Maker Farm

04/15/2026

This food cost me $50. And it has to feed us for the whole week.

Why?

Well, I recently heard about a meal plan that was $50 for the week and I became intrigued by the idea.

But when I looked closer, it didn’t add up.

There were not enough calories, not enough real meals... it turns out it was not something two people could actually live on for a full week.

So I decided to try it myself. For real, in my own kitchen here on Maker Farm.

I've given myself $50 and now I'm asking myself...

Can we actually eat well for a week with simple, everyday, wholesome foods?

My grocery store shopping list was just 19 items long ($50 isn't much, after all), but I plan to make a lot of different meals from these.

I even budgeted enough for coffee and homemade creamer, because caffeine.

I am allowing myself to use foraged/preserved items, just as folks did during the Great Depression -- that means I also plan to use:

Our maple syrup (foraged from our maple trees on the farm this year)
Walnuts (foraged from our walnuts last year)
Preserved strawberries (preserved from last year's strawberries)
Preserved pickles (preserved from last year's cucumbers)
Dandelions and their greens (growing and foraging now!)
Wild garlic (growing and foraging now!)

Think I can do it? We shall see!

I am keeping track of everything, including meals eaten, time it took to prepare, and what we thought of it, even recipes, right here: https://makerfarm.com/50-for-a-week-of-food/

Wish us luck!

04/11/2026

We got a delivery for something NEW at Maker Farm today. Can you guess what it is?

04/10/2026

What do you eat when you're not feeling well?

I made this for Greg last night... Feel-Better Chicken.

Warm and easy on the stomach! Plus, it's made in just one pot, so nice and easy.

Here's the recipe: https://makerfarm.com/feel-better-chicken-and-rice/

04/09/2026

I used to think sourdough bread HAD to be complicated…

Like… 3-day schedules, overnight timing, alarms on my phone, checking it constantly like I might miss some invisible "perfect moment."

Turns out, I was making it way harder than it needed to be 😅 (Surprise, surprise!)

This loaf right here?

Just 16 hours from feeding the starter to finished loaf.

And it still has that crackly crust, soft airy crumb, and that real sourdough flavor we’re all hoping for.

What finally changed for me wasn’t a better technique…
It was letting go of trying to control every little thing.

I stopped watching the clock so closely.
Started paying attention to the dough instead.
And suddenly… it got easier.

If you’ve ever felt like sourdough is just too much, this might be the one to try.

I mix it in the late afternoon, bake it the next morning…
and somehow it never lasts to the next day.

Quick(er) Sourdough (1 loaf)

100g of active and bubbly sourdough starter (feed it with rye flour and keep it warm to get it active faster)
350g of warm (not hot) water
500g of bread flour
10g of salt

How it comes together:

Mix water, starter, and salt until combined. Add flour and mix just until no dry spots remain. Cover and let it rest 30 minutes.

Do four sets of stretch and folds, spaced about 20 minutes apart. After that, cover again let the dough rest in the bowl until it's time for bed.

Before hitting the hay, shape and place seam-side up in a floured basket or bowl, cover in plastic, and let it proof overnight in the refrigerator.

Then next morning, preheat your Dutch oven at 500°F. Then take it out of the refrigerator, score it, and bake 20 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered, until golden.

Cool for at least an hour as it keeps cooking as it cools.

01/25/2026

This winter has been hard in so many ways for so many people.

As I write this, a storm is raging. I am safe at my farm, and I hope you're safe, too.

So how do we cope? We make more calm, we make space for light, and we make things with our hands.

Whether you want to do this yourself, or just need a calm break, you can see it unfold in a new episode for a new season of my life on Maker Farm.

In the first episode of the new year, I share how I am coping with a particularly hard winter. I was struggling with the cold, the dark, and the isolation. Three small changes made winter feel livable again. I stopped trying to push through winter the hard way and this is what I’m doing instead.

Also, this is the start of something special. This is episode 1 of 10 I'm sharing this winter weekly on my channel. And if life gets messy again, I will still find a way to show up in creative ways.

Thank you for letting me share my story with you.

02/13/2025

Construction on our new studio/home is complete! Get a tour of the studio and look inside all the rooms in this new video on the Maker Farm channel at https://youtu.be/DNAcaIs3D38?si=zbf6EbByKjfm8nYK

Many thanks to A.R. Brouwer Company, Timbers to Steel Construction Ashcott Electrical Inc. Mastercraft Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, & Electrical Robertson Morrison Inc. Heating & Cooling Cribley Drilling Company

From a simple kitchen table to a custom-built studio, workshop, and home on nearly 100 acres, this is the story of the Maker Farm Studio -- the new headquart...

01/29/2025

Cozy winter baking in our new kitchen on Maker Farm. This is easy 4-ingredient bread that needs no kneading -- let me know if you want the recipe. The cabinet behind me is a 100-year-old antique "Hoosier" cabinet that we bought from a farmer about 90 miles away -- we used part of the money we made from this year's soybean crop for it. The story of this cabinet, and the breadmaking, is on our Maker Farm channel this week if you're interested!

10/12/2024

Two dreams in one shot ... the Northern Lights above and my new purpose-built studio under construction below.

Northern Lights -- Not only did I finally witness this aurora on Thursday (October 10th) after years of trying to catch it here in the SE Michigan area, but we also witnessed two other rare phenomena this evening -- a SAR (a stable auroreal arc, that's the magenta you see in this shot) and the yellow/orange color (visible only in really high solar activity). For a good 15 minutes, this was all visible with our eyes, not just the camera. It was beyond words, light raining down all around us in the big sky on our new farm. We had no idea it could be so glorious. This shot was taken on my iPhone 14 in Night mode with a 10 second exposure. I have many more amazing shots, but this one is my favorite.

Studio -- Our new 9000-sq-ft studio is being built in Dexter, Michigan on nearly 100 acres of land. This is such a BIG dream to come true!! This is where I will make new things and create our new videos. I've already begun by documenting the journey of this place -- which we call Maker Farm -- on a new channel. I know some of you are already watching (thank you). In this shot the barn is primed, but not yet painted red. It's all purpose-built for what we make and do at JenniferMaker, and all intended to invite you further into our creative world so you can see and experience more. I cannot wait until it's finished and I can really make magic here. The expected completion date is next month.

I am filled with gratitude for both gifts.

08/24/2024

A new video about a simple day on Maker Farm. This is the latest chapter in our story!

A slow day on Maker Farm when things didn't go as planned. But if we hadn't slowed down, we would have missed all of THIS!Subscribe to our channel at https:/...

06/16/2024

This is our "under construction" sign for our brand new studio on Maker Farm, nearly 100 acres in Dexter, Michigan. It is HAPPENING and we are SO excited!

02/23/2024

Greg made these awesome hard hats for us to wear during our studio construction on the farm!