Spotlight: Farmgirl Series: Debbie Tegart

You probably already know that Debbie is one of the Co-Hosts for our Farmgirl Friday Blog Hops.

Just in case you don't let me introduce you to Debbie Tegart, Farmgirl Unleashed.

Love this picture.  

Debbie on her truck, Love it!  Be sure to check out her Facebook Page:  here

Her story in her own words.

Like so many of us my path has been a winding one.  Career wise I have been a loan officer, a preschool teacher, a bill collector, a tech support person and currently my “day job” is consulting as a business analyst and facilitator on software projects.

Personally I am the mom of three wonderful daughters who are now grown up and are beautifully talented in their own right. I was a stay at home mom for 16 years and I cherish every moment of that time. I am married to a wonderful man who not only took the challenge on of marrying me but did it when I had three teenage daughters at home. I am convinced he will be sainted someday for that!  In all that I have done truly being a mommy, wife and homemaker is the most coveted.

Mike and I both lived in Atlanta for over 20 years.  After children where grown we contemplated on the future lifestyle we wanted. Did we want to settle in where we were, buy another place in the suburbia lifestyle we had grown accustom to or should we shake it up and do something we had both wanted to do for a long time…move back to the Midwest (originally I am from Ohio and he from Indiana) and getting out of a subdivision and into the country with some land.

Our journey to find the perfect place in the country took a couple of years and culminated in our buying our “dream home” on our anniversary weekend in 2011. Smaller square footage, lots of land (almost 6 acres), a pond and countryside setting made this home impossible to say no to.  Plus it was near a city with both loved for cultural activities when desired.  After craziness with selling our other home, working out job logistics and moving ourselves over several runs across country, we finally permanently moved to our “only” home in May 2013 which is where we will stay! We have lovingly named our new home “Big Sky Acres” since we can see sunrise to sunset anywhere on our property.

I love to sew and now have a craft room for such endeavors in our new home. Mike got me a new sewing machine to kick off my new life in my craft room.  I am expecting my first grandson in June and am having fun sewing things for him and my adorably cute pregnant daughter.

We also started gardening last year.  We fantasized for a long time about growing our own organic vegetables, but not having a clue where to begin we just grabbed shovels and started last spring. We now have 16,000 square feet of yummy organic veggies growing on our acreage and plan to do more.  Watching the works of our efforts turn into things to eat and can and freeze was such an exhilarating experience! We read and read and try things continually; some work and some don’t, but it is all good! So much so that I enrolled in Washington State University’s Global University course “Organic Agriculture.”  I would love to have farm to table dinners, offer gardening classes, maybe have community gardens out here or provide vegetables to a CSA.

 

We have just ordered 2 nucs of bees and hives for this coming spring and summer season.  The bees were originally Mike’s idea but we are now both in love with the idea and cannot wait to get started.  We have a wonderful mentor, the land to give the bees a good home and we feel like it will benefit the garden in many ways.   Next on the roadmap are chickens.  I am in hopes that Spring 2015 will bring those wonderful feathery creatures to Big Sky Acres!

We have a dog that has been the inspiration for our artisan dog treat business “Waggin’ Delights”.  She is a rescue dog and quirky and loveable.  Our treats are made from organic ingredients and are wholesome enough for human consumption! We actually have a few customers that get them for themselves since they are low in sugar and have such great stuff in them.

Moving out in the country and finding MaryJanes Farm Magazine and so many Farmgirl sisters has really made a huge difference in my life.  I now know that my love of everything home and homemade is not weird or odd, but an entire culture of like minded women think just like me! J I am sister #4393 in the midst of many, many really awesome women.  I consider my Farmgirl sisters some of my best friends.  You don’t have to see each other in person to be besties, you just need to share common values and goals which is what I have found through this community. I continually learn and feel supported in all my endeavors.  I love sharing about them and now blog about my newbie Farmgirl experiences Farmgirl-Unleashed. 

I hope that I can meet more sisters via my blog and via the Facebook pages we all share and other blogs I currently read and new ones that I discover constantly.  I cannot wait to see what life holds for us in our new life.  I cannot wait to see what new things are coming and what things will flourish that we already have our hands into.

Thank you Dolly for asking me to share.  You are among the many that I consider a dear friend and someone that I learn constantly from.  Being a host with you, Heidi and of course Deb on Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop is one of my highlights every week.  I am ever grateful for Deb reaching out to me and introducing me to such a wonderful community.

Thank you Debbie I feel the same; we all do!

Isn't it wonderful to learn from others?  How they live, what they like.  We live in such a varied world. People, places and things.  Everyone has different interests and yet it all boils down to the fact that we all share the same things in one way or another.  We just have different ways of getting there!

Have a great weekend and week ahead!