Reader's Forum - Family Circle - Marge Swayne

Reader’s Forum – Family Circle

– Circa 1990s

Marge Swayne takes time out to “talk” with her French Alpine goats Bridget, Claudine and Paulette, on her idyllic Stillmeadow Farm in Prospect, Virginia.

THE LEGACY OF GLADYS TABER AND STILLMEADOW FARM

When I was growing up, my mother always bought FAMILY CIRCLE, and at the first opportunity, the magazine and I would disappear for an hour or so. My first priority was to read Gladys Taber’s* column about Stillmeadow Farm, since I also lived in the country and shared her enthusiasm for animals and nature.

After graduation from high school, I married a Navy man, and over the past 20 years we have transferred back and forth across the United States several times. But I always kept my dream of someday finding a place in the country like Gladys Taber’s Stillmeadow, since we wanted a simpler way of life for ourselves and our two children.

Six years ago, we finally realized my dream when we bought a farm nestled in the gently rolling foothills of western Virginia. We continued to live in Norfolk, where my husband was stationed, but every weekend we headed for our farm. Three years ago, we sold our suburban home with all its modern conveniences and moved into the 30' X 40' barn without any conveniences but with a breathtaking view in every direction. In the evenings, we would sit on the porch, which we had added to the hay loft, and enjoy watching herds of wild deer, wild turkeys and occasionally, a bobcat or gray fox pass by.

When our house was finally completed, and it was time to name our farm, there was no hesitation on my part. It had to become Stillmeadow Farm. We don’t raise cocker spaniels or Irish Setters as did Mrs. Taber, but we have a fine herd of registered dairy goats that carry the Stillmeadow name. I don’t have a pet skunk, but I do have a possum that comes to the porch every evening to share a dish of food with my cats.

Also, unlike Mrs. Taber, I’ve never written a cookbook, but I’ve won three recipe contests, and I enjoy inventing new recipes, often with the inspiration of FC food articles. So you can see, your magazine has been a great influence in my life. As a little girl, I dreamed over your pages of a farm named Stillmeadow, and today, 20 years later, it is a reality. I like to think that Gladys Taber would be pleased.

Marge Swayne
Prospect, Virginia

*EDITOR’S NOTE: Gladys Taber wrote several articles and columns for FAMILY CIRCLE from the 1950s through the 1970s, about her thoughts on life and her experiences at her country homes, Stillmeadow and Still Cove. She died on March 11, 1980, of heart disease in Cape Cod at age 81. She had a prolific career, and it is evident from the thousands of letters we have received over the years from her fans that she brought them much joy.

Reprints of Gladys Taber’s Book of Stillmeadow and Stillmeadow Road are currently available from the publisher along with her last work, Still Cove Journal. From more information on her works, write to: Harper & Row, Mail Order Dept., 10 East 53 St., New York, NY 10022. To order any of her books, call toll-free: 1-800-242-7737.

**Many thanks to Marge for sharing this photo with us.