From Cold Antler Farms recent post...
http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2015/03/something-wicked-west-wind-comes.html?m=1
" Go to it and expect healthy animals, scrappy conditions, and a family starting a business of good food in a culture where reputation and community ends all."
Not all beginner farms or farmers are scrappy. Many have business plans, many take pride in themselves and their property and you realize immediately when you drive up, many have loans for proper fencing and shelter for their animals...and if not, they don't have excess animals.
"Real farms have more going on than just a half dozen show hogs in the barn or a handful of hens in a heated, painted, coop. Real farms care about things like body condition, hydration, infections, and consistent care."
Didn't she once post a "real farmer" is what's in your heart or something similar?
Yes Jenna, on real farms there is consistent care...not gates frozen shut, infections should be prevented and/or treated...how's that ewe by the way? Consistent care...I won't even begin.
"We are the ones outside driving tractors to make ice breaks in streams and carrying buckets to animals when pipes freeze. WE are the ones making sure that there isn't a sign of discomfort or pain in the animals we care for."
Really? Considering the source this is why you shouldn't believe everything you read.
"Because Josh, like many of us raising animals up here, are students of farms such as Polyface, which welcomes guests to visit and see the farm for themselves."
Students of Polyface? I can't think of one similarity between Polyfaces teachings and Cold Antler Farm.
Posts like this are why it is imperative to dig deeper. Claims, good marketing, a nice website, and pretty pictures does not a farmer make.
I just watched the report again on this "real" farmer. (http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/features/top-story/stories/glenville-man-accused-neglecting-animals-23957.shtml) Watch the report AND read the story - there's more info there.
ReplyDeleteBack in 2012, he wanted to "adopt a horse for breeding" from Peaceful Acres (where his most recently confiscated horses are now staying). They apparently wanted to inspect the place before the adoption, he invited them onto the property and they found "Joy", a horse that was in deplorable, skin-and-bones condition (they showed a picture of her in the report).
What "real" farmer lets even one animal starve like that? The fact that he invited the Peaceful Acres people onto the property while a starving horse was living there, makes me wonder just how rational he is. Thank God they were able to rescue her - and I bet he was turned down for the adoption.
Real farmers don't have multiple run-ins with the law over animal neglect.
I saw that as well anon, and it was as bad as it gets. We all need to remember, we are only given information that we are given, nothing is un-biased. The horses that were turned over looked in decent condition to me, but again, we only know what we have been told.
ReplyDeleteI haven't researched this man's story - if he's abusing animals I'm glad he was turned in. If it's blown out of proportion, then that is a shame for his livelihood. What irks me is Jenna Woginrich using his issue to further her image and agenda. She isn't comparable to him. She thinks she's a real farmer??? All her CSAs have been scams. She has a few animals that she neglects as well and thinks posting this in solidarity with a real farmer makes her look legit. Its amazing how she's changed over the years. I also saw on FB she shilling those logos - at first I was glad she was actually doing something for cash rather than just begging, but then that too was exposed for a scam. Paying someone up front for services ????? No professional does that! Sorry to rant but I'm so thankful Meredith allows us this space.
ReplyDeleteOn Facebook JW saying 'we haven't yet found out who turned him in - does anyone know?' --- probably scared the whistleblower will look at her next!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt may be that no one "turned him in" this time. After "Joy" was found starving at his place back in 2012, he may now be on an official animal abuse "watch list" of sorts. I have no idea how the legalities of that case (warning? fine? jail time?) were handled, but I imagine as part of it a judge could order periodic inspections of the place for x-number of years.
DeleteMost of his animals may be in acceptable condition but given the "Joy" incident, I'd say where there's smoke there's fire. They'd be right to keep an eye on him.
I think it's funny Jenna copies Katz's posts about all other issues except when his posts are clearly about her!
ReplyDeleteJust saw the video with the starving horse (which I realize was a couple years ago), and the pony with severely overgrown feet and rainrot. My sympathy for the guy is pretty much zero.
ReplyDeleteHere's Joy's page on the Peaceful Acres website: http://www.peacefulacreshorses.com/joy/
DeleteI cannot form an opinion as I do not know all the facts, but I agree with the poster who said, "where there's smoke, there's fire". I don't know why the authorities would go through all the trouble of removing animals from the farm just because one person called in a report. I imagine it is time consuming and expensive to do so.
ReplyDeleteThe "watch list" explanation is plausible.
Hopefully the matter will be investigated thoroughly and a just conclusion will be reached.
Real farming in this country is set up to fail. In the past years since Salatin, et al shone the spotlight on the negatives of factory farming, and highlighting the good of raising your own meat for yourself and/or profit, a lot of people have gotten into it simply to make a buck. They don't really deeply care about their animals, and if they do, they will still make decisions that sway toward money savings over their care. More and more you see it and more and more people get over their heads, and the animal suffer. I raise a small number of lambs every year. The debt I have incurred just to get to where I am with my sheep enterprise (probably not the best word, maybe money sucking hobby?) is sizable. I buy better hay for my sheep than most, I clean their barn as often as I would a horse (as in every day). I do not skimp on good feed, and I have spent thousands on fencing, as I believe grazing animals should be grazing and moving, to be content. On years I sell enough to pay for the hay costs, I am super duper happy. Those who do sheep/pigs to make profit on a small basis are simply delusional (unless you do club lambs or sell rare fleece), our country has been slanted to benefit the large producers (factory farms/feedlots). This guy, who knows... for sure.... but I will say this: horses are a luxury, the first thing that a farmer who wants to make it off his livestock needs to do is have no hay burners (horses). He also needs to have no more animals than his land can provide for. You do NOT need to be big to be legit, it's your practices that make you legit, not the size of your operation. Regards to Pigs, raise your pigs so that you farrow early enough in the year that the pigs can grow out before winter, so you are not faced with keeping multitudes of pigs warm in horridly cold winters. Frozen water? Get heaters for your tanks, and again, reduce your numbers over winter. Plan ahead. That is what farming is all about, planning for the next season. Heck, I am already planning for winter again now. Real farming is nothing but a lot of work and some internal pleasure, and the work part? It is NEVER ending, but if you love farming, you don't mind it. Bottom line is, don't keep animals as money makers, instead, make money on the work that you love.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, my husband and I attended a four week course called "farm college" that went over every possible money making, small farming venture. We didn't have a farm, but we had the dream. After completing the course, we decided no way. We could have probably fed ourselves, but there was no way we could make a living.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anon 1:34 who said, "Those who do sheep/pigs to make profit on a small basis are simply delusional".
I have a question for those who sell meat animals. How much profit, if any, do you make? What are your expenses, say, for one lamb or one pig?
ReplyDeleteI sell a few steers privately that aren't ready to go with the rest of the pen at market time. They weigh 1350# and I ask $2/50/hanging weight. It's a great deal for the buyer. She gets a quarter or half or whole steer, cut and packaged to her specs, no antibiotics given, raised here on the farm, and pays the same price for excellent ground round as ribeye steaks. I net about $2000/animal for this, about what I make by selling the bigger pen to a pack. My costs?...vary greatly with the price of corn, price of cattle, etc. We raise our own hay and grain so the cost is not so dependent on the market as the person buying all their feed. Sometimes we lose money even when the cattle are bringing a high price - depends what the initial animal cost, the fluctuation of the market, any death loss and how good a gainer the animal is.
DeleteNeedless to say, I don't have to visit the casino to gamble!!
Did JW make a video about this, then delete it? On Facebook there were two videos released back to back, but the goat one is the only new one I see. Did she think better of posting it? Did anyone see it before she took it off or am I rememberibg something that didn't exist?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to quantify, but to put it really really basicly, sheep need about 4-5% of their body weight in hay per day. Most bales are 40-50 lbs (some larger). I pay $6.50 a bale. I also feed grain in winter, as my ewes are pregnant, and I like to ensure they have enough to sustain the pregnancies, and I also like my last year's lambs (hoggets) to be given every opportunity to be all they can be in terms of health/growth. A bag of feed (I feed sweet feed) is $16,00 a bag. I feed about 1 lb of grain per day per sheep (less for the hoggets, and more for the preg mothers. I have 21 adults, and went through two bales of hay a day, and about three bags of feed a week. Now I also have 11 lambs. They are starting to eat grain and they are all eating hay- although what they eat is negligible at this point. Minerals, which they get ad lib are $30 something for a 50 lbs bag, and they don't eat that much, but we go through a bag ever few months. Straw for bedding is $7.00 a bale, and I go through a bale a day. Now, all of the above is for a period of 6 months, November through April. Our growing season does not really get going until May. Once we have good grass, grain and hay stops, and they are rotationally grazed using a mix of electro-netting and permanently fenced fields. Vaccinations are given, another cost Shearing is $60 set up feed, and $6.00 a head. This is just a sampling of the costs, of course there are also medical costs (medicines, wormers, vet calls). I sell my lambs for $200.00. Many believe that to be expensive, heck, I don't break even most years, in other words, this sheep stuff is a money sink for me. I take great pride in my sheep and how I care for them. My dad visited (he's an old farmer) and told my mother that he had never seen a barn so clean. The vet came and was amazed I had stripped the floor down each day. I have good healthy, happy sheep, and every year I try to increase their grazing opportunities, and organize it for the best use of it.
ReplyDeleteWow--I'm not considering raising livestock but I appreciate the info-very enlightening.
DeleteI'm starting to realize that if you want to hear comments from experts, experienced hobby farmers and small-scale farmers, come here. If you want to hear a lot of non-farming folks say stuff like, "YOU GO GIRL!" or "I THINK YOU ARE JUST SO AMAZING!" head on over to the CAF comments section lol.
ReplyDeleteD.
I Just watched that vlog on goats. Good God... she is some idiot. I grew up with French Alpines. My brother used to have to go sit in the pasture with the goats so they would not escape. And trust me, they did and they NEVER ONCE went to the house, they went far and wide, wherever the browse was good. Did you hear how they only get hay sometimes? Yeah.. grain, yes, we know Jenna... the hay thing is hard for you. You can't count it, you can't store it, and you keep losing suppliers. The collar on Bonita is too tight (same collar that goat had on when you bought her). You did not show the feet, why? Why don't you take a curry comb to those goats? Good Lord you have enough time. Wait, Merlin should probably get that rain rot dealt with first. BUT.. gotta wait for the gate to free up from the ice. How come we never see your sheep Jenna? How come we never see YOUR frostbitten pigs Jenna? Embarrassed? I sure would be.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually watch them, but what always weirds me out is how her face fills the whole frame. I think she makes these more to watch herself on video. I don't know about other people, but I want to watch videos where people are showing their property and the animals, etc., not just their own mug! It's just....weird. It makes me want to squint at the screen so I don't feel like someone is up in my face. I can usually only take the first few minutes of one, if I watch it at all. It's amazing anyone finds them interesting.
DeleteIf I was her, I'd be worried about the authorities on the prowl near her place after dealing with the other fellow, if he's close. She has totally inadequate shelter for her pigs, horse and sheep. Especially after last winter and it's severity. Thank goodness this winter was not as bad, but it easily could have been.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, her vlogs creep me out. I would much rather see more of the farm even if she insists on just chatting. Most clovers I enjoy have a little backdrop studio thing going in, not just her mug. It makes me not want to watch.
Actually, this winter was worse than last year, at least in NY. Much colder. In many, many places February was either the coldest on record, or the coldest month EVER on record with single digit average temperatures. The cold was unrelenting - nothing even close to a January or February thaw.
DeleteWow, well, I'm in Ohio... it was bad, just not the 85+ inches of snow and pounding cold we got in 2014... And for the record, I think her shelters are terrible for any animal, especially in record cold! Crap, it would have been better if she even tried, like got a $20 tarp and tried to side in that horse patio she calls a shed. We use plastic to very successfully make wind breaks in the bad weather. I feel so bad for Merlin... from a pampered expensive show pony in a lovely barn to a neglected animal hoarder reject left for months in his rocky little pasture without any hands on care. That just burns my biscuits. And he's basically a senior animal as well. Shame on her.
DeleteI found the official stats on the Albany NWS page: For Glens Falls (about 30 miles from Cambridge) it was the coldest February since records began (1949) at 7.3 degrees average..
DeleteFor Albany (about 33 miles) it was the 2nd coldest Feb. since 1820 with an average temp of 12.7 degrees.
Those temps are 13 to 14 degrees *below* average for Feb. so absolutely, poor Merlin (and everything else with four legs and inadequate shelter at those farms) had no choice but to endure.
Yeah, I just got done scraping hair and mud off my horse. It really bothers me to see the way Merlin looks when she rides or drives him. You need to at least trim the bridle path and chin, so you can put on a bridle or halter and have it fit right. I don't trim ears or whiskers, but it makes life a lot easier when you can put a bridle or halter on without all the extra a tangles.
DeleteI agree - I can't watch those vlogs because I can't stand the fact that her face fills up the whole screen. I would like to see more of the "farm" and her animals. She's too much in my face.
ReplyDeleteI do think it's all part of her narcisism. She sees herself as she tapes, and THAT to her, is well, all the happy juice she needs for that day. What is most telling is how she never shows her place... just her face.. just like her "farming", she writes about it, but does not do it.
ReplyDeleteShe's a talking head. Just cannot watch those vlogs.
ReplyDeleteso can someone post a link to this stuff being discussed here on JWs site? And now the hawk is going bye-bye...weird.
ReplyDeleteI believe she was required by law to release the bird after two years.
ReplyDeleteShe hasn't had him 16 months yet. Captured at the beginning of Dec. 1013. Maybe he has become too much 'work'?
ReplyDelete~k~
Oops, 2013
Delete~k~
Or she hasn't properly trained him to retrieve prey. She never mentioned that he ever brought anything back so she's going to try and start over cause she failed with this one.
DeleteThis is the link to the NY state falconry association: http://www.nysfa.org/falconryregulations.html
ReplyDeleteI glanced through and could not find any requirement on releasing a bird back to the wild after a certain number of years. Maybe someone else can read through - my eyes are a little tired tonight.
I think it's the custom of responsible falconers. Her mentor probably told her it was time. It is the right time of year for him to find a mate and raise young.
DeleteIt's probably dead and she's just covering up for it.
ReplyDeleteDeader than a door nail. No DOUBT about it.
ReplyDeleteThat is an old picture of him. She's wearing glasses. Anyone but me notice that she stopped wearing glasses over a year ago? Is it a) she broke them and can't afford another pair, or b) she had lasix. If it's b, how did she pay for it?
ReplyDeleteRedhorse - Yes, I noticed right away in that picture that she was wearing glasses. It is an old picture.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if she is wearing contacts or got lasix. As a former contact lens wearer, I can tell you that they are much more expensive than glasses. If you wear the bi-weeklies, then you must soak them in contact solution nightly. Solution is expensive. You can avoid solution if you wear dailies, but dailies are more expensive. Either way, glasses are the more frugal choice.
Why do you guys speculate about such miniscule things about her life such as if she wears glasses or contacts or had lasik? Seriously, that is NONE of your business. And who cares anyway? This type of talk is what makes you all look like crazy obsessives. Who even notices if she wears glasses or not. No one visiting this site is going to take anything written here seriously if they read weird speculation like that. Who gives a shit if she wears glasses or contacts! When I was poor, I bought one pack of weeklys for $45, then wore those for months/years on end. That's MUCH cheaper than glasses. Is it healthy, no. But I was poor and I did what I had to to get by. And before you attack me for being a Jenna supporter, I can't stand Jenna. I posted over at the coldantlersham website because she cheated me out of a refund for the Wool CSA. So I can't stand her anymore than any of you can. But please keep this site to complaints about how she keeps her animals/business practices. Speculation about glasses vs contacts wearing makes you look insane. I'm embarrassed for you that you waste your time even thinking about those things. That would be like me wondering if my postman wears boxers or briefs. Who cares!
ReplyDeleteSorry, Anon 9:49, but you don't get to dictate what this site is about. Coldantlersham is specifically for people to post about her shady business practices--for years, the discussion here has been all-encompassing, about all the facets of her fake homesteader persona. Since she has written multiple blog posts and made vlogs about being "prepared" for the worst, things like glasses, contacts, and lasik surgery are actually pretty relevant, because they go to whether or not she is walking her lofty talk about frugality, DIY, scrappiness, etc. (Spoiler alert: she usually isn't!) We've been over this here before: JW is a public figure, has put herself out there as a public figure, and as a public figure it's entirely legitimate for us to question her actions when they don't line up with the image she's trying to sell to the general public. Your postman is not a public figure, so your analogy doesn't work.
DeleteBecause she regularly begs for money to pay her mortgage. Some of us believe that is a scam, so, how she lives her life and the choices she makes are relevant to an ongoing discussion. Who cares what Jenna fans think anyway? They are enabling the sham.
DeleteAnon 9:49 - Your point is well taken. However, I think the discussion relates back to her business practices. She claims she's always broke. People feel sorry for her and either donate or prepay for one of her products which she often doesn't deliver on. Then she spends that money on whatever she wants. And then comes back for more. I think it's how she spends other people's money,especially when she doesn't deliver, that upsets people.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Italics, JW says, "He's one of the lucky ones, to make it this far."
ReplyDeleteHow should we interpret that? The red-tailed hawk's IUCN conservation status is "Least concern"; in other words, they're not endangered, threatened or on any watch lists. They're also an apex predator; as adults they eat, but they don't get eaten.
So...what does she mean? Lucky to have survived his incarceration?
Maybe she meant that he is one of the lucky ones AT HER PLACE, to make it a year-plus in captivity and still be alive lol. And I would agree with her, although I am not at all sure he lived. Much easier to just say she let him go instead of admitting he'd perished. And of course it still remains to be seen (IF he is still alive) how he fares after a couple of winters often being inside near the wood stove and her pet rooster, and having all his meals hand-fed to him. Your basic wildlife conservationist's or avian rehabber's nightmare scenario...a raptor kept by an off-balance animal hoarder.
DeleteD.
P.S. I just took a peek at the blog and it says he will be released tomorrow, so maybe some video or pics then? Either way, I fear for his competence in finding his own food after only occasionally being set free to hunt. And unless I am mistaken I don't even remember him ever bringing in a kill. If he's alive and set free, he may well just hang around the place looking for handouts. Stockholm Syndrome and all that.
DeleteD.
I think it means he is lucky to be alive after being in her care... But seriously, he's dead. There is *simply* no way she would not photograph or videotape him being released. Maybe she will come up with this evidence, but I highly doubt it.
ReplyDeleteI've been pretty sure Italics has been dead since last September. He was "enclosed" due to molt and that was it.
ReplyDeleteWe will know for sure if there isn't a happy release video posted. She would never, ever, miss that tear-jerking opportunity. A video of Italics wheeling over our terrible snow pack this winter. Not gonna happen, Italics is dead.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone see the connection between the bird's non-appearance on her blog and her sudden interest in taxidermy? She bought all the tools/supplies about the same time the bird went MIA. Hmmmm. She's just the sort to think it would be cool to have a stuffed hawk sitting on the mantelpiece.
ReplyDeleteIt is very curious that she did not write a blog post about the "letting go" experience. She also did not answer any of the reader questions on the 3/20 blog post. Very strange indeed.
ReplyDeleteShe must not be talking about the people on this blog in her latest post. I have no wish to tell her how to live her life, she can live under a bridge if she wants, but if she has her dog, horse, sheep or chickens living there, I hope someone takes them and gives them a better home. Likewise, I feel no hate for her and don't want to see her fail, but I do think she has a long standing habit of cheating people out of their money. She does a very good job of eliciting sympathy, but when her victims complain and want their money back, she is very cold and calloused about their situation. I also don't believe she bought and paid for her acreage or her horse. She begged her readers for that money, and now she's insulting them.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI could not finish that post. She has what she has from off the backs of other people. Other people gave her money for the down payment on the house. Other people gave her money for the horse. She takes money from other people and does not deliver product.
ReplyDeleteThe very people she is preaching to are the ones supporting her and delaying their own dreams.
Then those people deserve to have their dreams delayed, if they are stupid enough to donate money to someone on the internet who writes about her farm dreams. I would NEVER give money to a perfectly capable human being that is neither needy, ill, or otherwise disabled. I only give my money to WORTHY causes, to truly needy people and animals. I don't have very much money to give, so most often I end up donating my time by volunteering. Those idiots deserve everything that comes to them. You donate money to a stranger on the internet? You're asking to be scammed. Might as well just send it to a Prince from Nigeria and be done with it!
Delete-H.
Yes, trashes the very people she scammed. Nice Jenna. You do NOT own a farm, you own a house on 6.5 wooded acres, wholly funded by your scamming and begging. Farmers do NOT "have" a farm, they WORK a farm. When will you wake up to that??? Stop trying to side with Joshua, you can't freaking walk that walk kiddo, you never could. Work? By yourself? Hard? N.E.V.E.R.
ReplyDeleteTo be truly accurate, the bank owns the farm. She pays the mortgage - late every month. And often with money begged or scammed from other people. So how can she be proud of that?
ReplyDeleteI barely skimmed it out of morbid curiosity. Self-indulgent, narcissistic puffery was what I gathered.
ReplyDeleteTo anyone who read the latest post, did she give any credit to the many people who funded her?
ReplyDeleteNope. She did it all herself..
DeleteThat post so turned me off. I can't believe she is so nasty to her bread and butter fans. They are constantly keeping her outta that bridge dwelling! Kinda made me laugh... what lives under a bridge? TROLLS... ha ha....
ReplyDeleteShe is ugly as a troll, inside and OUT!
DeleteWhy the defiant tone to that post?
ReplyDeleteAnd why no post detailing the release of Italics? The emotion of letting go. The tears from the separation of her hunting partner. The guts. The glory. Why no post about the release?
But wait. So if you pursue an agricultural themed life, but run yourself into the ground and end up homeless living under a bridge just for the joy of living a pseudo farmstyle life, that's supposed to be worth it? Because is much rather spend a few years spending and planning and enjoying my hard work doing so instead of losing my farm to become homeless. That last post makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense if you're avoiding "buyer's remorse" at all costs. In other words, rather than admitting she's trapped herself in an unsustainable lifestyle that's slowly but surely coming apart at the seams, she's stickin' to her guns. Besides, the badass tenacity schtick sells better to her clueless groupies.
Delete*saving and planning is what I meant. When did it become such a horrible idea to save and plan a little before starting to build a dream. I realize this is just one person's ill-informed view on "farming", but it kills me that other people might be influenced to do the same. To live your dream only to lose it and become homeless as JW seems to almost hold holy...is the complete opposite of the idea of sustainability. She needs to realize she's not dying tomorrow and she needs to plan for the future so she can continue to grow and learn instead of crash and burn.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. The dreams of people who plan and save for them are just as valid as those who jump in with no thought for the future. She's very immature in that way, anyone who doesn't think exactly as she does is subject to derision and name calling.
DeleteDoes anyone else notice the strange dichotomy of her talk of "prepping" for end of the world scenarios and her complete lack of preparation for bills that appear every month, winter weather in upstate NY, vehicle maintenance, etc?
DeleteAnon 12:11, I have noticed. It's so weird if this behavior is applied to a stable person. But, she's apparently not all that stable, or her priorities are just way out of whack. I dunno. I don't read her blog anymore except when the comments here make me curious enough to go slogging through that mess. But it's definitely out of balance, her prepping talk without actual prepping happening.
DeleteThe whole thing sort of reminds me of someone jumping off a building and on the way down, calling to others that it's perfectly safe and all is well. What she doesn't realize is that she just hasn't hit the ground yet. But I hope at least some of those following her realize this. That house's roof is going to fail eventually, or a new vehicle will be necessary and unlike her, her readers cannot realistically raise 15K at a pop through Kickstarter pleas and donations. And who knows, she may not always be able to do it either.
ReplyDeleteD.
Day 5 of Italics Day of Liberation watch. What do you suppose might be the problem? Setting a bird free doesn't require tons of effort. Maybe waiting till the snow melts until it is less obvious that the Day of Liberation picture is fake?
ReplyDeleteMaybe she's driving around trying to get pictures of a red-tailed hawk sitting up in a tree. In a rural area like that, they're all over the place. She'll get a picture or some video and then tell the world that it's Italics. Wouldn't put it past her - and it'd be impossible to prove either way.
DeleteEven if he's alive she might claim it's a private moment as she wouldn't want his condition under scrutiny.
ReplyDeleteI think it's weird she said she won't ride Merlin until she loses 6 more lbs. Does this mean she was too heavy for him all this time? Or does he not get ridden as a mechanism for her to pursue her weight loss goals.
She has always been way too heavy for that horse. In my opinion, she's too afraid of horses to get something more suitable, like a quarter horse. An old, trained pony is all she can handle. You can tell she's scared and unsure when you see her body language around that horse. Some things you can't hide, no matter how hard you try or how you write about it on your blog.
DeleteI was not demeaning her weight or her desire to lose weight, btw. I read in another post someone thought maybe Merlin wasn't the right size for her. And she brought this up in her vlog.
ReplyDeleteActually, he's a fine size for her. More height doesn't necessarily mean more weight carrying ability. And a draft pony with a strong loin and sturdy legs is the best choice for a short (but not thin) woman.
DeleteI don't think you realize how fat she is. She's obese.
DeleteI don't think her weight is any of our concern. Merlin is perfectly suited to carry Jenna as a rider. Aside from my many opinions on the fencing, gates freezing, single pony etc I think physically they are a good pair.
DeleteI don't think her weight is any of our concern. Merlin is perfectly suited to carry Jenna as a rider. Aside from my many opinions on the fencing, gates freezing, single pony etc I think physically they are a good pair.
DeleteHow is her weight not your concern? Doesn't her weight go back to how she spends money people donated to her on food to feed her face, which then speaks to her business practices? You all were so concerned about if she wears contacts or glasses or had lasik, and were insanely trying to justify that you were entitled (and that it was perfectly normal) to discuss that part of a stranger's life. So why not discuss her fatness? People donated money to buy all the ham sandwiches that made her fat.
DeleteNow, all you people who were debating about glasses vs contacts, do you see how INSANE you looked??
Fuck off, Anon 3:00 pm.
DeleteI'll tell you what's different: a person's weight isn't always within their control, while their choice of eyewear is. Some people have genetic disorders, low thyroid, undiagnosed food allergies, hormonal disorders like PCOS, etc. etc. that contribute to overweight. Quit buying into the cultural lie that what you weigh is only determined by what you eat; you're dead wrong. A lot of the hormonal and endocrine disorders that cause weight gain are due to daily exposure from birth to the soup of environmental toxins like car exhaust, BPA, pesticides, etc. that our society is steeped in and which none of us can avoid entirely.
So that's why JW's weight is off limits, as it ought to be: it doesn't mean shit compared to the animal abuse and fraudulent business practices. She controls every action she takes when it comes to her livestock and her products (or lack thereof), and she is in control of her every decision to accept payment for a product she will never deliver. She may not be able to control her weight due to any of a number of circumstances we're not privy to.
If you don't like it, GTFO.
Dear GTFO,
DeleteI agree.
Thank you.
Meredith
Question for the anon 3:00 Jenna fan - How do you justify the way she has everyone pre-pay for things that she never delivers? Pls help me understand how you can defend someone in any manner who cheats people out of their money.
DeleteAnon 3:00 - I believe you are the one who joined the wool CSA and never received product. I am an advocate for anyone who lost money to her.
DeleteThe discussion of glasses vs contacts is indeed relevant to her business practices. She takes money and does not deliver, then spends it and says she cannot offer refunds because it's gone.
For all anyone knows, it could have been your money that went to fund the contacts, which are more expensive than glasses.
If this point of view is still not agreeable to you, then I think we can agree to disagree.
Anyway, I do hope you get your refund. We're pulling for you and anyone else who has lost money to her.
I think Jenna has too many irons in the fire... with a lack of focus. She appears to really be more of a homesteader than a farmer. Perhaps she is confused on the difference. And she needs to focus on caring for the animals she has as well as striving for a steady stream of income to meet her bills. A while back she said she was not going to pursue martial arts due to lack of income...but now in the face of late mortgages she is pursuing black belt stuff. She would benefit from learning how to manage her money vs. begging on her website. Many good websites out there on managing money, but then again she would need to humble herself and admit that her life is out of control and a change was necessary.
ReplyDeleteThat's like asking an alcoholic to admit they have a drinking problem. Ain't gonna happen. She's right (all the time) and we are ALL Wrong.
DeleteI just can't get over the fact that she's still begging and she just got 15 grand at the end of last year. 15 THOUSAND dollars. Let that sink in. 15 thousand dollars for FREE. Pretty much. She just has to write some fan fiction story. Where the heck is that cash? You can't tell me that she has it all safe for the publishing later on of the book. She's spent it all. And how is she going to print the actual copies she's supposed to give to people who contributed? What kind of mess is that going to be? I just can't forget that. 15 thousand dollars. Think about it. That is a lot of money for free.
ReplyDeleteHow could she blow through 15 thousand dollars in just a few months? And then come back for more? Why aren't her donors calling her on it? Or maybe they are and she is deleting their comments.
DeleteAs for her most recent, raving post, she says that anyone coming for her farm had better be wearing armor. Jenna darling, if anyone comes for your farm, it's because you haven't paid your mortgage. It's that simple. If you want your farm that badly, do yourself a favor and get a job like everyone else.
I make a little over $15k a year, and I have a kid. I also have an acre, a mortgage, property taxes, etc. etc. The 15,000 dollar thing has always astounded me how fast that seemingly disappeared.
DeleteWe make about 16K a year, have 3 acres that we saved for and paid cash for so we would have no mortgage. We raise sheep, hogs, goats, chickens, ponies, rabbits... and we have never begged for anything. We saved, we learned, we gave up on lots of things to make it happen. She is just trying to justify her way of doing things. Whatever. When the bank finally gets tired and slaps a foreclosure on her, she will learn. It happened to use before and we learned fast. Living by the seat of your pants is not a good thing. It's a scary, wolf at the door thing. She is not that bad off, because I gotta say, sitting and waiting for the sheriff to come and evict you and your kids and not having a dime, that's freaking scary. That makes you realize that plotters and planners are pretty darn smart. Might take them longer to get what they want, but they keep it once they do.
Delete-MH
Anon 9:48 - Very well said. Thank you!
DeleteWhy does it have to be either/or? Either jump into the farm of your dreams and end up living under a bridge, or plan and save and never get your dream farm. There are plenty of people who plan and save and do get their farm. And often, they (gasp) get jobs to cover the bills!
ReplyDeleteI think it is very irresponsible and dangerous for someone to encourage others to jump into something without preparation. Is she going to come to their rescue when the bills come due? Not a chance.
It doesn't have to be either, or. It has to be Jenna's way or the highway.
DeleteThere are many a REAL farmer who has a town job for a variety of reasons. Most of my sheep friends work or own their own company AND raise sheep. WHY? 'cause ya can't make a living raising sheep.
Even her raved over West Wind Farm guy has a wife with a town job to pay the bills that the farm doesn't cover.
My husband's family has farmed and worked in town for 4 generations. You do what you gotta do.
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DeleteWtf does this mean? " Banks just hold paper people pretend matters."
ReplyDeleteI have news for her, it really does matter. The bank owns the farm not her. And unless she gets steady employment or can keep coming up with ways to get other people to bail her out, they can and they will take it away.
Just another example of her ignorance. Just like when she said she didn't realize that making a partial payment did not keep her current on the mortgage, that the bank wanted all the back owed money too. Greedy bastards (total sarcasm intended)
DeletePaper DOES matter because you're right...the bank owns your place until you pay them in full. She borrowed money from the bank to buy the farm AND THEY WANT IT BACK!!
LOL. Yeah, unlike nearly everyone else that gave her money, the bank wants theirs back! Can you imagine? The nerve!
DeleteMaybe in her world a loan is thought of as a donation.
DeleteThere's a country song she should listen to, it has a line in it about driving a truck that bank let's me rent from month to month.
Loans are the same way...you're renting until it's paid off in full.
How did she get to be 32, buy a home and not know that? Seriously lacking in her financial education.
That's why I scrimped and saved for years, working a f/t job while running a side business. My house is now completely paid for. It's not a mansion by any means, but it's ALL MINE! I am now to the point where I am ready to quit the day job and run my business full-time. It may seem crazy to some, but I am taking a very calculated, planned risk. I have a year's worth of my current salary saved and my part-time business revenues are currently enough to cover my basic monthly bills. Why not give it a shot? Worst case scenario, I'll pick up some temporary office work or substitute teach a few days a month for extra cash. What you won't see is begging on my blog for people to bail my ass out due to poor planning on my part. Give me a break!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, that's great. Now you can concentrate on the business instead of freaked out about the bills.
DeleteI'm looking forward to my house being paid off. I'll be doing a great happy dance, in about 5 years.
^ this. This is what I want to aim for. Not a bright streak against the sky and then utter failure and homelessness for the rest of my life. Jenna used to have so e good ideas about how to pull homesteading into a "normal" lifestyle, and that, I thought, was a great market and concept.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how you run into things about CAF without even looking for it. The following writer doesn't mention CAF by name, but it sure sounds like it!
ReplyDeletehttp://homestead.org/RebeccaLong/Small-scaleHomesteading/HowMuch.htm
Wow! That is such a good article and one I needed to read right now. Thanks for posting it.
DeleteAdding my thanks for the article! I found that that website has a ton of great articles on all aspects of homesteading. This article is about homesteading when you are an older, single woman - terrific and inspiring!
Deletehttp://homestead.org/BettyTaylor/LaterLife/HomesteadingLater.htm
Thanks for posting the link for the homesteading later blog, very inspiring (and sensible).
DeleteIt's a good article, and I'm sure she was talking about Jenna. She has a beautiful yard and garden.
DeleteYes Jenna, my gates freed up from the ice too. Now you can get Merlin out… imagine that, a farmer with livestock who cannot get to that livestock until the ice disappears.. wow…. And, that hair on Merlin? You could not have curried him some? God. You are lazy.
ReplyDeleteWas today the death of CAF? Unable to access her site, advised that it no longer exists. Anyone else notice this?
ReplyDeleteVerizon did a 10 minute blackout for Italics, that said its bizness as usual now that the poodles have been put in their place and the klan comes in with awe and praise and not a few clams I would imagine. We can only watch this soap opera one week at a time, As the Sheep Turns, oh the drama
ReplyDeleteLol!
DeleteAnon 8:06 - I love your sense of humor.
Just tried it, it's up and running as usual.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Italics, still no post on the release. I can't believe she would pass up this opportunity. Very strange indeed.
Ha! I thought this was more Jenna Drama. Italics is probably stuffed...wait til the next photos of the farm interior. Lol.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of taxidermy, she never did say what she was stuffing. Nor has she mentioned taxidermy recently. At first I thought it was just another hobby she couldn't afford, especially since she writes about being late with her mortgage. Very strange.
ReplyDeleteShe shot a rabbit while chasing a fox that got into her chickens during the winter and said that would be her first project
DeleteShe's a child that flits from one shiny new thing to another, never really concentrating one any one thing for very long.
ReplyDeleteShe never talks about all the homesteading stuff she use to do. Now its all about crying scared, late mortgages and hawking workshops. So exactly what homesteading does she do?
She only got 2 comments on her goat vlog. One asked for a pig-raising vlog! I doubt that will happen. That person also asked for a vlog of milking or birthing a goat. Milking maybe but birthing not so realistic to film on a laptop. So many just want to see more of her farm and house. I don't think so many are expecting helpful instruction anymore. It seems they want to be entertained. When people do ask questions, for eg.about hawking, they get...
ReplyDeletesilence, at least on the blog.
Take a peek at her twitter. It seems to be all fan girl stuff and self-promotion. She needs to officially stop calling herself a homesteading expert because she's just not providing anything useful anymore.
DeleteI quit reading her blog when she announced that she was getting yet another animal she couldn't afford (Merlin). But I remember back then, a post like "Farriers & Saddles" would have gotten 30+ comments in the first couple of hours and many of her posts would easily top 100. Now almost everything is single digit comments. I know she deletes anything that's even a little bit critical but I suspect the bigger reason is that she doesn't actually post anything useful anymore, so her readership is way down. Anyone who wants solid information and inspiration has no use for this fantasy airy-fairy stuff. Seems like her prices are increasing too - fewer groupies, so she's gotta charge more to keep her hobbies afloat.
DeleteWhat's with the Verizon black-out? I saw nothing on the blog or FB. Shrug. I guess she has time to sit and research all this shit on the Internet about "black-outs" and phone companies? sheesh.
ReplyDeleteThat latest blog post is unbelievable.....what a comment (about other women's dreams). Sexist and insulting......and coming from another woman?!?
ReplyDeleteSomeone has already called her on it. But she passed it off as a joke. She really is clueless.
DeleteI see she's still of the belief she's better than anyone else, as are her minions. So shitty.
DeleteI guess I'm not seeing it. Was it taken down?
DeleteHmm, comments like that being passed off as a joke is a familiar scenario I've seen during my career. Clearly still quite a bit of work to do....
ReplyDeleteI love how she lets one "negative" comment through just to continue to put someone down and have all her groupies get on her side.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious, what was the comment?
ReplyDeleteIt was the first comment on her "Mulder season" post. The woman said:
ReplyDeleteOK, that statement about other's dreams needs to be called. Seriously, what a gross generalisation about other women.....what an insult to your readers.