| Author |
Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!:  Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 19 2023 : 10:56:46 AM
|
Rea Nakanishi (Lacey, #8284) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning an Expert Level Buzzin' Around Merit Badge!
"Had to remove my dead peach tree.
So, I got out the chain saw and the job was done in an instant. Now time to plant another tree.
The right tools make things easy."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
 |
 |
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2023 : 11:01:41 AM
|
Cyndy Wright (Cyndy Wildrose, #8426) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Beginner Level Shopping Green Merit Badge!
"I went through my tings and found 4 bags that I have boughten or were gifted from my friends. Made one bag in a class my friend Nancy did for my group. Then made one on my own, which gave me a total of six. I now keep them in my car so I have them when I get to the store.
It has turned out great! I did not realize how many bags needed up at my house that just stacked up and were such a waste of resources and space."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2023 : 11:08:15 AM
|
Cyndy Wright (Cyndy Wildrose, #8426) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Beginner Level Little Squirts Merit Badge!
"Last November I oiled and sharpened all my tools. We garden all year here so nothing really get stored away.
In April the boys and I get all the bikes lined up and and I showed them how to oil the chains.
This last Saturday I went through the house and oils all the hinges and locks.
Oiling all the tools was a first for me. Not sure I will do that again. We garden all year here so things don’t have a chance to get rusty. However it was sure nice to see the cleaned up shiny tools.
My two boys learn a lot about how the chain work on the bikes and we were all set to go bike riding in the early spring.
Not more squeaks! And the lock are moving so nicely! My house was built in 1920 and really needed the extra touches. "
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2023 : 11:11:35 AM
|
Cyndy Wright (Cyndy Wildrose, #8426) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Intermediate Level Little Squirts Merit Badge!
"I had oiled all the locks when I did the hinges. I had no more squeaks and the locks all moved nicely. However two of my doors were sticking so I ended up re-shimming them so that they would open and close smoothly.
Really nice to have the doors opening and closing smoothly. I did not realize how much stress it causes to have to shove on the door every time."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2023 : 11:16:31 AM
|
Candy Hogan (Tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Expert Level Lost Art of Letter Writing Merit Badge!
"I was able to find a new pen pal with a fellow farm girl named Marlen. I have sent 7 letters and received 5 letters to date. It has been great getting to know her through writing letters and I plan to continue.
I posted on the Chit Chat forum.
The swaps I participated in are:
Valentines Pocket Letters, Stationary Swap and the Ditty Bag Swap."
.jpg?v 13673248)
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2023 : 11:19:10 AM
|
Cindy Kinion (AussieChick, #6058) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Expert Level Lost Art of Letter Writing Merit Badge!
"In addition to my farmgirl friends, I also have a pen pal in Munich, Germany, and another in Whakatane, New Zealand. I have been writing to Lucia & Pauline for nearly 20 years. My husband & I have also been fortunate to visit both of them in their respective countries which was an incredible experience. The joy of letter writing is to be able to share with your pen pal a little about your piece of this world. You can let your imagination run wild, thinking about their day-to-day activities and their surrounding environment. When we visited their home towns in person, it was amazing to finally see the places that they had always described. Letter writing allows for creativity and connectivity. It is also a random act of kindness that radiates warmth and energy to the reader when it is opened. You never know the impact that you can make in someone's life when you use your pen to make someone feel joy, hope and love.
I shared my experience on the forum under Merit Badge Chit Chat.
I also participated in two Farmgirl Mail Art swaps - the "Bonfire" Mail Art swap and, more recently, the "Red, White & Blue" Mail Art swap."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2023 : 11:39:23 AM
|
Laurie Scott (laurzgot, #8572) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Beginner Level Sew Wonderful Merit Badge!
"To begin with, I made a take a-long sewing kit. I took several layers of felt. Measured and cut with rotary cutter the outside of the pin keep-sewing kit to the size I wanted. Next, I took a piece of felt to make a pocket for the scissors and the thread and buttons. Then put all pieces together stitched down the middle. On the outside I stitched around the outer edges with a decorative machine stitch. Added a decorative button for closure. Then I took three strands of embroidery floss and braided it to make a wraparound closure.
This took me about 4 hrs. In about a day and a half. I measured and cut the first day and did the center stitch. Did the braiding and embellishing. Turned out well and what I had planned."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2023 : 11:51:51 AM
|
Laurie Scott (laurzgot, #8572) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Beginner Level Aprons Merit Badge!
"I repurposed an old dress and turned it into a half apron. Took the bodice off. took out the zipper. I saved the zipper for other purposes. Kept the side pockets. Made narrow folded hems on backside of apron. Used extra fabric that would match with the colors in the apron and made a waistband and ties. Added lace at the bottom of hem and around the waistband.
This project took me about 5 hours to complete. It turned out to be very nice. If I can love to repurpose items."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2023 : 10:07:25 PM
|
Tina VanDaam (TinaTina, #8431) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Expert Level Bee Good to Your Mother Earth Merit Badge!
"This merit badge was interesting, I lovecourvpocket hose vs the old green hard to coil up hoses. Checking out Pleaching was fun and I now have a lot of ideas on fencing.
This merit badge with others aloud me to gain a lot of compost and learn about Pleaching"
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2023 : 10:13:02 PM
|
Tina VanDaam (TinaTina, #8431) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Intermediate level Gaining Ground Merit Badge!
"I earned this badge by looking up different kinds of compost piles & bins. We have a big box force posting plus a pile covered up with plastic. I also sent a letter off to the neighboring city asking if they could start a community composting bin
This badge turned out great, because we ended up with lots of compost and it helps my garden"
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2023 : 10:16:43 PM
|
Shennandoah Connor (shennandoah, #8578) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Beginner level Path to Zero Waste Merit Badge!
"I happened to stumble upon a book called "Waste Not" while at Half Price Books and picked it up to help me with the badge. I really enjoyed her approach to educating and empowering people to a zero waste lifestyle. The goal of zero waste is to mimic natural systems. There is no "waste" in the natural world. The waste product of one system is reused in another. As consumers, it also means making purchase decisions with waste and use in mind. This means choosing products with less packaging, recyclable packaging, or no packaging at all; consuming/utilizing as much as possible, mending and repairing, avoiding impulse purchases/buying only what you need and will use, and other practices.
The author shares a waste audit process in the book as well. I also went to a few other websites to see what guidelines they give.
It really got me thinking about our buying habits. I try to be mindful about our impact on the environment, but we live out in the country and don't have access to lots of bulk food options and such. My husband and children are also not keen to change their habits. In fact, my husband and I fought about paper plates for the first year of our marriage. I had to give in and let him have them. However, I learned in the book that depending on what they are made out of, the paper plates can go into the compost. I just need to make sure there is no meat or dairy on the plate. I've been looking at other ways to reduce waste, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. That is where most of our waste is produced. "
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2023 : 10:19:42 PM
|
Teresa Roberson (Carolinacateyes, #7386) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning an Intermediate level Pampered Pets Merit Badge!
"My little Huey, an 8-year-old neutered male apple head Chihuahua, suffers from allergies! I thought the move into a new, clean environment with no carpet and no toxic cleaners would end the allergies. Still his allergies persist. I sometimes use white vinegar, baby shampoo, and a few drops of lavender essential oil for bathing. One of my favorite bath products is Dr. Bronner’s Rose Pure Castile Bar Soap. Huey likes it and so does his sister, Bunny. He is slowly progressing to a homemade diet made with ground beef, vegetables and berries and free of chicken products. Finally, something seems to be working! Bedding is washed frequently with white vinegar added to the water and dried on the line in the sunshine. I use a flea comb on him every afternoon. His paws are cleaned with baby shampoo before he jumps onto my bed. Yes, he sleeps with me every night. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
Life with Huey has been an adventure these eight years. He is a healthy ten-pound precious boy. Other than his seasonal allergies, I’ve had no health issues with him. Both he and Bunny’s body and their environment are kept clean. They are taken to the groomer every month for toe nail trims. They run and play outside and enjoy life every day. Huey loves rides in the car, Bunny does not. They both are up to date on all vaccinations, both are microchipped. Bunny is also spayed. Since becoming a responsible adult, my animals have always been spayed or neutered. "
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2023 : 10:21:50 PM
|
Shennandoah Connor (shennandoah, #8578) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Beginner level Birds Merit Badge!
"I picked up a Birds of Texas Field guide and looked up what birds are common in my region. My bird wish list includes:
Northern Cardinal
Purple Martin
Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Chickadee
American Robin
Bluebird
Back chinned hummingbird
Indigo Bunting
Woodpecker (there are a couple varieties common in my area)
Mockingbird (state bird!)
I've got lots of Cardinals, titmouse, wrens, and chickadees on my property. I also have two red shouldered hawks and a huge barred owl. The same day I wrote my wishlist though a purple martini showed up on my fence. A few of my neighbors have purple Martin houses but I had not seen one in the three years we've been here. Now I have!!
I can hear a woodpecker but haven't spotted him yet. I may need to get some binoculars. "
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2023 : 10:42:39 PM
|
Shennandoah Connor (shennandoah, #8578) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an Beginner level Furniture Makeover Merit Badge!
"I've had this little dormer nook in the upstairs loft area that was just dead space. It had a built in desk that was stained and vandalized by the previous owners. I had some mineral fusion paint left over from another project, and an old stool that I inherited from my husband's grandmother. The top to the stool was covered with an old pillow case and wasn't attached to the bottom. I cleaned, sanded, and prepped the wood of both pieces with a bonding agent. I think painted them with mineral fusion paint in Ash. I also had some left over fabric from another project. I order a 3" cushion from Amazon and recovered the bench top and reattached it to the base.
It turned out great! It was actually one of the best resurfacing and upholstery jobs I have ever done. I now have a little sewing nook to use for earning badges. I'll be making a little valance for the wind next. "
.jpg?v 90243102)
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2023 : 10:45:45 PM
|
Shennandoah Connor (shennandoah, #8578) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an Beginner level In The Garden Merit Badge!
"We bought 4.5 a few years ago. The previous owners left a bunch of materials laying around, including rolls of electrical wire, t-posts of various sizes, rolls of wire fence, and some cattle fence panels. Since our first spring here, I've been using the large cattle panels, which I bent into mini arch trellises, to grow pole beans. They've been working great! And they're easy to move around the garden for my crop rotations.
I recently got some blackberries that were gonna need supports. I took four of the t-posts and the electric wire and made a trellis system for the blackberry canes. I did the cross wires at 18" high and 30" inches high.
There was also an old dog run with an old chicken wire gate. I took it and some t-posts and made it a trellis to hold my blue butterfly pea vine in one of the raised beds.
So far it's looking good. The gate trellis is holding up despite some 40-60 mph gusts we've had over the last couple of weeks. The trellis for the blackberries didn't photograph well, but I'm sharing a photo of the cattle panel green bean arch from spring. I grew carrots under the arch. Made the green beans easy to pick and manage. "
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2023 : 12:24:47 PM
|
Shennandoah Connor (shennandoah, #8578) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate level Recycling Merit Badge!
"Our recycling service takes a large number of plastic containers, glass, tin, cardboard, and paper. However, they do not take certain items like pizza boxes. So I've been using any uncoated paper, cardboard, and pizza boxes in my lasagna mulch as I prepare to create living walkways as part of my permaculture/potager/cottage garden hybrid space.
I was also reading that glass may or may not be recycled once it gets to the facility due to demand for glass and availability of raw material. So I save any jars I can to use as storage for screws and such in the tool shed, for craft storage, and to use as vases for my posies and bouquets I put together from the garden for family and friends. They've been saving them and bringing them back to me to reuse too. I also use them to propagate herbs and houseplants in water.
I have a pile of metal to tale to my husbands work for them to recycle (it's an HVA company so they recycle lots of metal). And in return they've been collecting cardboard for me to use in the garden. Not all of my neighbors recycle so I put the word out on our neighborhood FB group to give me their cardboard for the garden. So I'm helping to keep their cardboard out of the landfill as well!
I love to make cupcakes with cream cheese frosting on a regular basis, so have lots of cream cheese tubs. We used them to serve as a water bowl for the kids painting craft time and for my oldest to collect bug specimens for her entomology studies. Also saves my good Tupperware from getting used for these things lol.
Our recycling bin is full at the end of the week, while our trash bin is almost empty. I have an entire row of cabinets full of my caning jars as well as other useful jars for storage. I plan on using them for giving herbs and meals in a jar at Christmas too. I have over half of an acre to lasagna mulch so I have been pulling over to grab cardboard sitting next to trash bins through out town. I've been lasagna mulching since we moved here. We are on pure sand and layering the cardboard with leaves, wood chips, green manure, and straw has resulted in a significant improvement in water retention and soil structure. I have 4.5 acres total so won't run out of space to use it any time soon!"
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2023 : 12:29:31 PM
|
Rea Nakanishi (Lacey, #8284) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Intermediate Level Icing on the cake Merit Badge!
"Made this cake for a friends birthday.
I use to bake alot when my kids were younger.. It was good to relearn how to have fun cake decorating.
It was fun to play with the wilton cake decorating set again"
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2023 : 12:32:54 PM
|
Rea Nakanishi (Lacey, #8284) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Expert Level Icing on the cake Merit Badge!
"We had our cake auction during the covd period oof time. So, we had an online auction. this was really fun and enjoyable.
The competion was great and we all had a fun time.
The was a fun way to do the auction."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 02 2023 : 09:52:29 AM
|
Tina VanDaam (TinaTina, #8431) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Intermediate level The Secret Life of Bees Merit Badge!
"I earned this badge by researching raw and processed honey. I also know a few Honey vendors and read the book Natures Little Wonders.
The book was good it made me want to watch honeybees work if I had a clear box so I could see them in action."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2023 : 5:36:03 PM
|
Shennandoah Connor (shennandoah, #8578) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an Intermediate level Furniture Makeover Merit Badge!
"I picked up a vintage Tell City solid maple rocking chair on Facebook for $125 (they sell for $300-$600). It was pretty worn on the arm rests and the sleigh bottoms and the wood needed some TLC. The cushions were old stained denim with ratty (and yellowed) stuffing inside. I bought some 3" foam and new cotton canvas upholstery fabric and made cushions (my first time sewing cushions!!). My mother helped me deconstruct the old cushion and build our own pattern for the new cushion. I did all of the sewing with her guidance. Including making piping and doing a zipper and snaps.
I was concerned about striping the wood and/or trying to match the stain. So I polished it with my Fusion furniture wax made with beeswax and hemp. It conditioned the wood nicely and completely disguised the scratches and worn edges. You can't see them at all now! I spent 30 minutes at the craft store getting supplies, 1.5 hours cleaning, conditioning, and polishing up the wood, and 10 hours deconstructing the old cushions, cutting fabric and foam, and sewing together the new cushions.
It turned to great!! Some comfy and looks so cute in my new sewing area! It's going to be the perfect knitting/embrodiery/sewing rocker. "
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2023 : 5:43:00 PM
|
Shennandoah Connor (shennandoah, #8578) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Beginner level Crochet Merit Badge!
"My mother crochets, so I had her teach me. She showed me how to do a single crochet daisy chain cast on, then using a double crochet stitch to knit a simple scarf. It was very easy and quick, so I did another stash busting scarf. what was nice is I was able to do it while traveling for work. it helped keep me calm and busy on the plane and was a nice day to relax during the conference.
They turned out pretty good. I've been knitting for years but hadn't learned to crochet. I gave my niece and nephew each a scarf. They loved them! Although my niece (who is 5) was trying to use hers as a jump rope. "
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2023 : 09:54:22 AM
|
Shennandoah Connor (shennandoah, #8578) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate level Path to Zero Waste Merit Badge!
"I conducted a waste audit following the directions in the book Waste Not that I included in my Beginner badge submission. I have dogs and live in the country so dumping everything out on a blanket was not a feasible option. I had to just use a notebook and monitor what was going in.
Three things I learned about our habits:
1. Snacks and beverages are the biggest source of waste in our household. My husband and kids produce the most of these items.
2. Food packaging for meat and other frozen foods is our second biggest source of waste.
3. Paper towels and paper plates are the third biggest category. I was always very against paper plates, but my first year of marriage I had to compromise on that point.
What surprised me most was how much I was contributing to the output (both trash and recycling). I used to be very eco conscious, but when I remarried and had a blended family with three special needs kids, a full time job, and a husband who refused to do housework, I had to start opting for more conveniences (which meant more packaging).
I've started looking at my habits again and have committed to making one change per month to start reducing waste. The first thing I will do is go back to loose leaf tea instead of the boxed tea with individually wrapped tea bags."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2023 : 09:58:21 AM
|
Shennandoah Connor (shennandoah, #8578) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Beginner level Permaculture Merit Badge!
"For this badge, I Read a couple of books and articles, listened to a couple of podcast episodes, and watched a couple of YouTube videos.
Permaculture is a mash-up of the words permanent and agriculture. It is an approach for creating an agricultural ecosystem that is sustainable and self-efficient while also maximizing crop production. This is achieved by mimicking nature.
A closed loop system is one where there is no waste and which does not require external inputs (such as compost).
I started looking at permaculture as a means for making my garden/homestead more eco friendly, as well as making it less physically and financially demanding. I am in my mid-40's so I don't have the stamina I once had for back breaking labor. The idea of having all inputs at hand for free and with minimal effort is very appealing. As is the cost savings. In my research I have also learned that a balanced ecosystem has less instances of disease and pest outbreaks. Essentially it takes care of itself and is truly more sustainable, Not to mention it is better for the environment and for our own health.
Some of the permaculture methods I researched and am employing in my property include:
Lasagna mulching: Layering carbon rich material such as cardboard and wood chips with green materials and straw to build up the organic matter. I am on 100% pure sand with no water retention, or organic matter. I built my beds using lasagna gardening and by year two noticed a HUGE difference. Right now I am using lasagna mulching to prep the walkways to be living walkways.
Living walkways: Nature doesn't like bare soil. bare soil is prone to erosion and invasive weeds (not to mention Fire ants in Texas). Living walkways also help to create a continuous soil food web that extends beyond and between all of my raised beds (I like the European potage look so did that in my food production area). I am building the walkways with arborists wood chip from chip drop.com and with wood chipped from my own property (we have four wooded acres). I'll be topping it with a thin layer of top soil and seeding it with Palestine strawberry clover, which is drought and heat tolerant ground cover that is pollinator friendly and will add rich organic matter to the soil.
Hugelkultur: this is building up mounds using logs and brush, and covering it with compost/soil and straw. This is how I did my raised beds. Since I have tons of logs and brush on my property it was free material to fill the beds. Which I then topped with compost and soil. Over time it breaks down and adds more organic matter.
In the two years I have been here I have seen tremendous improvement in my soil from using these methods along with organic gardening. I also have not had any major pest infestations this year now that I have tons of lizards, frogs, snakes, predatory wasps, birds and other natural enemies. Only pest issues I have that require interventions are the fire ants and leaf cutters which are imported pests and do not have natural enemies here. My new puppy is working hard to catch the gophers too:-)
I just ordered my chicken coop and will add chickens and sheep in the fall and spring. Looking forward to seeing how my walkway turnout!"
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2023 : 3:47:36 PM
|
Tina VanDaam (TinaTina, #8431) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Expert Level Shopping Green Merit Badge!
“I earned this badge by organizing a reusable bag swap, everyone either brought a bag or made one and did a fun bag swap. I also talked to my coworkers about using recyclables bags instead of getting new bag from the store.
This badge was fun because I made a drawstring bag for our swap. I also posted this on the Chit Chat page of the chatroom.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2023 : 3:56:40 PM
|
Micheline D'Angelis (#8098) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning a Beginner Level Build It Green Merit Badge!
"My son and I built a kitchen tool rack with a piece of wood that we found and some cord. It has been so handy and beautiful for our kitchen. I have been decorating my home with natural dyed art, recycled pots and plants.
I love everything we created and appreciate these items every day."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
|
|
|
|
Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!: Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
|
Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees
Forum Locked
Topic Locked
