Humble Roots

Hi!  I’m Marlena Wolf, former farmer and owner of Girl Next Door Farm!  I am a sixth year farmer, inspired by a dream of self-sufficiency, health and environmental advocacy, and a lifestyle similar to many an ancestor.  I was born and raised in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky.  But I do have some agricultural roots… My father grew up on a 2100 acre farm with his parents, and grandparents in French Lick, Indiana.  My mama grew up in St. Matthews and Jeffersontown, Kentucky.

My great grandparents, Goldie and William Bolin owned the Castle Knoll Farm in French Lick, Indiana; Orange County.  It was a dairy and hog operation with some row crops.  William’s parents, Philomena and Bennett Bolin, my great great grandparents, farmed out in Brooks, Kentucky; Bullitt County.  Actually, Philomena and her many children ran the farm operation, while Ben worked in a Louisville factory after his military service.

My great, great grandparents on my mom’s side were Stumlers out of Indiana.  They are cousins to the Hubers.  They both had farm operations.  The Stumlers went on to have a family restaurant and the Huber’s have a vegetable and orchard operation, with a restaurant, winery and farm store.  My grandma, Alene Stumler (maiden name), learned about food preservation from her mother, Mary Ann Stumler, who had a diverse backyard garden.

Though I was not raised on a farm myself, I was drawn to the idea of growing my own food and feeding myself.  I value having a skill, craft, or trade.   I was lucky to have family that taught me the value of hard work, independence, and a green thumb.  I believe these to be the foundation of my farming principles: stewardship, discipline, self-sufficiency, and a sense of duty.

I closed my farm business to start a family, and now have two lovely little girls.  Motherhood has been am immense change of pace and an extreme honor.  I became apparent that I needed to shift gears in my services to take on this new role.  Hence Guidance for Growers Consulting LLC was born.  Inspiring, educating, and empowering others to grow food successfully has been the perfect fit into my new family life.