turns out, we’re going to have a farm-forward day today!  a dear friend of mine, deidre, sent this article to me yesterday from the new york times and i immediately knew i wanted to share it with you.  it’s uplifting, empowering & thought provoking, and though i encourage you to read the entire article, i’m going to highlight it for you here.

it discusses what they call the ‘femivore’s dilemma’- where highly educated women are turning away from the workforce and instead embracing a life of homemaking- without turning into betty draper.

“femivores expand those of another: feeding their families clean, flavorful food; reducing their carbon footprints; producing sustainably instead of consuming rampantly. What could be more vital, more gratifying, more morally defensible?”

now it seems that there is a new movement on the horizon.  in the past, many of us felt that we either had to prove ourselves by climbing the coorporate ladder, or that if we didn’t, we were somehow giving in to old world standards (you know, barefoot and pregnant?).

this article is empowering us to think differently:

“Conventional feminist wisdom held that two incomes were necessary to provide a family’s basic needs — not to mention to guard against job loss, catastrophic illness, divorce or the death of a spouse. Femivores suggest that knowing how to feed and clothe yourself regardless of circumstance, to turn paucity into plenty, is an equal — possibly greater — safety net. After all, who is better equipped to weather this economy, the high-earning woman who loses her job or the frugal homemaker who can count her chickens?“

they encourage the idea that the femivore is transforming the definition of homemaker into one that is much more about soil than dirt, and fresh air than air freshener. a sustainable minded woman who stays at home not because she has to, but because she wants to take personal responsibility for supplying for their needs.  the promise that if everything in the world around us stopped, our household could simply keep on going gardening, collecting eggs and supplying clothes.

they leave us with a thought provoking question, “is my home the engine of materialism or a refuge from it?”

i encourage you to read the full article, the femivore’s dilemma (its not very long).  i’ll meet you in the comments section for some discussion-

what do you think of this?

{photos: bonnie forkner}

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boy, do i have a doozy for you today! i got the sweetest email form a fellow rooster yesterday introducing me to her blog, roost.  caitlin has been writing roost since just about the same time we started here, and i can’t believe we didn’t stumble upon one another until yesterday!  you will be nothing less than delighted to visit her blog and soak it all in.  it’s full of beautiful imagery and the most delicious recipes i’ve ever seen!  she has a wonderful archive section that summarizes all of her recipes and other inspiring posts, as well as an ‘in season’ page as a quick reference to see what’s in season.

you won’t regret getting to know this gal, so please join me in welcoming our latest rooster, caitlin!

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rare finds gallery

today i have the honor of welcoming the steel fork to going home to roost!  ben and kate gatski uniquely honor agriculture through art.  they collect old farm machinery and turn the metals into one of a kind art pieces.  they are strong believers in farming and local food- and i just love how they show their appreciation!

clockwise :: pamelas bee :: tractor :: moose head :: elk head ::

you can read their story, their blog, visit their site, and shop all day!  thank you, ben and kate for sharing your world with us!

wrap up: {art} {farm} {metal} {recycled} {sponsor} {upcycled} {welcome}