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In the fitness and health industry, there’s a common misconception that personal trainers, group instructors, and other fitness professionals are always comfortable, confident, and satisfied with their health and appearance. After all, we provide advice, coaching, and encouragement to help people improve their well-being—and that naturally includes how we look and feel in our bodies. But here’s the truth: many fitness professionals experience the same insecurities, self-doubt

I wasn’t always into fitness.  In fact, in high school I hated gym class.  I was the girl who had every excuse not to change my clothes and I always selected the easiest classes.  I didn’t play sports and I wasn’t active- AT ALL.  I was overweight, I smoked cigarettes and was mostly sedentary.  I didn’t eat healthy, I didn’t even know what healthy eating was.  The women in my life would binge and fast in order to control their weight and I thought that was how it was done.  E

Being a parent is a wonderful rollercoaster journey full of challenges and joy, laughter and frustration, anxiety and pride - so much pride. It feels both never-ending and all too short, as the weeks, months and years slip by. Like most parents, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this journey- and thank god for that! An epic undertaking with so many variables and working pieces and no instruction manual. Even now, with a grown child, the variables and th

Where to begin? The house is quiet, dark and cozy. It's only 5:30 pm, but in mid November - it's pitch black outside, and I love it. My husband is out bow hunting for deer, most likely making his way back out of the woods and to his waiting car. When he gets home I'll ask him, "Did you catch any deers?" An old joke. My son would ask him that each time he came in from hunting and it's one of those things that just stuck...as they sometimes do. Most likely he saw some sq

It’s 5 am and the alarm clock buzzes incessantly, it’s across the bed on my husband’s nightstand. He snores contently. I elbow him until he reaches up and shuts the offending noise off. This is how our day begins. I shuffle downstairs, not really awake, being sure to not turn on any lights. I can’t handle lights just […]

2013 was an amazing year full of “first’s” for me. My first time breeding and birthing piglets, my first time slaughtering and butchering chickens, my first experience with sheep and broody hens and ducks. But aside from my farming first’s (which were awe-inspiring and life changing!), I also experienced some personal “first’s”. I overcame life […]

I remember very distinctly when my 6-year-old son realized that the chicken on his plate is really A Chicken! As in a bird, a farm animal, a living, breathing thing. It surprised me that his young mind hadn’t realized that by the name alone, and then I began to think about all the ways that we, as Americans, try […]

As a “hobby” farmer I find that I spend the late fall, winter and early spring months pining away for warmer weather and longer days. I read seed catalogs, plan gardens, make lists and dream of all the things I will get accomplished during the high time of summer. I have my head in the clouds, a […]

Recently I was having a conversation with a customer who raises sheep, a small crossbreed that they keep mainly for fun and to keep their field short and tidy. They had three adorable lambs born this spring and I was infatuated with their tiny cuteness. My husband and I have talked about keeping sheep for […]

The first Friday Market of the season kicked off yesterday and what a great day it turned out to be. After near record rainfall and a soggy and gray start to the day I feared it would be a poor start to the Market season that had already been pushed back due to cold weather and […]

Happy Memorial Day! The official weekend to kick off the summer season has arrived! And it’s raining and cool. Oh well, this IS New England. I guess we expect it. A weekend to enjoy a precious, extra day off of work, to honor the men and women who have fought and sacrificed so much for […]

Meet Domino! Being new to pig farming, everything is a new experience. And borrowing a boar was, thankfully, one of the most pleasant! We had raised two beautiful sows, Esmerelda and Petunia, with the last set of piglets with the intention of breeding them. Having never bred any animal before, I did a lot of research and […]

As part of my journey; my journey as a friend, and as a woman, I have become quite involved in running. About eight years ago I was finally successful in my goal to quit smoking. I had grown up in a home where both of my parents smoked and I had started the awful habit at a very […]

As a novice pig farmer, I still struggle with my emotions when the time comes for my pigs to head to “the market”. It is not easy for me to send them off and it is very important that I do it for the right reasons. My animals’ lives are full of good food, space to run and […]

“In like a lion and out like a lamb”, is the saying that pops into mind as we enter March. Tired of the snow and the cold and oh, so ready for spring! I am restless and dreaming of starting seeds, raising chicks, green grass and warm days. Soon enough it will be here, but […]

If you haven’t guessed yet, I like to cook and bake. I have always enjoyed trying new recipes and I have a collection of cookbooks that would make my local library jealous. My husband and son are almost always willing guinea pigs and I have no doubts that they will give me their honest opinions, […]

Winter is a terrible time to start a blog on farming. So as the days and weeks fly by, I have been having a hard time getting inspiration to write. Winter is a quiet time on the farm, well…as quiet as a farm can be. The snow has blanketed the ground and the chickens and […]

I am a New Englander at heart. I mean, yes, I live here…but I also love it here. Often times, no matter which season it is, a topic of conversation in any New England town will be the weather. Most often, a complaint. “It’s too cold.” “Hot enough for you?” “When is the rain going to […]

It’s really hard to believe that another year has come and gone. As I say hello to 2013 I think about all the things I have done and learned throughout this year and am amazed at how much I’ve grown. I became a pig farmer and learned the value of life and sacrifice, something that […]

Our most recent adventure has been raising pigs. As a young girl, I had always dreamed of having “a farm” because I have always had a strong love of animals and being around them; a dog, cat, cow, goose or bird, had always given me great joy. Somehow, though, I had never really understood about farming. […]