scam. I couldn't live with myself if I owed ANYONE money. I would not eat myself just to pay someone else back. Then again, I would never be so dependent on others to pay for my life in the first place. Why is that?? Oh right, because I HAVE A JOB. Oh right and I PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS OVER THE WANTS.
Although she believes that her reputation has improved (because she paid a little more than a quarter of a very late bill), she's probably wrong about that. People resent not being paid for services, especially if they are aware that their client is spending money on luxuries (a puppy). A $50 payment just doesn't cut it, and she might be surprised to find that he won't do work for her the next time she needs it.
She posted somewhere else that she paid $100 of her $300 electric bill. We will see all this explode in her face. We will. She is on thin once with her debts creeping up on her daily. She gets ruder and snottier in her response to people on Facebook. She will continue to lose fans, continue to try to buy her sadness away by spending more than she has, and continue to screw people. It will catch up with her...and my guess is sooner than later.
Anon 8:34--- the irony is that she likes to be paid up front.
In all this talk of her reputation being redeemed there's no mention of the wool share or webinar people that are still awaiting their refunds.
You have to wonder how much money she pisses through on late fees alone-- the mortgage, the electric bill, the mechanic----- her truck was nearly repo'd once so we can assume she is/was habitually late on that as well.
I know I must sound like a broken record, but what about the Kickstarter money? Do you mean to tell me she blew through fifteen grand and she's still in narrow straights???? OMG... If I had contributed, I would be so ticked. Why nothing about the dang fan fiction story? I thouht it was rubbish, but still, nothing. No news no nothing. Just another thing she hopes no one will remember?"???
I dunno, Anon 11:27--- if she failed to make good on her Kickstarter she wouldn't be able to do it a second time. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the only way she'll be publishing any more books, through crowdfunding. You would think she would be finished with the first draft of Birtchthorn and waiting on edits and doing rewrites--- IF she were going to deliver the book mid-August like she's expected to.
Now, not all the of the 15K was just gravy--- she had an itemized list of expenses which left a little pile to "save the farm". Even so, what's she going to pull out of her sleeve this year to save the farm (again....) this year? Let's be real: no one actually wanted to read Birchthorn. She was writing a chapter every time $200 from interested readers was amassed and it fizzled out. She promoted the Kickstarter as a last ditch effort to keep the farm from foreclosure--- people donated because they felt sorry for her, not because they wanted to read poorly written fantasy. I doubt if anyone will even notice if they don't get the book.
I still think a friend (or even Jenna herself) pledged a LARGE donation because that would help her meet the goal. once the goal is met, Jenna gets the money, pays back that friend, and pockets the rest.
In the latest puppy post she said she let the puppy go with her on chores when she takes hay to the horses. Horses? Plural? And there's nothing worse than introducing a herding dog to livestock when they're too young and they might get hurt or frightened. So much for her brilliant dog training. It also sounds like this one is going to be a tough one to train.
I noticed the plural horses as well.... that conbined with an earlier post about picking up a horse in a friend's trailer makes mr thibk she's hiding it...because of how crazy it would be to get a new horse AND a new puppy when you can't even pay the utilities bill..
Is it just me, or does the "life is new-puppy-like fabulous I'm-so-great" vs. the "people help me I'm feral and poor" cycle seem to be getting far more rapid of late? Used to be the begging/donation manipulations would hit on a roughly monthly basis. Then quiet for the rest of the month. Lately it seems to be far more frequent. It's like reading the diary of a rapid-cycling manic depressive. Frankly, I find it exhausting.
Patty W.- I know you read this blog and I know you are Jenna's best friend and biggest supporter. You have even chided others for being so negative about her, Do you realize she stiffed your town's mechanic? Instead of paying him $176 she owed, she bought a $1000 puppy?. Can you seriously defend that? I can't imagine you find it ok to not pay back hard working people who cut her a break for the fun of a new puppy. Can you please stop hopelessly defending her and get her some real help? She is going to crash and burn. She will listen to you. Help her, please.
Exactly. How is she going to grow into a productive, sustainable member of society if her fans and local enablers don't let her fail? Failing isn't fun, but it's the only way some people will learn. Instead of enabling her, she should be encouraged to proceede on the incentive program. You work and you get to eat. Work harder, and you get to have luxuries. If you are lazy, a dreamer, and have no tangible product, then you go hungry. This is what most people are faced with, and most find a way to move forward.
On FB Jenna says: "I am watching Pitch Perfect. Judge accordingly, but if you think less of me you're probably the kind of person people feel they need to buy microbrews for when you come over"
I love the little nugget of narcissism in her post: "Isn't it hilarious? A super intellectual like me watching this empty fluff?"
I don't know how many times she's reminded everyone she doesn't own a TV--- as if that says something important about her. She still manages to watch more TV than your average nursing home resident.
She considers herself to be a super intellectual? To even be in the running she would first have to have an intellect. She has all the intellect of a retarded squid. Does this blog provide vomit bags?
Hahahahaha! I was just interpreting how the post came across--- though I'm sure she'd consider mentoring Stephen Hawking if she wasn't so busy riding ponies and shooting arrows.
Intellectual?????!!!!!! When's the last time she read anything but fantasy? She doesn't even read farm/livestock info. I wish we had the rolling on the floor laughing smiley.
Clarification: she didn't call herself a super intellectual--- that was my interpretation of her little joke about watching Pitch Perfect.
Irregardless, I'm sure she considers herself a cerebral powerhouse with dazzling insight and she's definately said her friends are "all intellectuals". That must have been a slap in the face to the 10 out 10 of her friends that aren't intellectuals.
Thank you for this fantastically entertaining site. I've been reading Jenna's blog for a few years and it has turned into a train wreck from which I cannot avert my eyes. Anonymous at 2:45-you're bril! Though you are not giving the squid much credit.
Giving her money for the crisis du jour is like giving a panhandler money for food and expecting them to actually buy food. Maybe people should send checks to her dentists office or bank instead of to her. That would certainly cut down on new livestock.
Except that her readers shouldn't be paying for her root canal or mortgage. If she can afford a puppy, she probably had the root canal already paid for - unless her dentist did THAT for her on credit, too. You can get Care Credit, by the way, for vet bills as well as human medical expenses.
If her credit is so bad that she has been declined for Care Credit, then she has no business buying an expensive puppy that had to flown in from across the country.
In other words, she owes a lot of companies/people money. It is not ethical to withhold payment in order to spend on unnecessary purchases.
She is like a little child. She wants all the toys and she wants them now. The satisfaction of having earned something takes a back seat to acquiring them by hook or by crook. Mostly by crook.
If she can't even get Care Credit, she definitely has no business owning any animals!!! By acquiring a pet you are implicitly promising that animal that you will meet its needs, including providing medical care. If you can't do that you need to wait until you are financially stable enough to do so. Depending on donations from the internet is obviously unethical (and you're right - I see no evidence that she is concerned about that) but also uncertain. I hope that the business owners in her town stop extending credit to her. I certainly couldn't walk into my vet's office with a sick or injured animal and tell them that I would pay them later!
She's already had to take the pup to the vets for roundworm and such. And probably paid for it. And she just bought four pigs. And probably had to pay for them. I think she has money. She just knows that begging for it, really helps to keep the coffers full. She can beg and still have money. After all, she had the gall to beg for her dental work, all the while making payments on a puppy. She's just a con artist. She is always hunting out the next scam and act that will garner her more response in the form of donations and such. It's quite clear that her community is split between lovers of her and not lovers... her comments about raising herself in the community are clearly signs that she was not so well admired in some circles. (Who thinks that way unless someone has confronted them... Hmmm?)
I think she's just a lonely individual who needs constant reassurance of her importance in the scheme of things and she gets it through her books, the blog and her "quirky, scrappy' personna. She's like that weird old dude that makes scrap art and gets a little acknowledgement from an outside source and then is a local legend. She wants everyone to see how clever and wonderful her little "farm" is and that's why she hosts stuff there all the time because it's her center stage in her little circus. It's really pretty sad.
She's got a lot of potential, but she blows it all on "look at me" things instead of making a real go at it. No wonder her "friends" kind of come and go. They see the sparkle and are lured in but after awhile, it wears off and they move on to bigger and better pastures...
Ditto Anon 11:36 Narcissism reigns supreme, why not just have a weekend camp celebrating all things Jenna, oh wait, that's Antlerstock. Did she even pay all her debts yet to all the townsfolk who have lent her moolah, it may end like Frankenstein up there. Anybody want to be her neighbor, the parcel that surrounds CAF is for sale, I'm sure she'll kickstart to expand and "Save the Farm!", only a couple hundred thou, but it's for meeeeeeeeeeeeee
Remember her comment, "it takes a village to raise a Jenna"? Now she is talking about trying to restore her reputation. I guess the village has had enough.
She makes me want to puke.
ReplyDeleteI hope she doesn't mind that Gibson's got a new girlfriend now.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what it feels like to be the man with the missing front tooth that sent her a donation for a root canal only to see that she had a puppy flown in from Idaho?
ReplyDeleteOops! Looks like Jenna's frenemy let the cat out of the bag and went and posted a link to the Mill Iron S Ranch page. Jenna's been trying so hard to keep it a secret---- you gotta wonder, did the breeders put a gag order on her? A three-sheep shepherd makes for a pretty underwhelming testimonial.
ReplyDeleteIt won't be long before she gets in another brown study and strikes out to find a four-legged pick-me-up. I've got $10 that says she has a new horsey in her pasture by August. In the meantime, she will be having many, many root canals.
This is too funny, thank you very much.. if it weren't true I would be laughing out loud!!
DeleteYou win. She's picking up the horse this week.
Deletehttp://www.meetup.com/Tyrs-Good-Hand-Asatru-Study-Group/events/222206947/
So she can't pay her bills,she owes people money,she constantly struggles with things on her property ( so not calling it a farm), and her answer to all of that is to lie about a root canal to get funds for a new puppy?
ReplyDeleteWhen are people going to wake up???
Someone on Facebook asked why she got a dog from cattle working lines. Good question. Does she know anything about them?
ReplyDeleteWhy know things? Just jump in and let the magical world provide you with everything! Knowing things is for naysayers.
Delete-CdP
You're right, I 'm so ashamed. I forgot who I was talking about.
DeleteSo what about the "bad" thing that happened where she had to sell her prized violin?
ReplyDeleteMaybe she needed money for the airfare or the final payment on the puppy.
She is so incredibly dishonest. It makes me sick.
Her reasoning for getting the puppy was going through a few bad winters and feeling melancholy.
ReplyDeleteSounds like retail therapy to me. How very poodle of her.
Shall we take bets on when the next "crisis" will hit? I feel a Kickstarter coming on.
ReplyDeleteJenna IS truly magical. She can make other people's money disappear.
ReplyDeleteI've been noticing that even her 'flock' of adoring fans must be dwindling. She's getting fewer and fewer comments all the time.
ReplyDeleteHer posts get more comments on THIS blog!!!
DeleteI've got a suspicion her "bad news" was she had to pay for the puppy in full. If Mill Iron doesn't get a new logo made by Jenna in the next little bit there's your answer. Well, assuming she doesn't just stiff them on it of course.
ReplyDeleteSome of her BC friends are making some subtle criticisms about the breeder. Yeah, 17 puppies this month alone -- priced $500-1000. That's a nice little chunk of change. They take credit cards and ship worldwide....what are they, the Wal-Mart of the Border Collie world?
Probably the only kind of breeder she could find that would agree to sell her a puppy. She tried to get one from Gibson's breeder but the breeder wouldn't sell to her anymore.
DeleteI suspect no one local would sell her a dog either. I was involved in the rescue she got the female border collie from a few years ago. The dog's name was Sarah-- which she later returned, claiming it bit people. In actuality, she did not understand how to handle that dog, and at the time had little understanding or experience with how complicated border collies can be. In once instance she relayed, she told us she had the dog in a small, crowded store, when it snapped at the owner who then threatened to sue her. She never should have brought the dog into that store. In another instance she wrote about on her blog but didn't tell the trainer who gave her Sarah (I'm guessing out of embarrassment), one of her sheep almost killed Sarah by ramming her into a fence post, due to Jenna's incompetence.
DeleteAnyways. She has a horrible, awful reputation in the Vermont/New York border collie breeding/training circles. No one I know would EVER sell her a dog, or trust her with a rescue dog. She's clueless. No matter how much she wants border collies to be "her" dog breed, I don't think she's well suited to them. When I've been around Jenna in person she was always too clumsy, too jerky with her animals. She lacks awareness of herself and any animal she's handling. You have to have a certain amount of grace and confidence around animals to be successful with a border collie. She just doesn't have it.
-Jamie
She said on FB a big part of the reason she got the puppy from these folks is that they would take payments.
DeleteI would think for a non-essential like a second dog you could just save up your money first.......like, what was the rush here? Boredom imminent! Must get new puppy now!
I don't have sheep but even I know that BCs are highly intelligent animals who need constant work, training, and stimulation to keep them happy. There are plenty of dog breeds out there for someone who insists on a purebred but doesn't want a lot of work to go with it. It's criminal that Jenna has somehow managed to let two BCs go utterly to waste, let alone get her hands on a third.
Delete-CdP
If you know what you're doing, and you work really hard for the first 2 to 4 years, you can train a working BC. Then they are really good dogs and make you feel like they can read your mind and that they'd do anything for you. But, you can't be lazy and you can't get bored easily or decide you don't like to pay attention to the details.
DeleteI have a BC/blue heeler mix that I rescued and he is ridiculously intelligent and trainable. But some things took all 5 years of his life to get down due to life getting in the way and throwing inconsistencies at me. However, I didn't get him with the intention of being a working dog. He's a pet and I am under no delusions to the contrary. This person's tendency to acquire animals and then become too lazy to put in actual work with them is beyond annoying. Her lip service toward working animals actually is doing more harm than good because she has destroyed her reputation.
DeleteNew horse in the works? New kitten, new puppy--- she's on one hell of an animal accumulating streak.
ReplyDeleteJenna: So there is a freak chance that I may be picking up a new horse this day, and it is the only day I can do it since a friend is offering her trailer and vehicle.
Jenna's gonna tow a horse trailer now? This should be good....
Did she post the horse trailer bit today?
ReplyDeleteA few days ago on her meetup page:
Deletehttp://www.meetup.com/Tyrs-Good-Hand-Asatru-Study-Group/events/222206947/
UNBELIEVABLE. Now, another horse?
DeleteI just read that heathenry meet-up thing. She is setting those poor people for something related to sucking money or work out of them....
DeleteYep. You can purchase items to help offset the cost of the meetup group at $20 month-shirts, stein, stickers.....
DeleteFunny....no money for dental care, but found $20/month for that, $$ to create themed items, $$$$ for a puppy, etc., etc.
And she has time to deal with such trivial things as delivering items to people who have already paid.....but she has time to do all of the above.
Someone down below said it best....reading that site creeps me out too. ICK! I used to want to see her succeed, but my opinion is rapidly changing. None of what she does is making an income, she's just lazy play-acting her way through life. It's disgusting really.
Oops, should read, "she has NO time to deal with trivial things..."
DeleteWhat a coincidence. Jon Katz just got a new puppy and new horse. Jenna must be keeping up with the Katz's.
ReplyDeleteSo how can she afford a new horse if she's always squawking about wolves at the door and late mortgage payments and root canals and bad news? You tell me.
This is way off topic, but I wanted to share my own little suburban homestead story this morning. I have a Black Australorp hen that went broody on a bunch of duck eggs about a month ago. I decided to let her set them, but it had been so long I was afraid the eggs were duds.
ReplyDeleteThis morning I went out to do coop chores (I have 10 hens and 7 ducks) and lo and behold, there were three little black puffballs under that hen! They are either purebred Khaki or Khaki/Cayuga crosses. I'm thinking a cross because they are really dark. I don't think my Khakis were that dark when they were ducklings.
I set up a chick waterer and nonmedicated feed for them, and showed them how to drink and eat. Mama was calm and clucking quietly while I was handling them, but very attentive to them so I think instead of pulling them out and into a brooder I'll let her raise them.
Today I'll be busy setting up a separation panel in the coop so they'll have a separate space from all the other adults. I bet mama will freak out the first time her "chicks" go swimming! LOL Thanks for reading, and thanks for hosting this blog Meredith.
Great story!
DeleteCongrats! I so hope one of my hens goes broody one day (they're still young though so we'll see :) )
DeleteInteresting that she is calling herself "Corbie" on the Meetup site. You'd think she would post under ColdAntler - use the site as advertising.
ReplyDeleteBecause I don't think the majority of her poodle readers would take as kindly to the whole 15 years as a pagan thing. She hints at it here and there but never really comes out and explains it all, her faith. I guess that's between her and the wolf gods, or whatever, but I think it wouldn't be the very best in marketing for her "brand". Just me thinking outloud. Of course, it all fits with the fantasy, magic, kilts and all that stuff in her life. She's really not a homesteader in my mind... she's a fantasy reenactor with a big yard and a lot of props.
DeleteYeah, I also figured she was skimming over this Heathen stuff because it isn't "saleable" to her audience.
Delete"she's a fantasy reenactor with a big yard and a lot of props."
Good way to put it. It strikes me as pretty sad, her whole life is just one big costume party.
The nasty heathen religion thing creeps me out. ..explains the naked running around the yard. I don't think I will go to her web site anymore. yuck. I thought she was playing dress-up with the Highland clothes and such, but she is really a believer in paganism. That's a step away (or already into) black magic and BAD karma.
DeleteNot to be all #notallpagans about it but paganism isn't a monolith any more than Christianity is. If anything, less so since arguably all Christians at least agree on believing in Jesus even if they practice that belief in different ways. Pagans have different gods and goddesses which may have little to no overlap. Some pagans believe in magick and formal rituals and others simply like to take note of the wheel of the year and say a quick prayer of thanks for whatever blessings life sends our way.
DeleteThat being said, as someone with pagan leanings, I must admit my own first thought about finding out that Jenna is is to sigh and facepalm over how she's probably giving THAT as bad of a name as she is her animal husbandry.
-CdP
She's using "Corbie" in an attempt to remain anonymous, yet still can't resist putting up another photo of herself.
Delete-CdP
DeleteI agree with you in this respect. Some people using the label of Pagan would be just as creepy under any other circumstances, but are doing damage to minority practitioners due to their creepiness. I just facepalm and sigh, because there's not much else I can do.
I've known a few pagans in my time and most were very decent and well rounded, thoughtful people. And I think they would find her annoying. Everything she seems to do, she exploits and wears like a badge of honor. She is always seeking the pat on the back, oh yes, you are so unique and fascinating... when in reality, ALL people have some neat little facet of their lives that others might admire... and don't seek to always exploit it.
DeleteAnon 9:21-- I love your comment. She thinks she's so unique and amazing because she does X.....yet she never seems to have any trouble finding other people who also do X....should this not clue her in to the fact that she's not the rare bird she thinks she is?
DeleteI feel quite sorry for the people who donated money for her "root canal". I hope that they (and her other readers) at least ask themselves why Ms. Wogenrich would lie on her blog, saying that she had no money for dental work, while she was secretly making payments on a new puppy. Yet I see no such comments on her blog. I know that she screens them, but you'd think one would stay up for a few minutes if someone had asked.
ReplyDeleteI believe she sees them first before they get posted. In other words, they don't get posted until she approves. So if anyone questioned her, she probably deleted the comment.
DeleteFacebook is another matter. I wonder if anyone questioned her there. The comments come up immediately.
Could one of you who is on FB copy and paste some of these comments from here?
DeleteHonestly, I don't think she has a clan. I think she has a cult.
ReplyDeleteA quote from her draft horse primer meet-up page: "We will learn, pull some logs out of the woods, stack, chop, and help prepare the farm for winter. Winter is always coming! " Basically I think she's having to find new ways to convince people to do her farm work for her... I imagine her local facebook friend free labor pool has pretty much dried up.
ReplyDeleteShe has lifted her MO right out of the pages of Tom Sawyer. Remember how he got other people to whitewash the fence for him? Heck, he even got people to pay him for the 'privilege'!
DeleteShe has taken a lot of flack for buying wood when she has acres of her own, yet she would not harvest it herself. I'm not surprised she has figured out a way to get free labor.
Well, like the saying goes...a fool and their money are easily parted.
ReplyDelete~j~
Someone posted a comment about her puppy about how they can't wait to see her two border collies working side by side to help her on the farm. That is so hilarious, riiiight??!!. I almost hope it is someone making fun of her, but she took it seriously and let it be published. And YES - she sees the comments FIRST and decides if they get published. I wish someone would call her out on face book about the root canal/Gibson's bills/new puppy issue. If I did facebook, I totally would. If she has that kind of money then I want my $100 for the dang instructive videos I never got.
ReplyDeleteThat shit owes you a $100 bucks!
DeleteHer excuse for not making the webinars was that she didn't have the necessary equipment to make and edit videos......well, she does now--- she's cranked out tons of vlogs. She should have refunded everyone the moment she came to the conclusion she couldn't make the webinars.
And yes, her readers! Dumb! When has anyone witnessed Gibson doing anything resembling useful work?
So now she's going to start selling goat's milk soap. How long before the unwashed masses start complaining because they never got any soap?
ReplyDeletePun intended on "unwashed masses"? :D
Delete-CdP
I haven't looked but are her meetups scheduled the same day as workshops? Are some paying while others aren't? Is she doing these instead of workshops...if so her "yearly pass" members should be pissed.
ReplyDeleteOut with the old in with the New.
Notice she has time to make a New lifestyle logo for herself and create another brand while her paying customers wait and wait....
Scammers gonna scam.
ReplyDeleteI could care less that she's Heathen, frankly, I find it boring, it's no more or less offensive to me than any other religion. What is interesting to me is the apparent disconnect between what she's writing about her life and values and reality. She's been posting on reddit as Sheildmare in a Asatru subreddit ----- while this woman was begging and manipulating her readers to pay for a root canal and help her out when she got "bad news" she was making payments on a puppy. She owed her mechanic money. Yet, she writes a long-winded piece about how her reputation is improving and she's a better person now...... Oh, really?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.reddit.com/r/asatru/comments/316od3/what_heathenry_has_done_to_me_long_post/
You can click on Shieldmare and read the rest of her crap. For some reason she felt the need to repeatedly point out that she's ok with eating horses. And yes, she totally exaggerates her doings on the farm as usual. Couldn't farm without her sheepdog, Merlin's used for logging......
WOW her post on "If gender identity is fluid how about cultural identity?" Just WOW. I'm trying to imagine how to make that even more offensive and it is just not coming. Wow.
Delete-CdP
That post was just effing sad. She trolls the web posting all sorts of me, me ,me, look at me posts to gather new fans for her fantasy.
DeleteAs for that book of what ever...sounds like my "to-do" list and project book for long and short term projects. Has nothing to do with Heathen, ancient Norse religion of the Gods. It's just common sense from an organized person.
Good grief does this chick have ISSUES.
~j~
As I was reading it, I began to wonder if this was the Stephen Covey edition of the Havamal she was talking about. At 32 years old do you really nead a Viking self-help book to tell you to pay your bills?
DeleteI find it interesting that on her Meetup profile, she claims to be a practicing Pagan or whatever for 15 years. When I first started reading her blog over 5 years ago, she was a Zen Buddhist who went on Zen retreats. She had been a Zen Buddhist since she was in college, according to her. She's what, 30 or 32? Why can't she just say she's been a Pagan for the past 3 years? Why say 15 years? Why does she have to be perceived as an expert at everything she's interested in at the moment? She's always searching for something, and at this point I'm afraid she won't ever find it if she hasn't already.
ReplyDeleteI read the reddit post referenced above. I'm pretty shocked that she stiffed the MECHANIC in her OWN TOWN! She would not be in that position if she got an actual job in her vast spare time.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine the f'in arrogance it takes to not pay your mechanic because you are using the money to buy a puppy? What, the mechanic doesn't have bills to pay? He should carry her debt because why??
DeleteBut she's standing taller because she sent $50 on the bill---- huh? It's assumed you're going to pay the bill--- why puff up with pride for sending a fraction of it? Does she stand taller when she buys gas?
If someone had a health issue, either physical or mental, which made it difficult to pay their bills I could see how even managing to pay a small portion could be a huge step worth celebrating.
DeleteBut for Jenna all I can think of is Chris Rock. What does she want, a cookie? You're SUPPOSED to pay bills. Does she genuinely think the mechanic is dancing for glee because she finally arsed herself to pay a fraction of what she owed?
Also? Not for nothing but it's a classic con artist trick to pay just a tiny amount of what's owed as a way of stringing people along. People see the gesture as proof that the con isn't lying, and really will pay the full amount someday, so they just have to be patient and keep waiting. And when the con comes back at a later date and asks for even more money, that feeling of trust from the smaller payment makes it more likely that people will hand over more cash, making it a net positive from the con's perspective.
-CdP
I love this line: "It has improved my reputation in this little town." As we have all suspected for awhile, we are not the only ones who are on to her scam. I couldn't live with myself if I owed ANYONE money. I would not eat myself just to pay someone else back. Then again, I would never be so dependent on others to pay for my life in the first place. Why is that?? Oh right, because I HAVE A JOB. Oh right and I PRIORITIZE THE NEEDS OVER THE WANTS.
ReplyDeleteAlthough she believes that her reputation has improved (because she paid a little more than a quarter of a very late bill), she's probably wrong about that. People resent not being paid for services, especially if they are aware that their client is spending money on luxuries (a puppy). A $50 payment just doesn't cut it, and she might be surprised to find that he won't do work for her the next time she needs it.
ReplyDeleteShe posted somewhere else that she paid $100 of her $300 electric bill. We will see all this explode in her face. We will. She is on thin once with her debts creeping up on her daily. She gets ruder and snottier in her response to people on Facebook. She will continue to lose fans, continue to try to buy her sadness away by spending more than she has, and continue to screw people. It will catch up with her...and my guess is sooner than later.
ReplyDeleteJust think - she could have paid the entire $300 if she didn't spend all that money on a puppy.
DeleteThin ice*
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:34--- the irony is that she likes to be paid up front.
ReplyDeleteIn all this talk of her reputation being redeemed there's no mention of the wool share or webinar people that are still awaiting their refunds.
You have to wonder how much money she pisses through on late fees alone-- the mortgage, the electric bill, the mechanic----- her truck was nearly repo'd once so we can assume she is/was habitually late on that as well.
I know I must sound like a broken record, but what about the Kickstarter money? Do you mean to tell me she blew through fifteen grand and she's still in narrow straights???? OMG... If I had contributed, I would be so ticked. Why nothing about the dang fan fiction story? I thouht it was rubbish, but still, nothing. No news no nothing. Just another thing she hopes no one will remember?"???
ReplyDeleteI dunno, Anon 11:27--- if she failed to make good on her Kickstarter she wouldn't be able to do it a second time. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the only way she'll be publishing any more books, through crowdfunding. You would think she would be finished with the first draft of Birtchthorn and waiting on edits and doing rewrites--- IF she were going to deliver the book mid-August like she's expected to.
ReplyDeleteNow, not all the of the 15K was just gravy--- she had an itemized list of expenses which left a little pile to "save the farm". Even so, what's she going to pull out of her sleeve this year to save the farm (again....) this year? Let's be real: no one actually wanted to read Birchthorn. She was writing a chapter every time $200 from interested readers was amassed and it fizzled out. She promoted the Kickstarter as a last ditch effort to keep the farm from foreclosure--- people donated because they felt sorry for her, not because they wanted to read poorly written fantasy. I doubt if anyone will even notice if they don't get the book.
I still think a friend (or even Jenna herself) pledged a LARGE donation because that would help her meet the goal. once the goal is met, Jenna gets the money, pays back that friend, and pockets the rest.
DeleteDoes anyone know the name of her mechanic?
ReplyDeleteJenna, April 14th: "Oil change and some truck work done at Hoosick Tire"
ReplyDeleteIn the latest puppy post she said she let the puppy go with her on chores when she takes hay to the horses. Horses? Plural? And there's nothing worse than introducing a herding dog to livestock when they're too young and they might get hurt or frightened. So much for her brilliant dog training. It also sounds like this one is going to be a tough one to train.
ReplyDeleteI noticed the plural horses as well.... that conbined with an earlier post about picking up a horse in a friend's trailer makes mr thibk she's hiding it...because of how crazy it would be to get a new horse AND a new puppy when you can't even pay the utilities bill..
Delete.....and the new kitten a month ago.
DeleteAcquiring animals when you're having financial problems is totally crazy.
She's an animal hoarder.
DeleteIs it just me, or does the "life is new-puppy-like fabulous I'm-so-great" vs. the "people help me I'm feral and poor" cycle seem to be getting far more rapid of late? Used to be the begging/donation manipulations would hit on a roughly monthly basis. Then quiet for the rest of the month. Lately it seems to be far more frequent. It's like reading the diary of a rapid-cycling manic depressive. Frankly, I find it exhausting.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that too. The highs and lows and much closer together. And you're right - it's exhausting.
DeletePatty W.- I know you read this blog and I know you are Jenna's best friend and biggest supporter. You have even chided others for being so negative about her, Do you realize she stiffed your town's mechanic? Instead of paying him $176 she owed, she bought a $1000 puppy?. Can you seriously defend that? I can't imagine you find it ok to not pay back hard working people who cut her a break for the fun of a new puppy. Can you please stop hopelessly defending her and get her some real help? She is going to crash and burn. She will listen to you. Help her, please.
ReplyDeleteBiggest. Enabler. Ever.
DeleteExactly. How is she going to grow into a productive, sustainable member of society if her fans and local enablers don't let her fail? Failing isn't fun, but it's the only way some people will learn. Instead of enabling her, she should be encouraged to proceede on the incentive program. You work and you get to eat. Work harder, and you get to have luxuries. If you are lazy, a dreamer, and have no tangible product, then you go hungry. This is what most people are faced with, and most find a way to move forward.
DeleteOn FB Jenna says: "I am watching Pitch Perfect. Judge accordingly, but if you think less of me you're probably the kind of person people feel they need to buy microbrews for when you come over"
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of judging...
This from the woman who brews her own mead and cider.
Delete-CdP
I love the little nugget of narcissism in her post: "Isn't it hilarious? A super intellectual like me watching this empty fluff?"
DeleteI don't know how many times she's reminded everyone she doesn't own a TV--- as if that says something important about her. She still manages to watch more TV than your average nursing home resident.
Get over yourself, already.
She considers herself to be a super intellectual? To even be in the running she would first have to have an intellect. She has all the intellect of a retarded squid. Does this blog provide vomit bags?
DeleteHahahahaha! I was just interpreting how the post came across--- though I'm sure she'd consider mentoring Stephen Hawking if she wasn't so busy riding ponies and shooting arrows.
DeleteThis is the second time she has insinuated that a bunch of rich snobs are picking on someone 'poor' like Jenna. WTF?
DeleteI think our two major gripes are her scamming people and her treatment of her animals.
And as for money, my guess is she makes more than I do and spends it twice as fast.
She's just trying to throw up a smokescreen and divert attention from the real issues.
Dude, What's wrong with mircobrews?
DeleteIntellectual?????!!!!!! When's the last time she read anything but fantasy? She doesn't even read farm/livestock info. I wish we had the rolling on the floor laughing smiley.
DeleteAnyone who has to call herself a super intellectual is without a doubt not a super intellectual.
DeleteClarification: she didn't call herself a super intellectual--- that was my interpretation of her little joke about watching Pitch Perfect.
DeleteIrregardless, I'm sure she considers herself a cerebral powerhouse with dazzling insight and she's definately said her friends are "all intellectuals". That must have been a slap in the face to the 10 out 10 of her friends that aren't intellectuals.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this fantastically entertaining site. I've been reading Jenna's blog for a few years and it has turned into a train wreck from which I cannot avert my eyes. Anonymous at 2:45-you're bril! Though you are not giving the squid much credit.
ReplyDeleteGiving her money for the crisis du jour is like giving a panhandler money for food and expecting them to actually buy food. Maybe people should send checks to her dentists office or bank instead of to her. That would certainly cut down on new livestock.
ReplyDeleteExcept that her readers shouldn't be paying for her root canal or mortgage. If she can afford a puppy, she probably had the root canal already paid for - unless her dentist did THAT for her on credit, too. You can get Care Credit, by the way, for vet bills as well as human medical expenses.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
DeleteShe claims she doesn't qualify for Care Credit--- someone somewhere said that wasn't possible--- everyone qualifies.
No, people get declined for Care Credit all the time.
DeleteIf her credit is so bad that she has been declined for Care Credit, then she has no business buying an expensive puppy that had to flown in from across the country.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, she owes a lot of companies/people money. It is not ethical to withhold payment in order to spend on unnecessary purchases.
She is like a little child. She wants all the toys and she wants them now. The satisfaction of having earned something takes a back seat to acquiring them by hook or by crook. Mostly by crook.
ReplyDeleteI think our problem is that we actually believe she cares if she is ethical. She doesn't care.
ReplyDeleteIf she can't even get Care Credit, she definitely has no business owning any animals!!! By acquiring a pet you are implicitly promising that animal that you will meet its needs, including providing medical care. If you can't do that you need to wait until you are financially stable enough to do so. Depending on donations from the internet is obviously unethical (and you're right - I see no evidence that she is concerned about that) but also uncertain. I hope that the business owners in her town stop extending credit to her. I certainly couldn't walk into my vet's office with a sick or injured animal and tell them that I would pay them later!
ReplyDeleteShe's already had to take the pup to the vets for roundworm and such. And probably paid for it. And she just bought four pigs. And probably had to pay for them. I think she has money. She just knows that begging for it, really helps to keep the coffers full. She can beg and still have money. After all, she had the gall to beg for her dental work, all the while making payments on a puppy. She's just a con artist. She is always hunting out the next scam and act that will garner her more response in the form of donations and such. It's quite clear that her community is split between lovers of her and not lovers... her comments about raising herself in the community are clearly signs that she was not so well admired in some circles. (Who thinks that way unless someone has confronted them... Hmmm?)
ReplyDeleteI think she's just a lonely individual who needs constant reassurance of her importance in the scheme of things and she gets it through her books, the blog and her "quirky, scrappy' personna. She's like that weird old dude that makes scrap art and gets a little acknowledgement from an outside source and then is a local legend. She wants everyone to see how clever and wonderful her little "farm" is and that's why she hosts stuff there all the time because it's her center stage in her little circus. It's really pretty sad.
She's got a lot of potential, but she blows it all on "look at me" things instead of making a real go at it. No wonder her "friends" kind of come and go. They see the sparkle and are lured in but after awhile, it wears off and they move on to bigger and better pastures...
Ditto Anon 11:36
ReplyDeleteNarcissism reigns supreme, why not just have a weekend camp celebrating all things Jenna, oh wait, that's Antlerstock.
Did she even pay all her debts yet to all the townsfolk who have lent her moolah, it may end like Frankenstein up there.
Anybody want to be her neighbor, the parcel that surrounds CAF is for sale, I'm sure she'll kickstart to expand and "Save the Farm!", only a couple hundred thou, but it's for meeeeeeeeeeeeee
Remember her comment, "it takes a village to raise a Jenna"? Now she is talking about trying to restore her reputation. I guess the village has had enough.
ReplyDeleteWow, lotta hate over here
ReplyDelete