MaryJane’s Farmgirl Sisterhood

Earning Young Cultivator Merit Badges

Young Cultivators are girls and boys between the ages 6–13 who wish to learn the challenging skills of farm life. The seven sections in my Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook cover, I think, most aspects of life on the farm: Cleaning Up, Each Other, Farm Kitchen, Garden Gate, Make It Easy, Outpost, and Stitching Room. A Young Cultivator cultivates their new skills by earning Merit Badges sprouted from those seven sections.

To the right, you’ll find those seven sections. Each section has different categories, and you’ll earn Merit Badges in those categories by doing tasks like getting to know horses, building your own outdoor shelter, helping the family out, or recycling.

Here are the things you will need to know while earning your own Young Cultivator badges:

  • Young Cultivators is for girls and boys 6–13 years old.
    (If a Sisterhood member would like to make a request for special consideration of a child outside that age range, please e-mail meritbadges@maryjanesfarm.org.)
  • Young Cultivators must work under the guidance of a current Farmgirl Sisterhood member.
  • Earning Young Cultivator badges is free! The only catch is that you do need to be under the tutelage of an official Farmgirl Sisterhood member.
  • Young Cultivators must do the work themselves. The Farmgirl Sister may only instruct.
  • Badges do not have to be earned in the order listed in each section.
  • Each category has three different levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert. Merit Badges must be submitted in order by level. In other words, you must complete the Beginner level first, before you can move on to the Intermediate level; and Intermediate must be finished before you can earn the final Expert level.
  • You may apply for Merit Badges here as each level is completed, or all at once after all three levels have been completed.
  • Here at “Henquarters,” we’ll look over your application for each Merit Badge and, once approved, your tale will be shouted from the rooftops (cooptops?) on our Farmgirl Connection chatroom and you’ll be e-mailed privileged links to your Certificate of Achievement for each level and, when you’re an expert, the design for your new Merit Badge.

You can print out your certificates and frame them. Merit Badges will be hexagonal like the Sisterhood membership badges, but slightly smaller. When you have your badge, transfer the design to the fabric of your choice and jazz it up. Then, you can wear your Merit Badge with pride!

 

Merit Badge Categories for
Young Cultivators

(Simply click on a category below to see a detailed list of tasks for that category.)

 

Cleaning Up

  1. Trash Talk
  2. It’s in the Bag
  3. It’s Not Easy Being Green
  4. Energize Me
  5. Water Conservation

Each Other

  1. Let’s Go to Town
  2. Thank You!
  3. Families Forever
  4. Big Kid Now
  5. Community Service
  6. Badgered for Books

Farm Kitchen

  1. Table Talk
  2. Know Your Food
  3. All Dried Up
  4. Make It Fruity
  5. Icing on the Cake
  6. Do You Know the Muffin Man?
  7. Mmm Chocolate
  8. Palate Pleasers

Garden Gate

  1. Bloom Where You’re Planted
  2. Gone to the Birds
  3. Horsing Around
  4. Green Thumb Kids
  5. Get Buggy
  6. Bovine Buddy
  7. Farmyard to Kitchen
  8. Grow Forth
  9. Bees R Us

Make It Easy

  1. Do Your Eyes Light Up?
  2. I Did It My Way
  3. Rethink Your Space
  4. Put Me In, Coach!
  5. Music
  6. Bejeweled
  7. Through the Looking Glass

Out There Kids

  1. I Am a Survivor
  2. Whistle While You Work
  3. Lean On Me
  4. Park Place
  5. Rock Out
  6. How Much is that Doggy in the Window?
  7. Where in the World?

Stitching & Crafting

  1. All Buttoned Up
  2. Weaving In and Out
  3. All Tied Up
  4. Little Scrappers
  5. Toys