I just might have some bracelets made.
Sell them for $15 to support...myself (just kidding).
For $60...that's less than the cost of 4 bracelets 'folks' (or 48 essays, permission to look around a property, AND the ability to comment for 1 year) do the following:
Purchase a Flock of Hope from www.heifer.org!
A Flock of Hope may include chicks, ducks or goslings, depending on the cultural, climate and dietary conditions of the region. Families will also receive training on the birds’ care. Your Flock of Hope donation:
Egg production begins almost immediately, which means malnourished children will now have something to eat. Eggs and poultry can also be taken to market and sold, raising much-needed funds for medicine, clothing and more. A Flock of Hope is a remarkable gift that can lift a family from hunger and poverty and ensure their future.
Amen! Donate to people who actually need it. This puts so much in perspective...how could Jenna possibly think it's ok to ask for donations to be her 'friend' and read private blog posts when there are people out there who having one egg a day changes their life. I hope Jenna sees this and realizes how selfish she is for asking people to support her the way she does.
ReplyDeleteSo, $60 to gossip about us. ;-)
DeleteI'm all for the Flock of Hope organization, btw. Much more helpful than flushing $60 down the toilet on a gossip column.
Agree. And, thinking locally, I could spend $60 on quality, nonperishable food - which will fill 4 or 5 grocery sacks and provide many meals for a food pantry recipient.
ReplyDeleteI used to think the bitter taste in my mouth would go away, if she would just mail the yarn we paid for a year and a half ago. Given this recent "buy my secret friendship" post..... Shameful.
Did you all notice how she rewrote part of the Clan post to emphasize the fact you are reading her blog for FREE.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she's trying to scare us with the possibility that her blog will be subscription only. That would be funny cause it would be an immediate demise rather than the slow train wreck she is experiencing now.
Don't forget there is also a comment section available too for a price.
ReplyDelete"The Clan blog is a place to vent, recharge, and share some information about the behind the scenes life at Cold Antler Farm. Since it is private I feel comfortable there talking about things I glance over here. The first post is the real deal response to the "get a job" comments I receive so often. Juicy."
ReplyDeleteIn that second sentence, I think she meant to say "gloss over." Sometimes I'm not quite sure what she's saying, because when I went to school and majored in English Lit., we actually had to learn the language, and our sentences had to make sense.
About a month or more ago, I was on one of those webcast sites looking for an interview by an author, and saw that she had been interviewed on it. I left a comment about her "self sufficient" status. Her fan/friends left some horrible and strange attacks, attempting to justify her begging for money and still call herself a farmer. One of them is from the same state I am and said something about being "ashamed" of me for making my statement and implied that I didn't have First Amendment rights if I didn't believe JennaWord. I don't think it should be called Clan CAF, but Cult CAF. I wonder how long it will be before they're over here trolling. I also shudder to think what she will spew out of her keyboard when she's "just among friends and supporters."
I, too, was glancing for the gloss.
DeleteClan motto... Be of Use.... should really be... Be Abused... ;-)
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm enjoying the facebook comments... if you notice, it's about half half pro and con.... And for SOOOOMMEEE reason, all the Amen Charlies are not chiming in. Gee, I wonder why? I believe they are all just stunned. Cuz trust me... any other good juicy post and they would be allll over that baby like ants on a log! I do believe she really did cut her own throat on this one. I just don't see how making a blog for all her culties to whine and bitch about "private" stuff is really going to get her any kudos with her publisher. If it were me? And I caught wind of anything nasty in print online, she'd be gone. That stuff comes back to bite you in the ass. Only takes ONE person with a little extra cash to pay the fee and get the goods and spread them... foolish foolish foolish little Celticwanna be girl...
It is mind boggling to me, that she is actually trying to charge readers for the privilege of commenting on her blog!! She took the comments off because she didn't want people telling her the truth -- that she was fiscally irresponsible and that's the reason she is behind on her mortgage. And yes, I believe she will lose the farm eventually -- banks don't care about magic, celtic customs, "asking" or any of that other bullshit -- they want their money in cold hard cash. She doesn't get it -- she thinks if she's only a little behind, that it's ok. It's not. If you can't pay your mortgage, something is terribly wrong. Refusing to admit it is fatal. None of those admirers of hers will save her farm. Neither will that cult down the road -- they will wait until it goes into foreclosure, then move in to take the land.
ReplyDeleteAmen. It absolutely amazes me that people give money to support her because she refuses to work when they are so many in real need.
ReplyDeleteAnd apparently people did sign up for the private club, according to her latest post, they paid for brand new tires for her truck today!
I just don't understand how people can be so gullible. Jenna claims to be a homesteader but she doesn't even grow a real garden or put up any food. Basic homesteading 101 is grow and preserve your own food, but that is a lot of work, doesn't leave much time for pony rides and hawk chasing.... she does raise a few animals for meat, but throwing out some grain and filling water buckets doesn't take much effort and by her on admission she doesn't keep the barns clean and tidy. And what about the bees? whatever happened to the honey bees? Heck, I don't even hear anything much about the chickens anymore!
In the beginning I think she really was interested in being a homesteader and living a simple life, but somewhere a long the way she got the idea she could sell the idea of homesteading without the actual hard work of homesteading. She's fooled a lot of folks, but it will catch up with her, these things always do.
Wow, she really is taking a beating in Facebook about this clan thing. Camels back thing I think. Sure there were a few folk to sign up I guess, but I think it's very telling that her rabid fans were ah busy. Yeah, pretty silent. I love that one person who said Jenna couldn't pay someone else to join their clan, so how does she expects others to do so... Oh, of course, the RICH fans can pay.... Ahhhhh..... The financially fluid ones. Unlike her. Oh my gosh.... I've bought all her books and have enjoyed them but she's never done anything to help me... Oh, wait... She writes a blog! Oh, that is the karmic payback! I need to find some more deserving bloggers to follow....
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised she allows the negative comments on FB since that is why she took the comments down on the blog.
DeleteA few folks signed...ok...so. Now she has to entertain them for a year. What the he'll is she going to write about? She's not doing enough "homesteading" to write about that, just pony rides and hawking and that may be gone for another year.
DeleteEver wonder why her blog characters never help her out really? All these people... No bake sales, no loans, no here I want to help things? Her family shuns her. That really says a lot, if you ask me. A lot!
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of good blogs out there put out by people who work for a living, raise livestock, work every day with the animals and have *never* asked for a handout, even when it means eating rice and peas for dinner.So many to chose from. She's a poser and a fake. Let's just hope people finally get it.
ReplyDeleteShe shunned her family,they did not shun her.. How heartbreaking for her family to see her life going this way.
ReplyDeleteI "unliked" her facebook page weeks ago, but sort of miss out on seeing the realistic (aka negative) comments about this. Thanks, Meredith, for having this blog where we normal/realistic "folks" can comment. Hopefully her cult members will make their way over here and get a dose of reality.
ReplyDeleteAnd did anyone else notice she said "road" her horse instead of rode? LMAO!
I did, I laughed.
DeleteI just unliked the page and her personal page as well. Just can't stand it. She was going on about how she makes a living off romantic things that others can't live and crap like that. Someone said, well, then you're not making a living, if you're asking for donations and such! I just can't stand it, it's sucking away my life, not exactly sure why I feel so upset about it. She's just another dumb young woman that has a hard path to journey on soon. I guess it upsets me so because I feel like I've invested in her with both buying her books, and following her tale and rooting for her best interests.... caught up in the Jennagloss... and now feel very much like she just is such a fake. Ugh.... her fans can feed and clothe her while she runs around and plays pretend. I'm done.
ReplyDeleteJenna is sneaky -- she took off the sentence about how several Clan members helped buy her tires. Apparently, leaving that sentence in might have discouraged other Clan members from signing up. Also, people might start asking why she has a truck if she can't afford it.
ReplyDeleteI believe Jenna does have money coming in -- from book advances, and so forth, but she spends it all. Her horse cost $8,000 I believe, and she has to make payments on it. So when she finds herself out of cash, she puts up those whiney, "I'm scared" blogs to try and get money for her daily expenses. That is so tacky. She needs to develop more products to sell, but can't -- no time. Too busy cart horse riding, hawking, attending fairs, playing games. All right, if that's what you want to do with your life, fine. But don't put up those awful whining "I'm scared, I'm really scared, I can't sleep" blogs -- they're ridiculous and fake. Sell honey, make jams and jellies to sell, make goat cheese to sell, but don't try to con the public with that "I'm scared" bit. It's becoming tiresome.
Holy crud. She DID edit the post and removed the part about how new subscribers bought the tires! This is not a conspiracy or "trolling", she is putting publicity spin on her blog entries.
DeleteOne commenter suggested she make an item, then sell the item (soap, knit hat, wool, tea, etc.) the way she used to, years ago. That's an honest way to exchange goods for cash. She could charge whatever she wanted, and it would be FAIR. She is clearly too lazy, or dishonest, to put the work in up front.
Get the wool processed. Settle your debt to the people who "bought your flock". Make things. Sell them. Take the payments. Be honest. Be fair. Be real.
Wow. She did take the part about the clan members paying for her new tires, unbelievable! She must be getting very desperate, that is akin to flat out lying. She has become completely untrustworthy.
DeleteI don't think she will ever change though, even if she looses everything. I've known a couple of women just like her, she is completely convinced that she is in the right and the rest of us are the one with the problem. Once a victim, always a victim.....
She took it out because she doesn't want the new victims to see that the money went for normal common things that most people have to work a 9 to 5 to get. Not something neat or romantic like a sheep on the hill or an exotic hawk or Fell pony. Nope. Tires. It would be like if I begged everyone for help for my fantasy farm and spent it all on oh, redecorating the den... no no, like paying the trash bill. Oh, no, worse. Ah... something dumb and everyday. Oil change. Or lawn service.
DeleteI love the idea that she just MAKE stuff and sell it. Even though I always thought her pricing was way way way outta whack. (Again with that self importance thing) I admire the Beekman Boys... at least with their whining and marketing they do offer a lot of products and such with their 'Homesteading" story. And they work for and with their New York community. I've bought a few of their books and have enjoyed them. That is how folks support writers...
I love how on Facebook she is trying to explain that writing and royalty checks are only a few hundred dollars and sometimes nothing and advances are not much... so, like ah. then it's not really good income is it. Honestly. Ugh. But yet then she turns around and says that the people with their monthly payments could make her salary up if they would just be a bit more plentiful... she says she was getting 390 a week.... gosh... even if she's getting $200 a week from the suckers and ads... $800 for just nothing?? On top of all the other offers and deals? Why the heck can't she make ends meet? Some people live on that much... and that's just her no work money! Oh maddening...
I almost wish I was on Facebook in order to see the chaos there....this is unreal. She actually said that people could make make up her salary if they would be a bit more plentiful? Even if she said it between the lines, that's just unbelievable! Oh how I would LOVE to hear why it's just not possible to GET A JOB. But I don't want to hear it bad enough to throw away $65!
DeleteShoot, she said that on the blog! About that seed/hay/whatever monthly donation/subscription thing. I forget exactly how it was worded but she said if just a few more signed up it would be like her old salary would be replaced and give her peace of mind and she could sleep better and all that crud.
DeleteThursday, November 7th, 2013...
Delete"Right now I think there are around 27 subscribers, and they contribute something like $275 dollars a month. That is such an amazing thing to wake up to in your paypal account, enough to covera truck payment or buy enough feed for this place to last two weeks. And if everyone who read the blog signed up for only five bucks a month I would have the equivelent to my old corporate salaray."
Oh that's just....oh my!
DeleteI really hope more people find THIS blog and realize what a fraud she is. I used to read the blog but have never donated, but I feel bad for everyone who did. We can hope that more people wake up and see her for what she is.
If she lives and works at home why the heck is she buying NEW snow tires, instead of getting them used like the rest of us. She doesn't have anywhere she HAS to be and most places have plows and such, even in New York, and the roads are cleared off eventually. She can hole up for a day or two you would think. I wondered where she got the cash, and didn't see the line on the blog, as she took it off.
ReplyDeleteThose I'm scared posts just really started to ruffle me. We are all scared, honey, we all have things that keep us awake. Of course, constant bad choices and frivolous 'romantic' hobbies all the time certainly do suck up resources, time and so much more.
As to what the "new blog" readers will get? I think it's hardly a selling point, myself, to learn that the first post will be all about WHY I CAN"T GET A JOB.... honestly, ugh. I just can't seem to get her bad taste of the last couple weeks outta my mouth. It's like therapy to come here and read what others are saying because I thought I was the only one that was shaking my head and wondering what the heck????
I wish I could get people to just send me money each month for nothing. Instead, I just make and sell soap. ;-)
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know why 3:47 is such a significant time of day for her? The first quote is from a re-post she put up this week, the second is from an article in Mother Earth.
ReplyDelete"HOOOO! You should see this place. Man, it's so beautiful. I mean a Wednesday afternoon at 3:47 is fall-down-the-stairs stunning. "
" It hits us the hardest when we are farthest from our dreams. So to fight it we must simply have faith that some day 3:47 p.m. will mean grabbing a saddle instead of a spreadsheet."
Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/yearning-to-farm.aspx#ixzz2mB7MZTVX
Fools and their money are soon parted. Jenna has done a very good job building her following, and cultivating free money. Unfortunately, she built it all on lies,and wishes. I estimate maybe one out of ten of those who actually expect to get something back for their money (CSA, or, now this latest CLAN SCAM) will maybe see something. She's embarrassing herself and her family. I am embarrassed to say that I actually believed she had some morals and integrity. I do not believe ONE thing she says.
ReplyDeleteAnyone catch that slur at the end of her newest blog post? Don't be a dick? Really Jenna? Boy, the gall you have.. BEG for money and then tell everyone not to be a dick. Nice.. You are falling to new lows. Go take a shower, and wash your brain out too.
ReplyDeleteI caught that, too. I must admit I wasn't surprised. In the past she used to manipulate her fans to say those things for her. Anyone else remember how she allowed people in the comments section to heap abuse on Meredith A? J could have nipped it in the bud, but instead she encouraged it by acting hurt and abused. Of course, her fans/friends/followers had to defend her since J is too "kind-hearted" to do it herself. Meredith was one of the few brave ones to speak out earlier in the game and call it for what it was/is, some of us weren't so brave. Meredith, I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember. I had a bit of abuse over there too, and recently on FB. Someone privately berated me, so I publicly posted it on her FB. He never said another word. But the disturbing thing was, neither did Jenna. Like, "Hey, folks! Keep it nice!" or something... nope. Not a word.
DeleteWell, now she's saying "don't be a dick" so that should apply on FB too. I had to look up, but I get it. Did she have a bunch of people on FB being dicks?
DeleteIt would never occur to her to "nip it in the bud". In fact, earlier this year she encouraged her psycho fan base to mob another homesteaders blog. Even prompted them on FB. But, bravo to the blogger they kept on posting and a few days later JW took down her comment section. Curious. I guess she can dish it out but not take it.
DeleteShould be careful how you treat people it always come back to bite you in the ass.
Yeah, funny how her fans would "shame" Meredith for being so mean, yet they'd hurl insults right back her way too. Hypocrites.
ReplyDeleteAre there other blogs that talk about her abuse and all? I just wondered...
ReplyDeleteBoy, this comment above sounds suspiciously like someone we know, or one of her fans.... To whomever this is, yes, there are at least two others, and their popularity increases daily.
ReplyDeleteThere's 3? Care to share what they are?
DeleteNo it's not her or fans, it's me, and I've been reading this blog and commenting here and there. I'm just another burned butt she has frosted... Another of the ones jilted into buying books and reading and donating.... Shesh.... Just wondered if there was more therapy reading online! Ha... I'm still in recovery mode. I read kelpies... Wondering if there are more points of view....
DeletePlease give us something to search for, I've tried but all the one woman disaster PR comes up only.... Although I did read all the low star reviews on Amazon.... Yikes!
DeleteNot a blog about J. Not my blog. Just some poor homesteader JW's crazies went after. Too bad to, they could have learned something if they bothered to read the info.
ReplyDeleteLet's put it this way, thank GOD for this site, as getting the truth out about the real Jenna, has been a long time coming. Interesting to learn she was kicked off her college equestrian team for mis-handling a horse.. We've also learned that her dogs are crated for hours, having to mess in their crates before they are let out. That in *addition* to the several cats that just die, and all the livestock, remember her dog eating all her chicks? Buying a memoir from her is like buying a memoir from the person(s) who engineered the Titanic
ReplyDeleteYou forgot the dead ferret and several thousand bees and more chickens than a factory farm. She's got a death list as long as her arm. Sheep... Pigs... Remember the yellow livered pigs that were up salvageable as meat? And nw she has a hawk, I hear. Good god....
ReplyDeletePerhaps her next book ought to be titled "How to kill an animal with not even trying"
ReplyDeleteShe got the hawk this morning, and words cannot describe how sad I feel about it. I realize they have a high juvenile mortality rate anyway, but it's still a shame that she now has another captive animal at her mercy. Hopefully the first time it's let go it will keep on going.
ReplyDeleteWhat I can't believe is how ignorant her mentor seems to be about her history with animals. You'd think there would be more vetting of a person who wants to enter this sport to make sure they are truly committed and capable for the long haul.
ReplyDeleteMy God you have to be screened to buy a gun, take classes (and pass) to hunt, why not more scrutany to capture a wild animal? Just shaking my head.
Hoping the mentor and this group of falconers in her area realize how unsuitable she is before it's too late.
It's too late......... she trapped one.
DeleteOh, people can fool people all the time. She's obviously good at putting on a false front to people. So many people don't have a clue about anything rural or homesteady or anything like that. So they see she has books written and holds classes and has book signings and such and that glossing over the whole research thing. Unless you are good at digging online or something, and frankly why would you worry when 99% of what you're going to find is going to be book people singing her praises or her own blog posts and so on and so on. It's so easy to fool the masses. Her mentor doesn't look like he's some net saavy dude, he probably doesn't even ready her blog or anything. She's slick at the whole, look at me, I'm soooooo special and spunky and just just, you so want to be friends with me and help me and all, right? I mean, sure. Not many people get to write books and there is a celebrity shine to her, I'm very certain. I was caught up in the glare for a good long while and so are so many others. She weaves dreamy prose to those who will NEVER get up off the couch to slop hogs or feed chickens or any of those things they see of on TV and think they would like to do, but well, they never will. It's just all kind of sad, to see the veneer slide off her golden flanks like cheap gilt makeup. Sad.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe anyone over the age of 10 would even think up a "secret club." Do you get a decoder ring for Jenna's messages? It sounds like the Little Orphan Annie club on A Christmas Story, I can just imagine her fans twirling their rings to spell out "Support CAF." The whole thing gets more bizarre all the time.
ReplyDeleteHere's what's got me stumped. She busted on the wool CSA and owes people money, right? She busted on the webcasting and owes people money, right? She says, "My bad, but I offered refunds in installments......" Her animals, by her own account, seem to be getting sick or dying in numbers. So why hasn't some oversight entity looked into these publicly-made claims? It would seem to me that the Better Business Bureau, at the very least might want to look into these constant debunks of folks' hard-earned money, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteI recall all the lashing and bashing you took, Meredith, for only posting truthful and factual responses. I took quite a bashing, as well, for the crime of defending and supporting your right to post your opinion and offer facts. We, sadly, weren't in the "J Rah-Rah Club......" LOL seems that the fan club is dwindling at record speed. Dollars to donuts that "The Clan" (questionable name, really) members will be screaming for refunds (in installments of course) in record time when they realize they've been had and yet again, she can't live up to what she promises. Quite frankly, anyone who pays $65 to hear about why she WON'T get a job is fool, in my opinion. Seriously, a spin on laziness for $65?
It is surprising how many people would consider signing up for the clan when you are so right... all the other "monthly" plans have fallen through. I remember the wheat/bread one... the wool csa of course, and the Birchthorn pay as I write thing and the webcasting thing and just a few others I can't seem to recall. All of which are non-functioning. Just unbelievable that folks who are long time readers especially, are going to fall for this. I just can't believe it... and then to say that the first post is all about why she can't get a job. Unbelievable. Gosh, if I had 6.5 acres and all that I would be so busy just playing and planting and making it work! Such a waste.
ReplyDeleteCould someone please post where there are other ex-Jenna fans hanging out? Thanks a bunch!!!!!!
I'd like to know that too.
DeleteOh and don't forget the novel she was writing in installments, whenever people hit a dollar amount of donations. That died out after a few chapters, same as everything else there does.
ReplyDeleteThat was really dumb. I never did figure that one out, but I hadn't read many of her posts either.
DeleteHi everyone:
ReplyDeleteHere is a really cool website of real farmers. Vetted out already. Good, hardworking people walking the walk. Check it out.
http://www.fundafarmer.org/meet-the-farmers/
Jenna, if you are reading this, and I hope you are – this is how magic works. Get a full time job and do your blogging/workshops/writing /pig shares in the evening and on weekends. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but I’ll bet it will only take a few years to pay down debt and build an emergency fund. Return the money to the wool and webinar CSA subscribers (don’t wait for them to ask for it). Don't rely on your readers to send you money - they have bills to pay too. Remember, the less you owe, the less you need to earn. And that is how magic is done
ReplyDeleteTo quote the Jennafans, YAY! Go Girl!
ReplyDeleteShe acts like she'll be hunting with this bird in a few weeks. Training (anything) takes time, patients, consistency, work and dedication. I've never seen much of that out of her. Only flitting from "adventure" to "adventure". And, she can't hunt with him for quite a while. The novelty will ware off just like it has with so many other "adventures"
ReplyDeleteBesides, what is she going to hunt? A single person only needs so much meat.
"he will remain a wild animal. He is not a pet, but a partner in the hunt." REALLY...Gibson is a useless herding dog with bad habits because of poor training. She turned him from a partner in a flock to a truck dog.
Just a total shame.
Interesting that Gibson is no where around. She said something about the bird and her as partners alone and such. Maybe he's getting a little taste of Annie's life as a left behind creature.
ReplyDeleteThe bird is not a partner, that's just a lie she tells herself. He's a captive. That comment she made about it being a "dance" is a complete sham. It's like someone kidnapping a girl and putting chains around her legs and then demanding that she dance. That's the kind of dance Jenna is doing with this bird. It's disgusting. It shows you that her priorities are NOT her farm or homesteading. She doesn't love Gibson or Merlin (or Annie or Jasper) they are props.
DeleteOh yeah... he's yesterday's news..... I wonder how soon before she starts having people come over to look at the bird, and charging admission? BARF.
ReplyDeleteI used to find Jenna inspirational until I started reading her blog and constant pleas for money. Can you imagine how much she must be paying out in late fees for her mortgage and truck? For every late payment, there is a stiff penalty plus interest. Since she is chronically late, she is spending money that could be used for animal care. Instead of getting a job, she is spending time chasing hawks. She is fiddling while Rome is burning. Unbelievable! No wonder she can't sleep at night.I wouldn't be able to either.
ReplyDelete^ Agree. The tone of her blog (around the time Made from Scratch was published, and for a while thereafter) was completely different. There were recipes, project ideas, and lots of great conversation took place in the comments. Both book and blog were very inspirational, and lots of people tackled projects and discussed their successes and failures. She used to sell items (soap, tea, etc.) on Etsy, but it wasn't the focus of the blog. People liked what they bought, and she sold out, and made more, and sold out. Happy buyers, happy seller.
DeleteThen, somewhere along the way, the train derailed.... and now it's all about money, animal hoarding, unfinished projects, and debts owed.
~ A
That is exactly how I feel, too. I think when her job went out the door, so did her last link to reality (the "work hard and pay your own bills" reality, that is). I was able to relate to her writing so much better when she was not trying to be Rob Roy all the time. Plus at least half her posts are now stuffed with pushing workshops, subscriptions, and selling her possessions,because her fantasy life needs funding and she seems unwilling to work any kind of regular job for it).
DeleteYou are so right, I think her writing has suffered too. She is no longer a homesteader or a farmer of any kind with any substance for her writing, just a fantasy chasing dreamer.
ReplyDeleteSo very true. I absolutely loved the first book and the blog in the earlier days. Great fun and always interesting. And honestly, she seemed much happier while she had a life that was balanced between home and office. Now it all seems desperate and weird.
ReplyDeleteI received an email back from her in response to a suggestion she get a full time job. She said she actually makes more now than she did at her corporate job.
ReplyDeleteWorkshops, book deals and pig shares are all legitimate ways to earn a living. What bothers me is the constant begging and the sympathy ploys of "I'm scared" or of posting pictures of her sick lamb and saying she can't afford a vet. I'm also bothered by the 'pay to play' scheme. You pay, she plays. So much of her money must be going to paying late fees and penalties on her house, truck and credit cards. Not to mention her hobbies.
Another annoyance was the blog post where she said if all her readers would send money, she could have the equivalent of her corporate salary. Why would I work in an office and send money to her so she doesn't have to?
Because she can no longer tell the truth from a lie. Remember, her former colleague at Orvis told us how she would have been fired if she had not quit. She may make more money now instead of a real job, but with every minute of every day she loses yet another "once believer". There is no way for her to maintain her free ride, when she has nothing to return to the readers. Does anyone know how much it costs to feed pigs? Sure, they get to process weight fast, but I, who HAS a job could not afford to feed pigs, AND I have a job. But remember, these pigs have already been bought by their perspective pork eaters, so that money is already spent, just like EVERYTHING she has. Is there any truth to anything she writes anymore?
ReplyDeleteHmmm, interesting, I don't remember hearing about the Orvis colleague. Not surprising, though, I sort of wondered about that at the time she quit. I didn't get the impression that she was going to be voted "employee of the year."
DeleteIt takes about 10 bags of feed to grow out a pig to 250lbs at something like $15-20 per 50lb bag. She has, what, 4 pigs? I'm sure the pig share money was paid up front and spent quickly, but not on feed.
DeleteI've worked in companies for 25 years. When she announced her job was being cut to 4 days a week that was the telling sign, at least for me. They were moving her into a position to move her out.
ReplyDeleteIf she makes more now than when she worked why can't she afford to feed her animals? A money management thing I suspect. Or, lack of money mgt.
Or she lied.
DeleteI was thinking back to the old days when I absolutely loved her blog. Yet, even then, I suspect there was a lot we didn't know, that never saw the light of day, or at least, made it to her blog. After all, she was basically evicted from her rental property for not caring for it properly, and at least one or two of her neighbors were concerned enough to call the local Animal Control Officers about the treatment of her animals, even back then. At the time I gave her the benefit of the doubt, because there are many people who don't understand that farm animals are not treated as pampered pets. But based on the mortality rate at her new "farm", probably their concerns were actually justified. Maybe the blog and books were smoke and mirrors, even back then. That makes me feel very sad.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed there have been no photos of the animals recently? Especially the sheep and pigs, or Jasper for that matter. I would be willing to bet they are thin and malnourished ....
ReplyDeleteYou know I was thinking the same thing. There are very very few photos of the whole place or the animals and such. Kinda of weird...
ReplyDeleteAnd let's not forget it was donors who bought her fancy camera. No simple point and shoot for her, no way.
Delete"There's a new camera here, my first Canon. It's the EOS Rebel. It costs half a mortgage payment and it took me three days and the manual to learn how to take a picture. It was paid for by the folks who read this blog through contributions, and for that I thank you and will repay you with many, many, images in the years to come!....I hope the pictures show a clearer and more open view of my life and the farm."
That was in Feb of this year. Well so much for that. Another hobby out the window.......NEXT.....
You're kidding! Her readers paid over $500 for a camera for her? When I bought one, I waited patiently until they went on sale and paid $250.00 for a cheaper model. I guess her other readers have more money than I do, or not so many mouths to feed.
DeleteI don't remember reading that, but I've skipped a lot of posts since she 1)bought Merlin on installment payments because she can't afford him, and then begged for money to make the payments. 2)started talking about falconry and trapping a bird.
They sure did. The above post was from Feb 10, 2013. She put a pledge request on the blog on 1/30 and on 2/1 she said "Thank you for the contributions! I ordered a low-end Canon Rebel!" The funny thing is, on 2/10/13 she also put a post that contained this information: " The book deal comes to me in three modest payments over the course of the next 18 months and the first one is already spent. I paid the mortgage for one month and paid off three scary little debts that banks were calling me about night and day. The check was enough to get that monkey off my back while keeping the lights on, and I consider that combination a blessing. So when it comes to cash I'm in the same place I always have been of *just* making it"
DeleteFor the life of me, I can not understand how a person could spend $500 on a camera yet have outstanding debts (other than a mortgage) and have nothing put back for emergencies. Oh yeah, that same week she justified the camera purchase since she was going to use it to update the blog and take lots of really amazing pictures. So people would donate more I guess? Anyway I guess that camera likely sits on a shelf like so many other "needs" and cast off critters.
I would hope that camera is sitting on a shelf, but my guess is that it was sold long ago to pay bills.
DeleteThe place is a sty.
ReplyDeleteAw, common.... not a sty, it's scrappy! ha ha...
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard anymore about the cloaks lately. I suppose she's pocketed that money and moved on without so much as a backwards glance. Has anyone used PayPal for any these non-delivered goods? She should be reported for her scams and lose her PayPal account. Her activities make a Nigerian email ripoff look like childs play.
ReplyDeleteJenna is definitely reading these comments. Her post today talks about how well ALL the animals are on the farm, even old Annie gets a mention! I especially liked the part about how "darling " it is to see Gibson and Ida happily frolicking around the yard.....
ReplyDeleteI wasn't so sure at first, but she even mentioned the cloaks she has to sew and mail out, right after it was suggested someone should complain to paypal.
ReplyDeleteIt's all in vain though, because just like the pig pen several feet thick of pig feces, and same with goat pen, it will get put off. Pigs still live in the mud hole.. in a tiny pen outside. Goats breaking out- why? Well, when you warehouse animals, they tend to want to leave. People need to complain to the SPCA and Paypal and above all Storeys, Mother Earth, and any other publisher. She is a total sham, and is basically having her animal hoarding paid for... so she can lay around all day and dream new dreams.
ReplyDeleteShe is certainly living like fiction - and it is a cautionary tale. She asked in her last 'I'm scared" post for people to tell her things could get better in an instant. While possible, it's hardly probable. What is more probable is that things can get worse in an instant. Illness, riding accident, fire, truck breakdown. While one shouldn't live in fear, it is important to be prepared.
ReplyDeletePrepping is more than just stockpiling food and firewood. There is financial preparation. In every life there is sunshine and storms. The better prepared you are, the better you can ride out the storms.
I can't imagine how much of her income is going towards late payment penalties and interest. One disaster and the whole house of cards can come down. I hope her donors know where their money is going. What a waste.
You know, I was thinking about this latest workshop. The Arrows Rising thing. Where I really like how she says she's most qualified to teach this, because she's a professional archery instructor and part of the SCA group team, etc. (Of course, if I recall, she only just took that up what about 2 years ago? Or Less?) But anyway.... let's look at the costs involved. $350 for a fairly basic bow and the instruction with 9 other people. (Not counting travel, lodging and food) Sorry, but the bow is only about $100. (I asked my daughter who is into archery...) Nice, but a beginners bow. Her place she goes to teaches folks for $20 an hour, one on one learning at a range in a shop full of crazy archery people and supplies. So you're paying all this money to go there and get instruction for one day and get to play the second. 5 hours of instruction at a real archery place would only be about $100. And frankly, most beginners don't have the arm and hand strength to put in 5 hours of intensive training on something they are not used to. Most places want you to take an hour lesson, and then practice a week and so on. Because you are building up your arms, your fingers, your brain and all that. Sorry, but it's just way way too much money just to be able to bask in the Jenna Glow in a pack of people. You know she's probably not paying a whole lot for the bows and all, even at $100 each, she'll still net over $2,500 for two days of showing off. Why the heck is she in trouble with money? $2500 for a weekend? Once a month, and then add in normal writing and all that? Just don't understand. Something doesn't really add up.
ReplyDeleteAs a life long archer I can't tell you how much that comment about her being most qualified to teach that workshop made me cringe. Teaching at a resort is no different than teaching at summer camp, they generally have to beg people to take those positions. AND she feels THIS is the workshop she feels most qualified to teach? Isn't she an expert homesteader and author of chicken how to books? Shouldn't that be what's she most qualified to teach?
ReplyDeleteOMG. I just picked up the sheep and goat GRIT mag, and guess who has an article on Livestock Guardians? Jenna herself! Has she even met a Llama or Donkey? GRIT will be hearing from me. This is a total joke. She talks about how she petted a Maremma though a fence, so now she can talk about them as a pro? Yes, my entire family will be writing GRIT to let them know the truth about Jenna and her absolute LACK of real knowledge of ANYTHING farm related..
ReplyDeleteI can't find it. Is it online, or only in the stores? Thanks!
DeleteWell, as to the Chickens, I think there should be an unwritten rule that you can't kill (by predation, her dogs eating them) more than you actually raise... It's sort of like Adolf Hitler teaching compassion...
ReplyDeleteI think Jenna never really thought carefully about how much it would cost to run a homestead with animals. I knew, that when that old couple she bought the house from left & sold the house to her, that they were dumping a money pit on her. The drafty house is heated with oil -- very expensive in these times. And heating with wood is also extremely expensive, unless you happen to go out to your own acreage and chop down the trees yourself. Then you've got the cost of hay and feed -- no small expense. Vet bills, medicine, antibiotics, illness of animals, all of it takes money. You've got insurance for the farm and gas & insurance for the truck. Sure, you can save a little bit by eating your own vegetables and own pork. But those are not the big expenses. All of the infrastructure of maintaining the farmhold is the big expense, and Jenna barters away a lot of her animal product for hard labor on her farm. But bartering food so her friends can build a mews for the bird -- that's total insanity. Buying an expensive camera when you could get one on ebay for very cheap is insanity. Buying an expensive horse, when you could adopt one from the local anti-cruelty organization, is nuts. Attending medevial fairs where you are away from your animals all day is bizarre. Thousands are coming in from these workshops, (and I suspect a lot of stuff on "cash only" basis), but a lot is going out for these activities. That is why Jenna is desperate. Yes, having your own farm is difficult -- most of the single people homesteads I follow are all in severe financial difficulty. I would venture to say, that it's actually not possible unless you are a mountain man who can chop your own wood, etc. Most homesteaders sacrifice everything to keep their places going. One last thing -- she keeps talking about how she has her own land now -- hope, it belongs to the bank until paid off. So she is not the best person to hold seminars on how to buy land and start a farm homestead. She should be holding seminars on going bankrupt by being financially irresponsible.
ReplyDeleteOh my.... Go check out. Www.pienearwoman.com. If you are a PW fan... Funny parody site! We need a cold antler one!
ReplyDeleteYep, those of us who work hard to keep our animals in good shape, and our houses with oil, and taxes paid.. it is very tight. Hay is $6.00 a bale. Have you noticed she no longer gets hay from Nelson Green anymore.. probably stiffed him one too many times. Please, whomever wrote the PW reference, please stick to the scourge that is JW. No more deflection.. cannot compare them whatsoever.. It's like comparing the scent of blueberry pie int the oven to rotten milk...
ReplyDeleteI don't know the PW thing got started and I do agree it is off topic BUT for those who are interested, do just a little research and you will find the PW is a complete fraud (like Jenna). The biggest difference between the two of them is that PW managed to be successful.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how PW is a complete fraud. True, none of her recipes are original, all my aunts have made those dishes for years. Her husband really is a rancher. I don't believe he would be rich without her. His family owns a lot of land, and the ranch is incorporated, so he may not own any outright if PW hadn't bought another ranch.
DeleteI do have relatives who are ranchers and own thousands of acres. My aunt and uncle lived in a smaller house than I do, and didn't own anything that could be called fancy, though theoretically they were worth millions. Before my uncle died, they incorporated and my cousin and his son continued to work the land. His two sisters are shareholders. It's more about keeping the land in the family than having money. If PW now has enough money to hire tutors and assistants to help produce the blog (from what I hear) more power to her. Jobs out there are probably scarce.
And no, JW and PW are not alike. Reading through the archives, it was easy to really like JW and feel like you had something in common with her. Now she's like a different person, and her readers feel the loss of so much potential. It's just sad.
Like I said, if you are really interested, do a little researh, the info is out there.
DeleteAnd PW showers.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, yes!
DeleteUm, not sure how you can say that (there is no diff but succesful) I am quite sure PW does not routinely neglect, out right kill, mistreat animals, as well as scam people out of their money in the name of CSA. Whatever your beef is with PW, she does not kill animals willfully and neglectfully. One may be a fake, and annoying, but the other one does real damage and carnage to living beings.
ReplyDeleteOMG yet another life depending on her ignorance. She didn't RESEARCH WHAT TO FEED HAWKS before she did this? I can't even believe it. Get the hawk first, figure out what it eats later. She is constantly with the wagon before the horse.
ReplyDelete"P.S. After posting this I got several emails from falconers about not feeding hawks pork or pig organs? I could understand not feeding anything cured or salty, or anything processed commercially, but why is a freshly defrosted antibiotic-free pig heart bad for a bird in small training sizes? Please email me if you know!"
One thing that still gets to me is JW's comment on how if every one of her readers sent her money, she could have the equivalent of her corporate salary. Why should she get her corporate salary when she doesn't have her corporate job? From what I understand, the life of a homesteader is a subsistence one. She knew that. How can she expect people to provide her corporate income so she can stay home and live out her fantasy?
ReplyDeleteAnd as for paying $500 for a camera when she was behind in her mortgage and truck payment and then begging her readers to send money to bail her out? Unbelievable!
A quick google search turned up the modern apprentice site on raptor nutrition, and it clearly says "never feed raw pork". Shouldn't she have read about nutrition during all these weeks she's been waiting and waiting for her hawk? And surely, she should have asked her MENTOR what to feed the bird. No, not JW...she knows everything about every subject and can never be wrong!
ReplyDeleteWow. Common since would tell you pork is not part of the natural diet of hawks. Of course common since would tell you to research what to feed the animal before you even captured it. So selfish and careless, all she cared about was capturing the bird so she can get a book deal. Pathetic.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to her meat rabbits? She should have plenty of food for the hawk.
ReplyDeleteI was(n't) surprised that no arrangements were made to build or borrow an appropriate and safe means of transporting a hawk. after all, isn't this the MOST strictly regulated 'sport' in the United States of America?! why bother...just toss on a too large hood, tie the legs together, and bound your feathery new toy constricting all movement before driving a large vehicle on busy roads cradling your captured hawk in your arms. I'm shocked her sponsor did not require the necessary supplies before allowing Jenna to trap on her own.
ReplyDeleteShe had to take a test before getting her falconry license and she said she read everything she could find on the subject, and she still doesn't know what to feed a hawk? Hawks don't prey on pigs. They prey on small creatures like rabbits and mice. Hard to believe her mentor didn't tell her what to feed her hawk. This gets stranger every day.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm kind of at a loss as to what the mentor does then, if not to help with all things regarding the hawk? Something as basic as feeding is not covered anywhere? I feel very bad for the poor thing. Wild things should not be used to create an image.
ReplyDeleteEvery single animal in her care is there to pay her bills by the stories. Every single one. Why should the Hawk be any different?
ReplyDeleteBTW, what happened to the wool CSA? Weren't the sheep sheared? Or wasn't the wool taken to the mill?
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine she was able to produce wool clean enough for sale. And I don't recall her mentioning having conned anyone else into doing the actual work of shearing. I think anyone that has not received any product that they have paid for should file a complaint somewhere. She will continue to steal until stopped.
ReplyDeleteAfter she burned up the donated shears she was given I don't recall reading about the sheep even being sheared. If they haven't been sheared she could have a mess on her hands come spring with sheep that have almost a 2 year fleece.
DeleteShe got a big surprise when she sent her Scottish Blackface wool to the mill because she promised CSA members skeins of yarn. If she had bothered to read about the breed of sheep she chose, she would have seen that Scottish Blackface sheep have "carpet" wool, meaning it's not good for yarn, it's better as roving or for carpet production. So the poor members who paid all that money got something like 1/2 sheet of felt or batting if I recall correctly. Then she has claimed she has the 2nd year's wool sitting in bags...waiting to go to the mill but she can't afford to get it processed. If she had used the money people had paid for the wool CSA instead of wasting it elsewhere, she would have been able to send it.
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem with her. She uses the money for one thing to pay for another, and then can't afford to finish the first thing. HORRIBLE business practice.
Then she blames it on the "CSA"...like, "oh well, that's the risk you take with a CSA. No, the risk involved with a CSA is when you have a crop failure, or weather catastrophe, or things that are out of the farmer's control. You shouldn't have to risk your money on the farmer's incompetence and plain lack of effort/concern/work.
I don't disagree with anything you said, but have to wonder why the people who bought the wool didn't know it was not good spinning wool. Are they not spinners?
DeleteAs for her using money from one sale to fund another project...we in the business world call that a ponze scheme, and it's illegal. People do and have gone to jail for it. People who are thinking about supporting anything JW does should realize that getting the end product is very questionable, and since she is a tinker of many and master of none the quality is bound to be quite poor.
I thought she would have used the blackface wool to make those cloaks.
ReplyDeleteThe cloaks are made from wool blankets she buys, not from wool she produces. With as poorly fed as her sheep are the wool is just crap I'm sure.
DeleteThat is just very sad. I never really understood why the sheep had to be Scottish Blackface in the first place, but assumed it was because of the quality of wool. Who would buy that many sheep FOR wool not knowing what kind of wool they put out? Sheesh.
DeleteToo much reality! ARRR! What other kind of sheep would a kilt wearing, Fell pony riding archer falconer raise? Why bother checking to see what kind of wool they grow? It's so much more fund having a dream, and just jumping in there and grabbing it with both fists.
DeleteWe raise a few lambs every year, and I've kept the wool from the ewes (suffolk/hampshire/corriedale crosses) and had it made into batting. I loved it. It made some wonderful comforters and a mattress pad, dog beds and pillows. If she took proper care of her sheep, she could have a lot of uses for her wool. Of course, it is a lot of work. I think it took me two years to use all that wool.
fun not fund
DeleteWhile I agree she is not conducting her business ethically, it wasn't always apparent.
ReplyDeleteShe fulfilled the first year's CSA subscribers with skeins of yarn. Then, she bought Cotswold ewes & lambs to add softness to the blend. Then, dead Cotswold(s). She still has her original fiber sheep, and theoretically would have had more (she said she was going to enter into a joint lambing venture last year with Jon Katz, yielding more wool sheep). She really led us on.
Even skeins of coarse yarn, or felt, or raw wool would be preferable to nothing. And accepting a refund at $10 - $20 per month will take a YEAR or more to be repaid. She said herself that the wool is bagged and ready to go to the mill, but she can't afford to send it/ship it.
It is a Ponzi scheme. If she had contacted the CSA subscribers, notified us that processing fees or UPS shipping had increased by a modest amount, I would have rather paid an additional $10 - $20 to receive what I thought I'd already paid for, rather than being left in the dark.
We also never received a "welcome letter" with flock details and shareholder information, which she specifically said would be sent in her blog entries. Bad business practices, through and through.
Even if you only got washed and carded wool, it would be better than bad yarn or nothing. Maybe you could get a free Wool and Words Workshop, where you could learn how to spin and knit? Just kidding.
DeleteBut if she promised wool, then she needs to deliver wool. MOST knitters don't spin, and spinning is a LOT of work when you originally paid out the nose for what you thought would be yarn. And it's not the CSA customer's job to research the breed. If the wool was for spinning, its likely the spinner would know what breeds would be good, but yarn is a different story.
ReplyDeleteWay back when she allowed comments on the blog, I read a comment by a person who joined the CSA saying she had yet to receive anything. I emailed her to find out what was going on, and she replied back. Finally, months and months after she was supposed to receive something, this is what she got:
ReplyDeleteAll in all our original $100 investment into helping Jenna gained us 2 skeins of yarn (total over entire CSA) and 2 felt sheets. One felt sheet is 14” x 11.5” and 1/8 of an inch thick on one end and .5 inches thick on the other end. The other sheet is just shy of 16”x 12.5” and the same thickness as the first sheet.
She is lucky that her subscribers do not live close enough to sue her in small claims court, but it does seem they could lodge a complaint with the BBB. That seems a pitiful amount of wool for such a large investment.
DeleteA nice long post on the blog tonight. Interestingly what she mentions seems to be a reflection of what is mentioned here, even Gibson and Merlin get dragged out of her distant memory. I'm sure it must bother her to not be able to censor this blog. Fortunately, for her, she has conned a new army of enablers at a mere $65 a year that she can control. Too bad their support for her can only be read by the other poor, deceived fans. If she wasn't such a scam artist, and animal abuser, I might feel sorry for her.
ReplyDeleteShe makes it apparent that she's had enough fans pay the clan price and she has her hawk toy now so she's got herself a breather from the wolves at the door. Thing is, won't last long. She is showing us she's a good girl now , working on cloaks and graphics owed... Etc etc. just wait a bit and the same old tired routine of poor me will surface. Probably around the first of the month, eh?
ReplyDeleteI'm not convinced she has that many "Clan" members. Just because she says it doesn't mean its true lol. First rule of marketing is to make something *seem" like everyone's getting on the bandwagon so others will join so they won't miss out.
ReplyDeleteExactly- she lies routinely to a) get more money b) manipulate people and c) for sympathy. Nothing she does is real. NOTHING. Okay, so you pay the $65.00 for what? To learn how to kill more sheep? To learn how to ruin your working dog? To learn how to kill your cats? Not sure what you "learn" or how the clan is "safe"? Safe from what? Get a LIFE AND A JOB JENNA. Good LORD.... What adult person has to form a club to support them? She just totally skeeves me out.
ReplyDeleteNot to learn, but to be part of her demented world.
DeleteI seriously doubt she sold a single cloak. I just can't fathom why anyone in their right mind would pay $125 for a shoddily sewn together blanket that barely comes to your waist.
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe her dates haven't gone as well because the guys aren't tethered to her hand. LOL.
not being tethered as well as her personal hygiene issues (based on her own personal descriptions)- not showering, greasy pigtails under an old stocking cap, chicken shit between her toes, coffee stained teeth, chewed off fingernails that manage to still have dirt under them, same pants wore several days with all kinds of farm/animal crust on them.... all her own descriptions from posts she's written! and she wonders why she doesn't have a man????
DeleteUgh...so nasty. Take a look at a picture of her disgusting feet sometime...she clearly bites her toenails too. Chicken shit between the toes...biting toenails...roll that one around in your mind. It's no wonder she hasn't had a man, in, we'll ener. I can only imagine her stench. She probably thinks it gives her more "farmer" cred!
DeleteWell ever not we'll ener
DeleteOh, I bet she sold a couple.. I mean... people even buy that hair cutting tool which is a bowl over your head.
ReplyDeleteNow that she has made her quick profit, I hope she does the right thing and returns the money to the wool and webinar CSAs - without them having to ask for it.
ReplyDeleteShe won't. She has already shown her complete lack of integrity, ethics and morals.
DeleteIf she would make good on the wool & webinar CSA's, it would go a long way toward repairing her business image. And then she could objectively state that people have been handled ethically before launching the next venture.
DeleteSomehow, I don't anticipate boxes of yarn in the near future. If she's reading this, I hope she proves me wrong.
"This may be the event I am most qualified to teach here, too. As a professional archery instructor, a team member of a traditional archery team, and a safety marshal for the Society of Creative Anachronism I have been teaching and educating beginning archers for some time now"
ReplyDeleteARE YOU KIDDING ME? I think I just spewed coffee out my nose. "Society for Creative Anachronism"?
SCA is an old "club." I used to know a woman who belonged and was almost as crazy as Jenna. I think she was one of the founding members. However, she was also a Big 10 University professor in Medieval Literature and history, and an author. She also had horses, herding dogs, exotic cats, orchids, you name it. And all her animals had "Hobbit" names. She did the dress-up camps and re-enactments 30-40 years ago. (I'm old) I bet she would have liked a falcon. At least she had the money to take care of her animals.
ReplyDeleteComments are back on Henna's blog! Merry Christmas to all!! Let the censorship begin! What's the purpose of joining the Clan now?
ReplyDeleteI'm positive she only allowed comments back since she's taking such a beating here. She's probably wanting one of us to post something truthful on her comments, so her "clan" will jump to her defense. She's trying to rally her dwindling pool of supporters, so she feels better about herself.
ReplyDeleteSo true! She uses those people for reinforcement and to feel better about herself. It seems like she really depends on the attention from them. I guess it makes sense, since she's estranged from her family and has very few real life friends.
DeleteCL Blog commenter:
Delete"Hooray for comments! I hope the people who made you take them down have cooled off a bit...and at least someone is enjoying the season."
Actually we're more pissed off than ever.
Hi Jenna ~ now that we know you are reading here, please mail the wool you owe to your customers. Also, please refund the webinar subscribers. Also, do you still have the Canon that your contributors bought or was it sold? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGuess we know where she's getting her hay from since she stiffed Nelson Greene, her friend/enabler Patty. And they supplied her hawk food too! Jenna doesn't have to do any work, yet again. Hooray!!
ReplyDeleteI question why she can't buy her own hay with a mortgage that could be less than $5000 a year, maybe even less if she really did refi like she said she did. At the price she paid for the place she should have it paid off in no time.
ReplyDeleteToo bad it isn't worth what she paid for it anymore. Not nearly as cute as it was when she bought it.
Man...she can't even wish her readers a happy holiday season without asking for favors. No class. No class at all.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going there to comment, and I think it's a set-up anyway. I've already said everything I want to say to her about the horse, quitting her job, begging readers for money, not getting another job, and capturing a hawk to inflate her self-image, and manipulating her gullible fans.
ReplyDeleteDid you notice she called herself a "farmer?" Really? What's your crop? How many seasons can you have failed crops and still call yourself a farmer? Having a couple dogs, a couple ponies and a stolen bird (sorry, that's the way I think of him) doesn't make you a farmer. You're not even a decent homesteader.
You all said it. Since she IS reading here, keep asking where your paid for stuff is.. Maybe she will come good on it. Nah.. just find some new stooges to steal money from. Isn't it classy how she hangs the geese at her front door?
ReplyDeleteOMG!!! she is asking for money even on her Christmas wishes post? Has she totally lost her mind??? GOOD GOD.
ReplyDeleteDid you notice the condition of the house in that photo? Moldy siding, glass missing from the paint peeling door, scraggly dead vines growing up the side... Perhaps instead of rallying friends to build a hawk prison, she should have put her time and efforts into taking care of her home? Still no photos of the animals, I really worry about their condition especially going into this very cold, hard winter.
ReplyDeleteI noticed the mold...especially after she said this spring she had people coming from Common Sense Farm to clean those high places. Was she just dreaming? My siding gets mold on the east side but it takes a good 2 years before it would look that bad. We clean it before it gets to that point, using extension poles and a brush-no ladders, but hard work. And my peak is about as high so.....
DeleteI also noticed the peeling paint. Really, how long would it take to paint the door? I painted my front door in a day one summer and my summers are very busy producing and preserving a major portion of our yearly food supply in my gardens. Of course I don't have my head in the clouds either-I work, both at a job and at home, and bills are paid BEFORE the fun stuff. It's what being a grown up means.
I see her more as a saleswoman than a farmer. Selling her books, her clan memberships, cloaks... Jon Katz is honest about his work. He says he is not a farmer, but a writer who lives on a farm and writes about it. Maybe she's a writer/saleswoman, but not sure about a farmer.
ReplyDeleteWell, since the comments are turned back on, looks like the Amen Charlies are back. There were only a couple brave souls that said something like: they enjoyed the pro/con, discussions and varying opinions in the comments section. Good luck actually contributing some researched, tried and true, important information in the comments.
ReplyDeleteMan.... every SINGLE post she asks for money. Selling the clan, the workshops, the hawk, etc. Notice that most of these 'rah rah' commenters live in the city, or in apartments? I have a great idea! She should go into real estate. She could use her salesmanship to sell little farms to her dreamers. Oh wait... but that would be a REAL job. She might have to actually work.
ReplyDeleteI really wasn't going to pay attention to her...now she's talking again about riding her horse and hunting with the hawk. I know there are a few of you who ride, at one time I was a really good rider, hunter/jumpers and dressage, but I wouldn't be able to get on my horse with a hawk. I think she's going to lose that hawk one way or the other. But I know there's no point in saying anything, she so superior, her dreams and passion are worth more than my 40 yrs of experience.
ReplyDeleteRedhorse, I think that's the whole point of it all. She has an image of herself cresting a hill on a Fell Pony with a hawk on her hand, and even if it means killing the hawk accidentally, injuring the horse, or allowing other animals in her care to suffer -- whatever -- she's doing to do whatever it takes and whatever it costs to make that one image happen. She calls that "determination" and I call that "insanity."
DeleteThat hawk has a "what the hell is this thing" look on his face.
DeleteTo shove these two together so quickly clearly shows she has no concern for the hawk or the horse.
I think (please correct me if you think I'm wrong) she probably enabled comments because it boosts the number of hits she gets on her blog, especially if one of us were to make a comment and 25 people were to jump in defending her. When people comment they often check back to see who else has commented.Hit, hit, hit. The controversial threads always had an outrageous number of hits, which sadly was good for HER business? I'm not sure about this, but I believe that you can sell ad space on your blog by telling sponsors you get so many hits per day. I am glad I have this space to vent, because it's been proven time and time again that she really only wants to hear "you go girl" on her blog anyway, and only receive positive feedback. Maybe someone less burned out than me will try and straighten her out this time, but again, I think it just generates a more popular blog, which just perpetuates the ridiculousness of it all.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about that, I've also noticed that she has a lot more ads on her site now.
DeleteI think you're also right about your comment above, it's all a fantasy and an image. I just read a website about falconry on horseback, and read a story about an experienced person who lost a hawk doing it this year. The hawk died, they found it 2 days later. I also know, from my 40 years experience on horseback, that people who are into horses for the fantasy of it eventually end up hurting their horse or themselves. The more stubborn you are, the harder you fall. Horses are really good at seeing through the BS and letting you have it when your guard is down . I've gone full circle with horses, I started out just loving them and riding trails, then I got competitive and demanding, and now I'm back to just simple riding. Even so, I always go out reminding myself to accept doing whatever I can do, if all I can safely do one day is saddle up and ride for five minutes, I should be happy with that. I would never expect a 20 year old pony to start a whole new sport where he wasn't even the focus of it.
Yep, Merlin is going to nail her one day, it's just a matter of time. She has such an over inflated since of her abilities when it comes to horses, I've seen it happen so many times to people like her, hopefully neither will get hurt to badly due to her ignorance and Narcissism.
DeleteThere IS no "straightening her out". Like she even said herself regarding advice, "Wise men don't need it and fools won't take it." Of course, we know which one she is....
ReplyDelete"The end game here is to be able to ride Merlin into the fields and hillsides on this mountain and release Italics for the hunt. To come home to the farm with some rabbits or squirrels in the saddlebag will be a mighty day." ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!
ReplyDeleteI see Mel Gibson as Braveheart, not Ms. Jenna. That would be an ackward sight to say the least. And, does she intend on eating those squirrels or just using them to feed her bird in bondage? As for the rabbits, doesn't she eat the ones she raises? Or, is that all BS as well?
"My afternoon consists of working on a new book proposal, cloak sewing, and possibly a decent workout." A book about falconry perhaps that she so loudly scoffed at as ridiculous? Pity the poor fool who takes instruction from her. She may be the holy grail to the apt/city dwelling wannabes, but in five minutes any intelligent person can tell she doesn't know shit from shineola.
Archery weekend.
Personal lessons in instinctive shooting
Archery Indie Days
Fiddle Camp
Pig shares.
The incessant selling NEVER stops!!!
Shit from shineola...are you from NC?!
DeleteNope...CA, but I get around:)
DeleteIt's a very popular livestock term around here for people who don't know what the hell they're doing.
Yep... grew up in a tiny farming community where, "doesn't know shit from shineola" was a popular term. LOL
Deleteopening comments is a smooth move...between comment 'drama' (anything other than fawning) increasing page views to pulling donations with the sob stories of (possibly) waking up every 2 hours to push snow off of roofs. capitalizing off comments. no doubt about that.
ReplyDeletethink my comment ban comment has been lifted? ;).
Get a pseudonym and use a different email address. Maybe you could be Heather.
DeleteWell, thank GOD we have your blog to go to Meredith... Yes, I agree, she is beyond help. I know my animals are eating more in this cold weather. I wonder if she has noticed her animals needing more food? No way.. Too busy playing fantasy life.
ReplyDeleteHi, this is my first post here. I've hesitated because I don't like bashing people online, but I guess I'm just glad that it's not just me who feels really disappointed in how Cold Antler farm has evolved over the past year or so. I was one of the "you-go-girls" for a long time. I absolutely loved Made from Scratch, I faithfully read the blog daily from 2009 until maybe last spring, attended a couple workshops, and even (ugh) made some donations. I was the typical city dweller who really bought into the farm story. And I think that the story was genuine until this past year or so. It's not against the law to ask strangers for donations, but I grew disenchanted when I was never thanked. (I know. My desire to be thanked shows that I'm not super humble.) I also started feeling like people in my somewhat comfortable financial situation were being concurrently mocked for our mundane, unoriginal, desk job-relying existence, yet asked for donations so other people could spend the day riding horses with friends. I, too, have often wondered about the wool CSA and the webinars. The money should be returned without anyone having to ask for the refund. At any rate, I started questioning my hero when, at the last workshop I attended, I was just really put off by the unkempt condition of the property. It doesn't take much money to tidy up. I mean, there were tools just lying around on the ground. I know lots of farmers who don't have money to spend to make outbuildings and fencing look fancy, but they keep things safe and clean. Scrappy can mean unorganized and untidy. It can also mean determined. CAF started out as the latter, but has grown into the former. Thus, as of late, the "scrappy" little farm is certainly nothing to be proud of. I also felt really sad for the pigs, which were at that time kept in a small pen in a dark, closed-up barn during the day. I also secretly wondered if it was safe to eat something that had been made on site. That's when I knew that I'd outgrown CAF. But breaking up wasn't hard to do…I'm so not into any of the Celtic/Gaelic/weird games/kilts/falconry/fantasy type stuff. I miss all the practical ideas, tips, and recipes. Thank you, Meredith A, for creating this venue to vent a little.
ReplyDelete"Anon A. Mouse"
Well said Mouse!!
DeleteI don't think you're alone, and I think you, and everyone else who helped her out have a right to feel hurt and betrayed by her recent behavior.
Delete"I also started feeling like people in my somewhat comfortable financial situation were being concurrently mocked for our mundane, unoriginal, desk job-relying existence, yet asked for donations so other people could spend the day riding horses with friends."
DeleteThis pretty much sums it up for me, too.
Wanting a thank you is not being unhumble it is desiring common courtesy. Not a thing wrong with that.
DeleteIf it's practical info your after there are plenty of people here to answer all your questions. People with REAL, long term experience, not just a flash of dabbling.
You have very eloquently voiced many of my thoughts, especially the condescension to those of us who work conventional jobs in order to afford the things we love and enjoy. While I have never been to her property, I feel somewhat vindicated in my suspicions, hearing from someone who has. Thanks for your honesty.
Delete~ A.
HEATHER, PAGING HEATHER! Anyone here named Heather? Good one.
ReplyDeleteI think she brought comments back in an effort to try to counter balance what is being said on this blog. Since she only posts comments from her fans she can create a happy pro-Jenna environment that builds her ego and look go to sponsors, advertisers, subscribers, etc.
ReplyDelete"good" not go.
DeleteAnon a mouse: By the way, that is cute :) I feel for you, having to learn the hard way through all of this. But thankfully we all are now able to vent.. many of us knew CAF from the start and then saw it start to faulter, and when we offered advice, we were attacked. There are good farm blogs out there. Do not feel bad about anything, we all live and learn!
ReplyDeleteI never read her book, but I was supportive of her goals when she held a job. At the time I had a lot in common and I am a risk taker in certain ways (reach for my dreams). However, I also make sure that pursuing my dreams does not endanger my ability to cover my debts and responsibilities. I work a lot of hours every week to pay my bills and support my hobbies, which includes gardening and raising animals. Asking people like me to donate money so that she doesn't have to work is greedy and insulting. Why does she think she is so special? Sometimes we DO have to postpone or modify our dreams in order to be responsible adults. Donations and welfare are ok when people fall on hard times, but not as a way to support oneself permanently or to pay for luxuries like a horse.
ReplyDeleteThis is my wish for Christmas. I wish Jenna would return the money to the wool and webinar CSA-ers. Jenna, this will not make you lose face. It will return some of your credibility. Can you imagine what they must be thinking when they see you cavorting in kilts and fiddling with falcons while they have nothing to show for their investment? You posted a video on the art of asking. I am asking.
ReplyDeleteJon Katz' message to Jenna bears repeating:
ReplyDelete"In the somewhat inverted world of the Internet, doing things you can't quite handle are seen as admirable, not reckless, brave, not immature or foolhardy... I remember those messages of affirmation, I used to get them all the time. People said I was christic, noble, brave. They admired me when I bought things I could not afford... lived from one delusion to the next, rationalized getting everything I wanted. I was constantly declaring that I was fine, I was okay, I got, I was changing. I was not fine, I was not okay, I did not get it, I was not changing. When I did changed, it was long and hard, it is still happening... This is what I learned, this is what I would tell Jenna if she ever asks or anyone else if they ask (they often do):
The people who cheered while I spent money – helped me spend money - were not my friends. The people who enabled me were not helping me. The people who I thought would rescue me did not help me. The people who told me how brave and wonderful I was were my partners in delusion, no one ever told me that I could not buy things I could not afford, I could not live a life of fantasy. I lurched from crisis to crisis, drama to drama. It was always okay, it was always going to be all right. And then one way the glass shattered for me. I do not listen to the "go, girls," and the "Amen Charlies..." I pay attention to challenge and criticism, I always make room for it. I love praise and affirmation, but people who do not know the details of another person's life are not helping when they offer blind support and assistance. I can't speak for Jenna, but for me, it kept me crazy and in pain and fear for years. The people who finally helped me the most, the real friends, the real angels, were the ones who told me the truth: you can't acquire things you can't pay for, you can't live a life of denial, you can't live in delusion and self-interest, you cannot ask other people to pay for your life, bail you out of your own misery and trouble."
Pay heed to people, Jenna. Their ideas, criticisms and suggestions. Most do not sit down and write carefully thought-out posts to you because they just have too much time on their hands. They truly mean to help, and have experienced-based, good information. Pay heed to the other lives that share your farm with you. If you cannot do well by them, find someone who can.
Pay heed to your friend Jon, Jenna... he's a real friend, not an "amen Charlie".
Would just like to say that Heather really cracked me up tonight. Fiction, indeed!
ReplyDeleteSounds like Maria is not really a Jenna Fan... just from the polite way Jon wrote about her reaction to one of the panic posts. And it seems that he has been missing from her life lately, no photos and visits and such. I'm not a huge fan of his printed dog work, but he does write one deep and thoughtful blog and there is no doubt some wisdom and experience there. Not that she wants to listen.
ReplyDeleteFarmer. shesh. Farmer? I wouldn't even call her a decent homesteader. She's just a jack of all trade, master of none kinda gal that can read up on reference books and regurgitate it for the couch sitting wanna be Greenhorns.... Can't believe she wrote an article about livestock guardians when she clearly needs one....and doesn't have one... my goodness.
Hey, Meredith... did you know something quite interesting? When you google "Cold Antler Farm" your blog shows up in #7 position on the first page. That is very very very important you know. It means you and your tough love for her is more important to google than all her book reviews, and all the many many many links out there to her scrappy little mess. And that does not look good to potential advertisers. You show up pretty close as well on her name searchs and such. That sort of negative SEO for her is just damning. Any reporter/researcher/publisher etc that took the time to google her would come across this blog and all the negative activity and it surely does not help her in any way.
ReplyDeleteJust thought you'd like to know. ;-)
I google and click Meredith's blog a lot, and you should too, so that it comes up under searches RIGHT after Jenna's blog does. I consider it a public service, honestly.
DeleteI wondered about her relationship with Jon Katz. I haven't seen him mentioned in her blog, or her in his. I believe last year he spoke at the Wool and Words workshop, but no mention of him this year.
ReplyDeleteWhen I just googled CAF, Meredith's blog is actually # 3 on the list! This is absolutely great. You *cannot* miss it.
ReplyDeleteI think every time someone googles it and clicks on Meredith's blog, it sends it higher up the list. It's worth doing a few times a day.
DeleteYou betcha!
ReplyDeleteI can't take it folks.. This newest entry of hers.. please come to work on my farm for this much $$.. Listen, everyone.. I will be lambing starting in Feb. If someone wants to come and see a decent sheep operation, see decent dogs work, and see decent carpentry, you all can come to my place, in fact, I think we should do a potluck. AND I will charge you nothing. Absolutely NADA. You all do not have to pay me a red cent. Even better, since I still have that fleece sitting in bags, you can take home a full bag of fleece with you, or you can wait until shearing, and then take home a bag. FREE. If you are interested, let me know.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Blessing!! "What man, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost? And when he has found it, lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151766393652181&set=a.10150241644372181.322633.102611707180&type=1
That's what I call a real shepherd.
I agree redhorse. The true shepherd looks after his flock and feels the pain they do.
ReplyDeleteI have read several blogs where people have animals missing and don't go looking for them. #1 rule as a livestock owner is count, count, count your animals and if one's not there there's a reason (and it's not usually a good one). A HUGE part of keeping your animals healthy is by observing them. At the first sign of something diffrent or "off" is when you need to be doing something about it. I read a blog by a fairly popular livestock owner blogger (I don't know WHY, because she takes less-than-stellar care of her animals), and her donkey (or mule?) was missing and she said, "Oh well, I guess I'll find him come spring." Apparently it was too much work to go find him in her 20 ac field. Sorry, but 20 ac isn't that big and if one of my animals was missing I'd be out there in a flash finding it.
ReplyDeleteWe have cattle, horses and sheep, their pastures add up to 80 acres, some of it wooded. I would (and have) walk every inch of it if one of them was missing. I take that back, we ride the small tractor or 4 wheeler to the back and then walk the woods. If the footing is safe, we'll ride horses. I can't imagine leaving a mule or donkey for even a few hours. My horses are visible from the house and I check on them several times a day. One of our mares is a real character and knows where the back door is and will stand where I can see her, she gives me "the look" if she wants water, or she thinks something is wrong. She knows she won't wait long, because one of the dogs will bark if I don't see her first.
DeleteAt the very least, if an animal is down and you can't save them, it's time to get the vet or the gun. It's the least you can do.
Wait, she's selling "Wool Indie Days" and the person gets to leave with wool. Is that the wool that has already been sold to CSA members who are waiting for her to ship it to the mill? So she's selling it twice?!! She needs to be reported.
ReplyDelete..... what? How did I miss this? The same wool we paid $200. toward?
DeleteShe's really upping the self-promotion the last week or so. I guess the begging isn't paying out enough dividends and she needs to rely on her tried and true scams. Things must be tight if she's put the comments back up to get more advertising hits.That, or she's saving up for some new monument to her own delusion.
ReplyDelete