The video below shows the physical symptoms and ethical consequences of pigs suffering from mange at Ayrshire Farm.
Ayrshire Farm is located in Upperville, VA and owned by Sandy Lerner. Ms Lerner is a nationally recognized and celebrated supporter of animal rights and major funder of animal shelters and animal rights organizations.
Large Livestock is managed by Crystal Ritenour (who ironically is a licensed Veterinary Technician in the state of Virginia - license #0302001513).
On June 16, 2014 my internship at this farm was terminated 3 months early due to "restructuring/budget" reasons. In other words my unrelenting advocacy on behalf of the pigs was unacceptable. The farm stands behind their treatment of the pigs and was not interested in making the changes necessary to provide ethical and humane care.
On July 21, 2014 Ayrshire Farm received an unannounced inspection from Humane Farm Animal Care. Subsequently their "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" was revoked for 30 days due to a series of major noncompliance. HFAC is solution based and works with the farm to correct issues and does not publicly identify temporarily revoked farms (permanently revoked farms simply disappear from their online listing) nor report abuse or possible animal circumstances of animal cruelty. Their solution based requirements are laughable and will be addressed later.
So here is an example of mange on a certified organic certified humane farm. Also just a brief glimpse of what I have committed my time and energy to fix not just during the internship but everyday since.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fsV-nKeKHoM
That is pretty awful! What can we do to help?
ReplyDeleteThe You Tube link isn't working for me -- is there a title to the You Tube video? Anon-123
ReplyDeleteDid you see she is requesting leads on a new puppy? I guess she wants another Boarder Collie. People are suggesting rescues, but she's not hearing it.
ReplyDeleteJust as well she not get a rescue (in which there are thousands of BCs), they've been through enough. Was this on fb that she requested puppy leads? Absurd.
DeleteDid not see it. She will ruin that dog as she did Gibson- who is terrified of sheep- thanks to her stupidity. He is very well bred, but she could not take the time to train him.
ReplyDeleteShe's going to ruin that carriage as well if she thinks that tarp will protect it from the storm. Doesn't seem like she takes very good care of anything, living or not. Remember the shears that burst into flames during a wool workshop? Someone gave those to her. Then she had the rudeness to snark about the donor in the post.
ReplyDeleteJenn
So now we see where the Kickstarter money will go. Registered puppies are $$$$$--hundreds of dollars. Keep on digging that hole, son!
ReplyDeleteI hope no one sells her one. With her record of animal care, I fear for the safety of a pup.
ReplyDeleteWell bred pups go for about $1000.00. She will get it soon- as usual, by the time she brings it up, it's pretty much a done deal.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute. She bought a Meadowbrook cart. Now a puppy? Has she got enough hay for her animals? Did she pay off her truck? Damn, I wish the Jennafan trolls would explain this.
ReplyDeleteIt's bad enough to quit your job then beg for money to pay your bills, but when you beg for money to pay your bills and buy necessities and then spend spend spend on fun stuff, that is unethical and immoral in my book.
Agreed. Not the first time it's happened though, sadly.
DeleteD.
Yup...suddenly after the Birchthorn funding came through she's all life is great la la la in her posts. Well of course it is. You just got $15k+ handed to you! And we see all the new toys make their appearances in her posts. So...raise of hands on how soon we'll see ask #2 for funding to, say, pay the Birchthorn editor. Because...oops!...she spent all of the money and it wasn't on the project.
DeleteI would be embarrassed to live if I were her.
DeleteHa, yes, it's all la la la for now, until she burns through the Birchthorn money, then it will be wah, wah, wah again. That's pretty much the description of her whole life, from la la to wah wah and back again.
DeleteThis last post of hers on how she handles Merlin when he balks, does not quite equate with how we saw her riding Steele does it? Hands yanking him around and legs kicking him, along with bouncing around in the saddle.. Merlin will dump her if she tries that, THAT is why she doesn't try that crap with him. Be honest Jenna.
ReplyDeleteShe blamed it on feeding him sweet feed. All the horses I've ever known have been more forward when their grain was increased. When you have a horse balking you should look for sources of pain or painfully bad riding.
DeleteAnd while I don't think it's a bad thing to see a little rib on a horse, I don't believe a Fell pony would lose weight from riding or driving. Maybe the worming will help, though he probably needs to be wormed again in 30-60 days to take care of the problem. I would also suspect his teeth need floating. My last horse was a thoroughbred off the track who lived into his twenties, and I never saw his ribs. She's either not feeding him enough or he has bad teeth or a lot of worms.
That video of her riding Steele was painful to watch. I felt terrible for that horse seeing how he was being yanked around. All hand. That's a sign of a rider with 0 confidence based on my training. If you know what you're doing, you'd be using your seat, not relying on a bit and heavy hands.
DeleteNumber one reason for weight loss in older horses is teeth issues. Has she ever had them floated? I have never heard her mention it....
ReplyDeleteMerlin is ribby? As in, she can actually *feel* his ribs now?
ReplyDeleteShe said she could see his ribs.
DeleteWell, if the farrier says he's in good shape, I think that's probably a good sign. But not graining your horse right before working him is such a basic rule, her ignorance scares me sometimes. Especially sweet grain, I've never given it because it really does make horses kind of crazy and hard to manage.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what, the larger point of having enough money to provide good veterinary care to this animal who is either in his late middle-aged years or senior years (depending on your opinion) is important. Older horses require more care, there is no way around it. And you can't just "wing it," you need the services of a competent equine vet.
D.
Is this girl for real...she's stuck on the farm for a whole week and has to ask the non-farm living, cubical working readers what she should do!!!!
ReplyDeleteFor God's sake, walk outside and look around. I'm sure there is plenty to be done to get ready for winter, secure livestock facilities, garden tending, you name it.
As for inside...declutter, clean, glean or get rid of stuff you don't need/use. Make apple pie filling with the apples on your property, air out winter bedding and clothes. Get the house ready for winter.
How about, oh gosh, write the book that people just paid $15k for. Or, was that lament about a crapped out computer a prelude to another kickstarter campaign. As in, "If you want your book you better buy me a new computer or it ain't gonna happen".
If I had a whole week on my place I'd be dancing at all the possibilities, not whining because I couldn't figure out what to do:(
Crime-a-nitly!!!! No imagination.
Jenn
That certainly was an interesting entry. She is most definitely the antithesis of any modern homesteaders that I personally know. Some of them don't leave the homestead more than once a MONTH and they gripe about that! Part of homesteading is being prepared, a concept lost on her.
DeleteBut the week at home entry also answered many other questions.
"I do leave the farm a lot for town, for a quick lunch, for coffee and talking with farmers at the Stewarts, to see friends at the Farm Stand..... I leave a lot. More than you may think. But not this week. I can't run off. "
OK, that explains why she has no money and why lots of things never get done. The very first things to go in my life when money is tight are frivolous trips to town to conserve expensive gas, and lunch and coffee at the local hangout. That can really get in the pocketbook if you're not careful. Being self employed takes someone with a lot more discipline and careful planning.
If this is a "dream" job, property, vocation, whatever you call it, why would you want to "run off" every chance you get? It doesn't make sense. She has a bunch of responses saying they would LOVE to have a week stuck at home and she asked would they be worried? Worried about what? I don't get it? If she has as many close friends that she says she has, if she had an emergency wouldn't one of them help? What am I missing?
I agree. It was very telling. Not sure she meant for us to see in the window of her life. Or, maybe she thought we weren't bright enough to catch on.
DeleteJenn
OMG. If you make your living with a computer, wouldn't a new computer be the FIRST thing you'd buy with that Kickstarter money?! NOT pony carts, etc. PLUS the computer is a business write-off.
DeleteA write off if you report the income that paid for it!
DeleteI too was flabbergasted when I read that. We live in the country and I only drive into town once a week -- and run six errands on my one day there in order to conserve gas and therefore save $$$. It's such a waste of fuel and time to be going to town several days a week if it's not a necessity. I truly don't understand how people can give her money when she basically has just told them what she's spending it on -- lunches, coffees out, and off-farm entertainment. I just don't get it.
ReplyDeleteD.
Jenna, please.. Stop using the wrong terms. A Hogget is a sheep that is between one and two years of age. A lamb born this past spring is not a hogget. Good Lord, You have done this before.. It is not that hard is it? Oh and as IF you EVER mourned killing/neglecting ANY animals who died at your hands.. And, furthermore, it is not "The" Stewarts, it is "Stewarts". For someone who calls themselves a professional writer.. you seem to lack professionalism.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of sad that no one cares about the issue Meredith has raised.
ReplyDeleteDing ding ding. I don't give a shit about her finances or toys, but I do care about Jenna's animal husbandry practices.
DeleteWhile reading she slaughtered one of her two pigs (exclusively raised INSIDE a barn) I cringe and my heart skips a beat. There is nothing natural or humane about raising 2 pigs in a barn stall...dumbfounding with 6 acres at ones disposal. Pigs should NEVER be isolated from other pigs unless medically necessary. No caring compassionate farmer would schedule the slaughter of pigs in this fashion. Without empathy a farmer will unquestionably fail.
Comparing lambs or pigs to onions is comparing apples to oranges. No true farmer...be it pigs, poultry, goats etc could relate.
Why does anyone give a rats ass about her cry wolf busted computer while her pigs appear to be suffering from mange? Who gives a shit about not having a vehicle only 3 miles from town (Btw, that's IN town for most farmers...especially this 30 year old who walked a mile to school to attend 3rd grade while living in PA).
3 miles to town?
30 minutes by foot
15 minutes by bicycle
Less jumping on a horse bareback to town.
Team Barbie meet team Heidi
...and yes, I am disappointed at the lack of response to my complete purpose and passion
DeleteWith all due respect, the very first comment on this post was asking about how we could help address the issues Meredith raised in the post--and she never responded. Likewise on the lawyer post--people asked for updates, and there was no response. Obviously Meredith is very busy dealing with these issues and probably doesn't have time to write endless navel-gazing posts like JW. But the reason there is no discussion of the actual post is because there is no interaction with the original poster. So we default back to venting about JW. I think a lot of us would be happy to see Meredith's blog become a forum to discuss some of these very serious issues--but that discussion isn't going to arise from the commenters, it's going to have to come from up top. I'd be very interested to read posts here about proper hog husbandry, how to avoid mange, how to treat it, the best way to fence for pigs, etc. But until that content appears, I'm just here for the JW trainwreck analysis.
DeleteThere's a relationship, though, between the constant trips off farm and frivolous spending and the lack of care for her property and livestock. Her time, money and attention are all going elsewhere.
DeleteI agree here. I think a lot of people attribute JW's lack of focus on her farm (lots of trips to town, attempting to do a bunch of side projects) to being the reason for the poor condition of her animals' health and their scrappy living spaces. And it frustrates us, so we vent about it and throw in our two cents. And I think people agree with you Meredith, that the quality of life for these animals leaves much room for improvement. It's clear that you are very knowledgeable and passionate about raising pigs, and I certainly appreciate you sharing that knowledge. I guess for those of us who are less knowledgeable, we contribute what we can to the discussion and take in the information you're sharing with us from a more informed point of view. Also, I think it's complete crap that you were kicked from your internship while working your hardest to make improvements. I hope that everything you're working on now lets you harness your passion and knowledge and put it to good use for people who are farm more appreciative of it than your previous employer.
DeleteI agreed with you on the mange, and how to keep pigs. Beyond that, there's nothing we can do about Jenna except observe and comment. I do think you are doing a service by giving everyone a place to vent. Sometimes her readers and fans find their way here and are exposed to the truth. Some of them end up getting it, some prefer delusion.
DeleteMeredith, be real. You've posted more than a few (very enjoyable) ribs against aspects of CAF beyond just the animal husbandry. Keep it up, girl, but let's keep our heads level.
Delete-farmer Beth @ NC
The original post was on mange in pigs. I am not sure many here have had pigs, or cared for them. Maybe that is the reason that there is not a lot of response. But, *no* animal should have mange, especially un-treated. It is just another example of negligence. And that is probably why this turned back to Jenna. The mother of negligence in back yard farms. Jenna's post regarding killing the pig and the play on words about leaking eyes and onions- of COURSE not the pig dears- she is too much a farmer for that. Not. She has never once cared about killing anything. Jenna cares about herself. That is all. Back to the mange issue, it is not hard to see in animals, and even easier to treat.
ReplyDeleteMeredith, I hear what you are saying about Jenna's pigs and I agree that her way of keeping them is WRONG. They are intelligent and sensitive animals, and even if they weren't, no animal should spend its life locked in a dark cell. I doubt that your blog is going to change what she does. However, I would report your employer to The Humane Farming Association (www.hfa.org) and Humane Farm Animal Care (www.certifiedhumane.org). They are actually in your state of Virginia (Herndon, VA) and their phone number is (703) 435-3883. They are supported by the ASPCA, which is a very powerful animal welfare organization that can generate a lot of publicity. I think that consumers would want to know about animal care practices at Ayershire Farm. I don't eat meat, but a lot of people who do want to believe that the animals they eat were well treated during their lives and killed humanely. I think that there's a lot of misrepresentation in the humane animal food industry. For example, I used to buy eggs from Whole Foods that said they were cage free, until I found out that they were not third party certified. I just don't trust any company that won't get third party certification to prove their food claims. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteSorry - I see from rereading your original post that Humane Farm Animal Care has already visited. Call the ASPCA and tell them you are not satisfied with HFAC's conclusions. And try HFA, too.
DeleteAnimal care should be her first priority. It is troublesome to read about mange in her pigs and a horse whose ribs show. Also the fact that she waited a week before taking Gibson to the vet for his injured paw.
ReplyDeleteI also found her "onion" post troublesome. I have no problem with someone raising their own meat, but how can anyone raise an animal from birth and not feel something when they are slaughtered. That "ha ha, I fooled you - you really thought I was crying about my lamb, but it was actually an onion" comment just got to me. Does she really feel nothing?
Also her posts are full of contradictions. In some posts she says she rarely leaves her farm. In her recent one, she said she leaves it all the time. How can things be so dire and scary for her that she can spend her money on gas, lunches out, store coffee, etc? Doesn't she have a coffee maker and thermos? Didn't she diss people who shop in supermarkets then go on to say she regularly goes into town for lunch? Is she lonely on the farm? Does she crave human companionship or attention?
As for her truck repairs - I sure hope she gives the people who are working on it enough food to equal a fair wage. Vehicle repairs take a lot of skill. And I don't know any auto repairmen who get rich off of it. I find it hard to believe that in a small town auto parts and service would be overpriced. Again, I hope she gives fair compensation to the good people who are helping her out.
So much of JWs life seems to be trying to convince people she is something she is not. Every now and again the curtains part and you see who and what she really is all about. This post was one of them, in my opinion. She doesn't feel much about her animals (except those she directly identifies with as parts of her own self -- Gibson and Merlin) she doesn't really spend entire days on the farm working, she doesn't really live out in the country, but a mere 3 miles out of town, she's probably not really broke, just horrendous at managing money....it goes on and on. Bottom line, in real life she is a person I would avoid, and I plan on avoiding her online from now on as well. It's just not worth the frustration. It's funny, if you read through her blog from, say 4 or 5 years ago, she does not appear to have any of those people in her lives any longer. Does she still talk to the woman who took Finn off her hands? Her good friend Jon Katz? There's a trail of people who either left her life or got left behind as she went along. I am not going to be one of them, as a donator, or a reader. She's just bad news.
ReplyDeleteD.
And so it begins... Dying computer... No Birchthorn till fixed... Poor me car repairs for food... Didn't she just get fifteen grand?????
ReplyDeleteNot surprised she will let herself lapse on her Kickstarter commitment so soon. Here's an idea: she can draft a new chapter in Gmail (or whatever email client she uses), send it to herself, and then hitch a ride with a friend (since presumably there isn't a hitching post for a horse and cart at the public library) to town to use the computers there to log into her email account, retrieve the promised Birchthorn weekly update, and post it to the backer blog. I wonder how many contortions she would put herself through to argue how she couldn't possibly go out of her way to do that and how it's easier to just play catch-up once she's got a shiny new computer.
DeleteShe has a spare computer, so I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be able to get away with saying she can't finish Birchthorn....
DeleteAnon 9:33 reporting back...just read the most recent blog post. Remarkable. I thought she might crap out on Birchthorn halfway through...but certainly not so blatantly soon after the Kickstarter ended. Holy shitballs, batman.
DeleteOh seriously, she's saying she can't work on Birchthorn? How about using a pencil and legal pad and letting one of her devoted followers keystroke it for her? Maybe she could send it to the woman who was defending her so vociferously (and rudely) on the coldantlersham blog. I'm sure she'd be happy to do that for her, since she's such a big fan.
DeleteSo I too had time tonight to read the recent it's and was struck by the fact that two days into her staycation and she's running out of stores. Not a very well stocked homestead in my opinion. And, she's out of cheese? She's got goats, therefore she should have cheese, which in my mind is more important than the booze she's brewing.
ReplyDelete~j~
I've noticed over the years that she talks about booze a lot. She's always talking about her "haymakers?" I might have that wrong, anyway I think it's bourbon and tea. I've thought for a while that she drank too much bourbon, which is not only an expensive drink, but will kill your motivation. How much of the kickstarter money went to bourbon?
DeleteActually, it's bourbon, vermouth, lime juice and triple sec., unless she's talking about haymaker's punch, which is something else entirely.
DeleteFrom Jenna's 9/15/2014 9:34 post: "this Week at Home, I am also not allowing myself to eat outside of what my larder and farm produces. It's a test in making due with what is at hand, and help me prepare for winter weeks ahead"
ReplyDeleteFrom Jenna's Tuesday 9/16/2014 post: "I'm all out of cheese, green (non kale) veg, and coffee. I'm also low on flour. Ergo: trip to provision!"
Hmmmm.....
Also from the 9/15 post - Instead of running into town for errands or feed, I'm stocked up and learning to work within the rations of supplies I pre-bought before this weekend.
DeleteFrom 9/15/14 blog post "Day 1". Last sentence reads, "Let's hear it for me!". OMG, did she really mean to say that?
ReplyDeleteThat is a really great article in general, Anon 9:56--thanks for sharing.
DeleteI'm confused. In previous blog posts, she said she only heats with wood. In her recent post she said she woke up to furnace heat. Nothing wrong with furnace heat, so why say she only heats with wood? And if she dislikes furnace heat so much, why not just turn off the furnace? I don't understand these contradictions.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the jennafans do a double take at all the contradictions, or are they blinded by their rose colored glasses.
ReplyDeleteI'm also wondering about the computer problems, and the kickstarter money. Does she seriously not even have a couple thousand set aside for emergencies? Right now you can get some good laptops for under $500, you can buy them online with no shipping charges. No, she wants a puppy, and on facebook she said she planned on doing some herding trials, she gets a cart she doesn't need. I can understand the truck repairs, but shouldn't the other purchases wait until she has hay, feed and wood for the winter?
ReplyDeleteYes, yes and yes.
DeleteAbsolutely. And when anyone who has seen her Kickstarter page knows she's made $3000+ above her goal needed for the project, the first question would be "why not buy a new laptop?" I'd be pissed as hell if I was 1) foolish enough to contribute and 2) wasn't getting what I paid for because the extra money was spent on frivolous things. And don't even get me started on her statement about hand sewing that vest because she left her sewing machine in front of a window and the whole thing RUSTED. Are you kidding me?! Who treats their belongings like that??
DeleteSomeone with an "easy come, easy go" attitude. When you don't work for your money or have to wait and save for anything, you aren't as likely to take care of the things you have.
DeleteShe reminds me of the people I meet in the social service organization I work for. Never take care of anything because someone somewhere will replace it at any moment.
DeletePeople who don't have to work for what they have usually don't take care of what they have.
I see it all the time in people who receive welfare...the sense of entitlement thinking is astonishing.
~j~
I'm a little confused about what Meredith wants us to do about her pig situation. The people in charge of the humane certification have been contacted. What else is supposed to be done?
ReplyDeleteI, too, was a little gobsmacked by Jenna's proclamation on Day 1 that she was ONLY going to eat from her pantry...and on Day 2, she tells us she's going to ride her cart to the farmstand for "provisions." What the what what what? Since I know she reads here, I wonder how she'll explain away this glaring contradiction.
ReplyDeleteIf she can't get coffee or flour at a farmstand, doesn't that mean she has to go to a supermarket? And didn't she make a derogatory comment about people who go to supermarkets a few months ago?
ReplyDeleteDoes she just want to go into town with her horse and cart? Or can she just not stand to be alone on her farm? What happened to her "staycation" and provisions for a week?
A total joke. ONE day of work and she's over it. Cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteSnicker...
ReplyDeleteCripes on a bike, give the goil a break will ya sisters!
ReplyDeleteShe's need to go to Albany and visit the apple store for some apples, she can pick up a bottle of Jim Beam and some vittles for da bird. Chicken in the slow roaster and game night with the goats, its all good until the birchthorn strikes...
She's too fall down the stairs tired to do anything else this week, y'alls!
ReplyDeleteIt just gets better and better. The honeymoon of the staycation totally ended with sunset on day 1. So yesterday she phones in a ham sandwich to pick up via cart ride to the market? So hilariously lazy. Good thing she had that stockpile of provisions to make it through one week (in reality, read: one day). Merlin's hissy fit wasting her entire day was karma in its greatest form. Oh shucks...no time for writing (hadn't she already said she couldn't write for Birchthorn on the old computer she's using...something about the website being too fancy?). The woman really doesn't seem to plan for more than a split second at a time. Hell...if she's got all this extra cash from the fan club and can't handle more than a day at her farm, just admit defeat and rent a car for the week. What a shit show.
ReplyDeleteAlso, how 'bout that great lack of consideration? Can call in the sandwich order, can text someone for her own needs when she's having trouble with Merlin and the cart, but can't call the market to say she'll be HOURS late?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just because I'm filthy and disgusting and I haven't sat down for 10 hours and haven't eaten a bite of food and no one thought to phone ME in a ham sandwich, but it makes me somewhat inexplicably LIVID that she gets a huge lump sum from her supporters, immediately buys a new horse cart and starts looking for a new puppy, gives up on the project that provided her with the lump sum (Who knows if her computer ACTUALLY did break...maybe she's just lying so she doesn't have to fulfill her Birchthorn promise), AND NOW, ONE DAY after she says she's going to eat only what she has in her stockpile and acknowledging that she leaves the farm too often and spends too much money on frivolities...ONE DAY after that proclamation, she orders a freaking ham sandwich and drives her new cart to go collect it. That ham sandwich...that's like some sort of tipping point for me. She spent five hours battling her cantankerous horse to go get a stupid ham sandwich when she could have been spending those five hours cruising around Ebay, looking for a decent used laptop so she can make good on at least one of the many projects she's gotten people to pay for. Christ almighty on a neon cross...*I* need a fucking mason jar of whiskey now. What the actual fuck.
ReplyDeleteI've been watching the deterioration of her "staycation" with interest and it really is amazing that she continues to pull the wool over so many eyes. Lazy lunches, spending a long time talking with neighbors, five hours battling a horse for a store-bought ham sandwich...I think it's more obvious than ever why it is that she's never prepared for any sort of hard times or heaven forbid, emergency. She is truly the grasshopper, fiddling away the summer months while the ants prepare themselves for winter. Eye-opening.
DeleteI really really really don't care if someone has a lazy lunch or buys a ham sandwich or spends 5 hours dealing with their cantankerous horse or talks to their neighbors for an extended period of time--I've done all of those things!! BUT BUT BUT BUT BUT, what's pissing me off SO MUCH is that she made this huge show of staying on the farm and eating from her larder and getting things into tip-top shape and getting her shit in order..and it fell apart within 24 hours, and it's no one's fault but hers, and it makes me want to spit nails that she makes money pulling this bullshit. I rarely get so indignant over someone's internet life, but it's just so BLATANT.
DeleteAmen. Lot of talking the talk...no walking the walk. Failure after failure following the beg and give dance, and every time the sane people wonder - will this be it? Will this be the time all the Jenna sheep finally realize what a fraud the whole thing is? It's so incredibly wrong that people are out there busting their asses day in and day out, putting in tremendous effort every hour of the day, while some sham of a woman begging strangers to finance her poorly planned life flits around like this and the money just pours in. If I were in her shoes, my gut would be full of guilt. But I guess that's the difference between her and the rest of us. Sad.
DeleteThose were my thoughts exactly.
Delete1. Typical people don't joke about butchering an animal they've raised. Maybe an ornery rooster, but not animals you've truly invested in. Joel Salatin has shared butchering with us, but does it in an informative, clean and humane way. Doesn't laugh about how hilarious it is. In case any would-be or barnhearty followers read this, people who care about their animals handle their dispatch in a business-like and dignified manner. They don't show off.
ReplyDelete2. $18,000 from saps who are paying for a book that's probably already written. Next thing you know, she'll be complaining that people aren't coughing up their pledges fast enough.
3. Patty. She has a good friend and supporter that seems to have helped her a lot, but when Patty was showing at the fair, Jenna made it too late to be there to support her. Something about a misunderstanding about the time to pick up some hay. Sure. Now some other suckers, um, friends are taking care of her truck. I just thought that was really rotten to do to Patty, even if Patty herself didn't mind, but that's a conscience for you...
Dev
This last week truly begs the question when will her dumbshit followers realize she is no kind of homestead, farmer or hobbiest. And, definitely no one to be admired or emulated.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that no jenna crazies have been here to defend her and us we're all so mean.
Could the lightbulb finally be going on?
I just feel sorry for Merlin, who is very clearly TELLING her something is wrong...yet she takes forever to figure it out...blaming his issues on feed, or comparing him to a toddler having a tantrum. Listen to the horse!
ReplyDeleteSo much for prepping. She wouldn't make it through one day of Armageddon.
ReplyDeleteI guess that survival podcast she follows hasn't sunk in. Such a joke she was even on one talking about homesteaders being preppers since she is anything but.
DeleteWhat's with the pre-ordered ham sandwich? Didn't she say she had a fully stocked larder? Or how she makes her own bread and has a freezer full of her own harvested meat?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was just an excuse to go into town with her horse and cart to show what a cool 19th century 'farmer' she is.
She was supposed to show how she could stay on the farm for a week. I don't understand why none of her fans call her on this. There are so many contradictions.
And not to worry about Birchthorn - her donors are writing it.
I don't believe she's been honest on her blog, the more I see, the more I'm sure of this. Her stories about Merlin in the last couple of weeks don't make any sense to me. It could be one or more of 3 things; she's ignorant, like fall down the stairs ignorant about horses; she's in denial and something is wrong with Merlin; she isn't telling the truth about what's wrong with Merlin. It worries me that she's pushing an older pony, that she might be ignoring/denying signs of lameness or illness because what she wants is always more important than anything else in the world.
DeleteShe has been behaving like a spoiled six year old. She writes about her good intentions for this week, and can't make it 1 whole day. Grown ups are usually capable of making sacrifices to reach a bigger goal. This would be a wake up call for anyone with an ounce of self-awareness. That one ham sandwich was so important to her she threw away a whole day.
As confusing as Jenna's behavior is, her fans are even more incomprehensible. I know some of them are reading this, and they are always ready to step up and score a few points and call us meanies and bullies, but I notice they can't even pretend to defend her this week. They must be getting at least a ray of truth creeping into their thoughts.
There's something strange about Jenna's behavior. Her latest post indicates that her email accounts don't work. Yet, she needs to contact someone who sent a message about Antlersstock. How about picking up the phone and calling the person? Why should they have to contact her on Facebook if they plan to spend money on a seminar? Anyone who takes money from the public needs a phone number, even if it is an 800 number that you create for just this purpose. I wouldn't give money to anyone who doesn't list a phone number. Instead, she's telling the person they have to contact her on Facebook. Um, excuse me, but pick up the phone and call the person like a responsible business person would. If you can go to town for a ham sandwhich, then you can also go to town to use a phone in the book store or wherever. Anon-123
ReplyDeleteJon Katz had an interesting blog entry today. He talks about having to sell his first farm and possible financial difficulties.
ReplyDeleteHe says this:"I guess I need to say to the many generous spirits out there that I am not seeking financial help and will not accept any. I accept payment for my work, not my life."
I really like his comment about accepting payment for his work, not his life. It's such a simple, straightforward way of stating one's philosophy of living.
Kickstarter just updated their terms of service with a fully fleshed out responsibilities of backers/creators section - https://www.kickstarter.com/terms-of-use#section4. Could be interesting if she doesn't actually finish it.
ReplyDelete-A
Updated terms of service usually don't grandfather in projects already funded or in the process of trying to get funded. I followed your link and read the service terms - no mention of grandfathering. Birchthorn's probably not affected.
DeleteThe updated terms of service would only apply to new projects. But, it should give pause to those asking for money.
DeleteI think JW creates posts that are part truth/part fiction- for one reason-to try to get whatever it is she feels she needs NOW, and to try to impress editors/publishers. And I think she's always looking for another book deal, and personally, I think she's feeling the pressure that maybe there won't be another one real soon [God, please]. She hops around on subjects hoping to get noticed by an editor- "Look, I can do a book on falconry" [no you can't, or shouldn't.} "Look, I can do a whole book on my one week at staycation {Why does a farmer -and we all know she is not a farmer- why does a farmer call one week on the farm a staycation-isn't one week on the farm like the other 51 weeks- hard but worthy work, as in, farming? My gut is that she cares less about what readers think, and is posting more to try to sway and keep up good graces with editors, who may or may not be reading by now. She hopped around with publishers, now is trying to self publish-it all looks....like she wants a Hail Mary pass.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is why she went to great lengths to write about how she was gutting a chicken in her yard while people were driving by in cars going to supermarkets and how she wasn't like them. Then she spends half a day driving her cart into town for a store bought ham sandwich.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope she calls a vet to have a look at Merlin. Now that she has the Kickstarter money she can certainly afford it.
The sad thing is, when you are self employed time = money. Jenna sure does waste a lot of both.
ReplyDeletePeople with ADHD should not live alone with 87 critters
ReplyDeleteamen
DeleteDon't you people understand - it was a ham sandwich? If it was a BLT the trip would have taken 3 days, Merlin would have been devoured by birchthorn, Italics would have flown a message to the sandwich maker saying "Help" and the only thing that saved her from freezing at night was the vest from old pants, so there.
ReplyDeleteLol! You should be writing Birchthorn!
DeleteOMG... When is she going to realize that she needs to coop her birds at night, at the very least? She just got a new flock from the Commonsense farm (which is ironic cuz she seems to really get a huge order to go from that place of ah... Commonsense....). But she got another flock cuz a fox killed a bunch more. The death toll of poultry alone is staggering. But heck, she needs them as window dressing for her homesteading play coming up. You know Atlerstock? Where wanna bes come to watch them put on homesteading acts? Shesh.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much she pays the people who "teach" the various subjects at Antlerstock?
ReplyDeleteComical that she, of all people, is teaching the prepping session. Wonder if it will include step-by-step instructions on how to order a ham sandwich by phone.
ReplyDelete~j~
Or how to go more than one day without running into town for provisions.
DeleteLol @ j!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously? She is teaching the prepping session? She who couldn't last one day on the farm without going into town for provisions? I'm fall down the stairs dumbstruck!
ReplyDeleteAs for the chickens, where does she keep them that they keep getting eaten by foxes?
She just let's them free range all over. There is no coop. It's survival of the fittest. It's ridiculous. No decent farmer or homesteader would let their birds go wild and free like that if they depended on them. Especially after the first ten attacks.... And how humane is it to leave vulerable birds out at night wherever their little bird brains think is safe to roost? After all, being killed and tore apart alive by coons or foxes is a good thing, right? My gosh...
ReplyDeleteI think you said the magic word - depend. It's got to be more of a game of fun than dependence for her if the animals are treated in such a disposable manner. They would be so valuable to a real homesteader, who is both protective and frugal. And carrying such value, every effort would be made to be sure the animals are happy and safe. It sounds kind of extreme or backwards or something at her place - a couple of pigs confined to a barn, but a flock of chickens free to roam her entire acreage?
DeleteExactly, Anon 5:36. We keep a flock of 25+ chickens and allow them to 100% free range during the day, and then they go back into a very secure house with a closed door at night. They supply every single egg that is eaten by the four people who live on my farm--we don't purchase eggs, and are happy about that! A month or so ago, a fox came through and starting picking off a chicken a day. Instead of just shrugging my shoulders and planning for my next flock like JW, I went out to Lowe's, bought a roll of construction fencing (the bright orange plastic stuff, 4' tall) for $32, came back home, pounded in some t-posts, and strung the fence all around the chicken house. I had to tack the fence down between the t-posts with a bunch of bright yellow step-in posts because the first day, my very free-willed chickens figured out how to duck under the bottom. Is it butt ugly? Heck yeah! Did it work? You bet it did. I kept the chickens inside the fence for a solid week (they weren't happy with me, but whatever, I was doing it for their own good) and when I finally let them back out, the fox had moved on and we haven't lost any more. I count them every single night to make sure. And sure, free-range chickens can be tough to keep alive because EVERYTHING would like to eat a fresh chicken dinner. But when you start losing large numbers of chickens, that's when you really need to start looking at your setup and making changes.
DeleteOh, and I guess my point is that JW's unprotected free-range chickens seem to be less about feeding her and more about set dressing--"Oh, how quaint and romantic that the chickens just run about wherever they please! This must be a real farm!"
DeleteShe actually dropped the F-bomb in the part about the preparedness session. That's right...she said, "Financial." WHAT. Does she really consider herself qualified to speak on the topic of financial preparedness?? She who almost had her truck repossessed because she thought if she was paying something, they wouldn't come for it? She who refused to get a job or a roommate or cut back on her ham sandwich trips while crying that the bank was going to foreclose on her farm?? She who just garnered $15,000 from supporters and then promptly broke her computer so she doesn't have to make good on the product that netted her the 15k? She who has NO emergency fund whatsoever in place, to the point that when her (rather valuable) dog was injured and limping, she waited a whole week to take him to the vet because she had no money??
ReplyDeleteUnless her financial preparedness lecture is all about how to beg people on the internet to fund your lifestyle, I'm not sure at all what she's going to say, but I'd sell some small part of my soul to be a fly on the wall.
No. Just...no.
LIKE
DeleteAnd, how is she going to intelligently talk about prepping animals and home when she doesn't have enough hay, feed, wood or food to get through the winter much less a crisis of any kind as demonstrated by her laughable staycation.
DeleteI guess she could end the session with do as I say not as I
do.
The attendees would be better off going to a free CERT training put on by a local fire dept or Red Cross.
Jenn
No umbrellas, no inside the house, no food, bring your own food, your own chairs, pee in the smelly plastic green thing - I think not.
ReplyDeleteNot even a tent set up to gather under if it pours. Although if it rains, that's going to be the only way to wash your hands.
ReplyDeleteIf she has no way to secure the chickens from predators, why would the people from Commonsense Farms give her more? Won't the same thing happen again? Doesn't sound like common sense to me.
ReplyDeleteShe allowed a critical comment through, about the ham sandwich, and then she gave an indignant response about how much the people at the farm stand do for her so she has to support them...etc. Yeah but, that's not what YOU SAID at the beginning of the week. YOU were prepared, you were content. Eat your own words.
ReplyDeleteI just read the comment. She said she's tired of assumptions made by strangers. Any comments here are comments on her own blog posts. And they are full of contradictions.
DeleteAmen!! She posts so many contradictory statements, and never follows through with half of what she says. What happened to the rest of the "staycation" documentation? Either she got lazy or she obviously couldn't handle staying on her farm by herself all week. I get it, she's probably lonely on a normal day which is why she leaves the farm so often. In a lot of ways, I feel bad for her. She has no significant other, few friends and no family nearby. All of her friends seem to have their own lives they are involved with, their own husbands/boyfriends/wives/children, and Jenna has none of that. She says she wants that, but honestly I don't see that happening for her because she's so self-centered. And yes Jenna, I have met you in person, I have a basis for the self-centered remark (not an assumption)! You were very rude, probably without realizing it, and only spoke of yourself in very egotistical tones, which I suspect comes from living alone for so long. Hopefully some of your friends point this out to you someday.
DeleteYes, and with no real job (the kind where you get up in the morning, shower, dress and then go see other humans), she's very isolated. If she were really busy running a home business, that would fill a good bit more of her time, but she's spending her days playing around with a bunch of hobbies. That sounds like it would be fun, but eventually comes to seem kind of thin and pointless.
Delete"A serious talk about being a more responsible citizen". Seriously? This coming from someone who has been irresponsible with her animals and finances. Financial preparedness from someone who lives by the seat of her pants? And people are paying for this? Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteAgain with bashing the locals, as if what they provide is an imposition. If she doesn't want to be beholden to people and feel she needs to reciprocate in some way then she shouldn't accept anything in the first place.
ReplyDeleteWhere did she make those comments Redhorse? Facebook?
~j~
She made these comments on her blog, in the comment section of the pizza post. She wasn't bashing the locals, she was bashing the commenter, "Beth." She seemed to be making the excuse that she felt obligated to buy her lunch there because they "do a lot for me." Sometimes I'm not really sure what she really means. She also made a big deal (again) about the point that she gives her real name and Beth didn't. I don't think anyone asks for her to do that, or expects it. I wouldn't feel comfortable giving her any personal information because I know how rabid some of her fans can be. That's why, if I have anything to say about her, I'd rather do it here.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why she's so obsessed with people giving real names. What does that prove? I can just as easily give a fake name, and she wouldn't know the difference. And not everyone has a website or facebook page. Having a URL does not make you a "real" person! Sometimes I think she's spent so much time on World of Warcraft and blogging that she doesn't understand that not everyone has an internet life, or desires to have one by putting their actual name out there. Identity theft is a real thing, and something I've experienced personally. I never give out my first and last name. Why would I? To prove to her that I'm real? Hello, I typed the comment! I'm real Jenna! She just uses the "real name" thing to distract all her followers so they don't realize the horrible angry mean commenter is pointing out inconsistencies and lies of Jenna's own creation.
Delete-H
Straight from Jenna's Facebook page:
ReplyDelete"Oh, Internet. A gal shares her story (mistakes and all) on you and your trolls make sure to assume I'm piece of shit and tell the world.
I'm not taking it anymore."
Oh shit y'alls, she's coming for us!
Huh, so maybe this is the classic "a good offense is a good defense" tactic - attack people who are exposing your inadequacies so no one focuses on the reality? And Jenna (since we know you read these), the reality is you claim knowledge and expertise in areas of which you have little to no real understanding, post your "story" (and sometime we'll have to do a psychoanalysis of using THAT term - story tends to imply fiction rather than reality), naive people think it's the right way to do something and end up injuring themselves, their families and their animals. You've had multiple people with a lifetime of experience try to help you out and the hand they reach out to you is bitten, since it's more important that you be seen as some kind of expert. You base your entire life on being the "single homesteading gal," a conceit that simply doesn't fit the reality. You cannot financially maintain your home, your animals, or yourself. That alone takes away all of your credibility, much less the condition of your home and animals. You are trying to build a brand, but until you can actively DO all the 101 things you are attempting you will continue to crash and burn. Spend some time reading other homesteading blogs and see how it should be done. Read Jackie Clay's canning/homesteading articles. Read Ben Hewitt. These are people who actually derive a large portion of their food from their own land and work, and have been working the kinks out for decades, so THEIR advice is actually useful. Think of it this way - you wouldn't take riding lessons from someone who has barely sat on a horse. So "take it" or not, this is how you are perceived by anyone who spends enough time listening to your "stories."
DeleteAs usual, she misses the mark in her reply to the negative comment. "Beth" was chiding her for the "you'll never eat take out again" remark and reminded her of the ham sandwich and said she wasted 5 hours and "damn near" ruined her horse. When Jenna replied on the blog and on FB she said she was accused of ruining her horse, leaving out the damned near. Also, Beth never said the word shit, or accused Jenna of being it, nor did she "tell the world." She made a very short, to the point, snarky comment on the blog, pointing out the (very strange) inconsistencies of the posts from this week.
DeleteThen she complained about people making assumptions about her, yet on the FB page, you should see the assumptions from the Jennafans! One of them wrote:
"THose are the people who were "ruined" by their parents. Someone didn't get enough love from daddy. Go get em Jenna. Tell them what they can do with their comments."
Of course there were many mentions of "haters," which means they've missed the point. There was another who said everyone should mind their own business, which is priceless, because then Jenna wouldn't survive. And my favorite:
" Keep on Keeping on Jenna. You got grit and I applaud you for it. When (if) the giant emp hits and electrical power is no more,,, you will survive, many of them will not.'
Okay dude, you missed the point too, Jenna will only survive if a bunch of us do, and keep sending her money.
Jackie Clay is the real deal! She has been homesteading for decades - she can grow and preserve anything. In her world, if she can't afford it, she doesn't buy it. It took a couple of years to roof the new barn - she paid for it as she went. Highly recommend her blog!
DeleteThat's the way we do things too.
DeleteGreat points, Anon 6:02. She must know there's a limit to the time she has in terms of being somewhat known for her writing and making money from it. At some point, the novelty and trendiness of homesteading will wear out, and the ones who are doing it as a true way of life will turn to people like you've mentioned, not JW. And because they really truly can support themselves, they'll keep going. Her story was interesting at first - I assume a number of people get into homesteading kind of how she did as described in Barnheart. Whatever you could get by with here and there while still living your 9-5 life. I think I read that book way behind the times compared to what was really happening in her life. Anyway, her name will fade at some point. That's got to keep her up at night. It would for me. Without the thoughtfulness behind what she does and how she does it, people will stop turning to her and it really will just become a bunch of stories. As her name fades, everything else associated with it will too - the sponsors on her blog, the interest anyone has in coming to workshops at her farm, the book deals, etc. Maybe then reality will finally sink in. Maybe.
DeleteI can't find Jackie Clay's blog? Link me? All I can find is backwoods home links.
DeleteJackie Clay's blog is reached through Backwoods Home magazine. See if this link works: http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/
DeleteShe is illiterate. The truth is harsh isn't it Jenna? Public figures beget publicity- look at Justin Beiber!
ReplyDeleteWell said Anon 6:02. Just because you want to be an expert or purport to be an expert does not mean you ARE and expert.
ReplyDeleteShe's just mad because we have hit a nerve.
~j~
When someone posts their life on a public forum, they will be subject to scrutiny, especially when they are asking for donations to fund their life. And any assumptions people make about their life are based on what they write.
ReplyDeleteThis is why Jon Katz resisted taking money from his readers for a very long time. He wanted to feel free to express his opinions. He also freely admitted he had a lot of critics, and even entire blogs devoted to it.
When you have a public blog, there will be both praise and disagreement. It's two sides of the coin. If a person can't take it, then perhaps it's time to stop blogging. Or perhaps a subscription based blog only - then only supporters will read it.
Very true. Even the most loved entertainers Or movie stars have their critics. It's part of living life in the public. You laid your life out there for all to see and that invites comment.
DeleteIt's kind of like...if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
She had her reasons for putting herself in the public eye and if she doesn't like it she needs to rethink Her path.
Jenn
Here's how (I think) it works nowadays: Person A is living their life in a public forum of some kind, and Person B criticizes them, publicly, for something they do. In order to shut them up, diminish their argument, cast doubt on their assertions, and marginalize them, Person A or their minions will call Person B a "hater," implying they are only bringing their assertions to light because of some flaw in their OWN personality instead of serious concern about a situation (which they may have already brought, privately, to Person A's attention, without result). It's an attempt to trivialize Person B, instead of publicly addressing their concerns. A classic case of someone biting your finger in order to stop you from pointing in the direction of something they don't want you to point out. Yes, there is no question there are internet trolls out there. These people are not them.
ReplyDeleteI think you nailed that one. And I do think Jenna's case is a unique one, at least to me. I don't troll the internet. I only read blogs I like, and I used to like hers. I don't get into fights online or on FB, nor do I make negative comments on blogs. I do discuss CA on this blog. I don't think that makes me a hater, though I do understand it might upset her.
DeleteMy sister-in-law is a Clan Cold Antler member. She said Jenna didn't post for almost a month, then her latest post on the Clan was to say she was sorry about not posting, but Birchthorn was keeping her busy.
ReplyDeleteHello!? Didn't Clan members pay her $65 a pop to read weekly posts? Now that she has a new funding source, the promise she made to them goes down the drain?
My sil wasn't even mad. She donated to Birchthorn too.
I'm not surprised by anything she does any more, but it's still amazing how quickly she'll drop an idea/project as soon as something else comes along that'll make her a quick buck.
DeleteShe hasn't posted anything new to Birchthorn for two weeks. There are some pretty thoughtful criticisms there calling for a major rewrite of the old stuff that has already been written, and I'm pretty curious whether she's going to take those suggestions seriously, since it'll mean a LOT of work. She hasn't responded to any of those comments, either.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. Is anyone still trying to actively make suggestions or do research for her, or has the two-week silence on her end already driven off the people who gave money to actually be a part of the writing process?
DeleteAh, that did not take long. Work is very hard for Jenna. She can't focus on anything for more than one afternoon at a time.
ReplyDeleteI think work is even harder for her when she just got 15K that's burning a big hole in her pocket.
DeleteShe has a year to deliver, let's see how many excuses she can invent.
The truly funny thing about her stomping around in her blog comments and on facebook and rumbling about strangers judging her and how she's not going to take it anymore is that the way to get us to shut up for a while would be to freaking knock Birchthorn out of the park. Post not just once a week (or every three or four weeks, as it's starting to be already), but post multiple times a week. Spend hours writing and rewriting, research and plotting. Make posts on the main blog saying, "Sorry for the lack of posts; busy with my paid projects: Birchthorn and Clan Cold Antler!" instead of the other way around. Give people a reason to buy into the club--because their money actually pays for fresh, new content you can't get anywhere else. She is her own worst enemy.
DeleteThat would require actual work. Life as a con artist is far easier.
DeleteWell, then she needs to quit whining when people like us call her out on being a con artist! :p
DeleteYou said it anon 8:12, she is her own worst enemy. But she loves to put up straw man comments, misquote and misconstrue her critics and tell her readers how bad ass she is and she's "not going to take it anymore." Then the Jennacrowd gets themselves all worked up over something she inaccurately quoted and they go on and on for days telling her how wonderful, beautiful and smart she is, and everyone who complains about her lying and cheating is just a big ole meanie hater. Meanwhile, they don't notice that she is lying to them and cheating them.
ReplyDeleteI would love it if she actually filed a libel lawsuit, the evidence would be 10-1 against her, it would be public, there would be no wiggle room for her.
Does anyone know when she stopped wearing glasses? Did she get lasix or contacts?
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with kickstarter, but I wonder if people can dispute the charge on their credit card for lack of delivery. I'd be asking at this point.
ReplyDeleteAnd those who just let this kind of thing lay must enjoy being taken advantage of if they don't insist on getting what they pay for.
Boggles the mind why people still find her inspiring since she hasn't written a decent post in a very long time. The difference in her writing now versus a year or so ago is painful. Her snarky attitude and contempt really show through.
Jenn
Tell me about it! I recently purchased a really nice $80 necklace on Etsy for my mom's birthday. A week went by and I hadn't heard anything from the seller about it being shipped, so I sent a polite inquiry asking for an update on my order. Several more days went by with no answer and I was practically climbing the walls!! I can't afford to just lose money like that. I started looking into making a Paypal claim, etc. I was flipping out to the point that I wrote a much more strongly worded message to the seller, but then I took a breath and told myself I needed to wait until the 2 week mark just to be fair. And sure enough, I finally got a response from the seller a day or two later--there had been some serious computer problems on her end. She mailed the piece the very next day, it got here fine, crisis averted. So I can't fathom the fact that at least some of people who shelled out their hard-earned money to JW aren't asking these questions of her.
DeleteNo, I don't think there's any way to get your money back from Kickstarter. The problem with this project, as with so many of the previous ones, is that when you've received all the money up front, the incentive for finishing the project drops to zero. For the sake of all the people who've entrusted her with their money, I hope this will be different and she'll actually deliver this one.
DeleteI'm laughing so hard I can barely type: JW announced this morning to her adoring crowds on facebook that she's starting a vlog (video blog)! I love how there has been no mention of Birchthorn whatsoever in weeks, and now she's on to the next thing. This must mean that she finally got a new computer--because if she can't post installments of Birchthorn on her old computer, she certainly wouldn't be able to edit and upload videos!
ReplyDeleteOh good lord, will access to the vlog be a prepaid thing? Does this mean she's already spent all the Kickstarter money and is looking for another infusion of cash?
DeleteClearly, START is in her vocabulary, but FINISH doesn't seem to be?
DeleteDoesn't seem like she finishes much of anything.
It's just crazy that she bought a cart before finishing the horse barn, fixing fences, securing the chicken coop, laying in hay and wood, all the things that cause her problems. But, maybe she thinks if she has a well run homestead she won't have anything dramatic to talk about.
Sure turns the idea of living a simpler country life on its head.
~j~
Okay, her claim is that she will be posting new videos twice a week. Start placing your bets on how many weeks it will be until this goes down the tubes. My bet is 2 weeks with video updates (4 total) before it goes off the rails.
DeletePlease keep us non-Facebook users posted about her videos! (Is FB where she will be posting them?
DeleteShe's posted a link on her facebook page, but the video is embedded on her newest blog post, and is also posted to her youtube account.
DeleteThe smart thing would be for her to use the vlog posts as the premium content that the Clan members have paid for.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right but apparently that's not what she's doing--she just uploaded the first one to youtube for general consumption.
DeleteI can see several scenarios concerning Birchthorn. Perhaps she only wants research and not suggestions. We've all read on her blog posts how she does not like taking suggestions.
ReplyDeleteOr, if she does take suggestions, it may be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. With so much input, it might be a hastily slapped together effort with too many voices.
Or, best case scenario for her, there may be some talented, and upcoming writers among her donors. She might have a best seller, and maybe a 'made for TV' movie. In that case, she would get all the profits. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I do not believe there was any profit sharing agreement. The donors get a print copy of the book - that is all.
I have no doubt Birchthorn will be written. It may possibly be a novella. I don't remember there being any statement as to how many pages it had to be. And it doesn't even have to be good - that is too subjective. It just has to be written.
So it will be the most expensive book anyone had to pay to help write.
Interesting Jenna, your sheep only get lots of fresh water when you are flushing them. Is that because you think they are using the toilet? Do you even honestly know what flushing is? Good LORD. Is there no end to the desperation in your attempts to gain attention? You are fast becoming a freak show....
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJust saw the Vlog. Ugh!! Is that V for vomit blog?
ReplyDeleteBreak out the hip boots, SON, the body count of unfinished weekly, daily, monthly keep up with the farm shit is certainly piling up.
Webinars
CSA's
Clan
Birchthorne
The list goes on.
~j~
Vlog = painful viewing.
ReplyDeleteI have no words.
Jenn
I watched the video and thought it was a decent first attempt. I had no problem with it until the end when the request for money came. Why does everything have to be a commercial?
ReplyDeleteSubscribing to youtube channels actually doesn't cost any money. So for now, the video posts won't be making her any money directly. But I'm sure the plan is to use them to ask for money at some point. Maybe she thinks she'll get people interested and then move the video updates only to Clan Cold Antler, where you have to pay for access. Who knows.
DeleteHomestead infommercial. (using the word "homestead loosely, obviously)
DeleteSeriously, she comes off like a 12-year-old girl.
DeleteOh jeez, she mentioned getting a female pig for the "boar in the barn," so now she's going to be breeding pigs...this will not make Meredith happy...or anyone else.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing.
DeleteWhy have a boar when the process to AI a gilt is so easy.
DeleteBoars can be destructive.
Boars aren't destructive if they're kept in a tiny, crate-like enclosure...
DeleteI don't know much about pigs and breeding, I'm certainly not qualified to have workshops on farming topics, but even I know that pig breeding is not something everyone can/should do. That's why people buy feeders! From what little I've seen it's demanding and difficult. Do you think she can't find people to sell her piglets anymore?
ReplyDeleteIn case any Cold Antler Farm readers with barnheart, or Kickstarter Birchthorn followers happen to read this.... are even you beginning to wonder why this person goes through so many chickens? Maybe we should send her money to just buy some eggs from a farmstand, like Common Sense Farms! It would probably save some feathered friends, except she needs them for window-dressing.
Dev
p.s. Hope that hawk gets put away safely during this weekend's festival.
A virus wiped out 10% of the US pig population this year - over 7 million pigs died. Everybody is having trouble finding piglets to raise right now. However, that doesn't mean one is qualified to breed their own.
DeleteFortunately for real hog farmers, PED has mostly affected factory farms...I'm a beef farmer and I have no love for factory hogs or poultry so I kind of smirk that confinements have turned on themselves!
DeleteNo, I think we should encourage her to do this breeding. Yes, Jenna, go for it, just wait a bit until I get my popcorn.
ReplyDeleteThat question on what she does to prep for winter- she forgot- buying her wood at Stewarts. Does she honestly believe that all there is to do is to buy hay and wood? I pity anyone who actually listens to what she says.
ReplyDeleteShe also forgot to mention that she doesn't stock enough of either to get through winter.
DeleteI think in a previous post she said she had a few cords of wood and about 50 or so bales of hay. Hardly enough to get through a harsh New England winter.
Jenn
She did mention that she doesn't have enough storage herself, so stores some hay in the barns of several nearby friends. She does a lot of foolish and half-assed things to be sure, but from my perspective I'm not sure that's one of them. In my part of the country (the Southeast) no one stores enough hay for the entire winter--we get a truckload of 8-12 round bales at a time, and when it runs out we call the hay man up again for another delivery. It could be a lot different in New England, though--for one, our animals are on pasture 24/7/365 and we don't even need a dedicated livestock barn...the only time the sheep are in our barn are for a few hours on shearing day. And our roads are almost never unpassable due to snow or ice, so as long as there's still hay it can get here. But I have to imagine that it's at least somewhat similar up there, with the hay farmers investing in large barns to store all their hay, and then doling it out as needed to smaller farmers without the same infrastructure. So you must need at least some hay on hand if you're stabling animals, but it seems unrealistic to expect an entire winter's worth of hay stored on a small farm. Now, the firewood thing is another matter...there's no good reason for not having a winter's worth of seasoned, dry wood stacked in a shed or under the eaves, and there's certainly no excuse for a "homesteader" buying little pre-packaged logs at the convenience store.
DeleteThe barn where I work has 12 horses and we try to stockpile as many bales of hay and straw as possible this time of year to get us through the winter. For a few months during the coldest part of the year, the horses are stalled overnight for warmth and protection (really hilly fields and lots of big, old trees - can get tricky when we're under lots of snow and ice). We're in southeastern PA. I have no doubt the many hay suppliers in the area have bales for sale through the winter, but our reason for storing up early is to get the best of what's available, and also lock in a better price while the supply is high and demand is a little lower.
DeleteAnd an observation after watching the vlog - she mentioned how much coffee she has in the larder. Wasn't that one of the items that ran out during the "staycation"? Was she trying not to touch winter rations, or was the winter provision description in the vlog just the best case scenario of what she thinks she needs to stockpile? Doesn't really make a lot of sense comparing that to recent recounts of her staycation issues.
-AM
What gets me, is she does not grow coffee!! She buys it! It is like me saying I have stocked up on hungry man frozen dinners for the winter. She portends to not be able to get out to get groceries, but she buys her coffee at Stewarts, along with her wood. She is a total fake.
DeleteWebcam????
ReplyDeleteiMovie????
Clearly her computer problem has been resolved. No more excuses about Birchthorn then.
I think she is just absolutely desperate for attention, any kind she can get. You can see it in her when she is on the webcam. She's almost giddy knowing people are looking at, and listening to her. It almost doesn't matter what she says, as long as people click to watch her. As to hay storage, I am 2 hours south of her and am fortunate enough to have hay storage. Jenna's barn is too full of animals to store much, if any hay. I bet dollars to donuts that she picks up a pick up load of hay and there it sits until it is fed.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the barn. When she first moved in there, she had someone look at the barn (a local construction guy? the property inspector?) can't remember who exactly. But anyway, they told her the barn needed serious shoring-up or replacement within the next couple years. It has a heavy slate roof, and is in danger of collapse. Instead of all those fancy toys (horse, cart, computer) she should have fixed that barn. A disaster of MAJOR proportion just waiting to happen.
DeleteOh, but don't you know that her devoted followers will just pay for a new barn if/when it collapses? Why spend her hard-earned (aka, not earned at all) Kickstarter funds on important infrastructure upgrades when she can do so much fun stuff in the meantime? When it does happen it'll be such a tragedy, she'll spin it as a loss of her "livelihood" or "self-sufficiency" or some other nonsense, and the donations will just pour in. Get ready for it.
DeleteOh, yeah, and who cares about the loss or injury of the animals that are stuck in that barn? She laughs at that, right?
DeleteWhen it suits her she'll spin the loss of animal life as tragic. She'll write woeful, Civil War letter-style epitaphs for the boar that spent his entire life in the barn, and for the random chickens that tried to find some shelter in there. Oh, and poor Jasper, whom she had no use for and couldn't convince anyone to buy.
DeleteWill be doing my own vlog, I think this is a great idea. I will even show you guys actual information, stay tuned!
ReplyDeleteOy vey this is meshugganah Ethel!
ReplyDeleteShe be the Oprah of Farm, clan, media empire - vlog, blog and storin log
But what about da Birch?
It's all about exposure, run those numbers up -tweet, vine, youT - exponential customization for future fiscal uploads
Dis farm be like the Goldman $aks of chickens, the golden egg, the golden egg!
LOL!!! Hilarious. Cold Antler rap.
DeleteShe stores number ten cans of salt and pepper? And fifteen pounds if coffee for the winter? Wtf? Honestly. It's like watching a thirteen year old girl desperate for respect and attention with stupid advice. Guess she's pulled the wool over everyone's eyes.
ReplyDeleteIt really is. I think we finally see where she is coming from- a spoiled girl who never grew up. It all makes sense now, the inability to work for a living, the pleads for allowance, oops, money, and kickstarter. The inability to take care of her place by herself (all work done there is done by her friends), and her laughter about killing her animals. It all signifies her neonate approach to life. I am embarrassed for her.
ReplyDeleteAfter watch that episode I had to ask why she had to run to town for provisions and a sandwich by day 2 of her staycay if she's sooo well stocked. Do her followers have short turn memory loss that they don't see the contradictions?
ReplyDeleteHay banks? Really? What if she can't get to them because of weather?
Heats with wood but only needs 4 cords for a whole winter in
NY?
She couldn't even talk intelligently about what she has in her larder that she rattles of insignificant stuff like #10 cans of salt and pepper. Leads to believe she far from prepared and we'll watch that play out over and over again in the next few months with one crisis after another.
The whole thing gave me a brain cramp.
Jenn
I watched episode 3 and she was certainly having fun. Who wouldn't rather be enjoying themselves in the sunshine with their horse and friend instead of sitting in an office under fluorescent lights?
ReplyDeleteI had that dream too. I was an early devotee of the Tightwad Gazette and had a goal of early retirement. I worked, saved my money and paid off all debt. I am now free to spend my days as I wish. The best part is, I don't have to beg anyone for money.
I'm guessing that many of JW's devotees would like to quit their jobs too and live the life she is living. I hope they realize that every time they send her money, they are setting themselves back.
I hope they are enjoying the vlogs. After all, they are paying for them.
Good for you! I loved the Tightwad Gazette.
DeleteLoved the TW gazette, pre-internet and yes it was a good philosophy to embrace although we never got that tight.
DeleteI think JW fans are the same folks who regularly buy lottery tickets and then dream for hours about how their life will be sooo different if they win. She's like a magic farm dream, send her some dough and you too can be a part of a fantasy, part of the clan. It's all so psych too - "tell me about your chickens..." she don;t give a cow pat about your chickens she wants your dough, just keep tuning in and that Bridget cross will hypnotize the credit card number right to the paypal
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think she gets more money from her sponsors when people leave comments, which is probably why she asks for them.
DeleteAll social media (Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, blogs) is gauged by interaction, which is page views, comments, "likes," etc. The higher the numbers, the more attractive a content creator is to investors and advertisers.
DeleteOhhhhh isn't that nice? A lovely Friday afternoon, paid day off, paid-for horse. That vlog was painful, and I'm sure even more painful for those who paid for her horse and her day off. And at the very end, notice she mounts Merlin from the OFF side? omg...
ReplyDeleteDear Jennadiah
ReplyDeleteAs you know I require more than words, and have tried to tell you this as the weeds of life have overcome my fragile existence, Can I bear to see you leave me alone so often, and alas, I get a photo but others are privy to the wonders of vlog. I must insist, that we are finished, pull me out of the rocky soil of your life and purchase the likes of that hussy Spinach or her sister Chard!. Oh if only Birchthorn could come a calling and spare me your garlic fry. With utmost fond memories of spring when we were young, I now insist again, go to that damn ham sandwich you so love and cut me out of your life.
Kale
LOL, too good.
DeleteTo all of you who have the power to watch these video logs, kudos. I got through 2 minutes of "episode one," and my stomach turned. Even if I could ignore the constant gross contradictions in blog entry material, etc. etc., her recent writing style (dear kale?!?) is beyond belief.
ReplyDeleteDear Jennediah, are you drunk when you write this slop? The early days of your actual homesteading blog showed some very good thought, writing and entries. This new "blogertainment" is just pathetic.
Good luck with all your half-witted fantasies, little girl, I'm done.
Why is it that obese women always ride some kind of draft horse?
ReplyDeleteLow blow. I'm all for calling Jenna out on her bs, but this 'mean girl' behavior of targeting her appearance is damaging and pointless in multiple ways. Ugh.
DeleteI concur. Let's not devolve into bullying, that's what Jennafans do. There is more than enough to discuss (#10 cans of errr, salt, where's italics etc) - her appearance is irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I meant to say "I concur with the low blow remark". - please don't trash Jenna on appearance....
Delete