Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

While reading up on developing a fruit orchard at The Farm, I came across this very detailed story about a couple who six or so years ago took over Musgrave Orchard north of Bloomington, Ind. The article in Bloomington Alternative is a soup to nuts account of Farmgirl Amy and husband Andy’s life during peakContinue reading “A Little More Orchard Than I'm Looking For”

Wow. I couldn’t believe the headline in the Muncie Star Press. Here it is in black and white: The number of Indiana farms smaller than 10 acres increased from 5,436 in 2002 to 9,720 in 2007. Many of these new farmers hold full-time jobs outside of agriculture and run small farms while off the clock.Continue reading “No. of Small Hoosier Farms Increased by 79%”

In the New York Times over the weekend there was this story, “Farm Living (Subsidized by Job Elsewhere).” If you know a farmer, you likely know someone with a dual income. There’s the job that pays benefits for the family and has a steady income, then there’s the lifestyle that accompanies farming. Very few farmersContinue reading “Off-The-Clock Farming on the Rise”

The weather reached a balmy 50 degrees today. And even though the ground is still frozen, it’s not too early to start thinking about spring planting. So what’s new on the agenda at The Farm? Fruit trees. It’s been something I’ve been hoping for, so I was excited that Hoosier Outsider asked me for someContinue reading “Sunny Orchard Dreaming on a Late Wintery Day”

I just read a fairly disturbing op-ed in the Chicago Tribune, even though it’s barely labeled as such online. The column, “Gourmet activists: Food for thought,” is an apparent rebuttal of the fairly impressive grass-roots effort to get President Obama to name a White House Farmer, plant an organic garden on the White House lawnContinue reading “Are Foodies Promoting a 'Dangerous Strategy?'”

It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to curl up with my Bon Appetit. In fact, I missed all of last month. But I’m diving right in to March. It’s a great issue…I may even attempt the caramel banana bread pudding, New Orleans style. But potentially my favorite part is this new sustainability-focusedContinue reading “Faking it Until Spring”

I had a meeting tonight at Marion Street Cheese. It’s been way too long since I’ve been there, so of course I had to go on a tasting binge. And because I put the cheese server through so much trouble, it wouldn’t have been polite to leave without buying something. My choice was Prairie FruitsContinue reading “New Local Favorite: Moonglo”

The pix of my friend’s historic barn-turned-modern Wichita home, plus this month’s Mother Earth News and the feature “Inspiring Handmade Homes” had me thinking a lot about the traditional and nontraditional roofs I’ve had over my head. When I was a kid, I thought it was cool to live in tents or in tent communitiesContinue reading “My Inspiring Handmade Homes”

The fascination over who will be the Obamas’ pick for White House chef or personal barber or the lucky dog picked to keep Sasha and Malia company can be cynically cast aside as an outgrowth of our culture’s celebrity obsession. I mean, who really cares? Well, the choices for these minor roles in the livesContinue reading “Why Do We Need a White House Farmer?”

I’m about a day late, but the winning pie (of 19 who voted in the VFG poll) is pumpkin. I promised myself I’d make the winning pie. Future farmgirl will be pleased sicne pumpkin is her favorite. But the all the pie talk got the iFarmer in the mood for an old-fashioned Hoosier Sugar CreamContinue reading “Pumpkin Pie is the People's Favorite and Will be Served on Game Day”