I had to do quite a bit of digging through family photo albums to find these gems. You can probably tell by my lovely, patterned trousers that these time capsule treasures are circa 1970’s. I am an only child and the daughter of a mother who documented almost every moment of my childhood. I am fortunate that she took […]
Originally posted on Riddle from the Middle:
Listen, I know this has been addressed in many forums in various ways, but for the sake of my people’s collective sanity I’m going to add my voice to the fray. And by “my people” I mean the incredibly large and diverse community of families that are considered “untraditional” for whatever reason. Since my…
This photograph was taken one Spring many moons ago on the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Peaks of Otter Lodge in Bedford, Virginia. My Aunt, Faye Rieley, snapped this picture of my mother and me posing by a beautiful, pink rhododendron tree. These trees grow to enormous sizes on the Blue Ridge Parkway and are always lovely in the Springtime. […]
I found this recipe for tea cakes in a cookbook called Southern Cakes. It features some of the most delightful and delicious desserts associated with Southern baking: everything from sweet potato pound cake to red velvet cake. Reading this cookbook and admiring the lovely photographs of beautifully baked cakes so reminded me of Grandma Rieley. My grandma was a wonderful […]
“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer, restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.” ~Wendall Berry, The Unsettling of America: […]
What is a fiber festival you may ask. A fiber festival is a wholesome, fun event for the entire family that seeks to educate and entertain, while also highlighting the beauty of an industry in which few may be aware exists. The presentation of fiber-producing animals, such as sheep, and their products allows the public to develop their interest and […]
When I think of old houses or antiques, I’m reminded of the Japanese philosophy called wabi-sabi. Loosely translated, it’s the art of finding beauty in imperfection, revering authenticity above all. It celebrates cracks and scratches and all other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. Some of the things that I love best about an old house are […]
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! With love from all of us at Green Hill Farm, Scott, Tonya, Maud, Dash, Clementine, Finn, Olive, Honey and all the sheep ********* Thanks so much for following Fourth Generation Farmgirl!
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” –Charles Dickens “Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” –Laura Ingalls Wilder I love this time of year–beautiful music, snow, twinkling lights, festive decorations […]
With the arrival of fall, my thoughts turn to cool, crisp mornings, fields full of pumpkins, the smell of a crackling fire and the taste of hot apple cider. This time of year often causes us to reflect on happy times. It’s always interesting to me how our senses ignite memories. Memories that take us back to a single, meaningful […]
My name is Tonya, and I grew up on a 300-acre farm in rural Virginia that has been in my family for over 100 years. After graduating from college, receiving my master’s degree in speech and language pathology, and living and working in a small city for six years, I decided to return to the place of my childhood. Here, in this rural area, on this patch of green, where for four generations my family has farmed, gardened, and lived, I, too wanted to be a part of this continuity. As a fourth generation farmgirl, I have many interests that not only include, but also go beyond the basics of farming, gardening, sheep and chicken-keeping. It is all of this and more that I plan on sharing in this blog.
fourth generation farmgirl 