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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!: Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2014 : 4:35:51 PM
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Mary Jo Boyd (Quiltsister413, #5559) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Birds Merit Badge!
“I researched birds native to my area and made a wish list of birds to observe.
I found a great website called Ohio-nature.com that had a great list of birds native to Northwest Ohio. It was perfect to start a checklist of all the birds I have seen and also a great place to see all the birds I didn't even know were here.
The website had pictures of the birds and information so I can identify them as well as what season they are in the area.
I was amazed at how many I have seen already, but even more amazed at how many are left to discover.
Here are a few doves that were visiting my feeder.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2014 : 4:37:22 PM
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Mary Jo Boyd (Quiltsister413, #5559) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Intermediate Level Birds Merit Badge!
“This level required that I build a bird house, feeder or bath and observe what birds came by. I already have a beautiful birdhouse outside my window that my wonderful WWII veteran father-in-law built especially for me so I observed all the birds I could that came to visit. I love birds and this was a great opportunity to put out different food and see what birds came around.
Being that it is winter I have a completely different set of birds than summer time.
I always see lots of doves, sparrows and juncos. When I put nuts out, I got more blue jays and cardinals. And most recently I put out some stale wheat bread and had a ton of Starlings show up.
I am excited to go on a real birding expedition when it gets a little warmer to find 10 new birds I haven't seen before for my Expert badge.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2014 : 4:41:12 PM
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Mary Jo Boyd (Quiltsister413, #5559) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Quilting Merit Badge!
“I am an advanced quilter so I wanted to make my badges a challenge. For all three levels I decided to tackle some projects that I had little or no experience with and to also work on my machine quilting skills.
For the beginner level badge I chose to expand my machine quilting skills to go beyond "stitch in the ditch" and try to get more detailed stitching inside my blocks.
My first attempt was on a charm table topper I was making as a sample for a monthly quilting club I host. I decided that instead of using basting adhesive spray to hold my quilt layers together I would try a new technique and pin my layers together.
The next step was to quilt an echo design inside each of the block shapes. This first table topper turned out pretty good, so I attempted the second table topper (another charm quilt). For this one I drew some detailed geometric shapes inside each of the blocks and really emphasized the quilting by using a flamingo colored thread.
I am very happy with the results and can't wait to try some free motion quilting as well.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2014 : 4:44:34 PM
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Mary Jo Boyd (Quiltsister413, #5559) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Scrapbooking Merit Badge!
“For the beginner level I needed to make a scrapbook commemorating a special event for a friend. I am NOT a scrap booker so this is really a challenge for me. I was really inspired by the article in the Sister issue that Joy from Farmgirl Inspirations posted. I decided to make a farm girl scrap book for me and my daughter for Christmas.
So I not only made the two scrapbooks, I also started a farmgirl chapter (The Faithful Farm Girls)and now have 10 members! Hello! Who would have thought. But I did have a great time making the scrapbooks and Joy's instructions helped so much! Thank you Sister!!
I gathered all my supplies and started cutting. I tried to use the fancy scrap book scissors, but was having trouble keeping my lines straight. As a quilter I am much more skilled in using a rotary cutter, so I switched out my regular blade for a scalloped blade and using my ruler and rotary cutter, cut all my pieces in record time! Farm girl savvy!
I glued everything together and gathered all the inserts so I had places for every section. I can store my badge certificates, recipes, ideas, etc. A functional scrap book...now that's what I am talking about!
Our first farm girl meeting was cancelled twice in January due to weather, but when we meet this month, I am going to demonstrate how to make the scrapbooks and even purchased the binders for each of the girls. Another member donated lots of scrap booking supplies so we should have a great time and each of the girls will be on their way to earning their first badge as well!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2014 : 4:49:04 PM
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Diana Gibson (GibsonGirl, #5288) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Crochet Merit Badge!
“My Step-daughter has been after me for the last 3 years to let her teach me how to crochet. This last Christmas we sat down together and she taught me how to do the single stitch crochet. I practiced and then took apart several pieces but finally made a neck warmer that is smaller than a scarf but more practical as it is more like a collar and fits nicely under my jacket.
I'm quite happy with the results. I have shown it to our other chapter leader and she likes it very much. I think that I will make more for my friends and family. I am moving on to try some different patterns and stitches. I hope to make a hat next to earn the next level for this badge.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2014 : 4:54:44 PM
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Lissa Napora (weavingthefuture, #5730) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Recycling Merit Badge!
“I researched my local recycling options. My community offers free curbside recycling and provides each household with a recycling bin. (this is separate from our trash pick up, for which we have to pay).
They pick up clear glass, colored glass, aluminum steel and bimetallic containers, high-grade office paper, newspapers, corrugated paper, and #1 and #2 plastics.
They also provide a 45 page pdf document that can be downloaded that details local, and some not so local, options for disposing of a variety of 'hard to recycle' items, including other plastics, paints, printer cartridges, medications, old tires, ammunition and much more.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 11:12:25 AM
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Sonja Gasper (opengatefarm, #5671) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Greatest Generation Merit Badge!
“We purchased a half dozen acres of land about 8 years ago from a wonderful couple who became our neighbors. Mr. Olsen was the neighborhood "Godfather" and he and his wife frequently could be seen walking around the subdivision. We would help him pick rock out of our extra acreage which he continued to farm and eat the cookies and treats his wife made for us.
About 4 years ago, Mr. Olsen passed away and we were worried that Mrs. Olsen would be lonely, so we would occasionally stop by.
These days, Tuesdays are reserved for Mary. Most every week after my kids are at school and I have run my errands, I stop at Mary's on the way home. We have coffee, play hand after hand of cards, talk and laugh, and finish up with a lunch of whatever leftover surprise she needs to finish up out of her refrigerator. When I first started doing this, her younger daughter thanked me for helping to keep her mom busy. Nowadays is is me who looks forward to my morning with a wonderful friend. For my merit badge, I have started asking her questions about her life as we play. I am so lucky to have an older friend that I can enjoy!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 11:21:42 AM
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Sonja Gasper (opengatefarm, #5671) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Community Service Merit Badge!
“We use the Scrip program at our school to earn money for the school and help offset a portion of our tuition. There are various volunteer positions in the office as the program must be staffed by 85% volunteer hours. I began working in the office a couple of years ago at the desk helping customers as they came in, placing orders and taking payments.
I guess after you have been there a while, places think you are ready for more responsibility, lol! My job still includes the desk occasionally, but more recently they have moved me on to a job behind the scenes. I now accept the order when it is delivered by Fedex and myself and another older volunteer, count, check, sort and label all of the gift cards. Sometimes I am standing over tens of thousands of dollars worth of inventory! Then we fill orders for families for the office to handle.
It is a big job, and I feel lucky they trust me to do it. Typically I spend about 4-6 hours a month, but this Wednesday alone I know I will be in the office for 4 hours. I am so glad I can help.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 11:26:56 AM
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Tina Shillington (BlackRabbit, #4511) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Knitting Merit Badge!
“I've just learned how to knit! At first my rows were sloppy but I started from scratch again, this time it came out much better. I made my friend a rectangle oven mitt. It turned well. They were even and smooth. The only thing I didn't like was that my cast off looked a little sloppy. I'm wondering if there is a tidy way to do it.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 11:32:00 AM
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Bea Campbell (quiltingbea, #2575) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Homespun Christmas Merit Badge!
“This year for Christmas I made pillowcases for everyone. From a Hello Kitty, Wizard of oz, Army to a Chef theme.
I also made ornaments out of night light bulbs by painting them and adding the person's name. The ornaments turn out nice and everyone loved their pillowcases.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 11:41:21 AM
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Kathy Zandhuisen (#5282) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Knitting Merit Badge!
“I got a "learn to knit book and jumped right in making a scarf. I have worn it and get tons of compliments. The scarf that I knit turned out great!! Once I figured out what a knit stitch from a pear stitch was it was smooth sailing.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 12:53:31 PM
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Kathy Zandhuisen (#5282) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Sew Wonderful Merit Badge!
“I put together a basic sewing kit, one for me and each of my family members. It turned out great!! The people that I gave the other ones that I put together were thrilled!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 12:56:40 PM
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Kathy Zandhuisen (#5282) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Buttoned Up Merit Badge!
“I collected 50+ buttons! It was fun collecting all of the buttons. I had a good collection to start with. I moved onto the intermediate level with my new finds!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 1:03:58 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Going Green Merit Badge!
“We switched to all green cleaners several years ago. Cleaning agents which aren't 'green' are simply not used! I have kept a notebook with ideas and homemade recipes and these have been shared with my Chapter members.
I was surprised to find that homemade cleaners actually work better than their lab-created counterparts. I feel a lot better about using these products especially because we are on a septic system that goes directly into the groundwater.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 1:30:10 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Going Green Merit Badge!
“I made the laundry soap, both dry and gel form. I made hand milled soap as well as my own dishwashing liquid. I have made all of our own cleaners, mostly using castille oil and essential oils. Recipes have been shared with my Chapter.
Again, I was very surprised at how well homemade cleaners work! Definitely something to recommend to others and use every day.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 3:42:25 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Shopping Green Merit Badge!
“I have both insulated and non-insulated bags (some are homemade) that I keep at all times in the car for grocery trips.
These are so much better than wimpy plastic bags! Plus, it is a major pain to find someone who will recycle the bags around here, so by eliminating their use, I don't have to worry about that any more!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 3:47:12 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Shopping Green Merit Badge!
“I researched the cleaners before switching over to them. I bought the book "Making Your Place", and that is how I started with homemade cleaners. I have made many of the cleaners myself and we also use Biokleen products for some cleaning applications.
Wonderful. I'm not going back with the 'regular' stuff!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 3:57:16 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Water Conservation Merit Badge!
“I have always been pretty water usage-conscious, but when we had the drought of 2011, I became hyper-vigilant. All leaks were fixed, and I started saving greywater to water the garden. I can't tell you an exact water amount saved, but it was enough to keep our plants alive during a drought!
I was surprised at the amount of water we were wasting, and ashamed of it! I am glad I decided to start saving water where I could. I still am vigilant about not wasting water.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 4:00:54 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Water Conservation Merit Badge!
“I created rain barrels out of 55 gallon drums, and also built our rabbit hutch to be a rain collection device as well. Our greywater is something that I have been researching and I do hope to one day have a greywater dispersion set up for our hillside, where hopefully I can water some plants with it.
The rain barrels helped so much during the drought and ever since then. We have since installed a gutter system and we are going to upgrade our barrels very soon.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 4:10:50 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Home Insulation Merit Badge!
“After buying our home in 2008, we assessed the complete lack of insulation. I also learned about the pros/cons of double glazed and single glazed windows. Most of what I have are single glazed. Our electric company is a co-op and they do not offer rebates, but I did ask. I shared my insulation woes in a blog and also with many (many...) of my friends.
I learned a lot, but mostly that my home was sadly lacking in insulation and that we were losing huge amounts of energy through the home.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 4:13:41 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Home Insulation Merit Badge!
“I held incense sticks close to every door, outlet, and window in our home. I also used my hands to feel any drafts. I am the Queen of Caulking. I still, to this day almost 6 years later, find small gaps and seal them up! We don't get cold weather often, so I use that time to find gaps and cracks.
Definitely helped slow down the air flow out and into our home. I love caulk!!! I wrote a finished date, but with an old house that shrinks and expands you are never finished.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 4:15:14 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Expert Level Home Insulation Merit Badge!
“Yes! I did this! I bought a Tyvek suit, rented a blower, and we installed bale after bale of Green paper fiber insulation. I installed R60 in the attic and blew more into existing walls.
It was the BEST investment. I can't believe the difference! I blogged about it, and posted a pic of me in my Tyvek suit, too. I am estimating the date.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 4:39:31 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Gaining Ground Merit Badge!
“We maintained a compost heap for well over a year, though now I have changed how I compost. Still, it gave me a LOT of nice compost for the yard while I grew it!
The compost was so nice to have. An ongoing issue was our dog getting into it since there was not a lid. Annoying, but it still made enough compost to supplement our garden and add to pots.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 4:46:47 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Backyard Farmer Merit Badge!
“I have maintained a flock since December of 2008. I do try to feed organically as much as I can ... most of this is from our scraps and the extra garden produce when it is available.
Well, I'm a Crazy Chicken Lady now.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16464 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16464 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2014 : 4:59:58 PM
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Amanda Childress (msdoolittle, #1390) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Intermediate & Expert Level Heirlooms Forever! Merit Badge!
“I save seeds from my best varieties that I grow, and have been saving them for years. The majority of what I do grow is from my own seeds I have collected. Well, my other email address is 'crazyseedlady', so....But seriously, I love seed saving. This month's farm girl chapter meeting is a seed swap, in fact. I share with anyone who would like some.”
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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