Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Erin McBride!!!

Erin McBride (#3762) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner & Intermediate Level Herbs Merit Badge!

“My herb garden this year had sage, rosemary, mint, basil, Greek basil, purple basil, oregano, cilantro, marjoram, chives, and mustard. The sage did not grow very well, so I didn’t end up harvesting it, but it did grow a little. Rosemary, I use for many recipes, such as crockpot rosemary apple chicken, minestrone, and rosemary bread. Mint is used to garnish, and I have plans to make a shrub with it. Basil, I use on pizza; roasted tomatoes, for freezer sauce and any recipe that calls for it. Greek basil, I made pesto out of, and I currently have some drying in my kitchen. Purple basil is drying in the kitchen, also. Oregano is used for roasted tomatoes (freezer sauce) and any recipe calling for it. Cilantro, I use for guacamole and a few crockpot recipes. Marjoram, I will dry for pizza sauce. Chives are used for buffalo turkey burgers, scrambled eggs, and my kids love to just grab a bit and chew on it. The mustard, I’m really not sure what to do with. I planted it because I had the seeds, but the only thing I’ve read about it is that it’s good ground cover and natural mulch for other plants. So I might try that.

I’ve loved my herb garden this summer. It’s right next to our side door, so I see it every time I walk out of the house. It always makes me happy. I love the fact that I’m drying my own herbs. I love that, for a little while longer at least, I can just walk out my back door and snip some rosemary, chives, or basil. Most of what I need is right there. I have all the usual suspects herb-wise for my recipes, and that’s so convenient and wonderful.”

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,035 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—8,663 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ 

Zan Media is looking for female farmers, female ranchers, and contributors for a new documentary film, Golden Girls: Cultivating an Amazing Life.

In the U.S., there are currently more than 300,000 female farmers. The film will unfold through the narratives of some of these women. “Their stories will convey the universal themes of the contemporary farmer/rancher. It is through their eyes that we frame the message: It is a rewarding life, a life worth celebrating in complete harmony with all living things,” say producers.

Watch the trailer:

The goal of the movie is to showcase the special relationship women share with the land and its bounty as they forge a prominent role in the locally grown food movement. The film is hosted by author, environmental activist, and vegetarian cattle rancher (see more about that here) Nicolette Hahn Niman (author of Righteous Porkchop and Defending Beef).

Says Producer Christine Scioli, “By contributing to the production of the film and sharing individual stories of a diverse group of women, we can further understand and embrace the most basic and human female instinct: to nourish, with respect and appreciation.”

Ultimately, producers plan a similar film highlighting each state in the country.

Are you a California farmgirl with something to say? Find out more and learn how you can participate at their Kickstarter site.

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Nancy Boyd!!!

Nancy Boyd (#2508) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Gaining Ground Merit Badge!

“I began earning this badge in August 2013 by reading the book Worms Ate My Garbage by Mary Appelhof. Then I purchased my worm bin from a local store here in the Columbus, Ohio, area named “City Folks” that has a lot of great stuff for the urban farmer. Shawn, the owner of the store, was able to get my supply of Red Wigglers from a local guy she uses for customers. I came home and started up the bin and added my great Red Wigglers to do their stuff. I feed them a lot of good decaying and moldy stuff, along with making sure they stay moist with newspaper sprayed with spring water.

The Red Wigglers have created a great bin of Black Gold for me to start using in my flower beds and raised-bed gardens. In fact, I am getting ready to start a second-tier bin on their tower. YEAH!! Go Red Wigglers!”

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,035 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—8,663 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ 

For this week’s Each Other/Connecting Growers and Eaters Beginning Level Merit Badge, I volunteered to take over the gardening duties of my neighbor, Mr. Midgely. Recently, he had taken a tumble down his porch and his shiny new cast wasn’t compatible with getting down in the dirt, weeding, and foraging for vegetables. I said to myself, “Self, you can be neighborly and earn a new merit badge while doing so.”

What could be better?

That was before I knew of Mr. Midgely’s obsession preoccupation with zucchini.

Now I love a grilled zucchini as much as the next farmgirl. They’re a tasty veg, and we’re close friends.

But I never want to see another zucchini again.

Mr. Midgely evidently was preparing for alien takeovers, the zombie apocalypse, or a simple famine, because the dear man planted enough of the giant green vegetable to feed our entire town. And the next one over. Plus, most of Rhode Island and maybe Texas.

Before I knew what I had gotten myself into, I was knee deep in squash. Everywhere I looked, every time I turned around, I found myself surrounded. At first, they seemed a friendly enough sort of veggie, but after a couple of hours in the hot sun, my baskets laden with what felt like hundreds of pounds, they began to form menacing faces.

Remember the singing violets and roses in Alice In Wonderland?

Like that. Only more creepy. And less singing.

I seemed to be making no progress. Zucchinis were pressing in on me from each side. As soon as I picked one, I swore three more grew up instantly in its place! Like amorous bunnies, they were procreating right before my stunned eyes!

I had to get out of there. I lugged my two tons of squash with me as far as the porch, then left them behind when I started to hear them chuckling maniacally at me. It had to have been sunstroke, but I wasn’t taking any chances. When the produce starts guffawing, it’s time to take a break.

Mr. Midgely was watching his soap operas when I burst into the house. He seemed to understand my panicked look … after all, it wasn’t his first garden. But I didn’t appreciate the twinkle in his eye, all the same.

After a quick cookie and tea break, I went back to work. I wasn’t going to be licked by a Curcurbita pepo! (You’re welcome for that little bit of knowledge.) I hunkered back down in the dirt and threatened my enemy with all sorts of graphic promises:

• to be sautéed in butter, and sprinkled with garlic salt
• grated and used in muffins and quick breads
• diced into a summer squash salad
• sliced thinly and added to pasta
• sliced thickly, battered, and fried
• puréed into baby food

Or how about …

• filled, for Stuffed Zucchini with Spinach and Bacon
• pickled (Overnight Zucchini Pickles)
• made into delicious Baked Zucchini Chips
• or used as wraps for Sweet & Smoky Salmon Zucchini Rolls

After my chilling guarantees, the zucchinis started to seem less intimidating and even began behaving themselves. I got each and every one picked, by Zeus, and wrestled into the house to be washed. Mr. Midgely’s kitchen looked like a Zucchinis R Us store when I was done.

He watched me from his recliner, munching on cookies.

I’m getting skeptical about that leg.

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Betty Hoffman!!!

Betty Hoffman (#5589) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert Level Backyard Farmer Merit Badge!

“We have had chickens over the years. This year, we acquired Buff Orphingtons. They are in a movable pen with feed buckets for nesting areas that is moved every couple of days. This gives them more fresh grazing in addition to the laying pellets, chicken scratch, vegetable cuttings from the kitchen, and crushed eggshells that have been baked. The eggshells provide extra calcium. The nesting buckets are easy to remove and clean. My plan is to start making my own feed mix as organically as I can. I ordered dried mealworms to give them added protein during molting season.

This picture was taken during the snow we had here in Texas. A light was also kept on them for extra warmth. We had eggs most of winter this way. Having our own chickens provides us with fresh eggs that we share with our extended family. I added an ending date, but this project is ongoing with plans to raise some for our freezer.

I have had a Nubian dairy herd going on 3 years. I am currently milking 15. Before acquiring a milking machine, my husband was helping me milk them by hand. The machine really saves us time and is easier on my hands, and I can get it done by myself now. I taught my oldest granddaughter how to milk. She is 11 years old. My granddaughter has really enjoyed helping at milking time when she is here. My daughter-in-law helps out now when she can. I make soft cheese with our goat milk from our farm.

We were gifted with a grass-fed calf in exchange for feeding the livestock on a friend’s farm. We had it butchered and processed. Knowing where it came from is a great feeling in feeding our family. The meat is very tasty and good. We plan to buy now from the ranchers local to us. Knowing that this calf was humanely raised and fed naturally will make it better for us to consume. The meat turned out to be very good in texture and taste.

The pictures enclosed are the pictures of animals and scenes from our farm that will be made into note cards.”

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Sharon Scheidt!!!

Sharon Scheidt (Sharon Scheidt, #6026) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Putting Away for Winter Merit Badge!

“I made from my garden, Roasted Grape Tomato Sauce and froze it for later use, made Basil Garlic Tomato Sauce and froze it also, and Pesto from the basil in my garden. Then I chopped up some of my green peppers and froze them, too. I went on the chatroom for the first time to tell all about what I made today. I had so much fun today in my kitchen and garden!

Everything turned out just great! Can’t wait to go to my freezer this fall and winter to eat the food from my garden!”

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 5,965 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—8,526 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ 

For this week’s Cleaning Up/Shopping Green Expert Level Merit Badge, I graduated (with honors) from the whole I-own-lots-of-cute-reusable-shopping-bags-but-I-always-leave-them-at-home thing, to the not-only-do-I-own-lots-of-cute-reusuable-shopping-bags-but-I-nearly-always-remember-to-take-them-shopping thing. This graduation deserved three cheers, a toss of my figurative hat in the air, and several slices of cake. You know. To celebrate.

But this was not enough for me. Nay. Never let it be so. My love for reusable shopping totes was not going to stop there. I was off to convert someone. Share the love. Spark some interest.

And also:

party.

A bag party! A swap meet of sorts. An evening with my fellow farmgirls, chatting, sewing, trading, admiring, and re-gifting our collection of shopping bags. What could be more fun than never having to hear the condemning words from our friendly local cashiers again,

Would you like paper or plastic?

Shudder, gasp, PSHAW! As if!

Since I was hosting, I figured I should have the most bags to begin with. I mean … okay, it’s not a contest, and it’s not like I’m greedy or anything, it’s just that I wanted everyone to go home with plenty. So I stocked up. I learned how to make the cutest totes from old T-shirts, and since I kinda got on a roll and made approximately eleventy-seven of them in one afternoon, I thought I’d share a little tutorial with you all.

1.) Raid your husband/father/friend/Aunt Sally’s closet for vintage Ts, or better yet, tank tops. Do they have to be vintage? Nope. But they turn out awfully cute. P.S. Make sure the fabric is somewhat heavyweight. We don’t want your container of organic mango sherbet crashing to its tragic death on the way out of the garage. Been there. Done that. Have the T-shirt. Hah!

2.) Flip inside out. Sew the bottom shut (using a sewing machine or serger, this will take like two nano-seconds). Using a large bowl, or just eyeballing it, draw a semi-circle along where the original neck hole is. (You’re just enlarging it is all. You know, so you can fit in the family-size cheddar-and-sour-cream potato chips without squishing them.) Cut. Hem (or skip the hemming and just use pinking shears if the fabric isn’t the fraying kind; I won’t tell).

3.)  Remove the sleeves. Hem. (Step #3 not necessary if using tanks).

4.) Voila!

Other ideas to get your creativity juices flowing:

• Use sheets instead of Ts. You’ll get plenty of bags out of an old flat sheet!
• Add a pocket in the front. Good for tiny items, and also for rolling up your bag when it’s not in use.
• Use thicker fabric for your cold items.
• Make several sizes! Sometimes all you’re picking up is a carton of tea, a pack of gum, and a jar of honey.
• Take apart a paper bag to use as a pattern if you like the bags that have flat bottoms for standing up straight while you’re bagging.
• Add a zipper or button for closing. This privacy is nice if you’re like me and you like to stock up on panties and brassieres once a year and don’t want them going the way of the mango sherbet … embarrassing to leave a trail of satin hi-cut briefs in the driveway. Not that I’ve ever done that:)

Once you have a nice collection going and you’re basking in the warm glow of all the compliments you receive when out shopping, share the love. Have a bag swap. (And invite me).