Hold on a minute while I mentally prepare for these next two months.  Yes, I know, I do this to myself and I couldn’t be more excited!  Here’s my play by play if you care to follow along.

So far in March, I had a sculptural needle felting class in Adrian, MN.  I love that librarian, and to those of you who came to the class and said you like reading my column, that made my day!  Next month I have a class in Worthington and Glenwood, as of right now.  This year I’m teaching “Painting with Wool” where we do a beautiful scene out of wool.  If that sounds interesting, sign up for Worthington or let your local library know!  I’ve taught classes because of my readers spreading the word and it’s great!  I’m working on a campaign to get into all the state’s libraries. Wouldn’t that be something!?!

Work is great, but I’m also looking for a summer job (since there’s no school) and I’m applying at temp agencies. I’ve loved owning my own business, but you know it’s pretty great getting a steady paycheck – not going to lie.  I’ll still keep up my website and the farmers market and classes, but I want someone else to worry about things for a while.  I want to go somewhere for 8-9 hours, work super hard and leave it at the door. That’d be grand!
We’re also gearing up for our sweet eldest son’s wedding next month. That’ll be a fancy shindig in Sioux Falls. I’m going to be honest, I’ve thought about dropping 40 pounds to get into a dress, but obviously not tried hard enough. The weight is still there and doesn’t have plans to leave my body anytime soon. I mean, working out?  I’m shot after work.  The couch calls and I head to it like a moth to a flame. In all seriousness, I need a dress, like yesterday. Ron needs a suit too. Can you imagine it? Us fancy? I am pretty excited for that.

While doing this, I have to brush up on my nonexistent Portuguese (so yes, I need to learn it). His dad messages me in Portuguese now and thinks it’s funny. Because our foreign exchange student’s parents are coming from Brazil on May 18 and the mom doesn’t speak English. My Google Translate is going to get a workout and I CANNOT wait to tell you all about it! After all they’re staying for five days, truly, I think it’s going to be a blast. I’m planning a party for it.

Okay, so my article has moved into May, but I have to share with you a sneak peek about that too. Levi graduates high school! So this hit me the other night…no more Levi after August. But, he’s going down to your neck of the woods, MN West Pipestone. If you see a 1996 Topaz painted Alice Chalmers Orange with a light bar on the top (he bought that car for $2) or a black pickup with a slight lift and a sign that says “baby on board” (he thought it was funny not a grandma yet), that’s my sweet boy. If you’re a momma; hug him for me and tell him to eat healthy. If you’re a grandma, he loves chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate frosting (it’s got a vegetable in it). If you’re a dad and your daughter brings him home, you are so lucky! He’s got a work ethic like no other and he goes to church on Sunday. If you’re a grandpa, he loves to work on projects and will help you with anything, but may want to hunt on your land so don’t be surprised when he asks.

That very same day, our Grace graduates from Lakes Area. She’s already got her job which is so cool. She’s one smart cookie and is so much fun.  She gets married next May. But we’ll talk more about that next year!

Until next time,
Fairchild “Fale logo!” Farmgirl
(Your turn to use Google translate)
 

Whew! Back from Black Hills Stock Show! I bet you’ve got questions. Let’s answer some that I get on a regular basis at shows that I do:

Question 1: “Are you crazy? That’s a ton of people to have to deal with all day long for eight solid days.” That came from my husband, since we’re not feeding cattle anymore, he was able to come out the first weekend. Needless to say this wasn’t his thing, and he was excited to get home. He couldn’t believe the vast amount of people who would stop by my booth to make purchases or just to visit.

Question 2: “Do I carve the images on my soap?” For those of you who’ve never seen my soap, it has cow/calf pairs, goats, sheep, and horses on them. People seem a little disenchanted when I tell them I just pour my soap batter into a mold, but as I brought out 1,000 bars to sell, it’d take a long time to carve all of them. And also, if I did that, I’m going to raise my prices. Hand carved soap doesn’t come cheap.

Question 3: Do I milk my own goats? We used to. Then the kids started getting more animals of their own, and I was also sick of the goats getting out and eating the garden, jumping on everything and eating the seat of the side by side. So now I buy my milk from a kid that raises dairy goats.

Question 4: Do you raise your own sheep? Again, we used to. However, when prices were really good, we sold the flock. Now, I buy wool right off the farm. I buy large quantities then scour it in Texas and mill it in eastern Wisconsin. Then Ron and I go out and get it and have a date night on Lake Michigan. It’s pretty awesome.

Question 5: Are you a reseller of goods? I actually got asked that a few times this trip to the Stock Show because for some reason people thought I’d like to sell their products at shows. No. Well, I do sell crocheted washcloths that I buy from a friend but that’s it. I usually have enough inventory of my own.

Question 6: Can you give me your recipe so I can make my own? This floors me every time I hear it. I’ve started saying, “Only if I can come to your work and try to steal your job from under you.” People! Why would I share a recipe that I’ve developed over years? The sad thing is, many of those asking aren’t joking.

Which brings me to question 7: How long does it take you to make all this stuff? I try to work on it about 2-3 nights a week. So not terrible. But I also sell on Etsy, Shopify and Faire Wholesale so at times I’m restocking and sending out right away again.

Question 8: Are trade/craft/stock shows worth the hassle? They can be. If you like people, believe in your product and can set up a nice display, that’s half the battle. One year I let myself have only one weekend a month off and I had others run booths for me, so I could maximize my reach. Was that worth it? No. If you have someone that doesn’t know or know how to sell your story/brand, don’t bother. It may end up hurting you in the end.

Question 9: Is your whole business worth the hassle? Selling online, new product development, actually making the product, taking photos, working on my website, writing up directions for my kits, dying wool, making connections with stores, customers, taxes…can be exhausting. But this business allowed me to stay home and raise my kiddos until my youngest was in the seventh grade. I call that a win. Has it been tough? Yes. Long hours after everyone else is in bed is tough, missing kid’s events or being away from the husband and family because I’m at a trade show stinks. But in the end, the money has helped. I also have met many friends.

Question 10: Are you going to quit this anytime soon? Not sure. I’ve got some great customers and friends I’ve met along the way. But to be honest, I have been thinking about it. The road miles, the hotel and airbnb stays, the late nights, and honestly the weirdos-yes weird people at shows especially the free shows (someday I’ll elaborate on this)…it’s a lot for this gal. Time will tell, but I’m glad to be back home for now. Quitting writing for papers? NEVER!

Until next time,
Fairchild “if you need me, I’ll be in my recliner” Farmgirl

Suzanne Fairchild is a freelance writer who lives on a farm in southwest Minnesota with her husband and children. She can be reached at rmf@itctel.com. 

Happy New Year friends! I hope you are having a great start to this 2026! In case you’re wondering, our Christmas was pretty fun. As every year, we finish gift opening and guests and older kids go to their own houses and Ron and I look at each other and talk about how we need a bigger house. With boyfriends, a husband and one fiancé, we had 15 kids here. We loved every minute.

With being a school employee, I had a great break. I took two classes, one for Microsoft Office (Excel and Word) and one for Customer Care. I’m trying to be the best business per-son and a good business person too.

Then Friday after Christmas hit. With three days left out of ten of break, I got super sick. I had the worst cold and stuffed up head. My theory? I was out in the trenches of buggars, too little personal space and spit flying at work, and I get home and that must have been the time that the virus manifested. Like when you were in high school science and you had just set up the experiment and the teacher says, “now put it in a warm safe and dark place so the ingredients of the experiment can work it’s magic.

Luckily I just finished my week of work up and I do feel a lot better, and I’m on meds for a sinus infection. The funny thing was, I was laying in bed thinking about all you guys as my readers, with an insanely stuffed up head, for example, my nasal passages were actually like a vacuumed sealed tight. It was crazy. But there I was, with NyQuil, doTERRA oils on my feet, I ate enough garlic to kill a vampire and Vicks covering my neck, feet, head, (but not my nose….Ron said, “don’t put it by your nostrils, I heard it can give you brain damage.” Honey, I was so clogged up that the jaws of life couldn’t get half an inch up my nose). And personally sudden brain damage would’ve given me  a few more days at home to recuperate.

Anyway, I remember laying there in my bed with about ten blankets covering me as I chuckled at the funny article I was going to write about me feeling so awful. It was the only solace I had, because literally everything else was so terrible.

But as a 51 year old lady with a 51 year old brain, do you think I could remember what I was going to write about? Nope. It had to be good because I can remember not falling asleep, fighting the NyQuil, giggling quietly as not to wake up Ron.

Next time I’ll get my butt outta bed and write it down. I promise…that is if I can remember that I should

Until next time,
Fairchild “full of vinegar and brain fog” Farmgirl

Suzanne Fairchild is a freelance writer who lives on a farm in southwest Minnesota with her husband and children. She can be reached at rmf@itctel.com. 

Are you in a Christmas rut? I don’t mean sad about the season, (but if you are, I wish I could reach out and give you a hug!), but are you not sure about the gifts your giving? That’s me. What do I get our oldest that has such a great job that they can get anything their heart desires? And you’re on a budget…anyone else follow a Christmas budget besides me, the Christmas present fun killer? As pricey as this holiday can get, I don’t know anyone who runs without one.

I mean, it’s not that bad, but when you set a limit at $50 per kid and over half have a fiancé or significant other? And you’ve got nine kiddos, it gets a little crazy. Although, I will give a nod to Ron, who when asked to make some special gifts in the shop, winks and gets to work. I can’t wait for a few special handmade gifts that we are going to give this year. SO cool! I also love the fact our kids appreciate gifts made with love as well.

So I’ll be honest, I love homemade gifts the best. There’s been some lean years on the ole Fairchild ranchero and we’ve had to get “Christmas Creative.” I remember staying up most of the night making a doll or two, or a stuffed replica of a favorite horse. One of the coolest presents Ron ever gave me was a dining room table, just like I had wanted. It’s beautiful, 10 feet long with an additional three foot leaf, made of hickory and oak. It even has benches. Then one year he made a spice drawer for our island. Another time I found a cow bone and painted a deer on it. It’s one of our favorite pieces and I know Ron was tickled when he opened it up. It’s so fun when he’ll come in from the shop and say, “Now don’t go out in the shop for anything, ok?” It’s always such an awesome surprise!

This year, since I have some daughters that sew, I asked one for a Christmas themed table runner. I’ve never really been a fancy decorator, three reasons for that: money, little kids that would wreck it and time to get things together. Slowly, I’m finding people/family that make things for me and I love that. Last year my daughter Ashlyn made Ron and I a wood burning of our old dog Fluffy. It was incredible.

Lastly, what are you doing for Christmas? I hope it’s with people and family you enjoy and that you have fun/cheesy/handmade/all together special traditions. At our place, Santa will be hiding gifts somewhere in a barn or shed on Christmas Eve since we don’t have a chimney. And as long as you believe, you receive, no matter your age. Everyone will listen for the knock at the door and they’ll get on their warm duds and head outside for the present hunt. Of course that’s after we’ve had our appetizer meal that everyone has to make something for, and it’s Christmas themed no less.
Until next time have a Merry Christmas!

Fairchild “you haven’t lived until you’ve eaten Tedd’s Reindeer Chow” Farmgirl

Suzanne Fairchild is a freelance writer who lives on a farm in southwest Minnesota with her husband and children. She can be reached at rmf@itctel.com. 

Happy fall ya’ll! I wanted to say that before the snow flies, which I guess could be next week…but we won’t get into that.

I will say it is craft show season, and I’m on par! I’ve got something going on literally every weekend. Which if you do these as well, you know you could be at four shows a week if you had enough hands to help. With me working at school however, it gets a little tough to make products to sell. I’ve got the sales “kids” but I’m usually pretty wiped by the end of the day. The thought of making things until the wee hours isn’t as enticing as it once was. Ah, I remember those days. I could churn out 300 bars of soap per day, make a bunch of needle felting kits, feed lambs, pick, clean and sort chicken eggs from 120 chickens. All the things. Now I’d just love to come home, make a simple dinner and watch Netflix. Wow…I’m feeling very lazy after that paragraph.

So let’s talk November. First, Veterans Day. I have so much admiration for those who’ve served. I absolutely love the Vet’s Day program at the local schools and honestly if you have the time, go. It’s ceremonial, they usually have the high school band play, a great speaker. It is in my top five of favorite happenings at school. I’m always so touched by it. So thank you veterans, and people still serving. Freedom isn’t free and it’s because of our military that we have such a wonderful country to live in and feel safe living in.

And then there’s Thanksgiving, or Turkey day as we like to call it around here. What’s your meal? We’re pretty standard here. Turkey, stuffing, brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, and pie. Oh and this wouldn’t be the Fairchild household if we didn’t have corn as well. Is there any yams with marshmallows on top? No. That’s disgusting. Is there any cranberry jello or cranberry slices from a can? Again no. Yikes, that’s not happening. I do like and appreciate a good cranberry lemon cookie or a cranberry orange muffin on occasion. I also like a plain sweet potato with pepper, salt and butter.

Do you all have any traditions that you do for Thanksgiving? We usually eat the day of at Ron’s dad’s place. Then the next day we have a celebration at our house with our kids. That’s a lot of fun, we started to talk about what we are thankful for which there’s so much! Also after dinner we all get a piece of paper and make our Christmas lists and tape it to the pantry cupboard for everyone to see. That’s my favorite part. I love to see my kids planning. We really encourage not spending much at all. If I had my way my kids would make things for each other and us. Last year Grace made a few quilts, but I’d love some potholders, and a winter table runner. I’m hoping that we can make some of our gifts too for our kids. Anyway, enjoy this month. Hug a service person and love on your family as they gather around the table. 
Until next time,
Fairchild Farmgirl


Suzanne Fairchild is a freelance writer who lives on a farm in southwest Minnesota with her husband and children. She can be reached at rmf@itctel.com.

Tomorrow is the big day. Ashlyn gets married. The fact that these kids are old enough to do that is crazy to me. I mean truthfully, it seems like it was her and I against the world, living in south of the cities in the small town of Veseli.

Picture it, (as Sophia would say on the Golden Girls) a young girl living with her mother in a quiet house on main street, in a town that would take five minutes to walk end to end. Seriously though we had some great times, as poor as I was, lol. After all I wonder to this day if I was the one that invented “paycheck to paycheck” lifestyle. I kid, but truthfully, we were broke.

Once a month we would go do something fun that we could afford. Sometimes it was going to a bigger town and watching a movie at the theater on cheap nights, or we’d go to the truck stop and order pancakes and ask the waitress to light a candle if she had one.

The rest of the month we’d do other stuff, like go for bike rides or walks and pick up trash alongside the road and talk about the environment (because sometimes you need to be inventive when you don’t have a dime to your name). Of course we’d play hopscotch in the church parking lot, go sliding in the winter or watch cartoons. Can you tell I miss that little girl?

My biggest dream for my kids is that they are happy adults and that if they choose to get married they are with a person that’s good to them. I think Jarod is the perfect match for Ashlyn. They dream together, laugh together and take care of each other. It makes my heart happy, and I pray that they will have a lifetime of happiness.

The fact that their wedding is outside, makes me also thankful for the clear skies we’ll be having. They are super unconventional about their wedding which I think is going to be a blast. They’re getting married on Ashlyn’s late grandpa’s farm with only a few friends and all her siblings and mom’s and dads.

I asked her the other day if she had someone make her a cake, to that she replied, “no, we’re just having brownies.” After the meal we’re going to stay for a bonfire, since there is no dance, and then go home tomorrow night.

I can’t wait to see my first born being walked by her dad and brought to Jarod. She’s going to be a beautiful bride…even though she’s still a four year old and we’re eating pancakes by candlelight.
Congrats Ashlyn and Jarod.

Until next time,
Fairchild “love is a beautiful thing” Farmgirl


Suzanne Fairchild is a freelance writer who lives on a farm in southwest Minnesota with her husband and children. She can be reached at rmf@itctel.com.