Good for you and self reliance! I hear tell there is a chick up in the northland, who lives among the otherkin, who regularly hosts working events, so she can shop. She teaches us how to buy our wood at Stewarts, and our coffee too, but tells us we can't have a drip maker, only we have to buy our coffee from stewarts- who uses them. She tells us to buy our wood from there too- guess cuz it's drier or some such. She tells us how we can raise chicks and watch them get eaten in ONE SWOOP by rodents! It is gonna be great- I have never seen real life wild animal killings! She is also gonna show us how to heat our houses with wood, but to keep our fake fireplaces roaring, in case it gets cold- oh, and to add a few electric ones too.. wood, she says is too labor intensive- unless she has one of them working, so she can shop events. I can't wait to go, I already signed up, because I have too many animals and want an easy way to get rid of them, but don't want to get my hands dirty. Maybe you too Meredith could sign up? :)
Meredith, good for you for feeling better. I know it sounds crazy, but try to keep remembering that the days are getting longer and soon they will be getting warmer. It's what helps me make it through each and every gray, gloomy, winter day.
" The wool mill I use and I have been in talks recently, and I will finally be sending off the fleeces I have stored all this time to finish up the Wool CSA from previous shearing seasons. It most likely will not be actual yarn until next fall. If you do not want to wait for your wool, email me to set up a payment plan to repay your share. Same goes for Webinars. Or if you prefer, trade in your share/subscription for a workshop. Let me know how to make things right in your eyes and I will."
So, she has read Meredith's blog, but is not changing anything. She already offered to refund us via a payment plan, Webinars- really? You still can't do them? Ripped off on them too. And, trade in workshop space to get re-paid? Wait a minute, I have to pay her (for a workshop) to get money she owes me? Really? OMG, I think I may try this with my bills! Make it right in our eyes? How about you just write checks to those that you owe money, right now. No more talking, just do it. Sell your sheep, before they drop dead, and send that money to those of us you owe.
I would lodge an official complaint with the Better Business Bureau in that area, so at least there is a paper trail that this is happening. What a shame that someone is giving farmers and homesteaders a bad name and leading people to believe they cannot be trusted to fulfill their contracts. Acts of God are one thing and most people get that there are no guarantees when things like that happen, but this is different.
It's nice that she is trying to make amends to the wool and webinar CSAers. But I am stumped about something. Why didn't she contact the individuals directly instead of posting a message on her blog and asking them to contact her? Surely she must have their contact information. Has anyone in the CSA heard from her directly?
I'd really like to give her the benefit of the doubt. Everyone deserves a second chance.
Simply because she is trying to show the world that she has changed, which obviously she has not. All she has to do is send checks to those that are owed money. And you know what? Those sheep are sheared EVERY YEAR, all these years and not single skein or money back. So, in effect, she has had years to make this right.
I suppose you are right. How would she feel if she paid for something and had to wait years for it, or worse, never receive it? Or, if she never received it, how would she feel if the recipient considered it a donation? So many questions!
I think the best thing for her to do is return the money, then when the wool is spun into yarn, sell the finished product. No more taking money up front for something that has not yet been produced. Better for her, better for the buyers.
I agree with the poster above who said that rather than posting her offer on her blog where wool CSA and/or webinar subscribers may or may not have even seen it, Jenna should have reached out to all of those individuals and made that offer personally.
That said, I think her recent blog posts are at least showing a positive trend. Yes, she's probably faking it to a certain extent, but after spending so long indulging in the negative that's what you kind of have to do until you break those bad habits. I am hopeful that this trend indicates she's had a true wake-up call. Maybe inspired by the information some folks posted here regarding Storey's knowledge of her behavior, or maybe prompted by some sage advice from a friend or mentor. Now she just needs to get back in the habit of posting useful homesteading information or how-to posts in addition to the farm updates and she'll be well on her way back to the Jenna of old.
I agree with those good wishes. I have stopped reading her blog (at least half the posts were advertisements about upcoming workshops or updates on the hawk, gaming or other stuff which I'm not interested in hearing about), but hope she gets back on track with her life. I also saw on Amazon that she has another book due out in June (a pre-order pic is up) but it says it's a memoir, and I've already read two of her memoirs and I'm not sure how much more new material there could possibly be. I guess sometimes blogs just go in a different direction than you do, and like any relationship, you grow apart. So it is with me and CAF.
I feel the same way about the memoirs--I read Barnheart after following her blog for some time and was disappointed because it was mostly composed of reformulated blog posts. I have a feeling the new one will be the same, but even worse because most of her blog posts in the past year have been unrelated to farm life and more about the things you mentioned--archery, games, etc.
I do feel for Jenna--she's in a tough position, I think. She got into the memoir business as a twenty-something with a few interesting life experiences but without an overarching story of hardship and triumph, learning through experience, and so on. I understand this because I'm the same age and am an aspiring part-time writer--but so far I find it much easier to write how-to magazine articles and blog posts than meaningful personal essays (as much as I would like to!) because quite frankly, I don't have a deep enough well of life experience to draw from on a regular basis. Her memoirs feel like that to me--the well has been drying up for a few years now but instead of taking a break from memoirs to concentrate on getting some life experience and really mastering some of her pursuits, she keeps trying on different hobbies and crafts in order to have SOMEthing to talk about. Watching her successes and failures has been very informative for me personally. I hope she succeeds because I think the concept of being an independent female farmer (or writer, as the case may be) is a worthy one. But I feel she also serves as a cautionary tale.
I think you put it very well. She needs to live her life instead of live it to write about it. It's an odd thing. It is a combination of being desperate for attention, and recognition but having nothing to earn to get it. She definitely should take a hiatus, and just live her life, and then come back. As to the concept of an independent female farmer, I am one, along with myriad others. It is not a new concept. It is something that has gone on for centuries, and we, who do this sort of thing know it is all about the hard work, no pay, dedication and love for it. It is not about being paid to do it, which is where the disconnect for Jenna is.
Good for you and self reliance! I hear tell there is a chick up in the northland, who lives among the otherkin, who regularly hosts working events, so she can shop. She teaches us how to buy our wood at Stewarts, and our coffee too, but tells us we can't have a drip maker, only we have to buy our coffee from stewarts- who uses them. She tells us to buy our wood from there too- guess cuz it's drier or some such. She tells us how we can raise chicks and watch them get eaten in ONE SWOOP by rodents! It is gonna be great- I have never seen real life wild animal killings! She is also gonna show us how to heat our houses with wood, but to keep our fake fireplaces roaring, in case it gets cold- oh, and to add a few electric ones too.. wood, she says is too labor intensive- unless she has one of them working, so she can shop events. I can't wait to go, I already signed up, because I have too many animals and want an easy way to get rid of them, but don't want to get my hands dirty. Maybe you too Meredith could sign up? :)
ReplyDeleteMeredith, good for you for feeling better. I know it sounds crazy, but try to keep remembering that the days are getting longer and soon they will be getting warmer. It's what helps me make it through each and every gray, gloomy, winter day.
ReplyDeleteValerie
" The wool mill I use and I have been in talks recently, and I will finally be sending off the fleeces I have stored all this time to finish up the Wool CSA from previous shearing seasons. It most likely will not be actual yarn until next fall. If you do not want to wait for your wool, email me to set up a payment plan to repay your share. Same goes for Webinars. Or if you prefer, trade in your share/subscription for a workshop. Let me know how to make things right in your eyes and I will."
ReplyDeleteSo, she has read Meredith's blog, but is not changing anything. She already offered to refund us via a payment plan, Webinars- really? You still can't do them? Ripped off on them too. And, trade in workshop space to get re-paid? Wait a minute, I have to pay her (for a workshop) to get money she owes me? Really? OMG, I think I may try this with my bills! Make it right in our eyes? How about you just write checks to those that you owe money, right now. No more talking, just do it. Sell your sheep, before they drop dead, and send that money to those of us you owe.
I would lodge an official complaint with the Better Business Bureau in that area, so at least there is a paper trail that this is happening. What a shame that someone is giving farmers and homesteaders a bad name and leading people to believe they cannot be trusted to fulfill their contracts. Acts of God are one thing and most people get that there are no guarantees when things like that happen, but this is different.
DeleteAnd there's always small claims court. Very reasonable filing fee, no attorneys allowed. Just the parties.
DeleteIt's nice that she is trying to make amends to the wool and webinar CSAers. But I am stumped about something. Why didn't she contact the individuals directly instead of posting a message on her blog and asking them to contact her? Surely she must have their contact information. Has anyone in the CSA heard from her directly?
ReplyDeleteI'd really like to give her the benefit of the doubt. Everyone deserves a second chance.
Simply because she is trying to show the world that she has changed, which obviously she has not. All she has to do is send checks to those that are owed money. And you know what? Those sheep are sheared EVERY YEAR, all these years and not single skein or money back. So, in effect, she has had years to make this right.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you are right. How would she feel if she paid for something and had to wait years for it, or worse, never receive it? Or, if she never received it, how would she feel if the recipient considered it a donation? So many questions!
DeleteI think the best thing for her to do is return the money, then when the wool is spun into yarn, sell the finished product. No more taking money up front for something that has not yet been produced. Better for her, better for the buyers.
Yep. Write a check, not $10 a month for eternity. Seems she can afford bourbon, and board games....
DeleteI agree with the poster above who said that rather than posting her offer on her blog where wool CSA and/or webinar subscribers may or may not have even seen it, Jenna should have reached out to all of those individuals and made that offer personally.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think her recent blog posts are at least showing a positive trend. Yes, she's probably faking it to a certain extent, but after spending so long indulging in the negative that's what you kind of have to do until you break those bad habits. I am hopeful that this trend indicates she's had a true wake-up call. Maybe inspired by the information some folks posted here regarding Storey's knowledge of her behavior, or maybe prompted by some sage advice from a friend or mentor. Now she just needs to get back in the habit of posting useful homesteading information or how-to posts in addition to the farm updates and she'll be well on her way back to the Jenna of old.
I agree with those good wishes. I have stopped reading her blog (at least half the posts were advertisements about upcoming workshops or updates on the hawk, gaming or other stuff which I'm not interested in hearing about), but hope she gets back on track with her life. I also saw on Amazon that she has another book due out in June (a pre-order pic is up) but it says it's a memoir, and I've already read two of her memoirs and I'm not sure how much more new material there could possibly be. I guess sometimes blogs just go in a different direction than you do, and like any relationship, you grow apart. So it is with me and CAF.
DeleteI feel the same way about the memoirs--I read Barnheart after following her blog for some time and was disappointed because it was mostly composed of reformulated blog posts. I have a feeling the new one will be the same, but even worse because most of her blog posts in the past year have been unrelated to farm life and more about the things you mentioned--archery, games, etc.
DeleteI do feel for Jenna--she's in a tough position, I think. She got into the memoir business as a twenty-something with a few interesting life experiences but without an overarching story of hardship and triumph, learning through experience, and so on. I understand this because I'm the same age and am an aspiring part-time writer--but so far I find it much easier to write how-to magazine articles and blog posts than meaningful personal essays (as much as I would like to!) because quite frankly, I don't have a deep enough well of life experience to draw from on a regular basis. Her memoirs feel like that to me--the well has been drying up for a few years now but instead of taking a break from memoirs to concentrate on getting some life experience and really mastering some of her pursuits, she keeps trying on different hobbies and crafts in order to have SOMEthing to talk about. Watching her successes and failures has been very informative for me personally. I hope she succeeds because I think the concept of being an independent female farmer (or writer, as the case may be) is a worthy one. But I feel she also serves as a cautionary tale.
I think you put it very well. She needs to live her life instead of live it to write about it. It's an odd thing. It is a combination of being desperate for attention, and recognition but having nothing to earn to get it. She definitely should take a hiatus, and just live her life, and then come back. As to the concept of an independent female farmer, I am one, along with myriad others. It is not a new concept. It is something that has gone on for centuries, and we, who do this sort of thing know it is all about the hard work, no pay, dedication and love for it. It is not about being paid to do it, which is where the disconnect for Jenna is.
Delete