She probably thinks a well-meaning poodle took him, if you get my drift. AND HOW DARE someone be well-meaning and rescue an animal.
I was in the ghetto once, dropping off food to a food bank, and I saw a little kitten in the middle of the road. I picked it up and put it in the car without a second thought.
That means I'm not an "otherkin," I guess. How dare I presume to save a tiny kitten from being hit by a car!!
I think all of her cats live(d) outdoors. I know it's common for farm cats, which often live short, violent lives for the most part, but wasn't Yeti originally an indoor pet before Jenna took him in?
Probably the same predator that eats all the chickens decided he wanted a little variety in his diet. JW may not take care of her own animals, but her local wildlife is very well fed.
Here's another mystery. I haven't really been reading her blog much and haven't watched the vlogs, so maybe it's been mentioned, but in a post called "Arrows Risen," one of her "students" is riding Merlin in an Aussie saddle. That's not her old saddle. Did she buy a new saddle and a new cart with the kickstarter money?
She's probably got tons of new things. I mean, you live tight for awhile and then someone gives you 15,000 bucks without hardly any real commitment or accountability... You're gonna spend it on a bunch of toys and upgrades and worry about it all later. She's got a year to write some sorry fan fiction novel a d self publish it, which is pretty cheap these days. She might as well blow through it and enjoy.
"I have not seen my cat, Yeti, in 4 days now. I am starting to worry. Not worried about being hit by a car or eaten by coyotes, but instead that someone driving by my road found a "stray cat" and took him home with them."
I live in the country and see cats roaming fields all the time. Assume they are hunting and leave them alone. My best guess is that her cat met it's fate by a car or predator, and for some reason that doesn't bother her. Can someone explain this, because I sure don't understand.
Agreed. Why would you be unconcerned about your pet being eaten or squashed, but bothered by the thought of it getting a better home? However, cats that are free to wander sometimes pack their little bindle and go in search of better digs, that may be the case here.
So, this might not be a popular thing to say here, but I feel like I've got to admit that on this issue, I can kinda see where Jenna's coming from. My family's farm is oceanfront, and abuts a public beach. Even though it's technically private property, beach goers frequently come to the beach on our land, and we're okay with this because we think that the ocean is something every one should be allowed to enjoy. Twice our farm dogs collars have come off (google "break-away dog collar" for more details on how and why this is appropriate) and even though the dogs are still on our property, beach goers have assumed they were lost or abandoned and have taken them home. Fortunately, they're all micro-chipped so we've gotten them back eventually, but we're always concerned if we don't see the dog for a day or so in the summer that some well meaning person has taken our dog home with them.
That said, we also keep barn cats: they are not pets, they're pest control. They live outdoors or in the barn, and far more often than someone has taken a dog, we stumble across the remains of a cat in the woods who had grown old, wandered from the homestead, and was prey for a coyote. I'm not familiar with the predator population or the habits of kind hearted neighbors in Jenna's immediate area, but it it were me, coyote-chow would be my first guess as to the fate of a missing elderly cat.
Agreed. I think it's far more interesting that she's trying to sell her broken cart as a package deal with Jasper, after she decided it was too broken to bother fixing and she should just get a Meadowbrook cart instead while she was flush with Kickstarter cash.
So here's why we haven't been seeing Italics: "Oh Jenna, I would love for you to do a vlog with Merlin! We haven't heard about him for a while, and I'm wondering how his training/hunting is going.
October 16, 2014 at 3:51 PM Blogger Jenna said...
You mean Italics?
So here is the deal with Italics. I was asked not to write about him and I am honoring that request. The falconry community is small and close, and as an apprentice I was journaling my experience and not expecting the animal rights/peta/anti-jenna crowd to cause a fuss. They did. And my sponsor talked to me about making our sport public invites all sort of trouble from folks who don't understand the sport. So in respect to him, I stopped. Italics is almost done molting and I am very active with new falconers in my area, training and hunting and loving every bit of the sport, but it is more of a campfire conversation these days than a blogging thing.
Hmm, interesting. I'm seeing the progression now...not being able to talk about falconry publicly craters her ideas from last winter about getting a book deal from it, she's reportedly been dropped by at least one publisher so no "easy" book deals for her 864th memoir on the exact same subject matter are forthcoming, foreclosure looming, so she goes with a Kickstarter for a book no one actually wants to read (and no company would ever publish) but rakes in the $$$ from poor saps who want to fund her lifestyle. I wonder when the last time she updated the Birchthorn blog was?
Holy hickory nuts Batman, cat mia and arrows rising! Commisioner Gordon needs to call out the search party, a cat has fled the farm, other critters also thinking about escape from the cold, antler that is, swimmin pools, movie stars. Meanwhile back at the ranch drop a halloween letter to ye old farm holler, address it simple, let USPS figure it all out. Tell you what people, but a quarter pig today and have frozen pork in 2 years, step right up and join the clan, write the novel, save the farm....
One of the commenters replied "An adventurous heart is one thing, goofy naivety another...P.S. I know whereof I speak."
That made me laugh! She finds that kind of talk scary. I noticed she had a lot of questions about planning, healthcare, the future, all that scary detail stuff she hates.
I noticed that too. I wonder if she thought she was going to get a lot of fawning and adulation by doing an AMA referencing Game of Thrones and fantasy fiction in a notoriously geeky section of the internet. Instead she got questions about the same issues that we raise here. LOL.
Is it possible for a person to become less mature as they age? When I first started reading her books and blog, I thought she was an 'old soul', wise and mature beyond her years. Then after she quit her job, she just sort of seemed to go downhill, maturity-wise.
I've had the same thought. In her first book, she seemed like an interesting person it would be fun to know, but now she seems like a spoiled teenager that you'd go out of your way to avoid.
"I hope to find a partner, and start a business or CSA to save for my older years." (Oh no, not another CSA!)
When asked what would happen if she broke leg she responded:
"So let's say I do break a leg today. Here is what would happen: Up here I have been farming for around 7 years in two states that border each other: VT/NY. Friends would take over chores, so the animals would be okay. Medical bills would have to be figured out through some act of the gods - maybe I could crowdfund in exchange for something like a novel or book? "
I just love how she tries to justify her lifestyle by always attacking the very same people she wants to live off... The wannabes that are too responsible and want to know all the details, save up money, etc before leaping out on a cliff that is Jenna's world. She's so insulting to them... The whole poodle thing. And criticizes those that work and are responsible but still dream of living differently, and dream through her. It's a real passive aggressive thing. I would have so much more respect for her if she was really working hard towards self sufficiency, not living off folks, talking about it and not doing it. Not really. Sure she has a few chickens, hogs and sheep etc. anyone can have that. And they are still uber dependent on the outside world to keep it all going. Just upsetting...
Wonder if she thinks about what would happen if EVERYONE who dreams of living a rural life packed up their corporate gig and ran off to the hills then started to beg for money on the internet to make ends meet.
There would be no one to support her.
Like we've all said before, there is nothing self-sufficient about her life or lifestyle.
Holy crap she's asking $750 for Jasper and $1200 for Jasper with the broken cart and harness. I haven't been in horses for a while but that is a pretty unrealistic amount to ask for a green-broke, elderly pony who isn't in good health. And $450 for a broken cart? Please.
If anyone is truly concerned about Jasper, I am willing to organize a fund-raiser to purchase him (no cart) and arrange to donate Jasper to a good home. The poor animal looks sad.
You could try contacting her to see if she'd let you find him a good home for free. He isn't worth the money she's asking, and I know I'm not personally interested in turning over my hard-earned money to her for any reason.
Yeah, but the comments about leaving Merlin without a buddy and her response that she would be looking for another draft pony, like a halfinger or whatever to fill Jasper's spot are even more upsetting. She doesn't even freaking have a decent shelter for them... and she's getting rid of the "forever" pony Jasper because he doesn't fit her fantasy character profile right. And charging way too much... thought before it was like free to a good home because I just can't keep him.... ooooh... guess that changed again... Anything to make a buck. Even selling off the unwanted pony cart that she had to go to great lengths to make sure everyone knew that the neighbor kid broke.
I thought she was trying to re-home Jasper to save money. Now she is considering another draft pony?
I am beginning to see a pattern here regarding the new saddle, cart and pony. And possibly a new border collie puppy.
A few years back on her Pony Update post, several readers questioned the wisdom of buying Merlin (a very expensive pony) when she was struggling to pay her mortgage and other expenses. Apparently she received donations after losing some pigs, and a reader asked her how she would feel if she donated money to a neighbor after losing livestock, and a week later that neighbor showed her a picture of a shiny new motorcycle she was considering buying.
JW's responses to the reader's concerns was arrogant and she basically told them they were not her bankers or accountants.
One man wrote back that she cries poverty one minute then is buying things the next. He said that maybe he misunderstood. Maybe she really is flush.
So it makes me wonder, is she really as bad off as she says she is? Or is she hoping her readers will pay for the boring stuff, like mortgages, truck payments, etc., so she can spend her money on fun things?
Even in her response about health care, she stated that she would seek crowdfunding in the event of an accident rather than buy health insurance. Why should others be responsible for paying her bills?
How one spends their money is their business, UNLESS, it is other people's money. Then they really do become your bankers and accountants, and yes, you are accountable.
"So it makes me wonder, is she really as bad off as she says she is? Or is she hoping her readers will pay for the boring stuff, like mortgages, truck payments, etc., so she can spend her money on fun things?
Even in her response about health care, she stated that she would seek crowdfunding in the event of an accident rather than buy health insurance. Why should others be responsible for paying her bills?"
Agree one hundred percent. It's greedy and irresponsible.
OMG that newest vlog Money Family Fear. Her advice about money is so hypocritical I can't even believe it.
She is giving examples of reasons why people can't homestead, "I don't have time because I'm working to pay the bills." Yeah, working to pay their own bills AND jenna's bills.
"Look at your employer as your personal investor" (to get money to buy a farm). Oh really? Does Jenna view her donators as personal investors? Obviously not, reading the post above.
What a total load of hogwash she is selling to people. She takes almost none of her own advice she is giving about money in this vlog in the running of her own farm.
I was ill halfway through the money advice section...
from JW blog 2/10 P.S. Now that I am in the home stretch - I will be removing the donation button from the blog. The point of that button was to allow readers to contribute to making Cold Antler into my own farm, and that is what is finally happening. I want to thank everyone who kicked in a dollar or two, and in some cases more, to help save for the future of Cold Antler. But I feel my savings are set, and would not feel right accepting any more farm-buying donations. Any gifts that were given remain in the savings pot, and were used for nothing else, but it's time to help someone else. It's not your job to help pay for painting the kitchen or putting up fences. We're here guys. We did it. I could not have gotten here without you. I thank you with all I am.
The comments on the fear family money blog are very interesting. Not one person said they begged for donations, jumped in without a plan or resorted to crowdfunding to buy their new farms. They hunkered down did without made due saved scrimped and saved for the down payment.
If only JW had followed the advice she gives others she might be in a better position.
Anon 12:49 - I would love to send her that blog entry from 2/10 and ask her what she thinks of it now, but she would probably just delete it and never respond.
According to the Obamacare health insurance law, if you don't buy health insurance, you have to pay a penalty on your income tax. Did Jenna do a trade-off study - cheaper to pay the penalty than buy insurance? The Kickstarter money could put a crimp in this - giving her a higher income, which increases the penalty. I'm sure someone else out here knows more about these things than I do.
We'll, as I understand, the first year penalty is 95 dollars. And the health care plans for reasonably well off individuals who are self employed is really very high. I live on a small farm, am self employed and without insurance and through the charts and such, I would have to pay nearly 600 a month, with a very high deductible and other limitations. I opted out. There just was no way I could afford that. I haven't needed a doctor for ten years. Sure, is that perfect? Heck no. But I'm not quite sure what else to do. Jenna already said she would crowd source or beg neighbors and such for healthcare emergencies. And by law, an er can not refuse you care. And for less dire situations, walk in clinics can be very reasonable. Just my experience. As I age, I'm probably going to have to do something different. My bet is that she's not making that much yearly, and that the Kickstarter influx will kick her up a notch perhaps, unless of course she can file lots of receipts for stuff that she can use as write offs, being self employed and all. I'm sure she's not that worried about it all.
Just adding my voice to say I'm in the same self-employed boat that you are, with the penalties being far cheaper than the insurance for the next few years. I don't know what I'm going to do either when the time comes that the penalty gets high--I think it tops out around $750? But I guess that's still cheaper than paying monthly. It's kind of a crappy situation, to be honest, so I can't fault JW for not having health insurance at the moment.
I'm not self employed but my employer doesn't offer ins because it is a small non-profit. But I do have major medical through Blue Cross. I pay $295 and my deductible is $2500. I still end up paying out of pocket for annual check ups and but the policy is for major stuff.
I have a great doctor who knows indent have ins so she charges me the bare minimum for appts and is usually able to give me drug samples for free if I need them. If you have a regular doc talk with them and see what you can work out.
Glad I found something reasonable because most docs here are not taking Obamacare.
That bother me too. I just pay for my medical needs myself, sometimes a burden, and I am afraid of something major, of course, but my first thought is it not, why worry, I'll kickstart my appendix surgery! My fans love me so much, it's nothing to worry about! Tra la laaaaa! Oh yes, and if it's an emergency surgery, even better to jerk those purse strings! Nearly all hospitals have very reasonable payment plans for emergency needs. And I suppose it would certainly be dependent on ones age, health condition, etc. just wanted to add my two cents in. I totally understand living without insurance and I really wish Obamacare would have some better rates for emergency critical care plans. Shoot, can remember what they call it. Oh yes, catestrophic care policies with high deductibles. If I could have something like that with a very reasonable deductible, I would fear a bit more secure. It's a big tangle for sure. But I do feel good that jenna is not worried about it all. One less thing for her to worry about at 3 am! Whew!
Aaand now, Maude is left to die. Yep, couldn't POSSIBLY call a vet. If she were bloated, her acid/base balance is off. This is not easy to treat, but it IS treatable. Again, she would rather get attention for losing a sheep, than actually give attention to the sheep. She is and has NEVER been a shepherd. To call herself that is absolute blasphemy.
My sentiments exactly. You NEVER give bloated sheep feed until you get the Bloat down, which usually isn't hard if you know what the hell you're doing.
But we all know she doesn't know what she's doing so basically she killed the ewe with stupidity.
Just add it to the list of mistakes while the body count increases.
Four days ago Maude was cast and bloated and now she is alive, but dying, still ill, no vet care, Antlerstock going on around it all with workshops and cakes and festivities, yet tonight she's all blubbery and sentimental? Shesh... I can't believe her. I raise sheep, you never grain a bloated animal.... Lovely little sad story about loosing a bunch of the blackface and such, but the original three are still around. Maude can't be that old, she had a lamb this year, oh, that died too, right? Unbelievable.
Maude is not that old- she likes to make it up to be that way, but she is not. She has lost more than 3 sheep. Remember the lamb that she brought home, dumped in the pen for Jasper to chase? That one died of Pneumonia shortly thereafter. She has had more sheep deaths by "accidents" or "bad luck" than all my sheep friends put together. Sheep are not hard to keep, so long as you have a clue and provide them with reasonable care. Again, it is more rewarding to write about sick sheep, and tug at heart strings, then it is to get off your ass and do something intelligent. What a loser.
"Through your stories we have all grown to love that awful sheep. We will miss her." This from the comment section in her post about dying Maude- do you see? I think mostly what upsets her is that her little Maude fan base will dry up. I met Maude- she is a normal sheep. Jenna likes to spin little stories... even her neighbors chat about this at the diner............
JW is missing a real opportunity here--call for donations for vet care for Maude! After her sob story, I bet the money would start rolling in. And since she's already decided Maude is going to die from neglect, she can just pocket the money and then write another sob story about how the vet couldn't save her.
If you are going to keep a small flock of sheep as pets, then there are no excuses for lack of proper vet care when an animal falls ill. It is only in large breeding flocks where you let nature take its course and intervene only in extreme cases. Also, there is absolutely NO excuse for her allowing Maude to linger without vet care--if she is so convinced she's dying, then be a decent human being and euthanize the poor creature. Instead it will be a cruel and lingering death.
At least her tears seem to genuine this time as opposed to her "joke" about her slaughtered lamb and an onion. Or by her post that she would be more worried if her cat were "rescued" than eaten or hit by a car.
I would feel tortured if I had an animal struggling to stay alive. The greatest gift we have for our animals is that they do not have to suffer until the bitter end as people often do. And Italics. Here is my thing with the bird: I get that he was brought on to her word farm as a business decision. I didn't even know falconry was a real thing until I read about it on her blog. My personal feelings of it being disgusting aside, it was a unique source of content for her struggling (especially at that time) blog. So one could argue it was a cruel investment to give her more words to "farm". BUT now that bird content is off the table, she has no right to keep the bird! I would bet that she does all sorts of BS with her taxes and deductions. This bird is no longer a working part of her farm. He's a goddamn Pokemon card at this point. It would be like putting your mistresses's hotel room on a company card. Watch, she'll probably be selling Maude's wool in a few days saying "it's just too emotional for me to use!....but...too special to give away....wolves at the door....my paypal address is:"
She just got freaking 15 grand from everyone and she hasn't called the vet on her beloved cranky sheep??? WTF???? Oh, rush out and buy a meadowbrook cart (aint cheap!) and a new computer and crap, but let Maude linger and die for now FIVE FREAKING DAYS??? She just disgusts me. I am so angry at her right now. And all the sad sacks posting about Maude like she's dead, but she's not, at least not officially.... get a clue, she is NO expert on anything to do with homesteading, small farms, etc. Just amazing... makes me want to just puke.
Are you freaking kidding me?! Giving a bloated sheep grain?????? Good grief, why don't you just go ahead and shoot her if you're not going to properly care for her. Is she trying to diagnose an issue? "Old age" is not a proper diagnosis.
It is NOT NORMAL to have this many sheep die! They must receive terrible, terrible care.
Yes, if she is so grief stricken over her beloved sheep, why the heck isn't she calling a vet or having her put down? Anything but letting her die a slow lingering death!
I used to read JW's blog and enjoyed it, and have never said a bad word about her. But now that she's been granted $15k via Kickstarter, I cannot help but notice that people who felt they were owed restitution from JW are now being provided that restitution.
Wasn't the kickstarter money entirely for the book she had planned to write? I mean, good lord, if that money is being used to pay others to whom she owed money from completely unrelated circumstances, I'd be awfully upset if I had donated to that Kickstarter campaign.
You aren't wrong. However, doesn't she still owe people pork from last year's pork CSA? And I understand from comments made here that she's selling more shares for next spring.
And as far as the money being entirely for the book she's writing, see other comments here regarding the purchases she's made since receiving the Kickstarter money: meadowbrook cart, saddle and other stuff (toys) I can't remember.
I'm still owed a refund from the Wool CSA. I contacted her like she said, albeit a little later than everyone else, but I got no response. I guess she had spent her Kickstarter money already. I'm thinking of filing in small claims court like the other people on coldantlersham.blogspot.com did. I figure if she can't manage to refund me when she just got handed $15K, she never will unless the law is involved.
I know nothing about sheep. However, my dog died of bloat (dilated gastric volvulus), even though we got him to the emergency vet within 30 minutes after his symptoms began. He went right into surgery, but because his spleen and half of his stomach were necrosed, they recommended euthanasia. My only consolation is that he didn't suffer for very long. I can't imagine letting an animal die of that condition without immediate euthanasia.
This is exactly what we used to do for bloated sheep. Used a turkey baster or a baby lamb tube and a large syringe, then slowly walked them to help release the gas.
Watch out though!!! The expelling from both ends can be a stinky mess.
Thanks for the link. That's a cheap and easy home remedy so you'd think she would try it. Maybe you should post it on her blog. The ER vet used a needle on our dog to release gas, but it didn't solve the underlying problem.
None of the Jennafans ask why she doesn't have Maude put down? Even if she has no money left from Kickstarter, I know she hunts and has a gun and so many of her "friends" do too. That ewe shouldn't have to suffer at all.
This is the one area where I will never be able to forgive her. To allow an animal to suffer when you have the means to end it is just plain cruel and inhumane. Why don't the Jennafans come over and shake their fists at us now? I'd love to ask them to justify this.
I can guarantee Maude's bloating is a symptom of another illness, not the only illness the sheep had. She probably went down and *then* bloated because she was down.
I just read the comments and not one person suggested vet care or euthanasia. Unbelievable! Just a lot of condolences. Do you think maybe she deleted any helpful suggestions?
I wonder why neither she nor any of her followers have suggested a vet - does she have them that well trained to never question her or is she, as anon 10:25 suggested, editing those out?
...and on her FB page she mentions she had three people out to look at Jasper, and she herself rode him for a half an hour yesterday. I hope whoever buys him gives him a better home. I wish that ALL of her animals could get better homes.
Absolutely appalling. Death from bloat is not usually from the bloating itself (though still painful), but from suffocation. The rumen of the animal swells so large that it gradually constricts and crushes the windpipe, meaning the real cause of death is suffocation. She let that sheep die a slow, very slow, painful death over the course of days while she partied it up at "Antlerstock."
Also, sheep tend to get bloated when they don't have enough feed on a regular basis, then gorge themselves when they do get access to food. A little bit of food at a time all day long is best for ruminants...hey, they're 'grazers!' Another example of her poor care.
And bloat is sheep is usually something that kills quickly really. To linger this long means likely something els is up. I do not understand why her peeps are just talking about her as dead, when she might not be? So upsetting.
"AnonymousOctober 23, 2014 at 3:50 PM I'm still owed a refund from the Wool CSA. I contacted her like she said, albeit a little later than everyone else, but I got no response. I guess she had spent her Kickstarter money already. I'm thinking of filing in small claims court like the other people on coldantlersham.blogspot.com did. I figure if she can't manage to refund me when she just got handed $15K, she never will unless the law is involved.
-D"
D - Please post what you just said here on the Coldantlersham page. People need to see it, especially those defending her.
And I would definitely recommend filing a claim. She has had enough time to refund your money. She should not be buying new toys until everyone has been refunded.
Jenna likes to make up more to the story once she reads her detractors. Now the sheep all of a sudden gained several years to her life.. hmmm. Jenna, you allowed the animal to suffer for days because a) you are too cheap for a vet and b) you are too lazy to put her out of her misery, or maybe you are uncomfortable doing it. Either way, she suffered because of your neglect. Yes, all livestock can get injured/ill, but the difference between a real shepherd and you, is that the real shepherd puts the sheep first, not the blog.
I used to be a huge Jenna fan - she was the one that got me on the road to being the urban homesteader and mild prepper that I've become over the last year while working towards my master gardener. I think, despite my complete lack of livestock, my desire and ability to be self sufficient and to share that with others has outstripped hers. The most recent comment on the maude post has left me dosgusted - maude was dying alone and probably afraid and ahe came inside becauas she was lonely upset and afraid to write a blog about Maude dying. In the meantime, Maude, one of her first sheep and a real character by all accounts was left to die alone while Jw writes prosaically about her dying. When she went back out, the sheep was dead. It became a cheap ploy to get more hits. You wouldnt leave a dog alone with a vet to be euthanized, why would you take an animal that is supposefly the foundation of your farm and let them die alone and unaided and probably in crazy amounts of pain?! why woukd your first reaction be yo leave it to die alone and write a blog about it?!
On the Essex Farm blog (kristinkimball.com), Kristin Kimball wrote at one point about having to cull their dairy cow herd. They shot one of their cows because it was best for the herd (she didn't say why). I also read her book, "The Dirty Life", and I believed she described shooting a horse that was terminally ill (I gave the book away, or I'd check on that story). It seems that being a farmer requires making those tough calls to minimize animal suffering. I don't farm, but if I did, I know that I would make myself shoot an animal if necessary, because I would put ending their suffering over my own fear or revulsion. If I couldn't afford a vet, I WOULD make myself pull the trigger. To do otherwise would be cruel.
Actually, I recently came downstairs at 6 AM and found that my dog, who had been somewhat ill and had been to the vet the day before, had take a dramatic turn for the worse and was unable to stand up. Although I was upset and afraid, I didn't go back upstairs to cry. got dressed and rushed him to the vet, where his condition worsened dramatically and he had to be euthanized. I was devastated, but I couldn't have let him suffer.
Almost the same thing happened to me one morning over 3 months ago. We have a neighbor who is a retired vet, and he came over to euthanize him. I didn't leave him either, and wouldn't have even considered leaving him for 3 hours. I was and still am devastated, but my main comfort is that I did the right thing by him as much as I could. I wish I had been able to not cry, to talk to him and make him happy, but I probably failed him in that.
We've shot cows that were ill or down and weren't going to make it. We've also called the vet for animals that didn't make it. I've gotten pretty good at knowing if a cow or calf will or won't survive and I would prefer using a bullet in those cases. Unless a cow is down anyway, a vet won't be able to euthanize them. We did have a few ewes when we had grandchildren in 4-h, and one year we had a barn fire, a couple of the ewes got bad burns and we had the vet out to try to save them. He treated them for a few days and then we decided to euthanize them, which the vet did. They weren't worth the money we spent on them.
I would never willingly shoot one of my horses, I prefer to call the vet, but there are times when you can't get one out. I know a couple people who would shoot them for me if it had to be done. I agree with all the other frustrated comments here. If you can't do the right thing when it's needed, don't have animals.
If she's too alone/scared/in tears every time a situation like this happens, maybe she shouldn't own livestock until she can deal with these situations in a mature and adult way
OMG - What kind of person abandons their beloved animal who is sick and dying to go into the house to write? Why did she not call a vet or use a quick bullet to end that poor sheep's suffering? How long was she lingering? A week?
I do not understand her at all. One minute she is joking about tears streaming down her face after her lamb was slaughtered, then pulled a quick "fooled you" and said it was because she was chopping an onion.
Then when she really appeared to be grieving, she did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to stop her beloved sheeps suffering.
What I finally realized this summer is that Jenna is a writer. In fact, she's a very good writer. But she's not a farmer, at least not in a way that I understand. Like most writers I know, she gets excited by new ideas (DIY living, homesteading, falconry, what have you) and she invests imaginatively and emotionally in those ideas. The problem is, she loses interest when the creative buzz is over (like most writers do) and moves onto the next thing. This is problematic foremost when living creatures are involved, but also when you come up with money-making ideas that you don't end up following through on after the checks have been sent.
While it doesn't help her suffering livestock, it's important to remember that Jenna is young. She's trying to root herself in a tradition that's not her own, and for a long time I admired her for it. But quite honestly, at some point I started seeing what I see in other creative types (including myself)--falling in love with ideas and then moving onto the next thing when the love affair was over--which is fine when no one is waiting for a product they've paid for to be delivered. It's fine unless your lack of skills and knowledge endanger animals or other people.
I have supported Jenna in the past and was happy to do so, because I enjoyed her writing and thought it worth paying for. But now I feel like donating to the site is enabling her when what she needs to do is settle down and be the writer she's meant to be--which by the way, is not a writer who has to manufacture a life so she has something to write about. While I wouldn't bet money that she'll finish her Kickstarter novel, I really hope she does, so she can get on to her real work. I just don't think that work involves farming or raising livestock.
Well said, and I agree with you, except for your decision to excuse her poor animal husbandry due to youth (I don't really consider 30 to be young, either). The animals (other than perhaps Gibson?) aren't being cared for well, and that is an ethical failing that colors everything else she does. I wouldn't have even a chicken if I wasn't prepared to give it shelter and medical care if required. I've switched to reading Kristin Kimball's blog, which seems to present a more responsible and accurate view of what farming is about.
Sorry to be unclear--I didn't mean to suggest I dismiss her poor animal husbandry on account of her youth. She's definitely old enough (my 15-year-old son is old enough) to understand her responsibilities and to do a much better job than she appears to be doing. What I meant to say is, she's still figuring out who she is. And yeah, maybe 30 is old for that, although I know some folks much older who are still searching. But no, I agree--there's no excuse for not taking care of animals.
I agree, a writer she is, an animal steward she is not, and honestly, if she just admitted that the animal part of homesteading is not her "gig", I think just about everyone would give her a pass on most things (except the money owed). I am going to check out the KK blog- this is not the first time I have heard of it. :)
Anon 9:02 - Thank you for your thoughtful post. I too admired Jenna's work for a long time, but gradually became disillusioned.
I agree with many things you said, but I also agree with anon 9:48 that 30 something is not young. JW has had plenty of time and plenty of animals to learn proper animal husbandry. I am totally baffled that she let her beloved sheep die "alone and scared", just like she claimed she was when she abandoned Maude to go to the house to write. No vet care, no euthanasia, just a slow, painful death.
I am also baffled as to her treatment of the very people who give her money. When they inquire about receiving a product they have paid for or a refund, her MO is to ignore them or send a snarky response.
I agree she bounces from hobby to hobby and tires quickly. No problem trying new things, unless it does not adversely affect others, which it seems to be doing.
Even her writing seems to be going downhill. I used to enjoy it, but lately when I read it, it feels like nails on a chalkboard. I cannot exactly describe why; maybe she is trying too hard to be prosaic. I'm not sure - I'm not a writer and I don't know the terminology. All I know is that I find it more irksome than enjoyable. Maybe her ego has gotten too big - I don't know.
I agree her writing isnt what it use to be, but then most of her posts are more about hawking workshops than anything. They seem rushed and not well thought out. And, she seems to think that people will believe whatever she writes so the posts go round and round with contradictory info or they don't make sense or have logic.
The vlogs aren't much better. They too are rushed with little info that makes sense when you think about it carefully. Like the black out bag post. I can just visualize her sitting in the middle of the floor with her little stove thing sipping on hot coco and munching on a power bar feet from her bun burner, which by the way is also a stove. Maybe the point was to show off all the cool new stuff she had to buy to put the bag together rather than have a practical post about sheltering.
Forget the Hobbit. I'd be worried about my well not pumping or the stocked freezer melting and losing hundreds of dollars of meat and meals. The blog just made no practical sense if you are at home in a power outage. So many other more important topics about prepping could have been covered.
It's just puzzling why give out info that is so elementary and sometimes not practical or useful.
If her fans want to find out what a black out will really mean to the their family and their farm flip the main breaker and spend a weekend in the dark. I guarantee you the last thing they'll be doing is firing up some dinky camp stove and reading the Hobbit.
Jenn I completely agree. Forget the stove and power bars and invest in a generator that can power the house. Those cute little things she showed wouldn't keep you going in a lengthy power outage.
I wouldn't consider Jenna a good writer, but rather, a clever writer. I compare her writing to Chinese food - it's good going down, but you're hungry again in an hour. She's good at stringing words together in an entertaining way, but nothing sticks with you. I too, think she had promise early on, but opted for the easier, less substantive, more glib road. Good writing is extremely hard - it takes a lot of time, practice and effort to develop. There is a reason we still read Austin, Twain and Alcott. For agricultural writing with some real meat in it, read the books by Sylvia Jorrin. She has been a farmer, shepardess, and writer in Delaware County, New York for 25 years. www.slyviasfarm.com is a good introduction to her.
Thanks for the writer recommendation. Another good one is Noel Perrin's First Person Rural, about farming in Vermont. Very interesting and funny.
The main things that make a good writer are insight and honesty. I don't think she ever showed much insight, but her writing used to be honest, sometimes wrenchingly so. At some point, though, she seemed to be turning herself into a "character" and writing about it. Not nearly so interesting.
Oh good, she has a buyer for Jasper. So now she can use that money and the money she saved not calling a vet for Maude to buy a new draft pony. Because god knows she needs something else to neglect to death.
She probably wants that light colored fell pony mare she mentioned on Facebook from Merlin's past owner. She can probably get another payment plan and then she can breed her eventually... That will be next ya know. I know. Merlin is a gelding but she'll figger out some way to breed draft ponies eventually. It's just a train accident in the making. So much for Jasper's forever home.
I wish the previous owner of Merlin (esp since JW wants another horse from them maybe) would take a look at the "shelter" her fine fell pony has at CA. She might feel differently than to give her yet another horse.
I've said before that I'm not the biggest animal lover here. But I do believe in responsibility and commitment. Why would you get rid of an animal you've had for years for kicks and giggles. I feel so badly for these animals. As far as Maude goes, I can think of 4 sheep off the top of my head that have died in what seem like either uncaring or incompetent ways. The lamb that was doing poorly then was dropped off in a lean-to until it died. The lamb new to the property that was left in a pen with Jasper who "chased/played" with the poor little animal, who then died (heck, goldfish owners let them acclimate). The sheep that was left in the field when the shearer visited (who doesn't make sure they have all their sheep together for the shearer?), because there was some fair-type event to attend. This sheep was only noticed after the day's activities. Who really know how long it was there. Now Maude. Right after a really weird post about how onions make you cry, but the death of your animal doesn't. And I do mean weird. It took a couple of readings to get it. I haven't read her post as long as some others, but that's what I can come up with off the top of my head. Dev
I believe this blog is the first thing Jenna reads every morning, as when things get busy here, she *always* responds by writing how one needs to take chances, and try things and 'live". Jenna, you have not taken any chances- not since you started accepting donations to fund your reality mimics fiction life. You haven't. Yes, and you also corrected us for saying you were thirty, when in fact you are thirty two. You are stealing money from people to fund your life, and you consider that living. You are the very thing a farmer would never let on their property, let alone, into their lives. I certainly would not. Grow up, stop neglecting animals, stop taking money for things when you already know that these people will not get their due. Your audience is dwindling my dear. Clearly- you have more detractors than fans at this point- and it is *all* your doing. GROW UP.
Just read her blog post. She can now look in the mirror and love the woman she sees. You mean the woman who let her beloved sheep, Maude, die a slow and painful death? The woman who takes money from people and either does not deliver or does not provide refunds? The woman who begs for donations and lives off other people's money?
As for Jasper, I thought the whole point of re-homing him was to cut back on her livestock and save money. So now she's contemplating another Fell pony? If she needs a companion for Merlin, why not just keep Jasper?
If she does get another Fell pony, I think we can all predict what will happen. There will be a fundraiser or another Kickstarter project. Then, when the inevitable vet care is needed, another fundraiser. Perhaps even a barn-raiser fundraiser.
She said in her latest post that anyone who wanted to could have the life she is having. I think most people have the decency and good sense to not expect others to fund their lives.
She doesn't need a companion for Jasper. She needs a matched pair of horses the same size to drive a larger carriage pulled by a team. Just you wait and see.
These repetitious "if I can do it, so can you" posts really demonstrate her declining writing skills. Her blog is so boring these days--she posts the exact same thing over and over...workshop promotions and these insecure posts about how far she's come. Don't TELL us, SHOW us. If she truly wished to inspire people (and not just sell them on an impossible dream so they'll join her cash flow), then you'd think there'd be some meat in her blog posts. There's not. Even her vlogs are mindnumbingly basic and uninformative--I finally watched the wool video and aside from her making a truly awful joke about folks with Downs syndrome, she provided hardly any truly useful wool processing information--in more than 10 minutes of video! Good grief. The vlogs are all just playacting. I know she knows how to really process wool (because years ago she used to write more interesting posts about her fiber efforts), so why not make an actual how-to video? Starting with actually showing folks how to wash wool in a tub (and how many soaks/rinses it takes, what temperature the water should be, etc.), not just dipping a few locks in a tiny bowl of water. But I guess that would be too much work.
These kind of posts always make me think she has a lot of childhood issues to resolver, self hate to deal with or that they are a feeble attempt at being some sort of a farming motivational speaker.
I always come away shaking my head at why so many posts about "I have friends, I love myself". Who is she trying to convience? Us or herself? Who are these posts really for? They are just so odd and the regularity in which they appear does not show bravery at laying yourself out there raw and exposed. It shows how insecure she really is and how much she craves attention and acceptance.
I stopped caring about what people Thought of me long before I turned 32.
Totally agree. I think she is trying to convince herself, because people who have really come to that point don't feel the need to talk about it all the time. Her doing it on a weekly basis smacks of ongoing insecurity, not enlightenment. I wouldn't be surprised if she's also gotten a bit addicted to the little thrill of getting supportive comments from strangers on the internet. It's actually kind of sad--it's an endless feedback loop that is keeping her from experiencing that real growth that she wants so much.
From CAF: "The unhappiest people in the world are unhappy because they can't accept love. Something is broken in them and they are numb to simple joys. They can accept sex, marriage, or relationships but they can't accept their own self worth. It's happiness suicide. They grow angry and resentful and bitter even if everything on the outside seems perfect. If they could just look in the mirror and love what they see, their whole world would change. And when you love yourself for who you are, you draw folks to you who share that. Homesteading has taught me this. I followed my bliss and discovered my clan."
Really? My own life experience has taught me that the unhappiest people are those people who have to rely on others for their day to day existence. And the most unhappy of that lot are the ones who can't or won't be honest with themselves and others about what they are actually doing.
If she had/has accepted her own self worth and her life then why write about it so much? Back to my other post...who is she trying to convince?
I agree - the unhappiest people I run into (and I run into a lot in my line of work) are the ones who also can't do for themselves, think for themselves work out their life's problems and blame EVERYONE else for their lot in life.
I tried to read her post this morning, but it was very difficult. I don't know why people still believe she is a good writer. She loves to write about the things she does, like riding her horse, and go over the top with lofty descriptions of her body melting into the horse. Then she does a lot of self congratulations and what seems to be self comforting.
All I could think of was: how pathetic does a person have to be if Jenna is their biggest inspiration in life? How blind would you have to be to not see that she is entirely dependent on the very people she thinks she is inspiring? It gives me a headache.
Oh come on now Redhorse this mornings post was so easy to read...breeding season is in full swing, ram is wore out breeding two available ewes. Whatever that means. Doesn't sound like a very stout buck.
The more you click on her videos, the more page views it gets, and the more successful she looks and probably thinks she is. I stay away from them for that reason.
Me too. I watched about 30 seconds of her first vlog, and haven't watched any since then. I've seen some of her riding, that's why I can't read about it. In over 40 years of riding, I've had some moments that really stood out where I felt like my horse and I were one. It always came after a lot of work. And the next day I felt lame.
The ram is TIRED after breeding TWO ewes? Flushing them? You mean actually making sure they have decent food? You really amaze me.. the more you write, the more you show how little you know.
WHAT is the point of wearing a kilt (aka, skirt) for farming if you're going to wear breeches underneath? It's just extra material flapping around getting in the way. If you have real work to do, it's just not practical.
According to her comments on FB, it makes her look badass. Plus, how can you be part of a clan if you aren't wearing one? Now she's trying to become a trendsetter and get her fans to wear one too. I think the hardcore fans she has are into the gaming so much they've lost touch with reality.
She thinks a kilt looks badass? It's a skirt. Kind of reminds me of those English school girl uniforms. It's her business if she wants to dress for her fantasy life, but badass? I think it looks silly, but again, it's her business. Unless she thinks it makes her look like Braveheart. I don't know.
To each their own, but I've always wondered how a kilt can be practical while doing physical labor outside. I've been a full-time farmer for three years and I wear long pants year-round, even in 95+ degrees, because there are all sorts of awful things that can happen to bare legs in the garden and around the farm--ant bites, cuts and scrapes, scratches from straw bales, chafing, heat rash, sunburn, etc. Though I guess she doesn't have to deal with most of that because she doesn't actually do much farming.
It's funny, but I thought the same thing about the kilt. Farmers do a lot of crouching and walking next to or past buildings or through high vegetation. They usually choose their clothing for function, durability and protection, not to look scrappy or idealized. And "breeches"? What the heck are they? And where do you buy them? Or are they cut-off leggings? Although I think this is no big deal, it's just weird that she ties these clothing choices to farming. Maybe the next stage is Birchthorn-Heart, a life you can make based entirely on fantasy game role-playing. Why not? Dev
I would never farm in a skirt of any kind. I see a lot of Mennonite women in our area who do, but their skirts are quite long. But still, I've picked enough insects (ones capable of biting) off my pant legs that the idea of them directly crawling up my thigh or getting under my skirt creeps me out. Long pants are just fine for me, too. As for a kilt making you look like a badass, IF you're a strapping young Scottish gentleman, I'd say that's definitely true. Otherwise no, it does not.
Yes, I had exactly the same thought. If it's tartan and you're a man, it's a kilt, otherwise it's just a really dorky canvas skirt. And I've seen them in real life, the Utilikilt people had a booth at a local festival. They seemed popular, but I couldn't see the appeal. I can't think of any activity that would call for wearing a canvas skirt.
Fire ants, mosquitos, gnats, ticks, chiggers, spiders, squash bugs (yes, they bite, and bite hard), sunburn...snakes...agree w/ anon 4:56 - even in the heat of summer, when I'm working outside, it's long pants. Usually long sleeves too.
But hey, the kilt's all part of the costume that wraps up her whole badass life.
I don't look at her blog much anymore, am not on FB. Any word on Yeti the cat, or did she just give up on him??
Nothing on her blog or FB - I'm sure he's gone. Someday we should make a list of all the animals she's neglected to death. I realize farm animals have shorter lives than pets, but her animal husbandry skills are frighteningly lacking. And living creatures are paying the price.
That's a shame. I've lost pets/livestock here and there - I'm sure we all do - but her rate is frightening. What one wants to wear is ultimately up to the wearer, but domesticated animals rely on their humans for care. Which she does not provide.
Yes... um, Jenna? Kilts are worn by men, and skirts are worn by women. If you are unsure of this fact, I believe a quick google search will allay your un-certainties. You are wearing a canvas skirt; not a Kilt. Men do not wear bras, and women do not wear Kilts. I know this is all part of your life imitating fiction ideology, but it is rather tiresome to see all the mishmash of terms coming from you. Also, on the cart video, you said you were going to show us how to harness a horse, but we never saw you do it. ????
There's a word for what she does. It's called "cosplay", which is a mash up of "costume" and "play". It's very popular at Anime and Comicbook conventions. Attendees dress as their favorite character and roleplay for the weekend. It seems she has taken this to a new level and is cosplaying her life. To each his own, but she shouldn't expect other people to fund it.
As for practicality, I work outside a lot and long denim jeans with a bit of stretch is my clothing of choice. Even in the hottest weather. We've got mosquitoes, ticks, bees, hornets, thorns, you name it, and denim offers the most protection. I can't imagine doing outdoor chores in a skirt.
As for a canvas skirt looking badass? I've seen them in L L Bean catalogs and never thought of them as badass.
As a woman who has, since getting married, worn full length skirts exclusively for religious/cultural reasons, I feel like I can add to this skirt/pants conversation... Initially they were annoying has heck. I mean, like super inconvenient. But I loved my husband, and we had moved to another country to be with his family who were all amazing, and so out of respect to them I kept wearing the skirts, even though they felt like a costume to me. 25 years later, I can do all my chores on the farm in full length skirts without any injuries or invasions of insects into unwanted places (or, at least, without any more of these things than I encountered back when I wore pants). Sure, sometimes I miss pants. But wearing the skirts has helped me integrate into my new family and the local community (for whom modest dress for women is a sign of devotion to God) much better than I would have otherwise been able. So, if Jenna wants to wear a skirt, just let her. It's totally possible to do all sorts of farming related activities in such an outfit. (And I don't mean to encourage her fantasy life style here, but legitimately, Scottish men managed to leave active outdoor lives for generations in skirts, so you don't have to take my word for it to know it's possible) And it skirts aren't your thing, that's cool too- don't wear them. ((Final note: just because my community requires women to wear modest dress as a form of worship, that doesn't mean I feel like it's necessary for any of you to do so: be nudists for all I care, just as long as you continue to be basically good, compassionate people. I don't care how - or if- you worship. Sometime when I mention my dress code online people misinterpret my comments to mean that I think all women should follow such a dress code- and I totally don't. What feels right for me may not feel right for you, and that's okay.))
Awesome comments, Anon. 10:14. You know, this is the kind of exchange I used to love seeing on JWs blog, back when I read it. Now it's just Amen Charlies. But intelligent, well-thought out comments was at least half the reason I used to read that blog. Guess that's all moved over here now.
She mentioned that when she rides, she wears "full seat breeches" under the kilt, cut off at the knee. I used to ride in full seat breeches when I jumped, the cheap ones started at $75 a pair, the really good ones, that would last for a few years were $100-200 a pair. There's no way I would have taken a pair of scissors to my breeches. But, I had to pay for them myself, and I had a practical reason to wear them, not a fantasy reason.
Poison ivy, nettles - these are the reasons why I wear pants and long sleeve shirts when working outside. A case of poison ivy this summer painfully reminded me of that (a bare skin gap between the end of my long sleeves and my leather work gloves - ouch!). My experience is that a physical barrier to protect the skin (full length skirt, long pants, better fitting work gloves!) is needed - special soaps and lotions to wash the oils off can only do so much. You still itch like crazy no matter how much lotion you slather on (Benadryl spray worked the best for me, by the way.)
Thank you, anon 10:14, for your thoughtful comments and point of view. We learn so much when we are open to differing opinions. And Anon 10:39, I totally agree with you that the exchange on JW's blog was so much more interesting when she allowed differing viewpoints. In fact, if she wants more comments on her blog, she really should stop filtering comments. I looked back to blog posts in years past, and she was getting hundreds of comments. Now it's just a handful of Amen Charlies. I don't even read them anymore as they are not interesting.
As for riding, the less skin exposed the better. We get horseflies pretty badly here and you sure don't want to get bit by one. Also, while trail riding you can get scraped pretty badly by thorns, twigs, brush and bark. And when you take the inevitable tumble, you have more protection with denim or twill.
Loose, flapping clothing invites trouble. There is a reason riders wear clothing close to the body.
Aw Myrtle, do you people HAVE to on Halloween? Call a truce its the kids high holy day, go eat a snickers and let the Great Pumpkin make his visit in peace!
And, always be weary of posts that don't make sense and contain a reference to October and Halloween as being holy because this is JW's favorite holy month.
Yeah, I didn't get it either. Who is Myrtle? And I didn't see any posts before it dated 10/31/14. Never considered that it could be JW, but it's a possibility.
The law, especially in New York State, is pretty loosy-goosy about livestock. Neighboring Vermont's laws are a lot tighter, and the local animal control authorities made at least a couple of trips to her place when she lived there, due to her neighbors reporting her for neglect of her animals.
Again, it's a gross misuse of funds to have used that Kickstarter money for more accoutrements for her fantasy life than to have used it for a decent shelter for those horses. Merlin's a senior horse now. He deserves more shelter than a one-sided roof in the winter. Instead of buying fancy horse carts, put some decent sides on that "building." Be nice if she put a manger in there for him, too, so he would hang out in there more. Pretty simple to build. Just a box, really. I wonder if that ramshackle thing she has qualifies as appropriate shelter under NY laws?
Sadly, it is not against the law to deny vet care or euthanasia for your sick animal. So while Maude died a slow, painful death, no law was broken. Unconscionable, but not illegal.
I don't know if there are any laws about appropriate shelter for livestock either. I think that is how she gets away with what she does.
I don't understand how she can spend money on saddles and carts and not put the needs of her animals first.
Anon 10:14 - You have piqued my curiosity. Do you mind sharing what religion you practice and what country you live in? Can you also share what brought you to CAF and this blog? I also appreciate your open and fair mindedness about other people's beliefs.
I recently watched the documentary "Farmland" where they showcased various farmers, including M. Schlass, in get this... Gibsonia PA, and her farm is called "One Woman Farm". Written in old farm style font on the back of her truck (she's a veggie farmer). Oh boy... now, I know Jenna has mentioned this woman's blog in the past, but I honestly believe she did try to emulate her.... but it all fell apart when the work part came in. Jenna, go work with this woman for ONE day, and then tell us if you are farming.. on any level.
There was also a book published in 2003 called "Made From Scratch: Rediscovering the Pleasures of the American Hearth". Her first book was called "Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life". Jenna's book was published in 2008. It seems like there's a pattern here.Can she do nothing original? The author of the original book, Jean Zimmerman, seems very interesting and actually knowledgeable.
Write the publisher! Point that out, or we all should . It's not illegal to reuse a book title , by the way, but seal the deal so she can't get any more book deals [I doubt there are any coming her way at this point]. I would same the on her animal care- call the county sherriff or email them. If everyone or 1/2 of this group dd that....county sheriffs are very overworked and understaffed so it takes a lot of calling-I live in a rural area and know this. Cambridge, NY is her town, so get to that county's site.
Thanks for the tip on the book, it looks interesting, I've requested it from the local library. Yes, reading the description listed on Amazon, it sounds virtually identical. Do you get the feeling that nearly everything that she writes or does is cobbled together from things she's lifted from other people? Just "inspired" by the latest book that she's read or movie she's seen?
I have no doubt that these books were modeled after the previous books. Just wish those that wasted their money on Jenna's "version" of these books, did a bit of research, before they wasted their money. Let's all go and look at the real deal books. Maybe it can restore a bit of our faith that there are original, honest, and knowledgeable people writing books with content in them. Oh, by the way it IS illegal to not provide medical care for your animal in NY state.
If there is a barn to be built for Merlin, my guess is there will be some type of crowdfunding appeal for supplies, then a barn-raising by the locals.It does not appear that she would go out and get a job to earn money to pay for it. It would have been nice if some of the Kickstarter money was used to pay for a decent shelter.
It has to be documented. Bottom line. Animal Control has to be hounded until they go out there and inspect. I can pretty much guarantee that the pigs would not pass health inspection. Sheep? Since they drop like flies there, I doubt they would either. Cat's gone, so that is one less. The Bunnies are probably still in their filthy cages too. Suffice to say, that if animal control DID go out there... things would have to change.
Finally got around to watching some of her vlogs, or at least the start of a few. It was painful and I couldn't finish any of them. Maybe someone should pay her to not make anymore.
It is illegal in the state of New York to deny vet care to an animal and it is documented, by her own hand. Take screenshots of her posts where she clearly states she was not willing to call a vet for Maude (because as soon as she sees this, she will take down the posts) and forward them to Animal Control.
Just when you think you have seen it all... Jenna posts a picture of her "garden" covered for the cold weather, complete with the skull of one of her neglected to death sheep. I could vomit.
I don't agree she should have called the vet for Maude. When you have livestock, you have to weigh your options. Spending money on a 10 year old non-productive ewe just isn't smart. If you have a few sheep and keep them as pets, that's one thing, but if you want to farm or be profitable, you cannot call the vet every time there is an illness.
I'm not sure if Maude was treated for anything but the secondary case of bloat she got, we don't know. She should have been treated for any illness, and then if she didn't respond to treatments, she should have been humanely euthanized. We know Jenna has at least a shotgun, but I'm sure her neighbors have a suitable firearm for euthanizing the ewe. That's the humane thing to do.
"If you want your farm to be profitable." Seriously? And she does only have a few sheep, that are essentially pets, just pets that don't receive very good care.
Yes, seriously. You can't spend that kind of money on an animal that isn't worth that much money. Many farmers do their own vet care, but if they cannot do something and the animal is valuable, they call the vet. If they cannot do the care themselves, and the value of the animal is not more than what a vet call would be, they put the animal down. This is farming 101.
I am not a farmer, but I do own a handful of sheep and goats and other livestock. I have only had to call a vet out a couple of times (not including routine stuff like health papers for the fair), but they were for things that I could not treat myself. One time I broke even when I sold the animal, and once I lost money because I gave the ewe away to a pet home after being treated. I try to do everything I possibly can for an animal before I resort to calling the vet.
I always think, "What can I afford for this animal?" when something happens. I love my animals, but I need to be responsible with money. Spending a hundred bucks or more on a 10 year old ewe would not be an option for me. Spending money on one of my younger, productive ewes is an option.
And just because I don't rush to call a vet doesn't mean I neglect my animals. I am big on preventative care, and I am proactive in treating any sign of illness. If I ever had an instance of not being able to afford vet care for a particular animal, I'd put it down humanely. This did not seem to be the case for Maude.
katiegirl is absolutely right about how real farmers view livestock - they are not pets, and it is not worth the money you'd put in on a vet call/care for an unproductive animal. That said, no real farmer would, as she points out, let any animal die a slow, painful death (as with Maude). People who have "hobby farms" can afford to spend money on their livestock (essentially, pets) but farmers have to weigh the value of the animal against what they'd spend to get it healthy and productive again. Farmers tend to be a rather unsentimental lot, and won't keep pets around unless they have some use (a sheep dog, for example, or a cat to keep mice out of the grain). Understanding the distinct difference between livestock and a pet (even pet livestock) is important when having discussions about animal care (while pet owners throw their hands up in horror over lack of vaccinations a farmer shakes his or her head at the idea of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a lapdog). Jenna seems to feel the animals in her care are livestock, but her husbandry skills are lacking at even at that basic level.
Sorry to be unclear Katiegirl, that wasn't what I meant. Yes, I've lived all my life on a farm, I have some understanding of the idea of farming for a profit. What I meant was that in no way is Cold Antler run as a farm for profit. Farms that are run for profit don't turn into a petting zoo with a random collection of animals that don't earn their keep, beyond providing amusement for the owner.
And I agree that the vet isn't typically called for elderly livestock, but neither does a responsible farmer leave them to die slowly and painfully. It's one of the contingencies a livestock farmer has to be prepared for.
Jenna did not have to call the vet, she could have shot the animal and put it out of it's misery, which is what an responsible owner of livestock would do. Give a day or two of some treatment, and then end the suffering if no improvement. Jenna has no business keeping livestock if when things go bad, she can't responsibly handle things. I had to shoot a ewe this year, and I sure as HELL did not let her suffer for days when I identified the problem.
Katiegirl - I agree that calling a vet for a 10 year old ill sheep was probably not a good option, and I also agree that euthanasia would have been a very good option. But JW did not choose to do that. Instead, she let Maude die a slow, painful death. I do not understand what she gained from letting her linger. I have had to put animals down and I would 1,000 times rather do that than let them suffer.
We do know what JW gained from letting Maude die the way she did.
She got to write about how alone she is, how scared she is, how everything is on her. By doing so she got a lot of sympathy and "hang in there girl" comments on her blog, not to mention the activity on her FB page.
She got exactly what she was after...more attention.
She probably thinks a well-meaning poodle took him, if you get my drift. AND HOW DARE someone be well-meaning and rescue an animal.
ReplyDeleteI was in the ghetto once, dropping off food to a food bank, and I saw a little kitten in the middle of the road. I picked it up and put it in the car without a second thought.
That means I'm not an "otherkin," I guess. How dare I presume to save a tiny kitten from being hit by a car!!
4 days is a long time to be missing if you love that animal and you are a responsible pet owner.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable! She is not worried that he was hit by a car or eaten by predators. This does not bother her?
ReplyDeleteCan you fill in the details? Since I refuse to visit her facebook, did she have yet another cat go missing?
ReplyDeleteYes. No further details. Has she looked? Does he regularly live outside?
DeleteI think all of her cats live(d) outdoors. I know it's common for farm cats, which often live short, violent lives for the most part, but wasn't Yeti originally an indoor pet before Jenna took him in?
DeleteProbably the same predator that eats all the chickens decided he wanted a little variety in his diet. JW may not take care of her own animals, but her local wildlife is very well fed.
ReplyDeleteHere's another mystery. I haven't really been reading her blog much and haven't watched the vlogs, so maybe it's been mentioned, but in a post called "Arrows Risen," one of her "students" is riding Merlin in an Aussie saddle. That's not her old saddle. Did she buy a new saddle and a new cart with the kickstarter money?
ReplyDeleteI noticed the new saddle in the post about the ice cream ride. I figured it was a new purchase just like the meadowbrook.
DeleteHeather
She's probably got tons of new things. I mean, you live tight for awhile and then someone gives you 15,000 bucks without hardly any real commitment or accountability... You're gonna spend it on a bunch of toys and upgrades and worry about it all later. She's got a year to write some sorry fan fiction novel a d self publish it, which is pretty cheap these days. She might as well blow through it and enjoy.
DeleteAnon 8:32 - Here it is:
ReplyDelete"I have not seen my cat, Yeti, in 4 days now. I am starting to worry. Not worried about being hit by a car or eaten by coyotes, but instead that someone driving by my road found a "stray cat" and took him home with them."
I live in the country and see cats roaming fields all the time. Assume they are hunting and leave them alone. My best guess is that her cat met it's fate by a car or predator, and for some reason that doesn't bother her. Can someone explain this, because I sure don't understand.
I can't fathom. She's worried the cat is safe? Jenna is unable to accept responsibility for anything.
DeleteAgreed. Why would you be unconcerned about your pet being eaten or squashed, but bothered by the thought of it getting a better home? However, cats that are free to wander sometimes pack their little bindle and go in search of better digs, that may be the case here.
DeleteBecause Jenna is a %&#(&%)#
ReplyDeleteSo, this might not be a popular thing to say here, but I feel like I've got to admit that on this issue, I can kinda see where Jenna's coming from. My family's farm is oceanfront, and abuts a public beach. Even though it's technically private property, beach goers frequently come to the beach on our land, and we're okay with this because we think that the ocean is something every one should be allowed to enjoy. Twice our farm dogs collars have come off (google "break-away dog collar" for more details on how and why this is appropriate) and even though the dogs are still on our property, beach goers have assumed they were lost or abandoned and have taken them home. Fortunately, they're all micro-chipped so we've gotten them back eventually, but we're always concerned if we don't see the dog for a day or so in the summer that some well meaning person has taken our dog home with them.
ReplyDeleteThat said, we also keep barn cats: they are not pets, they're pest control. They live outdoors or in the barn, and far more often than someone has taken a dog, we stumble across the remains of a cat in the woods who had grown old, wandered from the homestead, and was prey for a coyote. I'm not familiar with the predator population or the habits of kind hearted neighbors in Jenna's immediate area, but it it were me, coyote-chow would be my first guess as to the fate of a missing elderly cat.
-MJ
Agreed. I think it's far more interesting that she's trying to sell her broken cart as a package deal with Jasper, after she decided it was too broken to bother fixing and she should just get a Meadowbrook cart instead while she was flush with Kickstarter cash.
DeleteSo here's why we haven't been seeing Italics:
ReplyDelete"Oh Jenna, I would love for you to do a vlog with Merlin! We haven't heard about him for a while, and I'm wondering how his training/hunting is going.
October 16, 2014 at 3:51 PM
Blogger Jenna said...
You mean Italics?
So here is the deal with Italics. I was asked not to write about him and I am honoring that request. The falconry community is small and close, and as an apprentice I was journaling my experience and not expecting the animal rights/peta/anti-jenna crowd to cause a fuss. They did. And my sponsor talked to me about making our sport public invites all sort of trouble from folks who don't understand the sport. So in respect to him, I stopped. Italics is almost done molting and I am very active with new falconers in my area, training and hunting and loving every bit of the sport, but it is more of a campfire conversation these days than a blogging thing.
October 16, 2014 at 5:21 PM"
I'm guessing the falconers don't want to be tarred with the Jenna brush, since everything she does is so, uh, "scrappy."
DeleteHmm, interesting. I'm seeing the progression now...not being able to talk about falconry publicly craters her ideas from last winter about getting a book deal from it, she's reportedly been dropped by at least one publisher so no "easy" book deals for her 864th memoir on the exact same subject matter are forthcoming, foreclosure looming, so she goes with a Kickstarter for a book no one actually wants to read (and no company would ever publish) but rakes in the $$$ from poor saps who want to fund her lifestyle. I wonder when the last time she updated the Birchthorn blog was?
DeleteShe hasn't updated the Clan since Oct. 1.
DeleteFREE THE BIRD! Wild raptors should never be caged.
DeleteHoly hickory nuts Batman, cat mia and arrows rising!
ReplyDeleteCommisioner Gordon needs to call out the search party, a cat has fled the farm, other critters also thinking about escape from the cold, antler that is, swimmin pools, movie stars. Meanwhile back at the ranch drop a halloween letter to ye old farm holler, address it simple, let USPS figure it all out. Tell you what people, but a quarter pig today and have frozen pork in 2 years, step right up and join the clan, write the novel, save the farm....
One of the commenters replied "An adventurous heart is one thing, goofy naivety another...P.S. I know whereof I speak."
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh! She finds that kind of talk scary. I noticed she had a lot of questions about planning, healthcare, the future, all that scary detail stuff she hates.
I noticed that too. I wonder if she thought she was going to get a lot of fawning and adulation by doing an AMA referencing Game of Thrones and fantasy fiction in a notoriously geeky section of the internet. Instead she got questions about the same issues that we raise here. LOL.
DeleteIs it possible for a person to become less mature as they age? When I first started reading her books and blog, I thought she was an 'old soul', wise and mature beyond her years. Then after she quit her job, she just sort of seemed to go downhill, maturity-wise.
ReplyDeleteI've had the same thought. In her first book, she seemed like an interesting person it would be fun to know, but now she seems like a spoiled teenager that you'd go out of your way to avoid.
DeleteOk, I read "http://bestofama.com/amas/274kxt"
ReplyDeleteWhen asked about her future plans she replied:
"I hope to find a partner, and start a business or CSA to save for my older years." (Oh no, not another CSA!)
When asked what would happen if she broke leg she responded:
"So let's say I do break a leg today. Here is what would happen: Up here I have been farming for around 7 years in two states that border each other: VT/NY. Friends would take over chores, so the animals would be okay. Medical bills would have to be figured out through some act of the gods - maybe I could crowdfund in exchange for something like a novel or book? "
I just read the bestofama link. Well that was interesting:)
ReplyDelete~k~ '
I wonder how long it will be before she revisits the crowdfunding trough?
DeleteDon't really understand the AMA thing, but found it interesting the a retirement plan and health care shortens your life span.
ReplyDeleteSure sounds like JW has a true desire to transform herself into some sword wielding kilt wearing midevil knight. Move over braveheart JW's coming.
~j~
Apparently she's never read the articles about how stress negatively affects women's health.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep my 9 to 5, retirement, health care plan and farm on the side.
I'll follow my interests along with being solvent and prepared for whatever the future hands me.
And, I'll sleep right through 3am.
Now that's balance.
Jenn
I just love how she tries to justify her lifestyle by always attacking the very same people she wants to live off... The wannabes that are too responsible and want to know all the details, save up money, etc before leaping out on a cliff that is Jenna's world. She's so insulting to them... The whole poodle thing. And criticizes those that work and are responsible but still dream of living differently, and dream through her. It's a real passive aggressive thing. I would have so much more respect for her if she was really working hard towards self sufficiency, not living off folks, talking about it and not doing it. Not really. Sure she has a few chickens, hogs and sheep etc. anyone can have that. And they are still uber dependent on the outside world to keep it all going. Just upsetting...
ReplyDeleteWonder if she thinks about what would happen if EVERYONE who dreams of living a rural life packed up their corporate gig and ran off to the hills then started to beg for money on the internet to make ends meet.
DeleteThere would be no one to support her.
Like we've all said before, there is nothing self-sufficient about her life or lifestyle.
~j~
Holy crap she's asking $750 for Jasper and $1200 for Jasper with the broken cart and harness. I haven't been in horses for a while but that is a pretty unrealistic amount to ask for a green-broke, elderly pony who isn't in good health. And $450 for a broken cart? Please.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone is truly concerned about Jasper, I am willing to organize a fund-raiser to purchase him (no cart) and arrange to donate Jasper to a good home. The poor animal looks sad.
DeleteYou could try contacting her to see if she'd let you find him a good home for free. He isn't worth the money she's asking, and I know I'm not personally interested in turning over my hard-earned money to her for any reason.
DeleteI agree with anon 6:56. I wouldn't mind helping with Jasper, but I won't give her a penny of my hard earned money either.
DeleteYeah, but the comments about leaving Merlin without a buddy and her response that she would be looking for another draft pony, like a halfinger or whatever to fill Jasper's spot are even more upsetting. She doesn't even freaking have a decent shelter for them... and she's getting rid of the "forever" pony Jasper because he doesn't fit her fantasy character profile right. And charging way too much... thought before it was like free to a good home because I just can't keep him.... ooooh... guess that changed again... Anything to make a buck. Even selling off the unwanted pony cart that she had to go to great lengths to make sure everyone knew that the neighbor kid broke.
ReplyDeleteWasn't that cart given to her by a reader?
DeleteI thought I read that somewhere.
Wow. Of course she never mentions begging for donations or the Kickstarter when people ask how she supports herself. Can't shatter the illusion.
ReplyDeleteI thought she was trying to re-home Jasper to save money. Now she is considering another draft pony?
ReplyDeleteI am beginning to see a pattern here regarding the new saddle, cart and pony. And possibly a new border collie puppy.
A few years back on her Pony Update post, several readers questioned the wisdom of buying Merlin (a very expensive pony) when she was struggling to pay her mortgage and other expenses. Apparently she received donations after losing some pigs, and a reader asked her how she would feel if she donated money to a neighbor after losing livestock, and a week later that neighbor showed her a picture of a shiny new motorcycle she was considering buying.
JW's responses to the reader's concerns was arrogant and she basically told them they were not her bankers or accountants.
One man wrote back that she cries poverty one minute then is buying things the next. He said that maybe he misunderstood. Maybe she really is flush.
So it makes me wonder, is she really as bad off as she says she is? Or is she hoping her readers will pay for the boring stuff, like mortgages, truck payments, etc., so she can spend her money on fun things?
Even in her response about health care, she stated that she would seek crowdfunding in the event of an accident rather than buy health insurance. Why should others be responsible for paying her bills?
How one spends their money is their business, UNLESS, it is other people's money. Then they really do become your bankers and accountants, and yes, you are accountable.
"So it makes me wonder, is she really as bad off as she says she is? Or is she hoping her readers will pay for the boring stuff, like mortgages, truck payments, etc., so she can spend her money on fun things?
ReplyDeleteEven in her response about health care, she stated that she would seek crowdfunding in the event of an accident rather than buy health insurance. Why should others be responsible for paying her bills?"
Agree one hundred percent. It's greedy and irresponsible.
OMG that newest vlog Money Family Fear. Her advice about money is so hypocritical I can't even believe it.
ReplyDeleteShe is giving examples of reasons why people can't homestead, "I don't have time because I'm working to pay the bills." Yeah, working to pay their own bills AND jenna's bills.
"Look at your employer as your personal investor" (to get money to buy a farm). Oh really? Does Jenna view her donators as personal investors? Obviously not, reading the post above.
What a total load of hogwash she is selling to people. She takes almost none of her own advice she is giving about money in this vlog in the running of her own farm.
I was ill halfway through the money advice section...
from JW blog 2/10
ReplyDeleteP.S. Now that I am in the home stretch - I will be removing the donation button from the blog. The point of that button was to allow readers to contribute to making Cold Antler into my own farm, and that is what is finally happening. I want to thank everyone who kicked in a dollar or two, and in some cases more, to help save for the future of Cold Antler. But I feel my savings are set, and would not feel right accepting any more farm-buying donations. Any gifts that were given remain in the savings pot, and were used for nothing else, but it's time to help someone else. It's not your job to help pay for painting the kitchen or putting up fences. We're here guys. We did it. I could not have gotten here without you. I thank you with all I am.
Too bad she doesn't seem to remember those thoughts.
DeleteThen what the heck happened? Maybe she got too used to the free money.
DeleteShe's changed a lot since she wrote that post.
DeleteShe's not only change a lot, she now refuses to listen to people who still hold the views she claimed to have a few years ago.
DeleteThe comments on the fear family money blog are very interesting. Not one person said they begged for donations, jumped in without a plan or resorted to crowdfunding to buy their new farms. They hunkered down did without made due saved scrimped and saved for the down payment.
ReplyDeleteIf only JW had followed the advice she gives others she might be in a better position.
Jenn
Anon 12:49 - I would love to send her that blog entry from 2/10 and ask her what she thinks of it now, but she would probably just delete it and never respond.
ReplyDeleteDo it - I would like to see her response.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Obamacare health insurance law, if you don't buy health insurance, you have to pay a penalty on your income tax. Did Jenna do a trade-off study - cheaper to pay the penalty than buy insurance? The Kickstarter money could put a crimp in this - giving her a higher income, which increases the penalty. I'm sure someone else out here knows more about these things than I do.
ReplyDeleteWe'll, as I understand, the first year penalty is 95 dollars. And the health care plans for reasonably well off individuals who are self employed is really very high. I live on a small farm, am self employed and without insurance and through the charts and such, I would have to pay nearly 600 a month, with a very high deductible and other limitations. I opted out. There just was no way I could afford that. I haven't needed a doctor for ten years. Sure, is that perfect? Heck no. But I'm not quite sure what else to do. Jenna already said she would crowd source or beg neighbors and such for healthcare emergencies. And by law, an er can not refuse you care. And for less dire situations, walk in clinics can be very reasonable. Just my experience. As I age, I'm probably going to have to do something different. My bet is that she's not making that much yearly, and that the Kickstarter influx will kick her up a notch perhaps, unless of course she can file lots of receipts for stuff that she can use as write offs, being self employed and all. I'm sure she's not that worried about it all.
ReplyDeleteJust adding my voice to say I'm in the same self-employed boat that you are, with the penalties being far cheaper than the insurance for the next few years. I don't know what I'm going to do either when the time comes that the penalty gets high--I think it tops out around $750? But I guess that's still cheaper than paying monthly. It's kind of a crappy situation, to be honest, so I can't fault JW for not having health insurance at the moment.
DeleteI'm not self employed but my employer doesn't offer ins because it is a small non-profit. But I do have major medical through Blue Cross. I pay $295 and my deductible is $2500. I still end up paying out of pocket for annual check ups and but the policy is for major stuff.
ReplyDeleteI have a great doctor who knows indent have ins so she charges me the bare minimum for appts and is usually able to give me drug samples for free if I need them. If you have a regular doc talk with them and see what you can work out.
Glad I found something reasonable because most docs here are not taking Obamacare.
I can't fault her for not having health insurance either, but I guess what bothers me is her crowdfunding solution for just about everything.
ReplyDeleteTrue, true. That does seem to illustrate that she has gotten very comfortable relying on the largesse of her readership.
DeleteThat bother me too. I just pay for my medical needs myself, sometimes a burden, and I am afraid of something major, of course, but my first thought is it not, why worry, I'll kickstart my appendix surgery! My fans love me so much, it's nothing to worry about! Tra la laaaaa! Oh yes, and if it's an emergency surgery, even better to jerk those purse strings! Nearly all hospitals have very reasonable payment plans for emergency needs. And I suppose it would certainly be dependent on ones age, health condition, etc. just wanted to add my two cents in. I totally understand living without insurance and I really wish Obamacare would have some better rates for emergency critical care plans. Shoot, can remember what they call it. Oh yes, catestrophic care policies with high deductibles. If I could have something like that with a very reasonable deductible, I would fear a bit more secure. It's a big tangle for sure. But I do feel good that jenna is not worried about it all. One less thing for her to worry about at 3 am! Whew!
DeleteAaand now, Maude is left to die. Yep, couldn't POSSIBLY call a vet. If she were bloated, her acid/base balance is off. This is not easy to treat, but it IS treatable. Again, she would rather get attention for losing a sheep, than actually give attention to the sheep. She is and has NEVER been a shepherd. To call herself that is absolute blasphemy.
ReplyDeleteThat should have read she "is not and never has been a shepherd"
DeleteAnd she made the poor sheep worse by feeding her grain. Will she ever learn?
ReplyDeleteMy sentiments exactly. You NEVER give bloated sheep feed until you get the Bloat down, which usually isn't hard if you know what the hell you're doing.
DeleteBut we all know she doesn't know what she's doing so basically she killed the ewe with stupidity.
Just add it to the list of mistakes while the body count increases.
Four days ago Maude was cast and bloated and now she is alive, but dying, still ill, no vet care, Antlerstock going on around it all with workshops and cakes and festivities, yet tonight she's all blubbery and sentimental? Shesh... I can't believe her. I raise sheep, you never grain a bloated animal.... Lovely little sad story about loosing a bunch of the blackface and such, but the original three are still around. Maude can't be that old, she had a lamb this year, oh, that died too, right? Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteMaude is not that old- she likes to make it up to be that way, but she is not. She has lost more than 3 sheep. Remember the lamb that she brought home, dumped in the pen for Jasper to chase? That one died of Pneumonia shortly thereafter. She has had more sheep deaths by "accidents" or "bad luck" than all my sheep friends put together. Sheep are not hard to keep, so long as you have a clue and provide them with reasonable care. Again, it is more rewarding to write about sick sheep, and tug at heart strings, then it is to get off your ass and do something intelligent. What a loser.
ReplyDelete"Through your stories we have all grown to love that awful sheep. We will miss her." This from the comment section in her post about dying Maude- do you see? I think mostly what upsets her is that her little Maude fan base will dry up. I met Maude- she is a normal sheep. Jenna likes to spin little stories... even her neighbors chat about this at the diner............
ReplyDeleteOh, I'll bet they do. I've always wondered what the locals really have to say about her. I doubt that it's flattering, by and large.
Deleteeven her neighbors chat about this at the diner...........
Deletedo tell...
JW is missing a real opportunity here--call for donations for vet care for Maude! After her sob story, I bet the money would start rolling in. And since she's already decided Maude is going to die from neglect, she can just pocket the money and then write another sob story about how the vet couldn't save her.
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to keep a small flock of sheep as pets, then there are no excuses for lack of proper vet care when an animal falls ill. It is only in large breeding flocks where you let nature take its course and intervene only in extreme cases. Also, there is absolutely NO excuse for her allowing Maude to linger without vet care--if she is so convinced she's dying, then be a decent human being and euthanize the poor creature. Instead it will be a cruel and lingering death.
Yes, like the lamb last year that lingered for a week before it died.
DeleteA week? Wasn't more like four weeks????
DeleteAt least her tears seem to genuine this time as opposed to her "joke" about her slaughtered lamb and an onion. Or by her post that she would be more worried if her cat were "rescued" than eaten or hit by a car.
ReplyDeleteI would feel tortured if I had an animal struggling to stay alive. The greatest gift we have for our animals is that they do not have to suffer until the bitter end as people often do.
ReplyDeleteAnd Italics. Here is my thing with the bird: I get that he was brought on to her word farm as a business decision. I didn't even know falconry was a real thing until I read about it on her blog. My personal feelings of it being disgusting aside, it was a unique source of content for her struggling (especially at that time) blog. So one could argue it was a cruel investment to give her more words to "farm". BUT now that bird content is off the table, she has no right to keep the bird! I would bet that she does all sorts of BS with her taxes and deductions. This bird is no longer a working part of her farm. He's a goddamn Pokemon card at this point. It would be like putting your mistresses's hotel room on a company card. Watch, she'll probably be selling Maude's wool in a few days saying "it's just too emotional for me to use!....but...too special to give away....wolves at the door....my paypal address is:"
She just got freaking 15 grand from everyone and she hasn't called the vet on her beloved cranky sheep??? WTF???? Oh, rush out and buy a meadowbrook cart (aint cheap!) and a new computer and crap, but let Maude linger and die for now FIVE FREAKING DAYS??? She just disgusts me. I am so angry at her right now. And all the sad sacks posting about Maude like she's dead, but she's not, at least not officially.... get a clue, she is NO expert on anything to do with homesteading, small farms, etc. Just amazing... makes me want to just puke.
ReplyDeleteAre you freaking kidding me?! Giving a bloated sheep grain?????? Good grief, why don't you just go ahead and shoot her if you're not going to properly care for her. Is she trying to diagnose an issue? "Old age" is not a proper diagnosis.
ReplyDeleteIt is NOT NORMAL to have this many sheep die! They must receive terrible, terrible care.
http://www.capital-district-humane.com
ReplyDeleteYes, if she is so grief stricken over her beloved sheep, why the heck isn't she calling a vet or having her put down? Anything but letting her die a slow lingering death!
ReplyDeleteI used to read JW's blog and enjoyed it, and have never said a bad word about her. But now that she's been granted $15k via Kickstarter, I cannot help but notice that people who felt they were owed restitution from JW are now being provided that restitution.
ReplyDeleteWasn't the kickstarter money entirely for the book she had planned to write? I mean, good lord, if that money is being used to pay others to whom she owed money from completely unrelated circumstances, I'd be awfully upset if I had donated to that Kickstarter campaign.
I really, really hope I'm wrong here.
You aren't wrong. However, doesn't she still owe people pork from last year's pork CSA? And I understand from comments made here that she's selling more shares for next spring.
DeleteAnd as far as the money being entirely for the book she's writing, see other comments here regarding the purchases she's made since receiving the Kickstarter money: meadowbrook cart, saddle and other stuff (toys) I can't remember.
I'm still owed a refund from the Wool CSA. I contacted her like she said, albeit a little later than everyone else, but I got no response. I guess she had spent her Kickstarter money already. I'm thinking of filing in small claims court like the other people on coldantlersham.blogspot.com did. I figure if she can't manage to refund me when she just got handed $15K, she never will unless the law is involved.
Delete-D
I know nothing about sheep. However, my dog died of bloat (dilated gastric volvulus), even though we got him to the emergency vet within 30 minutes after his symptoms began. He went right into surgery, but because his spleen and half of his stomach were necrosed, they recommended euthanasia. My only consolation is that he didn't suffer for very long. I can't imagine letting an animal die of that condition without immediate euthanasia.
ReplyDeletehttp://ferndellfarmblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/sheep-bloat-cause-symptom-cure.html
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what we used to do for bloated sheep. Used a turkey baster or a baby lamb tube and a large syringe, then slowly walked them to help release the gas.
DeleteWatch out though!!! The expelling from both ends can be a stinky mess.
Jenn
Thanks for the link. That's a cheap and easy home remedy so you'd think she would try it. Maybe you should post it on her blog. The ER vet used a needle on our dog to release gas, but it didn't solve the underlying problem.
ReplyDeleteNone of the Jennafans ask why she doesn't have Maude put down? Even if she has no money left from Kickstarter, I know she hunts and has a gun and so many of her "friends" do too. That ewe shouldn't have to suffer at all.
ReplyDeleteThis is the one area where I will never be able to forgive her. To allow an animal to suffer when you have the means to end it is just plain cruel and inhumane. Why don't the Jennafans come over and shake their fists at us now? I'd love to ask them to justify this.
I can guarantee Maude's bloating is a symptom of another illness, not the only illness the sheep had. She probably went down and *then* bloated because she was down.
ReplyDeleteI agree that she should shoot the animal rather than letting it suffer.
ReplyDeleteI just read the comments and not one person suggested vet care or euthanasia. Unbelievable! Just a lot of condolences. Do you think maybe she deleted any helpful suggestions?
ReplyDeleteJenna will now write a book about Maude.. you watch...... this is all part of the story line, as disgusting as it is.
ReplyDeleteYes, and it will be how a bossy witch of a ewe turned me into a farmer/homesteader.
DeleteYou'll have to wear hip boots with all the BS that will flow from those pages.
~j~
I wonder why neither she nor any of her followers have suggested a vet - does she have them that well trained to never question her or is she, as anon 10:25 suggested, editing those out?
ReplyDelete...and on her FB page she mentions she had three people out to look at Jasper, and she herself rode him for a half an hour yesterday. I hope whoever buys him gives him a better home. I wish that ALL of her animals could get better homes.
Absolutely appalling. Death from bloat is not usually from the bloating itself (though still painful), but from suffocation. The rumen of the animal swells so large that it gradually constricts and crushes the windpipe, meaning the real cause of death is suffocation. She let that sheep die a slow, very slow, painful death over the course of days while she partied it up at "Antlerstock."
ReplyDeleteAlso, sheep tend to get bloated when they don't have enough feed on a regular basis, then gorge themselves when they do get access to food. A little bit of food at a time all day long is best for ruminants...hey, they're 'grazers!' Another example of her poor care.
DeleteIs Maude dead? I don't quite know...
ReplyDeleteAnd bloat is sheep is usually something that kills quickly really. To linger this long means likely something els is up. I do not understand why her peeps are just talking about her as dead, when she might not be? So upsetting.
"AnonymousOctober 23, 2014 at 3:50 PM
ReplyDeleteI'm still owed a refund from the Wool CSA. I contacted her like she said, albeit a little later than everyone else, but I got no response. I guess she had spent her Kickstarter money already. I'm thinking of filing in small claims court like the other people on coldantlersham.blogspot.com did. I figure if she can't manage to refund me when she just got handed $15K, she never will unless the law is involved.
-D"
D - Please post what you just said here on the Coldantlersham page. People need to see it, especially those defending her.
And I would definitely recommend filing a claim. She has had enough time to refund your money. She should not be buying new toys until everyone has been refunded.
OMG, I just read the comments and have to vent.
ReplyDeleteSome idiot writes so sorry about Maude because she was the foundation of JW's flock. What!!!??? Really!!!???
A ewe that hasn't bred or produced or weaned a lamb in what 5 to 7 years. That's their idea of a foundation ewe!!! Please.
A foundation ewe is sound, healthy, productive and can consistently raise lambs, preferably ewe lambs, that you can build a flock on.
A foundation ewe IS NOT a feed sucking, pasture munching, snarky, feisty crowd pleaser that can't earn her keep.
If this is their thinking, the JW fan base are truly ignorant wannabes that have as much business raising livestock as JW.
Jenn
I have a feeling that most of her fans are not farmers. And I think that many of the ones that do have farms gravitated over here due to frustration.
ReplyDeleteI think she read these comments, and she's given an answer in the comments. Does a sheep get bloat from being cast?
ReplyDeleteYes, here's some info:
Deletehttp://jaredgulian.com/2010/10/22/getting-intimate-with-a-cast-sheep/
Jenna likes to make up more to the story once she reads her detractors. Now the sheep all of a sudden gained several years to her life.. hmmm. Jenna, you allowed the animal to suffer for days because a) you are too cheap for a vet and b) you are too lazy to put her out of her misery, or maybe you are uncomfortable doing it. Either way, she suffered because of your neglect. Yes, all livestock can get injured/ill, but the difference between a real shepherd and you, is that the real shepherd puts the sheep first, not the blog.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a huge Jenna fan - she was the one that got me on the road to being the urban homesteader and mild prepper that I've become over the last year while working towards my master gardener. I think, despite my complete lack of livestock, my desire and ability to be self sufficient and to share that with others has outstripped hers. The most recent comment on the maude post has left me dosgusted - maude was dying alone and probably afraid and ahe came inside becauas she was lonely upset and afraid to write a blog about Maude dying. In the meantime, Maude, one of her first sheep and a real character by all accounts was left to die alone while Jw writes prosaically about her dying. When she went back out, the sheep was dead. It became a cheap ploy to get more hits. You wouldnt leave a dog alone with a vet to be euthanized, why would you take an animal that is supposefly the foundation of your farm and let them die alone and unaided and probably in crazy amounts of pain?! why woukd your first reaction be yo leave it to die alone and write a blog about it?!
ReplyDeleteI will not be supporting JW again.
Sorry about the spelling/grammar mistakes. I'm terrible at typing on a phone.
DeleteOn the Essex Farm blog (kristinkimball.com), Kristin Kimball wrote at one point about having to cull their dairy cow herd. They shot one of their cows because it was best for the herd (she didn't say why). I also read her book, "The Dirty Life", and I believed she described shooting a horse that was terminally ill (I gave the book away, or I'd check on that story). It seems that being a farmer requires making those tough calls to minimize animal suffering. I don't farm, but if I did, I know that I would make myself shoot an animal if necessary, because I would put ending their suffering over my own fear or revulsion. If I couldn't afford a vet, I WOULD make myself pull the trigger. To do otherwise would be cruel.
ReplyDeleteActually, I recently came downstairs at 6 AM and found that my dog, who had been somewhat ill and had been to the vet the day before, had take a dramatic turn for the worse and was unable to stand up. Although I was upset and afraid, I didn't go back upstairs to cry. got dressed and rushed him to the vet, where his condition worsened dramatically and he had to be euthanized. I was devastated, but I couldn't have let him suffer.
ReplyDeleteAlmost the same thing happened to me one morning over 3 months ago. We have a neighbor who is a retired vet, and he came over to euthanize him. I didn't leave him either, and wouldn't have even considered leaving him for 3 hours. I was and still am devastated, but my main comfort is that I did the right thing by him as much as I could. I wish I had been able to not cry, to talk to him and make him happy, but I probably failed him in that.
DeleteWe've shot cows that were ill or down and weren't going to make it. We've also called the vet for animals that didn't make it. I've gotten pretty good at knowing if a cow or calf will or won't survive and I would prefer using a bullet in those cases. Unless a cow is down anyway, a vet won't be able to euthanize them. We did have a few ewes when we had grandchildren in 4-h, and one year we had a barn fire, a couple of the ewes got bad burns and we had the vet out to try to save them. He treated them for a few days and then we decided to euthanize them, which the vet did. They weren't worth the money we spent on them.
I would never willingly shoot one of my horses, I prefer to call the vet, but there are times when you can't get one out. I know a couple people who would shoot them for me if it had to be done. I agree with all the other frustrated comments here. If you can't do the right thing when it's needed, don't have animals.
If she's too alone/scared/in tears every time a situation like this happens, maybe she shouldn't own livestock until she can deal with these situations in a mature and adult way
ReplyDelete"I found her on her side, eyes shut, barely breathing."
ReplyDelete"she was sitting up and chewing cud."
"She was on her back"
She was almost gone
I thought she was recovering.
I chose to keep her alive
That's my story and I'm stick'ng to it.
But, the most telling part...
"When I saw she was practically gone I came inside and wrote because I was a mess of tears, alone, and scared."
Yay, that's what all prepared farming homesteader types do in an emergency or crisis...go inside and write.
OMG!!!
Jenn
OMG - What kind of person abandons their beloved animal who is sick and dying to go into the house to write? Why did she not call a vet or use a quick bullet to end that poor sheep's suffering? How long was she lingering? A week?
ReplyDeleteI do not understand her at all. One minute she is joking about tears streaming down her face after her lamb was slaughtered, then pulled a quick "fooled you" and said it was because she was chopping an onion.
Then when she really appeared to be grieving, she did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to stop her beloved sheeps suffering.
Everything she posts is for a reason- to bring in money. Jenna is not stupid.
ReplyDeleteWhat I finally realized this summer is that Jenna is a writer. In fact, she's a very good writer. But she's not a farmer, at least not in a way that I understand. Like most writers I know, she gets excited by new ideas (DIY living, homesteading, falconry, what have you) and she invests imaginatively and emotionally in those ideas. The problem is, she loses interest when the creative buzz is over (like most writers do) and moves onto the next thing. This is problematic foremost when living creatures are involved, but also when you come up with money-making ideas that you don't end up following through on after the checks have been sent.
ReplyDeleteWhile it doesn't help her suffering livestock, it's important to remember that Jenna is young. She's trying to root herself in a tradition that's not her own, and for a long time I admired her for it. But quite honestly, at some point I started seeing what I see in other creative types (including myself)--falling in love with ideas and then moving onto the next thing when the love affair was over--which is fine when no one is waiting for a product they've paid for to be delivered. It's fine unless your lack of skills and knowledge endanger animals or other people.
I have supported Jenna in the past and was happy to do so, because I enjoyed her writing and thought it worth paying for. But now I feel like donating to the site is enabling her when what she needs to do is settle down and be the writer she's meant to be--which by the way, is not a writer who has to manufacture a life so she has something to write about. While I wouldn't bet money that she'll finish her Kickstarter novel, I really hope she does, so she can get on to her real work. I just don't think that work involves farming or raising livestock.
Well said, and I agree with you, except for your decision to excuse her poor animal husbandry due to youth (I don't really consider 30 to be young, either). The animals (other than perhaps Gibson?) aren't being cared for well, and that is an ethical failing that colors everything else she does. I wouldn't have even a chicken if I wasn't prepared to give it shelter and medical care if required. I've switched to reading Kristin Kimball's blog, which seems to present a more responsible and accurate view of what farming is about.
ReplyDeleteSorry to be unclear--I didn't mean to suggest I dismiss her poor animal husbandry on account of her youth. She's definitely old enough (my 15-year-old son is old enough) to understand her responsibilities and to do a much better job than she appears to be doing. What I meant to say is, she's still figuring out who she is. And yeah, maybe 30 is old for that, although I know some folks much older who are still searching. But no, I agree--there's no excuse for not taking care of animals.
DeleteAnd I might add that I'm 50, so 30 seems young to me!
DeleteI agree, a writer she is, an animal steward she is not, and honestly, if she just admitted that the animal part of homesteading is not her "gig", I think just about everyone would give her a pass on most things (except the money owed). I am going to check out the KK blog- this is not the first time I have heard of it. :)
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:02 - Thank you for your thoughtful post. I too admired Jenna's work for a long time, but gradually became disillusioned.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many things you said, but I also agree with anon 9:48 that 30 something is not young. JW has had plenty of time and plenty of animals to learn proper animal husbandry. I am totally baffled that she let her beloved sheep die "alone and scared", just like she claimed she was when she abandoned Maude to go to the house to write. No vet care, no euthanasia, just a slow, painful death.
I am also baffled as to her treatment of the very people who give her money. When they inquire about receiving a product they have paid for or a refund, her MO is to ignore them or send a snarky response.
I agree she bounces from hobby to hobby and tires quickly. No problem trying new things, unless it does not adversely affect others, which it seems to be doing.
Even her writing seems to be going downhill. I used to enjoy it, but lately when I read it, it feels like nails on a chalkboard. I cannot exactly describe why; maybe she is trying too hard to be prosaic. I'm not sure - I'm not a writer and I don't know the terminology. All I know is that I find it more irksome than enjoyable. Maybe her ego has gotten too big - I don't know.
I agree her writing isnt what it use to be, but then most of her posts are more about hawking workshops than anything. They seem rushed and not well thought out. And, she seems to think that people will believe whatever she writes so the posts go round and round with contradictory info or they don't make sense or have logic.
ReplyDeleteThe vlogs aren't much better. They too are rushed with little info that makes sense when you think about it carefully. Like the black out bag post. I can just visualize her sitting in the middle of the floor with her little stove thing sipping on hot coco and munching on a power bar feet from her bun burner, which by the way is also a stove. Maybe the point was to show off all the cool new stuff she had to buy to put the bag together rather than have a practical post about sheltering.
Forget the Hobbit. I'd be worried about my well not pumping or the stocked freezer melting and losing hundreds of dollars of meat and meals. The blog just made no practical sense if you are at home in a power outage. So many other more important topics about prepping could have been covered.
It's just puzzling why give out info that is so elementary and sometimes not practical or useful.
If her fans want to find out what a black out will really mean to the their family and their farm flip the main breaker and spend a weekend in the dark. I guarantee you the last thing they'll be doing is firing up some dinky camp stove and reading the Hobbit.
Jenn
Jenn I completely agree. Forget the stove and power bars and invest in a generator that can power the house. Those cute little things she showed wouldn't keep you going in a lengthy power outage.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't consider Jenna a good writer, but rather, a clever writer. I compare her writing to Chinese food - it's good going down, but you're hungry again in an hour. She's good at stringing words together in an entertaining way, but nothing sticks with you. I too, think she had promise early on, but opted for the easier, less substantive, more glib road. Good writing is extremely hard - it takes a lot of time, practice and effort to develop. There is a reason we still read Austin, Twain and Alcott.
ReplyDeleteFor agricultural writing with some real meat in it, read the books by Sylvia Jorrin. She has been a farmer, shepardess, and writer in Delaware County, New York for 25 years. www.slyviasfarm.com is a good introduction to her.
Thanks for the writer recommendation. Another good one is Noel Perrin's First Person Rural, about farming in Vermont. Very interesting and funny.
ReplyDeleteThe main things that make a good writer are insight and honesty. I don't think she ever showed much insight, but her writing used to be honest, sometimes wrenchingly so. At some point, though, she seemed to be turning herself into a "character" and writing about it. Not nearly so interesting.
Oh good, she has a buyer for Jasper. So now she can use that money and the money she saved not calling a vet for Maude to buy a new draft pony. Because god knows she needs something else to neglect to death.
ReplyDeleteVery true, wonder when it will come home? She HAS to get one you know, for company for Merlin.
ReplyDeleteWell, she better get his Coggins test done...
ReplyDeleteShe probably wants that light colored fell pony mare she mentioned on Facebook from Merlin's past owner. She can probably get another payment plan and then she can breed her eventually... That will be next ya know. I know. Merlin is a gelding but she'll figger out some way to breed draft ponies eventually. It's just a train accident in the making. So much for Jasper's forever home.
ReplyDeleteI wish the previous owner of Merlin (esp since JW wants another horse from them maybe) would take a look at the "shelter" her fine fell pony has at CA. She might feel differently than to give her yet another horse.
DeleteI don't think that pony is big enough for her to ride.
DeleteI've said before that I'm not the biggest animal lover here. But I do believe in responsibility and commitment. Why would you get rid of an animal you've had for years for kicks and giggles. I feel so badly for these animals.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Maude goes, I can think of 4 sheep off the top of my head that have died in what seem like either uncaring or incompetent ways. The lamb that was doing poorly then was dropped off in a lean-to until it died. The lamb new to the property that was left in a pen with Jasper who "chased/played" with the poor little animal, who then died (heck, goldfish owners let them acclimate). The sheep that was left in the field when the shearer visited (who doesn't make sure they have all their sheep together for the shearer?), because there was some fair-type event to attend. This sheep was only noticed after the day's activities. Who really know how long it was there. Now Maude. Right after a really weird post about how onions make you cry, but the death of your animal doesn't. And I do mean weird. It took a couple of readings to get it.
I haven't read her post as long as some others, but that's what I can come up with off the top of my head.
Dev
I believe this blog is the first thing Jenna reads every morning, as when things get busy here, she *always* responds by writing how one needs to take chances, and try things and 'live". Jenna, you have not taken any chances- not since you started accepting donations to fund your reality mimics fiction life. You haven't. Yes, and you also corrected us for saying you were thirty, when in fact you are thirty two. You are stealing money from people to fund your life, and you consider that living. You are the very thing a farmer would never let on their property, let alone, into their lives. I certainly would not. Grow up, stop neglecting animals, stop taking money for things when you already know that these people will not get their due. Your audience is dwindling my dear. Clearly- you have more detractors than fans at this point- and it is *all* your doing. GROW UP.
ReplyDeleteJust read her blog post. She can now look in the mirror and love the woman she sees. You mean the woman who let her beloved sheep, Maude, die a slow and painful death? The woman who takes money from people and either does not deliver or does not provide refunds? The woman who begs for donations and lives off other people's money?
ReplyDeleteAs for Jasper, I thought the whole point of re-homing him was to cut back on her livestock and save money. So now she's contemplating another Fell pony? If she needs a companion for Merlin, why not just keep Jasper?
If she does get another Fell pony, I think we can all predict what will happen. There will be a fundraiser or another Kickstarter project. Then, when the inevitable vet care is needed, another fundraiser. Perhaps even a barn-raiser fundraiser.
She said in her latest post that anyone who wanted to could have the life she is having. I think most people have the decency and good sense to not expect others to fund their lives.
She doesn't need a companion for Jasper. She needs a matched pair of horses the same size to drive a larger carriage pulled by a team. Just you wait and see.
DeleteThese repetitious "if I can do it, so can you" posts really demonstrate her declining writing skills. Her blog is so boring these days--she posts the exact same thing over and over...workshop promotions and these insecure posts about how far she's come. Don't TELL us, SHOW us. If she truly wished to inspire people (and not just sell them on an impossible dream so they'll join her cash flow), then you'd think there'd be some meat in her blog posts. There's not. Even her vlogs are mindnumbingly basic and uninformative--I finally watched the wool video and aside from her making a truly awful joke about folks with Downs syndrome, she provided hardly any truly useful wool processing information--in more than 10 minutes of video! Good grief. The vlogs are all just playacting. I know she knows how to really process wool (because years ago she used to write more interesting posts about her fiber efforts), so why not make an actual how-to video? Starting with actually showing folks how to wash wool in a tub (and how many soaks/rinses it takes, what temperature the water should be, etc.), not just dipping a few locks in a tiny bowl of water. But I guess that would be too much work.
ReplyDeleteThese kind of posts always make me think she has a lot of childhood issues to resolver, self hate to deal with or that they are a feeble attempt at being some sort of a farming motivational speaker.
DeleteI always come away shaking my head at why so many posts about "I have friends, I love myself". Who is she trying to convience? Us or herself? Who are these posts really for? They are just so odd and the regularity in which they appear does not show bravery at laying yourself out there raw and exposed. It shows how insecure she really is and how much she craves attention and acceptance.
I stopped caring about what people Thought of me long before I turned 32.
Totally agree. I think she is trying to convince herself, because people who have really come to that point don't feel the need to talk about it all the time. Her doing it on a weekly basis smacks of ongoing insecurity, not enlightenment. I wouldn't be surprised if she's also gotten a bit addicted to the little thrill of getting supportive comments from strangers on the internet. It's actually kind of sad--it's an endless feedback loop that is keeping her from experiencing that real growth that she wants so much.
Delete
DeleteFrom CAF:
"The unhappiest people in the world are unhappy because they can't accept love. Something is broken in them and they are numb to simple joys. They can accept sex, marriage, or relationships but they can't accept their own self worth. It's happiness suicide. They grow angry and resentful and bitter even if everything on the outside seems perfect. If they could just look in the mirror and love what they see, their whole world would change. And when you love yourself for who you are, you draw folks to you who share that. Homesteading has taught me this. I followed my bliss and discovered my clan."
Really? My own life experience has taught me that the unhappiest people are those people who have to rely on others for their day to day existence. And the most unhappy of that lot are the ones who can't or won't be honest with themselves and others about what they are actually doing.
Denial is a beautiful thing, ain't it?
DeleteIf she had/has accepted her own self worth and her life then why write about it so much? Back to my other post...who is she trying to convince?
I agree - the unhappiest people I run into (and I run into a lot in my line of work) are the ones who also can't do for themselves, think for themselves work out their life's problems and blame EVERYONE else for their lot in life.
She not only discovered her clan, she actually got her clan to pay to be in her clan.
DeleteOMG you have me laughing at my computer screen.
DeleteShepherding 101 - Pop quiz
ReplyDeleteYour beloved sheep is dying. You:
A) Call a vet
B) Shoot it to put it out of its misery
C) Go in the house and write
I think all of the above, in the same order.
DeleteI tried to read her post this morning, but it was very difficult. I don't know why people still believe she is a good writer. She loves to write about the things she does, like riding her horse, and go over the top with lofty descriptions of her body melting into the horse. Then she does a lot of self congratulations and what seems to be self comforting.
ReplyDeleteAll I could think of was: how pathetic does a person have to be if Jenna is their biggest inspiration in life? How blind would you have to be to not see that she is entirely dependent on the very people she thinks she is inspiring? It gives me a headache.
Oh come on now Redhorse this mornings post was so easy to read...breeding season is in full swing, ram is wore out breeding two available ewes. Whatever that means. Doesn't sound like a very stout buck.
DeleteJust funning with ya girl:)
I know, I laughed. Thanks for that report, I didn't even read that part of the post. I didn't know she had a ram there. I just hope he survives?
DeleteBody melting into the horse (cough/choke). Just watch below for a demonstration of her riding skills
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdLoVKsNsPk&list=UUSO6nMVzQRW3-NQzwk1reHA
The more you click on her videos, the more page views it gets, and the more successful she looks and probably thinks she is. I stay away from them for that reason.
DeleteMe too. I watched about 30 seconds of her first vlog, and haven't watched any since then. I've seen some of her riding, that's why I can't read about it. In over 40 years of riding, I've had some moments that really stood out where I felt like my horse and I were one. It always came after a lot of work. And the next day I felt lame.
DeleteGood writer? Her posts are so hard to read because of all of the typos and grammatical errors!
ReplyDeleteThe ram is TIRED after breeding TWO ewes? Flushing them? You mean actually making sure they have decent food? You really amaze me.. the more you write, the more you show how little you know.
ReplyDeleteWHAT is the point of wearing a kilt (aka, skirt) for farming if you're going to wear breeches underneath? It's just extra material flapping around getting in the way. If you have real work to do, it's just not practical.
ReplyDeleteAccording to her comments on FB, it makes her look badass. Plus, how can you be part of a clan if you aren't wearing one? Now she's trying to become a trendsetter and get her fans to wear one too. I think the hardcore fans she has are into the gaming so much they've lost touch with reality.
DeleteShe thinks a kilt looks badass? It's a skirt. Kind of reminds me of those English school girl uniforms. It's her business if she wants to dress for her fantasy life, but badass? I think it looks silly, but again, it's her business. Unless she thinks it makes her look like Braveheart. I don't know.
ReplyDeleteTo each their own, but I've always wondered how a kilt can be practical while doing physical labor outside. I've been a full-time farmer for three years and I wear long pants year-round, even in 95+ degrees, because there are all sorts of awful things that can happen to bare legs in the garden and around the farm--ant bites, cuts and scrapes, scratches from straw bales, chafing, heat rash, sunburn, etc. Though I guess she doesn't have to deal with most of that because she doesn't actually do much farming.
DeleteIt's funny, but I thought the same thing about the kilt. Farmers do a lot of crouching and walking next to or past buildings or through high vegetation. They usually choose their clothing for function, durability and protection, not to look scrappy or idealized. And "breeches"? What the heck are they? And where do you buy them? Or are they cut-off leggings?
DeleteAlthough I think this is no big deal, it's just weird that she ties these clothing choices to farming.
Maybe the next stage is Birchthorn-Heart, a life you can make based entirely on fantasy game role-playing. Why not?
Dev
You guys are right on it. So true, all that you say. Breeches are leggings, basically tight fitting riding pants, worn by English riders.
ReplyDeleteI would never farm in a skirt of any kind. I see a lot of Mennonite women in our area who do, but their skirts are quite long. But still, I've picked enough insects (ones capable of biting) off my pant legs that the idea of them directly crawling up my thigh or getting under my skirt creeps me out. Long pants are just fine for me, too. As for a kilt making you look like a badass, IF you're a strapping young Scottish gentleman, I'd say that's definitely true. Otherwise no, it does not.
ReplyDeleteYes, I had exactly the same thought. If it's tartan and you're a man, it's a kilt, otherwise it's just a really dorky canvas skirt. And I've seen them in real life, the Utilikilt people had a booth at a local festival. They seemed popular, but I couldn't see the appeal. I can't think of any activity that would call for wearing a canvas skirt.
DeleteFire ants, mosquitos, gnats, ticks, chiggers, spiders, squash bugs (yes, they bite, and bite hard), sunburn...snakes...agree w/ anon 4:56 - even in the heat of summer, when I'm working outside, it's long pants. Usually long sleeves too.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, the kilt's all part of the costume that wraps up her whole badass life.
I don't look at her blog much anymore, am not on FB. Any word on Yeti the cat, or did she just give up on him??
Nothing on her blog or FB - I'm sure he's gone. Someday we should make a list of all the animals she's neglected to death. I realize farm animals have shorter lives than pets, but her animal husbandry skills are frighteningly lacking. And living creatures are paying the price.
DeleteThat's a shame. I've lost pets/livestock here and there - I'm sure we all do - but her rate is frightening. What one wants to wear is ultimately up to the wearer, but domesticated animals rely on their humans for care. Which she does not provide.
DeleteYes... um, Jenna? Kilts are worn by men, and skirts are worn by women. If you are unsure of this fact, I believe a quick google search will allay your un-certainties. You are wearing a canvas skirt; not a Kilt. Men do not wear bras, and women do not wear Kilts. I know this is all part of your life imitating fiction ideology, but it is rather tiresome to see all the mishmash of terms coming from you. Also, on the cart video, you said you were going to show us how to harness a horse, but we never saw you do it. ????
ReplyDeleteThere's a word for what she does. It's called "cosplay", which is a mash up of "costume" and "play". It's very popular at Anime and Comicbook conventions. Attendees dress as their favorite character and roleplay for the weekend. It seems she has taken this to a new level and is cosplaying her life. To each his own, but she shouldn't expect other people to fund it.
ReplyDeleteAs for practicality, I work outside a lot and long denim jeans with a bit of stretch is my clothing of choice. Even in the hottest weather. We've got mosquitoes, ticks, bees, hornets, thorns, you name it, and denim offers the most protection. I can't imagine doing outdoor chores in a skirt.
As for a canvas skirt looking badass? I've seen them in L L Bean catalogs and never thought of them as badass.
As a woman who has, since getting married, worn full length skirts exclusively for religious/cultural reasons, I feel like I can add to this skirt/pants conversation... Initially they were annoying has heck. I mean, like super inconvenient. But I loved my husband, and we had moved to another country to be with his family who were all amazing, and so out of respect to them I kept wearing the skirts, even though they felt like a costume to me. 25 years later, I can do all my chores on the farm in full length skirts without any injuries or invasions of insects into unwanted places (or, at least, without any more of these things than I encountered back when I wore pants). Sure, sometimes I miss pants. But wearing the skirts has helped me integrate into my new family and the local community (for whom modest dress for women is a sign of devotion to God) much better than I would have otherwise been able. So, if Jenna wants to wear a skirt, just let her. It's totally possible to do all sorts of farming related activities in such an outfit. (And I don't mean to encourage her fantasy life style here, but legitimately, Scottish men managed to leave active outdoor lives for generations in skirts, so you don't have to take my word for it to know it's possible) And it skirts aren't your thing, that's cool too- don't wear them. ((Final note: just because my community requires women to wear modest dress as a form of worship, that doesn't mean I feel like it's necessary for any of you to do so: be nudists for all I care, just as long as you continue to be basically good, compassionate people. I don't care how - or if- you worship. Sometime when I mention my dress code online people misinterpret my comments to mean that I think all women should follow such a dress code- and I totally don't. What feels right for me may not feel right for you, and that's okay.))
ReplyDeleteAwesome comments, Anon. 10:14. You know, this is the kind of exchange I used to love seeing on JWs blog, back when I read it. Now it's just Amen Charlies. But intelligent, well-thought out comments was at least half the reason I used to read that blog. Guess that's all moved over here now.
ReplyDeleteD.
She mentioned that when she rides, she wears "full seat breeches" under the kilt, cut off at the knee. I used to ride in full seat breeches when I jumped, the cheap ones started at $75 a pair, the really good ones, that would last for a few years were $100-200 a pair. There's no way I would have taken a pair of scissors to my breeches. But, I had to pay for them myself, and I had a practical reason to wear them, not a fantasy reason.
ReplyDeletePoison ivy, nettles - these are the reasons why I wear pants and long sleeve shirts when working outside. A case of poison ivy this summer painfully reminded me of that (a bare skin gap between the end of my long sleeves and my leather work gloves - ouch!). My experience is that a physical barrier to protect the skin (full length skirt, long pants, better fitting work gloves!) is needed - special soaps and lotions to wash the oils off can only do so much. You still itch like crazy no matter how much lotion you slather on (Benadryl spray worked the best for me, by the way.)
ReplyDeleteThank you, anon 10:14, for your thoughtful comments and point of view. We learn so much when we are open to differing opinions. And Anon 10:39, I totally agree with you that the exchange on JW's blog was so much more interesting when she allowed differing viewpoints. In fact, if she wants more comments on her blog, she really should stop filtering comments. I looked back to blog posts in years past, and she was getting hundreds of comments. Now it's just a handful of Amen Charlies. I don't even read them anymore as they are not interesting.
ReplyDeleteAs for riding, the less skin exposed the better. We get horseflies pretty badly here and you sure don't want to get bit by one. Also, while trail riding you can get scraped pretty badly by thorns, twigs, brush and bark. And when you take the inevitable tumble, you have more protection with denim or twill.
Loose, flapping clothing invites trouble. There is a reason riders wear clothing close to the body.
To each his own when it comes to clothes, I say. My issue is with Jenna taking what is known as man's clothing to be her very own label....
ReplyDeleteAw Myrtle, do you people HAVE to on Halloween?
ReplyDeleteCall a truce its the kids high holy day, go eat a snickers and let the Great Pumpkin make his visit in peace!
Always beware comments that contain the words, "you people" in the first sentence.
DeleteAlso comments that refer to JW as "kid."
DeleteOh, I thought she was literally talking about children, in the plural. One missing apostrophe changes everything lol.
DeleteI just thought it was someone being facetious.
DeleteAnd, always be weary of posts that don't make sense and contain a reference to October and Halloween as being holy because this is JW's favorite holy month.
DeleteCould be her attempt to quell the chatter.
Yeah, I didn't get it either. Who is Myrtle? And I didn't see any posts before it dated 10/31/14. Never considered that it could be JW, but it's a possibility.
DeleteI think that the real issues here is animal care. Is there no way to reach her about that problem, even through the local humane society?
DeleteThe law, especially in New York State, is pretty loosy-goosy about livestock. Neighboring Vermont's laws are a lot tighter, and the local animal control authorities made at least a couple of trips to her place when she lived there, due to her neighbors reporting her for neglect of her animals.
DeleteDo any of you live nearby, so that you could document any animal neglect?
DeleteAgain, it's a gross misuse of funds to have used that Kickstarter money for more accoutrements for her fantasy life than to have used it for a decent shelter for those horses. Merlin's a senior horse now. He deserves more shelter than a one-sided roof in the winter. Instead of buying fancy horse carts, put some decent sides on that "building." Be nice if she put a manger in there for him, too, so he would hang out in there more. Pretty simple to build. Just a box, really. I wonder if that ramshackle thing she has qualifies as appropriate shelter under NY laws?
DeleteSadly, it is not against the law to deny vet care or euthanasia for your sick animal. So while Maude died a slow, painful death, no law was broken. Unconscionable, but not illegal.
DeleteI don't know if there are any laws about appropriate shelter for livestock either. I think that is how she gets away with what she does.
I don't understand how she can spend money on saddles and carts and not put the needs of her animals first.
Anon 10:14 - You have piqued my curiosity. Do you mind sharing what religion you practice and what country you live in? Can you also share what brought you to CAF and this blog? I also appreciate your open and fair mindedness about other people's beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI recently watched the documentary "Farmland" where they showcased various farmers, including M. Schlass, in get this... Gibsonia PA, and her farm is called "One Woman Farm". Written in old farm style font on the back of her truck (she's a veggie farmer). Oh boy... now, I know Jenna has mentioned this woman's blog in the past, but I honestly believe she did try to emulate her.... but it all fell apart when the work part came in. Jenna, go work with this woman for ONE day, and then tell us if you are farming.. on any level.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. A real farm called "One Woman Farm" founded in 2008, and Jenna's book "One-Woman Farm" published in 2013. Coincidence?
ReplyDeleteThere was also a book published in 2003 called "Made From Scratch: Rediscovering the Pleasures of the American Hearth". Her first book was called "Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life". Jenna's book was published in 2008. It seems like there's a pattern here.Can she do nothing original? The author of the original book, Jean Zimmerman, seems very interesting and actually knowledgeable.
DeleteI should also add that the subject matter of both Made From Scratch books is almost identical!
DeleteWrite the publisher! Point that out, or we all should . It's not illegal to reuse a book title , by the way, but seal the deal so she can't get any more book deals [I doubt there are any coming her way at this point]. I would same the on her animal care- call the county sherriff or email them. If everyone or 1/2 of this group dd that....county sheriffs are very overworked and understaffed so it takes a lot of calling-I live in a rural area and know this. Cambridge, NY is her town, so get to that county's site.
DeleteThanks for the tip on the book, it looks interesting, I've requested it from the local library. Yes, reading the description listed on Amazon, it sounds virtually identical. Do you get the feeling that nearly everything that she writes or does is cobbled together from things she's lifted from other people? Just "inspired" by the latest book that she's read or movie she's seen?
DeleteI have no doubt that these books were modeled after the previous books. Just wish those that wasted their money on Jenna's "version" of these books, did a bit of research, before they wasted their money. Let's all go and look at the real deal books. Maybe it can restore a bit of our faith that there are original, honest, and knowledgeable people writing books with content in them. Oh, by the way it IS illegal to not provide medical care for your animal in NY state.
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know, but how can the lack of medical care be enforced?
DeleteIf there is a barn to be built for Merlin, my guess is there will be some type of crowdfunding appeal for supplies, then a barn-raising by the locals.It does not appear that she would go out and get a job to earn money to pay for it. It would have been nice if some of the Kickstarter money was used to pay for a decent shelter.
ReplyDeleteIt has to be documented. Bottom line. Animal Control has to be hounded until they go out there and inspect. I can pretty much guarantee that the pigs would not pass health inspection. Sheep? Since they drop like flies there, I doubt they would either. Cat's gone, so that is one less. The Bunnies are probably still in their filthy cages too. Suffice to say, that if animal control DID go out there... things would have to change.
ReplyDeleteFinally got around to watching some of her vlogs, or at least the start of a few. It was painful and I couldn't finish any of them. Maybe someone should pay her to not make anymore.
ReplyDeleteIt is illegal in the state of New York to deny vet care to an animal and it is documented, by her own hand. Take screenshots of her posts where she clearly states she was not willing to call a vet for Maude (because as soon as she sees this, she will take down the posts) and forward them to Animal Control.
ReplyDeleteJust when you think you have seen it all... Jenna posts a picture of her "garden" covered for the cold weather, complete with the skull of one of her neglected to death sheep. I could vomit.
ReplyDeleteIt seems she has no respect for her animals, living or dead.
DeleteI don't agree she should have called the vet for Maude. When you have livestock, you have to weigh your options. Spending money on a 10 year old non-productive ewe just isn't smart. If you have a few sheep and keep them as pets, that's one thing, but if you want to farm or be profitable, you cannot call the vet every time there is an illness.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if Maude was treated for anything but the secondary case of bloat she got, we don't know. She should have been treated for any illness, and then if she didn't respond to treatments, she should have been humanely euthanized. We know Jenna has at least a shotgun, but I'm sure her neighbors have a suitable firearm for euthanizing the ewe. That's the humane thing to do.
"If you want your farm to be profitable." Seriously? And she does only have a few sheep, that are essentially pets, just pets that don't receive very good care.
DeleteYes, seriously. You can't spend that kind of money on an animal that isn't worth that much money. Many farmers do their own vet care, but if they cannot do something and the animal is valuable, they call the vet. If they cannot do the care themselves, and the value of the animal is not more than what a vet call would be, they put the animal down. This is farming 101.
DeleteI am not a farmer, but I do own a handful of sheep and goats and other livestock. I have only had to call a vet out a couple of times (not including routine stuff like health papers for the fair), but they were for things that I could not treat myself. One time I broke even when I sold the animal, and once I lost money because I gave the ewe away to a pet home after being treated. I try to do everything I possibly can for an animal before I resort to calling the vet.
I always think, "What can I afford for this animal?" when something happens. I love my animals, but I need to be responsible with money. Spending a hundred bucks or more on a 10 year old ewe would not be an option for me. Spending money on one of my younger, productive ewes is an option.
And just because I don't rush to call a vet doesn't mean I neglect my animals. I am big on preventative care, and I am proactive in treating any sign of illness. If I ever had an instance of not being able to afford vet care for a particular animal, I'd put it down humanely. This did not seem to be the case for Maude.
katiegirl is absolutely right about how real farmers view livestock - they are not pets, and it is not worth the money you'd put in on a vet call/care for an unproductive animal. That said, no real farmer would, as she points out, let any animal die a slow, painful death (as with Maude). People who have "hobby farms" can afford to spend money on their livestock (essentially, pets) but farmers have to weigh the value of the animal against what they'd spend to get it healthy and productive again. Farmers tend to be a rather unsentimental lot, and won't keep pets around unless they have some use (a sheep dog, for example, or a cat to keep mice out of the grain). Understanding the distinct difference between livestock and a pet (even pet livestock) is important when having discussions about animal care (while pet owners throw their hands up in horror over lack of vaccinations a farmer shakes his or her head at the idea of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a lapdog). Jenna seems to feel the animals in her care are livestock, but her husbandry skills are lacking at even at that basic level.
DeleteSorry to be unclear Katiegirl, that wasn't what I meant. Yes, I've lived all my life on a farm, I have some understanding of the idea of farming for a profit. What I meant was that in no way is Cold Antler run as a farm for profit. Farms that are run for profit don't turn into a petting zoo with a random collection of animals that don't earn their keep, beyond providing amusement for the owner.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree that the vet isn't typically called for elderly livestock, but neither does a responsible farmer leave them to die slowly and painfully. It's one of the contingencies a livestock farmer has to be prepared for.
Jenna did not have to call the vet, she could have shot the animal and put it out of it's misery, which is what an responsible owner of livestock would do. Give a day or two of some treatment, and then end the suffering if no improvement. Jenna has no business keeping livestock if when things go bad, she can't responsibly handle things. I had to shoot a ewe this year, and I sure as HELL did not let her suffer for days when I identified the problem.
ReplyDeleteKatiegirl - I agree that calling a vet for a 10 year old ill sheep was probably not a good option, and I also agree that euthanasia would have been a very good option. But JW did not choose to do that. Instead, she let Maude die a slow, painful death. I do not understand what she gained from letting her linger. I have had to put animals down and I would 1,000 times rather do that than let them suffer.
ReplyDeleteWe do know what JW gained from letting Maude die the way she did.
ReplyDeleteShe got to write about how alone she is, how scared she is, how everything is on her. By doing so she got a lot of sympathy and "hang in there girl" comments on her blog, not to mention the activity on her FB page.
She got exactly what she was after...more attention.
~j~
You are exactly right.
Delete