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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!:  Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 04 2012 : 4:09:02 PM
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Emily Race, (Simply Satisfied #3591) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an intermediate level The Secret Life of Bees badge.
"I read about the difference between raw and processed honey. Not only how they process honey but what nutrition they lose in order to improve shelf life. I also found and bought honey from a local vendor that was processed honey. It was interesting to see the variation of color due to the colors used by the bees. Candace Savage's book was incredibly interesting. I am so impressed that not only that bees can communicate so clearly with each other but also the careful observing of the researchers to figure it all out.
I learned a lot about bees and their honey. It makes me so motivated to try so raw honey and also some honeycomb. I loved reading the book and learning how people proved the bees capable of so much more than random success. I am really looking forward to the expert badge. I have a new friend who just so happens to have two hives. When spring is here I will get to go over and help with her bees. I can't wait to see how they work and what she does for them." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2012 : 3:41:23 PM
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Carrie Goad, (Homestead Dreams #3028) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an intermediate level Entrepreneurial Spirit badge.
"I AM STARTING MY OWN ART BUSINESS!! I can't beleive it. I registered a business name at the county clerks office, I got approval from the zoning office to have a home business, I got a tax number, and submitted for a business license!
I put together a web site, a sister Facebook page , signed up an email address, and ordered business cards and some other business advertisement items today!
All I'm waiting for is everything to be "finalized" a little-- just another few days. I have a few more ends to tie up and I'll be shouting my new business from the roof tops for my Expert Entrepeneurial Spirit Badge :)
ST CATHERINE'S APPRENTICE: Fine Art & Commissions by Carrie Goad
Web: www.carriegoadportraits.com " |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2012 : 4:30:36 PM
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Katrina Peabody, (katnip05 #2763) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a beginner level Shopping Green badge.
"I have had a collection of reusable bags for several years, but I haven't always been consistent about using them. I have started keeping them in my car so that I can't use the excuse of forgetting them when I do my shopping.
We have drastically reduced the number of plastic bags coming into our house and it's actually much easier to carry the groceries in the reusable bags!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 11:31:01 AM
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Katrina Peabody, (katnip05 #2763) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an intermediate level Shopping Green badge.
"I was frustrated with the cost of laundry detergent and the amount of packaging we were throwing away, so we decided to start making our own laundry detergent.
We have been making our laundry detergent for over a year now. We spend less than two dollars on a batch that lasts us about three months and all of the packaging for the ingredients is biodegradable. We are also very happy with the way our detergent gets our clothes clean." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 11:38:11 AM
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Katrina Peabody, (katnip05 #2763) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a beginner level Farmgirl Gratitude badge.
"I kept a gratitude journal every day for a month.
I had a baby just before Thanksgiving, so I've been very thankful for things like coffee and our king-size bed! But, I also took the time to realize how grateful I am for my husband taking baby duty on the weekend nights and for my sweet sister who has been such a huge help to me during the holidays!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 11:44:57 AM
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Katrina Peabody, (katnip05 #2763) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a beginner level Families Forever badge.
"We had a family game night once a week for more than two months and my husband and I read the books "Because of Winn Dixie" and "Charlotte's Web" to our five-year-old.
We love family game night and plan to keep it as a tradition until our kids have moved out. My son reminds me every night to read a chapter in "our book." I even took "Charlotte's Web" with me to the hospital when I had my baby so that we wouldn't miss a night. It was a great way to reassure my five-year-old that even though our family was growing, we would still always have time for him." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 11:50:53 AM
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Katrina Peabody, (katnip05 #2763) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a beginner level Get It Together badge.
"I organized my storage containers and recycled the ones I don't use or that didn't have lids. I added a basket to my cupboard to hold all of the lids.
It's wonderful to open my cupboard and be able to grab a container and know that I have a lid that fits it. And now that the cupboard is more organized, my husband even knows where to put things when he puts dishes away!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 11:56:46 AM
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Katrina Peabody, (katnip05 #2763) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an intermediate level Get It Together badge.
"I decluttered my entire kitchen and gave away a box of items I no longer needed to my sister, who just moved into her first home. I made a list of everything I would like to add to my kitchen and I keep it in my purse so I will have it when I am out shopping.
Having organized cupboards makes it much easier to work in the kitchen. It's also been nice to be able to pick up one or two small items every week or two, when before I could never remember what it was that I wanted when I was at the store." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 12:04:56 PM
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Laurie Conner, (Montrose Girl #1987) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Scrapbooking badge.
"Lately, I have been working on a "first year" scrapbook for my son. From birth, an average day playing with daddy, to his first holidays and all the family members that have come to see him. Since his father and I are older and our parents even older I want him to have memories of them.
I read the chapters in Saving Stuff and learned about the terms applied in scrapbooking like vellum and lignin.
I used vellum, buttons, fabric, ribbon, tatting, recycled pieces of magazines, and left over paper from the baby shower. I also included a drawing one of the nurses did in the NICU and the parent buddy, a piece of cloth you put next to you and then put in the baby's pen for when you can't be there.
I hope that my son will enjoy looking back at the memories he gave us during his first year and it will be something he will be able to share with his children."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 12:15:45 PM
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Gracey Larson, (Gracey #3697) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Buttoned Up badge.
"During the past 10 years I have been slowly putting together my humble collection of vintage buttons from two of my Grandmas (some of them were my great-grandmothers'). A few of them from my Dad's side of the family, he remembers playing with when he was a little boy. I treasure them so much! Some of them are very simple, some of them are elegant, and some of them just have that retro bling! I just recently added a few of these to my collection including one that's a duck with a hat on :)
I think it turned out great! I have my lovely little collection of 59 buttons + 2 belt buckles that will be fun to turn into a button collage, pillow, display or button bracelet :) Although I have been collecting for about 10 years, I have recently added a lot of them since September, hoping that I would get a Farmgirl membership for Christmas...which I did! :)"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 12:35:48 PM
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Kim Watts, (henlady35904 #2667) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a beginner level Gaining Ground badge.
"I started a compost heap about a year ago.
I have used the compost in my vegetable and flower gardens. WOW!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 12:43:58 PM
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Laurie Conner, (Montrose Girl #1987) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an expert level Ink Slinger badge.
"I read a lot of books in the fantasy genre while I was pregnant. A few are numerous Discworld novels by Terry Pratchet and the "Complete Ivory Series" by Doris Egan.
I completed 20 pages of my new novel. I don't have a title yet as those always take me longer and are sometimes harder than writing the complete manuscript.
I've been writing since I was ten and enjoy exploring new worlds as my characters make there way from one misadventure to another. I've delved into a new realm with this latest novel as my main character is a brewess and I know nothing about beer or ale.
I love reading and have taken to reading out loud to my son." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 1:18:22 PM
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Laurie Conner, (Montrose Girl #1987) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an expert level Self-sufficiency badge.
"When my niece was here in August I bought two boxes of corn and we put it up to freeze. She had never done that so I sent some home with her and her kids loved it.
I've been making dried fruit leather for years. My latest is a rhubarb/cranberry.
I love being able to put aside food and sharing the knowledge with my niece has been even better." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 1:38:00 PM
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Deborah Lee, (DeborahLee #2970) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Homespun Christmas badge.
"I've been learning all these great "farm girl" skills this past year and decided to put them to use for Christmas.
I made over half of my Christmas ornaments this year. I used items that I canned this past summer for gifts (my first time canning ever!) I learned to crochet this fall and made several different styles of dishcloths for folks as gifts.
The gifts turned out great! It felt so much more personal---making something for someone instead of buying junk that they would forget about days after the gift. Even my brother commented on how nice the handmade dishcloths are! And I've already received "hints" about how folks would like something similar for next year. I'm already starting a project list for next Christmas---I have even bigger plans for the 2012 holiday season!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 1:58:26 PM
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Paula Black, (Sheepless in Seattle #2953) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an expert level Bustin' Out badge.
"Our family has continued in its organic adventure which was made easy by joining a CSA. Estrella Farms of Monsanto provided us with things like tomatoes, pattipan squash, broccoli, cabbage, and leeks. We also grew blueberries and tried organic milk, granola, cilantro, cream cheese, whole wheat/corn tortillas and organic bananas.
Perhaps you can see in the photo, the outline of a heart inside the slice of carrot. And that's how it has turned out. My husband, who does most of the shopping, continues to buy organic especially when it comes to dairy. In the tortilla "department" though, finding something that's whole grain and organic that doesn't taste like cardboard is difficult. So, thank you MaryJanesFarm and Estrella farms, we never would have done this on our own! Until now, we always shopped by price first, not nutritional value."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 2:14:19 PM
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Katrina Peabody, (katnip05 #2763) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an expert level Get It Together badge.
"I learned how to sharpen my knives and have been keeping them sharp.
This has been so liberating! This was always something my dad did for my mom and I had always just expected my husband to do it for me. Unfortunately, he couldn't always get to it or he would forget, and I would be left using dull knives. Now I just do it myself and chopping and slicing is so much easier!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 3:47:31 PM
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Katrina Peabody, (katnip05 #2763) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Sew Wonderful badge.
"I made a sewing kit with a pin keeper from an antique canning jar.
I keep my sewing kit near my chair and I use it to do my mending when I am relaxing in the evenings. My mountain of mending is slowly shrinking!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 3:58:24 PM
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Kim Watts, (henlady35904 #2667) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a beginner level Backyard Farmer badge.
"I have raised 21 hens from just a few days old to going on 3 years old. I have learned a lot along the way. I feed the girls as organically as possible, feeding mostly fresh, organic, turnip greens out of the garden. Thankfully I live in a zone where greens grow all winter. Homemade bread is one of their favorite treats.
I would never, ever buy a store bought egg again. My eggs are so delicious, I sell out within 1 hour during farmers market season." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 4:08:10 PM
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Kim Watts, (henlady35904 #2667) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Knitting badge.
"I work with a lady who is always knitting something when she is not busy. I mentioned one day that I had always wanted to learn to knit and I would sit mesmerized with the click, click. The next shift we worked together, she brought me a pair of shiny,aqua #7's. They were beautiful and mine!! Hours and hours of her patience and time away from work, she began teaching me. Cast on, knit to end. Cast off.
About a month later, my first dishcloth was completed. I taught another coworker to knit. And yes she got her own shiny aqua #7's." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 4:15:35 PM
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Kim Watts, (henlady35904 #2667) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a beginner level Shopping Green badge.
"I have become green... collected 6 reusable shopping bags, 2 insulated, reusable bags. I am committed to using them.
There is not one plastic bag in my house. At Christmas, my guests had to carry leftovers home in reusable bags. I keep two in my car for unexpected trips." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2012 : 09:59:03 AM
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Beth Pierce, (Tree Sister #2557) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a beginner level Going Green badge.
"Mission Statement: To provide a healthy environment by using green cleaners, not only for myself and my family but also for the air and soil which support plant life.
I shared some of my green products with some of my friends. One friend received samples of green cleaners organic products, as well as a subscription to Mary Jane's Farm magazine, and I shared my recipe for laundry detergent (under my Intermediate badge request) with a forum on a message board called The Green Alcove.
The friend who received the samples is now using them and the message board raved about my organic laundry detergent."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2012 : 10:18:40 AM
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Beth Pierce, (Tree Sister #2557) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a beginner level Shopping Green badge.
"A while back I took a quilting class and was unhappy with the result. So I decided I would dig out my unused flannel back tablecloth and use it and the quilt top to make three insulated market bags. I belong to an online community, and there was a contest to see who could create the best shopping bag. Although I didn't win, (first place was feed sacks), I still got a lot of comments and votes.
Being as I had several scraps left over, I used them to make more shopping bags. And I always reuse my plastic ziplock bags.
The photo shows just one insulated market bag, as well as the plastic bag holder I use to dry my ziplock bags."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2012 : 10:30:22 AM
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Beth Pierce, (Tree Sister #2557) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an intermediate level Shopping Green badge.
"My favorite research project was to find out the benefits of vinegar and baking soda. If these two components are used together, along with hot water, they make a wonderful drain opener. Baking soda sprinkled on burned on food in an oven or dish will remove the burned portion. Baking soda also softens hard water. Vinegar can be used to kill ants, soften towels in the rinse cycle, clean carpets and floors, clean windows and mirrors, as well as toothbrushes. It is my staple cleaner.
The baking soda is marvelous to clean an oven. Sprinkle a little on, moisten it, and let it sit overnight and you can rinse it out in the morning. Being as I live in a very hard water area, I have well water, baking soda has made my hands very soft.
I cleaned my carpets today with vinegar and they look and smell wonderful. I also use vinegar to clean my metal sink, and it's very cheap!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2012 : 10:41:46 AM
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Beth Pierce, (Tree Sister #2557) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a beginner level Green Energy badge.
"The most common form of power in my area is electricity, which is acquired through coal fired power plants. These plants use large chunks of coal to generate electricity. However, this coal is a fossil fuel and it also is costly toward the environment. I learned that there are two types of coal: anthracite and bituminous. The bituminous holds heat longer, but due to its size, expends more dangerous gases. The anthracite coal, known as rice coal, is used for heat in many homes, including mine. This coal burns cleaner and is smaller.
Then there is the issue of natural gas. This is a very sensitive one for me because I live in the Marcellus shale region of Pennsylvania, and the environment has been under attack by the gas mongers who want to drill and create gas wells. This is a problem because it contaminates the air, land and water. Although natural gas, in its final stage, burns cleaner than any other fossil fuel, to get it to that stage ruins every environmental surface. This is an extremely sensitive issue for me and one I don't want to go into detail here.
Because of my sensitivity toward natural gas, I've started my own blog. But you can't stop a machine as huge as the gas companies, when they are supported by the government. So I write on my blog."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2012 : 11:35:49 AM
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Beth Pierce, (Tree Sister #2557) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an intermediate level Green Energy badge.
"I kept a journal for a month of my expenses from the electric bill, natural gas, and coal. I checked out a device called a Kilowatt Meter from my local library to see how much energy is used by certain items in my home. I also tracked my gas mileage for the same month.
I have replaced a few light bulbs with energy saving bulbs, but cannot use the CFLs with the tubes as they aggravate my eyes. I did find some that don't do this, and for 15 watts, I get 40 watts of light. I did research on LED's.
I learned that I can combine my trips to town to save gas. The electric, natural gas and coal expenses are static and remain pretty much the same.
I replaced the 100 watt incandescent with energy saving bulbs. And my research on Led's revealed that people who have a constitution for macular degeneration should not use these bulbs.
I have started combining meals in my oven to save electricity. Being as my electric is on a budget plan, I can alter next year's budget by cutting back this year."
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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!: Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees
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