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.”
Abe’s Market, an online organic and natural products retailer, has come out with a new ad campaign that’s raising eyebrows … and getting them noticed. The new campaign, called “Dishing Dirty: The Filthy Truths of the Modern Woman,” pairs a photo of a woman, often in ’50s fashion, with a witty headline like “Toxins … I’m saving those for my cocktail,” and a factoid/commentary like “Women are exposed to an average of 128 unique chemicals daily through use of approximately 12 skin-care products. Isn’t it almost better to go out naked?”
Here are a few samples to tickle your funny bone:
Abe’s plans to upload a new ad weekly. Get your weekly dose of fun and facts here.
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:
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.
Yesterday morning I enjoyed a leisurely morning with three of my grandgirls in the heart of our town in what is called Friendship Square—overflowing on Saturdays with the hustle and bustle of our Farmers’ Market.
There’s a water fountain in the middle where people make wishes and toss pennies. My daughter handed a penny to each of the girls but when she handed one to me, I was caught off guard. As I tried to think of a meaningful wish, I said, “You know, I think all my wishes have come true.” That’s when I remembered about my post earlier this week, so I wished for more peace in the world and tossed my penny into the water.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
