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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 - Jul 12 2021 : 3:22:57 PM
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Allison Clark (Allison Clark, #8292) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Expert Level Pay It Forward Merit Badge!
“I donated over 20 hours at the local food bank. I packaged food for charity and several boxes to give out to people. I also did home delivery for a total of 10 hours. I really do like helping at the food pantry and giving out food to people who need it. One of the things I noticed about the people when they come in to get their food is that they have the saddest look on their face. That breaks my heart. I wrote a letter to the editor at the food bank that I work at. I gave concrete ideas that are doable for our area and I talked about hunger in America and what we as individuals can do to help. Some of the ideas I gave him was donated money, give your time, spread the word to other people, go where people in need of food are to help give the food to them.
Once a month, my church goes to a local park. We bring a hot lunch for those in need. We make sure that there's a dessert and they get a bottle of water and a can of soda. We then have them line up and serve them the food and engage in friendly consversations. Then one of us gets to talk to them and share the plan of salvation. This is one of the most fun ministries that I love to do with my church—serve people who can't serve themselves. We also collect clothing donations and bring them along so people can take anything they might need.
Another thing that we do is a free market. It's where several churches in our area get together and collect donations from the members of the church. We have hairstylists that will come cut hair for free. We have people that will bring their barbecues and barbecue lunch for everybody. People donate toothpaste, toothbrushes, sleeping bags, clothes, crock pots, etc. It's an all-day event. Just about every single person leaves with a smile on their face.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2021 : 3:24:30 PM
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Allison Clark (Allison Clark, #8292) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Know Your Roots Merit Badge!
“I talked with my sister, who is the oldest living relative in my family, aside from my brothers but I don't talk much to them. They're the quiet type and they don't like to share information too much. My sister, Teri, shared with me some history of my family our nationality. Teri told me about my mom a lot what she was like. I am now 57 years old when I was 9 years old my mom passed away. I lived with my grandmother for five years. I then went to live with my aunt until I turned 20. My grandmother passed away in 1973. Back then I really didn't think about my heritage, but had always been told I had Native American heritage. It wasn't until about five years ago that I started to wonder about it. Before I started this merit badge, I had already done a DNA test and found out that I'm pretty much 52% European. When I talked to my sister, she was shocked also we believed what my grandmother told us when we were very young and thought that was the gospel truth. After I got my blood test, I decided that I would do some research on my own. I did not get very far lost interest and thought it's not worth it. But then this merit badge came up and I decided to do even more research to find out what my history really is.
I interviewed my younger sister, Lari, who talks a lot to the family about our history and about our heritage. She gave me lots of different information but it did not match up to the blood test I had taken. It's been very difficult to find out exactly what my heritage is. In talking to my family, I realized that there are a lot of people that don't like to share stuff or they have misinformation, and it's all different from one person to another. So, for a while, I didn't know what really to believe but I kept talking to different people to find out more information. This has been a very interesting merit badge. I liked it but I didn't like it—it's been difficult to find out information from my family. In the end, I did enjoy finding out what I did by talking to different relatives about our heritage. It was difficult but worth it.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2021 : 3:26:18 PM
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Allison Clark (Allison Clark, #8292) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Intermediate Level Know Your Roots Merit Badge!
“I've been looking at different websites to find out more about my heritage from the DNA website. I'm also on the Family Search website. I have found out so much information that I did not know and it's amazing. My mother and father got divorced when I was very young so I didn't meet him until I was 28 years old. I learned at that time that he was married again and had two more kids, so I found out I had two more brothers. Before I found out I had two brothers I had 11 brothers and sisters from my mother so now I have 13 brothers and sisters for a total of 14 members in my family, not including the parents. I knew very little about him, so it was good to talk to him. He said he had a brother but we never talked much more after I met him. Two years later, he died of cancer.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2021 : 3:37:26 PM
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Heather Sherwood (Heather S, #8344) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Herbs Merit Badge!
“For this level I chose to look at a few herbs I haven’t used in my herb garden for learning purposes, and one I have:
1) Chamomile: I just planted this one this year so I haven’t had a chance to use it yet. It can be used for teas, especially night teas to help you relax and sleep. I look forward to trying this one once its established in my garden!
2) Echinacea: planted this one late last year and haven’t had a chance to use it yet either. This year its finally growing well so I look forward to using it. Echinacea is commonly used to treat or prevent colds, flu, and infections, and for wound healing. I need to research the processing of the plant before I add it to teas and tinctures.
3) Rosemary: I just planted this one this year so I haven’t had a chance to use it yet. It is a staple in my kitchen for all sorts of recipes, I can’t wait to use my own! Other than a flavoring it can also be used to treat headaches, epilepsy and poor circulation, as a disinfectant in the form of mouth wash and also to treat fevers.
4) Wintergreen: I don’t have wintergreen planted but we have it wild al over the property. I use the leaves for tea and the berries to add to homemade ice cream. Wintergreen has naturally occurring ASA and is great as a tea with honey for headaches and minor body aches as long as you don’t have any thin blood issues.
5) Sage: I have an enormous sage plant. I use it to flavor soups and stews, and when its over abundant I use it to burn in little dishes to repel mosquito’s outside. I also have family who use it for cleansing negativity out of spaces, so I often make bundles for them as well.
Year 1 of the new herb garden was a success!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2021 : 3:39:01 PM
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Heather Sherwood (Heather S, #8344) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Intermediate Level Herbs Merit Badge!
“Last spring, I started my new herb garden and planted chives, oregano and thyme. I dehydrated them throughout the summer and fall to use in all my favorite recipes and spice mixes over the winter months when the fresh isn’t available.
I’m out of dried chives right now, they're just finishing their flowers (which are also pretty to add to salads and soups!), so I can start drying again soon. I do use them fresh as needed, my favorite way while they thrive during the summer and fall. I do have dried oregano and thyme left I use, I attached a photo of what’s left of last year's bounty!
F=It turned out fabulous, I found out I need to dry 2X as many chives for winter after we ran out by January! Chives are a staple ingredient in the kids favorite Macaroni and Cheese recipe (which we make a lot!).”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2021 : 4:48:59 PM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a Beginner Level Pay It Forward Merit Badge!
“My husband and I spend on average $300 per fortnight on groceries. This amounts to $150/week, $21.42/day, $7.14/meal or $3.57 per person per meal. We decided to skip lunch on Monday and contribute our savings to those who struggle to put food on their table.
Our church supports the work of Leprosy Mission Australia, so I decided to contribute a donation of $50 to their work in providing food for those affected by this debilitating disease. $10 buys a pair of chickens to help set up a poultry business. Eggs provide a family with extra protein, vitamins, and minerals in their diet. Any surplus can be sold in the market creating a regular income. $40 buys a farmer's tool box which helps realise the dream of a trade for a person affected by leprosy. This gift includes all the tools they need to start working and earning, along with essential training in growing their own food.
Hopefully these gifts can provide a longer term solution to the issues of hunger.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2021 : 4:50:31 PM
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Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Buttoned Up Merit Badge!
“I guess you could say that I have accidentally been collecting buttons for many years. If I'm sewing a project and have leftover buttons, I always keep them and add them to my sewing box - just in case you might need one! Sometimes a garment will come with a spare button and it gets tossed into my collection.
I had fun actually going through the buttons that I had for this merit badge. I have well over 50, so I sorted them into colours. The photo attached is of predominantly the navy shades with a few gold thrown in for good measure!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2021 : 5:05:04 PM
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Allison Clark (Allison Clark, #8292) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Expert Level Know Your Roots Merit Badge!
“My family got together and had a reunion and a memorial service for my sister-in-law. We planned this reunion as a family so that we could get people together, spend time with each other, and talk about the good old days so to speak. This reunion was an amazing time that I spent with my family. I have 14 brothers and sisters. counting myself. All of them showed up except for one sister. I could not get ahold of my other two brothers from my father's marriage so they were not able to come. Two of my brothers passed away many years ago they were not there. At the reunion, I was able to share with them the things that I had learned about the history of our family about our heritage. It was neat meeting my cousin, David. I haven't seen him since I was a small child. When I was a child, he used to tease me and pick on me and call me names. He's four years older than me. After not seeing him for 40 years he kept apologizing to me for how he treated me as a little kid. He shared with me why he was so mean to me I never knew why, but now I do. It was nice to be able to get together and find out the story behind why he was the way he was.
I was able to talk to my brother, Michael, a little bit more about our history he gave me some more information and normally he doesn't talk very much, but I got some information out of him, which was kind of cool. It was nice to be able to see my sister, Sherry. I also haven't seen her for six years she's been very sick and not able to get out of the house. She was happy to share some more information about our heritage. The one thing I noticed about my family is that we're all getting old—wow never really thought about that until I saw everybody. Despite the fact that we're getting old we still love each other I was able to share crazy stories about what we did as kids.
When I lived with my grandmother, I grew up on a ranch we had cows, pigs, chickens, geese, dogs, and cats. My brothers would hunt for deer in the mountains because we had 83 acres to do as we wanted to do. At Christmas, we climbed the mountain and cut down our Christmas tree. The reunion was an amazing time to learn more about my history and my heritage also spend time with my family. This turned out good.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2021 : 5:06:44 PM
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Allison Clark (Allison Clark, #8292) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning a Beginner Level Stargazing Chicks Merit Badge!
“I observed the night sky for several days. The five brightest objects in the sky were the moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Arcturus, and Polaris. I was able to find them in the sky. I found the constallation Ursa Major and its major stars. The stars are DUBHE, MERAK, PHAD, ALKAID, MEGREZ, ALIOTH, MIZAR, and TALITHA. The difference between planets and stars is that planets move and the stars stay in the same spot. I learned about the degrees of Arc and how to measure and estimate them.
If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, you can use your hands to find your current location's latitude. To do this, stretch your hands in front of you and measure the angle between the visible horizon and the North Star. This angle is your latitude in degrees. Raise your three middle fingers to measure 5 degrees. Clench your fist or hold your hand like a policeman stopping traffic to measure 10 degrees. Now stretch your thumb and little finger as wide as you can (one full hand span) to measure about 20 degrees. I took pictures of the night sky.”
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MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 09:55:14 AM
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Nancy A Joplin (Nancy A Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Farmgirl Gratitude Merit Badge!
“I wrote a gratitude journal every day for a month. I did not repeat the same gratitude. I also read from The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing in a gratitude journal. There are so many wonderful things happening. Even on a low day, there is something for which to be grateful.
I read The Book of Awesome and found so many amusing things in it. Some of the entries were very funny, while I found some of them thought provoking. I am so glad that I read it!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 09:55:54 AM
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Nancy A Joplin (Nancy A Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Know Your Roots Merit Badge!
“I sat down with my youngest sister. We went through all of the information about our ancestors that I have compiled over the years since I became the unofficial historian in our family. I am the "Storyteller", so to speak. We have begun to work on our family tree which is something that I am continuing to add to on a regular basis.
We are discovering so many things about our family! We have found members of our family that no one knew existed ... and they live close to us. I also discovered that my husband's Great Grandmother owned and run the family farm after the death of her husband during a time when women were considered too fragile to do such things! Amazing woman!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 09:57:08 AM
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Nancy A Joplin (Nancy A Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Intermediate Level Weather Merit Badge!
“I learned about clouds and how they are formed. I found out how clouds are classified and classified clouds that I saw day to day. I tried to predict the weather based on the clouds that I saw.
Clouds are so beautiful. There are so many different classifications of clouds, even beyond the simple ones that we learned in school. Sometimes they tell a great deal about the weather.
Humidity, air pressure, and wind speed can cause so many changes in them. Some days it was harder to predict the weather than others. The thunderheads were the easiest ones to use for weather prediction!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 09:57:50 AM
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Nancy A Joplin (Nancy A Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Expert Level Weather Merit Badge!
“I kept a detailed chart of the weather for my area for one month. I kept track of temperature, moisture, wind, cloud patterns, barometric pressure, and dew point. I noted changes throughout the day.
It was interesting to note the changes throughout the day. As the temperature increased and decreased, so did other weather aspects. The barometric pressure changed and that seemed to affect the wind speed. Also, as the temperature increased the dew point also changed. Watching the weather closely made it easier to see how and why changes happen as they do.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 10:22:39 AM
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Gwendolyn Deaton (gwennierenee, #8112) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Embroidery Merit Badge!
“For this badge, I spent quite some time searching for just the right sampler to stitch and finally found these printed fabrics on Etsy. I learned and stitched the required stitches. The embroidery hoops serve as frames and these will hang on my craft room wall for years to come. The stitches I learned for this project are split stitch, back stitch, stem stitch, chain stitch, satin stitch, lazy daisy, French knot, scallop stitch, straight/seed stitch, long and short stitch, woven spider's web or woven wheel, fishbone stitch, fly stitch, whipped wheel, feather stitch, running stitch, threaded running stitch, buttonhole wheel, bullion knots, couching, and whipped stem stitch. I enjoyed this project and already have my next projects picked out and will be beginning my days of the week towels soon.
I learned a lot about the stitches I was working and enjoyed this project a great deal. I look forward to many more to come.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 10:26:33 AM
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Gwendolyn Deaton (gwennierenee, #8112) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a Beginner Level Canning Merit Badge!
“I purchased the book Complete Guide to Home Canning from the USDA. The book describes the different pH levels of different types of food and how the pH levels affect the safety of and types of canning required for different foods. Low acid foods, if not properly canned, can help botulism grow in your canned goods. The book explained that foods high in acids or with acids added during the canning process can help to kill off botulism spores. The book also explains that low acid foods need to be pressure canned at recommended times for each food and the recommended pounds of pressure to kill off botulism spores. High acid foods are able to be water-bath canned because the acid content make them safer.
For this badge I choose to compare some canned green beans, canned corn. and a jar of olives purchased from the grocery store. Due to the acid content, the corn and the green beans were likely pressure canned. The olives are in a brine of vinegar, which is high in acid, so even though the olives are a low acid food, it’s likely the olives were water bath canned.
I learned a great deal about possible bacterias that can be deadly if the canning process is not followed properly. I also distilled some of the fears that I have in canning my own foods.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 10:38:39 AM
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Gwendolyn Deaton (gwennierenee, #8112) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Intermediate Level Canning Merit Badge!
“I purchased a water bath canner and some quart and pint jars. I bought vinegar and different seasonings. I already have an abundance of cucumbers growing in my garden and a local farmer had “ugly” tomatoes for sale cheap. I made dill pickles and salsa. I took a gift basket to my friend today with a couple jars of pickles and salsa along with a copy of the USDA canning guidelines book. The recipes I used came off the ball canning website, as I did not have my book yet, and I canned my items during the week last week, but I did share those recipes with my friend along with the book.
I felt such a great satisfaction it getting my items together and seeing my finished products emerging from the canner. Pinging jars is such an exciting sound.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 10:40:51 AM
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Gwendolyn Deaton (gwennierenee, #8112) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Bee Good to Your Mother Earth Merit Badge!
“I started a vegetable garden this year. I've planted several varieties of tomatoes, several varieties of peppers, cucumbers, okra, and green beans. I’ve already harvested some peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers. I never use pesticides. I grow organically just by growing. I haven’t really gotten into using good insects against bad but I have seen where if you plant certain things they ward off certain bugs. I’m currently researching companion gardening so that in the future I will be able to get the most out of my gardening. I did read Life in a Garden and found it quite interesting and plan on rereading it in the coming week.
I’ve learned the joy of seeing fresh produce in my backyard and eating the proceeds of my hard work. I’m in love with growing my own things and with gaining the knowledge that with just a little hard work and planning and I can create a self sufficient life for myself.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 10:43:28 AM
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Gwendolyn Deaton (gwennierenee, #8112) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Farmgirl Gratitude Merit Badge!
“I purchased The Book of Awesome and a gratitude journal the beginning of June. I have been reading The Book of Awesome and writing in my journal daily since then. It’s amazing the things you find to be grateful for if you just take a moment to think about and appreciate what you have in life.
I feel like I’ve been able to let go of quite a bit of negativity since I’ve begun this. When I feel myself having negative or ugly thoughts, I make myself stop and find something good about the situation I’m in and I feel this is making me an overall happier person lately.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 10:57:57 AM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a Beginner Level Cheesemaking Merit Badge!
“I was very fortunate to be able to be a part of the start up of an “added-value” project at a local dairy. This means that the dairy farm raised and cared for the cows, gathered milk, and then turned the milk into a marketable product. One of the first, and best-loved products was yogurt. We used large scale equipment that helped to regulate the temperature and we also used purchased enzymes to be sure that we had a successful product. We made whole milk yogurt and Greek yogurt, too.
I was involved in all areas of production from pasteurization to packaging to post-production sanitization, and finally distribution, both on-site and at local farmer’s markets. I also had the opportunity to work a taste testing table at the Washington County Dairy Tour during which I was able to talk to people and share the yogurt making process with them.
We also experimented with flavoring the yogurt: maple and vanilla. They are all excellent!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 11:04:51 AM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Intermediate Level Cheesemaking Merit Badge!
“Rennet is basically a mixture of enzymes including chymosin, pepsin and lipase. They curdle the casein in the milk to help the solids to form curds and the liquid whey to be able to drain off. There are different enzyme combinations that are available for purchase for specific cheeses.
My cheesemaking journey happened at a local dairy farm and I was fortunate enough to be able to help in the production in a very hands-on way. We started with well sanitized equipment and raw milk direct from the farm. I learned that hard, aged cheeses can be made from unpasteurized milk because the aging process ensures that any bacteria in the milk are no longer active at the end of the aging process. Soft cheeses are all made from pasteurized milk.
I spent a lot of time in the cheese aging room caring for the cheeses during the aging process. It is very important to control the molds that collect on the cheese. This is done by preparing a brine that contains water, salt, and vinegar that is heated up to make sure that the salt dissolves. The cheese round is then wiped down with a cloth soaked in the brine and then returned to the shelf inverted so that the cheese is rotated every day. Depending on the sharpness desired, the cheese is aged from 3-6 months or much longer.
This was a lot of fun and I learned SO much!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 11:07:37 AM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Expert Level Cheesemaking Merit Badge!
“Besides yogurt and basic cheddar cheese, I've had a hand in making some interesting cheeses. My favorite was a small molded camembert which we referred to as “Bert”. To make this cheese we started with pasteurized milk and enzymes. The resulting curd was poured into molds which were metal tubes of about 4-inch diameter set into a rack. Each tube was filled and then allowed to cool slowly. After 8 hours of settling, the whey was drained off and the tube and curd were flipped over and allowed to settle for another 8 hours. After this time the whey had all drained out and a condensed round of cheese was finally removed from the tube then sprinkled with salt. The rounds then went into the aging room where they were allowed to develop a hairy mold. Each day for the next few weeks, I would handle each small round of cheese, carefully patting the hairy mold down against the cheese and then return it to the shelf inverted. Eventually the compressed mold created a skin. The cheese was then wrapped in cheese wrap and allowed to rest for about a month in the cool, moisture controlled aging room. The final step is to place the cheese in a cooler space for several more weeks before selling.
Another cheese that I worked with was mozzarella which my kids and I helped to “stretch.” I don’t know why it is called stretching because that is not exactly what the process is like. It is closer to kneading, as with bread dough. The pressing/sliding motion of the hands causes the long fibrous “strings” to form in the cheese while at the same time pressing the curd together. We created hundreds of mozzarella balls, approximately the size of baseballs, for the Farmer’s Markets.
I also cared for some Dunlop cheeses, which age like cheddar rounds and require regular washing with brine. Dunlop is made from sweet milk and a special rennet.
We also made a soft cheese called Quark. This is a good cheese to use for making cheese balls. It has a flavor similar to plain yogurt. It is unaged and can easily be flavored with herbs. This is a very easy cheese to play with in the home kitchen as it is a simple recipe and reliably successful.
We didn’t smoke any cheeses but we did have a lot of fun experimenting with different flavor combinations for the “squeaky” cheese. This is basically just fresh, unaged cheddar curds that can be tossed in herbs, packaged, and sold immediately. In fact, the sooner you eat this cheese after production the better it tastes! We would make batches of these curds on the day before market so that they were as fresh as possible, and I always enjoyed taste testing each batch before packaging.
My days at the cheese farm were such fun and my family also enjoyed developing recipes for using the gallons of whey that I brought home. We used it as the liquid in bread and other recipes, and I put it out for my chickens and the dogs and cats, too.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 11:09:42 AM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning a Beginner Level Music Merit Badge!
“The three basic elements of music are rhythm, melody and harmony. Rhythm can be described as the pulse of a piece of music, its patter or time. It refers to stressed and unstressed notes and their duration. Melody is the succession of notes, as seen in sheet music, how one note leads to the next note, and then the next note, and follows the established timing (rhythm). Melody is a linear aspect of music. Harmony is considered a vertical element of music. On sheet music it is a combination of notes, as in chord, played at the same linear moment of time. These notes are considered to be a pleasing combination (consonance) or unpleasant (dissonance) depending on the desired response in the listener.
I love to dance, so my favorite rhythms are those of dance tunes, like in CCR’s Suzie Q, which is classed in the “swamp rock” genre. The rhythm in this song is fast-timed and percussion driven. The melody is a simple repeat of a few lines of lyrics with a bridge that is played a couple times depending on the version. The harmony is also simple and the vertical range of notes is easy enough for most voices to join in regardless of vocal range.
The genre that had some of the most loved melodies would be 50’s Rock. Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers is a great example of that. The rhythm in this tune is quite slow with several partial beats established by the drums and more stressed notes amplified by the brass instruments. The melody is slow and flowing and more intricate than a lot of rock tunes but also covers a broad range of notes, from quite low on the scale to quite high. The harmony in this song is established with the stringed instruments and the vocals and are in beautiful consonance, which is probably why this is one of the most recorded/covered songs in the 20th century.
One of my favorite examples of great harmony is a song called Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye, an Indie-pop band. It is highly rhythmic in a way that draws the listener right in with its quick tempo strummed out on guitar. The melody is soft to start but gains volume and range as the song progresses, growing to a crescendo midway into the song as more instruments join the scene, then dropping back to soft notes to restart with a female vocal where the melody repeats and crescendos again. The harmony of this song gives the listener goose bumps. There is just enough dissonance in the harmony that the listener is immediately tuned in and captured by the haunting refrain. This song also uses polyphony (two parts sung together) to help create a combination of consonance and dissonance that turns out to be very appealing. This helped to propel the song to the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release.
This was not as easy as I thought when I started this badge. I had to listen to each song a couple times and really pay attention to the different elements. I think I will listen to music a little differently, more closely, now.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 11:11:46 AM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an Intermediate Level Music Merit Badge!
“Ludwig van Beethoven and Hans Zimmer are both musicians and composers. They are probably on the same “level” as far as musicians of their times.
Both men were born in Germany. Beethoven was born around 1770 in Bonn, and Zimmer was born 1957 in Frankfurt. They both played piano and composed music for instrumentation for the full orchestra, although the orchestra of Beethoven’s time period was not as vast as Zimmer’s. They both wrote highly expressive musical scores, with wide ranges of emotions. They both used augmentation, which means that their melodies often include intervals which increase by half steps or half tones. They both utilized diminution, which means that a single long note is divided into multiple shorter notes, in a way that is melodic and “ornamental.” And they are both described as having “thematic integrity” in their compositions.
What sets these two composers apart is the fact that Zimmer integrates electronic sounds with his traditional orchestra. He also plays keyboard, synthesizer, guitar and banjo, while Beethoven was strictly a pianist. Zimmer’s compositions are written for much larger orchestras due to many new musical instruments on the scene of todays orchestra, although Beethoven’s music has been extrapolated to include parts for these instruments, too.
We all know of Beethoven, and probably most of us have a favorite among his compositions. But we are probably much less aware of Hans Zimmer, despite the fact that most of us has heard, and most likely fallen in love with, many of his compositions, too! He has composed music for 150 films, including The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and so many others. Sadly, artists like Hans tend to fade into the background of fame and recognition, but his work lives large and will most likely continue to impress long after Hans leaves the planet, just like Beethoven’s beloved music.”
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MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 11:13:43 AM
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Carrie Williams (Carrie W, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an Expert Level Music Merit Badge!
“I've learned to play two instruments: piano as a child and flute as an adult. I do not currently have access to a piano, unfortunately, but I do have my flute and I learned to play several simple tunes, mostly old hymns and Christmas carols for my own enjoyment. I think that the piano is the more pleasurable instrument to play since I can sing along with the notes embellish the melody here and there. But pianos are not portable and take up far more space than I have available currently, therefore the flute has become my secondary musical outlet. I took many years of lessons for piano and only a few lessons on the flute due to my flute teacher having a baby and retiring from teaching. I was able to continue to teach myself some simple songs and that has had to suffice for now. I will pick up with lessons again someday. (Pic is of me playing for my family at Christmas, photo credit to my youngest daughter).
I also have been a singer in several choirs. I was part of an annual Community Choir performance in a local church that was put on as fundraiser that supplied the elementary school aged children in our town with necessary supplies for school. I loved doing these performances because the pieces of music that the leader chose were a great mixture of fun tunes and challenging ones. I am an alto and I got to practice with some fun ladies, mostly farm wives, and these performances helped me to meet a lot of women that I would not have met otherwise.
I also participated in the Christmas Choir at my church for many years. This is where I learned the most because the leader for these performances was a music teacher and we put a lot of hours into making our parts perfect! No shrinking voices in this chorus because we had a small group and each voice needed to be heard. We created fantastic harmonies and these performances made Christmas Eve service spectacular.
I love music and this badge was fun to work on. It made me practice my flute more and appreciate all the opportunities I had to lift my voice along with others in order to bring pleasure to our listeners. I can't wait to do more!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2021 : 11:34:51 AM
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Candy Hogan (Tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rythmatic Merit Badge!
“Fiction books I read:
The Vine basket;
Magic Tree House Christmas in Camelot;
Have sword will travel.
Nonfiction I read:
Stone skipping and Other Fun Old Time Games;
Scotland;
Haiti.
Poetry books I read:
Hidden City Poems of Urban Wildlife;
Thinker My Puppy Poet and Me;
The Horse Haiku.
I liked The Horse Haiku the best.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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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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