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Official Farmgirl Sisterhood Members:  NEWS!!! Official Farmgirl Logo  |
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Sunny
True Blue Farmgirl
120 Posts
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 Posted - Sep 11 2007 : 2:17:37 PM
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The New & Official “Farmgirl" Logo
What is a farmgirl? To quote the back of our Farmgirl Chapter information cards, “A farmgirl believes in the strong arms of friendship, community, and the just plain fun of being together. A farmgirl takes joy in the quiet satisfaction of making things with her own hands. She exudes kindness, grace, humility, gentleness, patience, and generosity, and loves the simple pleasures in life. Farmgirls love to get together to share their ideas.”
The Farmgirl Chapter movement is growing so fast that MaryJane realized we needed to have an easy-to-identify logo that would stand for all farmgirls. Logos, once publicized, convey ideas and feelings instantly. I suggested a hen in an apron as the official farmgirl logo, and these were the supporting themes that grew from that idea.
Do you remember the classic children’s story, “The Little Red Hen”? That hen was a “can do” kind of gal (just like us farmgirls)! She wanted bread and asked which of the farm animals might want to help. The other animals weren’t at all motivated to help, so she planted and harvested the wheat, ground it into flour, and baked the bread, all by herself. The other animals were quite happy to help her eat it, but she flatly declined THAT offer!
The old business model at the end of the last millennium seems to have been: “What’s in it for me?” (aka WIFM). The farm animals in the story really didn’t see any benefit to helping the little red hen with the work. (Maybe they had never tasted fresh home-baked bread!!!)
This new millennium needs a new, more sustainable model, which I’ve dubbed WIFU: “What’s in it for us?” When we start thinking beyond our own needs to the needs of the whole community, everyone’s life gets easier and everyone gets happier.
Using that new model, the little red hen would let the other animals taste how delicious the fresh bread was, to inspire them to want to learn how to work together next time. It certainly gets the job done faster and more pleasantly in the company of others.
Recent polls show that many people want to become more self-sufficient, to eat locally grown food, and to create more sustainable communities to save the resources of the earth, but they don’t know where to begin. The problems seem so overwhelming. What can one person do? (This is where a farmgirl’s “can do” attitude comes in!)
Farmgirls love to share their knowledge to teach and inspire others, who can then teach and inspire others, and so on. Small acts of kindness and interdependence, like pebbles tossed into a still pond, ripple out into the world to make big differences. The way I see it, to create more sustainable communities, we need to help and teach one another. In other words, the hen is mightier than the sword!
The hen is a model of sustainability. She provides eggs and nitrogen-rich fertilizer without depleting the source (a rule for sustainability). She is a model of fearlessness and strength, as she demonstrates by gathering her chicks under her wing when danger threatens. Or when she “speaks” danger to others of her flock using an elaborate language more complicated than that of primates. Flocks of chickens gathering to search for food or bask in the sun love to brag loudly the accomplishments (eggs laid) of their sisters.
The apron-dressed hen logo symbolizes that we farmgirls are always hatching new ideas; we are independent, but we also enjoy flocking together occasionally to cluck encouragement to each other, or to cackle and “cluckle” over a good joke. (Farmgirls of all ages enjoy having a good time! Very young farmgirls can be called “farmerettes.” After a certain age, we become really wise {you know what I mean} and reach “henopause.”)
The new logo of the hen in an apron will be embroidered into a standard-size patch (like a grown-up Girl Scout badge) to represent that we are FARMGIRLS, and proud of it! Other patches can be designed to represent our individual chapters and our accomplishments. These patches can be sewn onto our denim jackets. Our jackets can be showplaces for our Farmgirl Accomplishment Patches. Our gathering-together dress-up clothing can be our decorated denim jackets with our favorite aprons (and maybe a pair of work boots)!
The official MaryJane Farmgirl Accomplishment Patches will always be in the shape of a hexagon to distinguish us from other types of patches on jackets. Why a hexagon? In MaryJane’s Stitching Room, MaryJane says, “The hexagon, a shape that speaks the zen of the busy beehive or the wire manors of chickens, symbolizes the unity and structure of the farmgirl life—a framework for the proper order of things, a pattern for life. In unwritten feminine language, it is a standard for farmgirls, or for that matter the ordinary honeybee or the hen, rank and file workers that move the work along. It says that all things are to be done decently and in order, and that small things add up.” These hexagon-shaped patches also represent our honor for the individuality of each farmgirl, who, like hexagonally shaped snowflakes with “no two alike,” will stamp their farmgirl projects with their own brand of uniqueness and creativity to inspire others.
For example, when a farmgirl plants her first organic garden, crochets her first item, completes her first building project, cans her first fruits, etc., embroidered hexagonally shaped Accomplishment Patches will be earned to sew onto her denim jacket to be worn with pride. Farmgirls participating in community projects that help to bring sunshine into the lives of others will earn a patch with a sunflower on it. (Chapter Leaders will also have their own unique patches, as will each chapter.) When a Farmgirl begins (or “hatches”) a business that becomes self-supporting, she is “feathering her own nest,” so she will earn the “Golden Egg” patch. The Farmgirl Chapter movement is a wonderful network for sharing expertise with each other, business and otherwise. Imagine the fashion statement and new conversations these jackets of many colors will start!
Our Farmgirl Chapter Coordinators can be like the Mother (Superior) Hen, keeping the Sisterhood of Apron-Wearing Hens (aka Chapter Leaders) supplied with resources, project ideas, and newsletters to help them grow their chapters and inspire new farmgirl members.
And, finally, MaryJane can be like the Queen Bee, creating a busy beehive of ideas to pollinate and sweeten the world. (Honeybees, like hens, are a very productive part of any farm.) Like other organic things, these concepts will grow and evolve with the cross-pollination of ideas from farmgirls everywhere!
To paraphrase the saying “Give a man a fish …,” I say, “Give a girl an egg, and she can do lots of things; but teach her how to raise chickens, and she becomes a farmgirl!”
Today, it is official. (Farmgirls don’t waste any time, once a decision is made.) The new logo for the Farmgirl Sisterhood is a hen dressed in an apron.
Farmgirls are on the move, so get ready! The hexagonal logo of a hen wearing an apron will “bee-come” a gentle and playful, but powerful, symbol!
P.S. Janet from Kentucky has already started programming our hen emblem into her embroidery machine to create a patch. Stay tuned!
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britchickny
True Blue Farmgirl
928 Posts
Angie
Avon
NY
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Posted - Sep 11 2007 : 2:40:31 PM
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What a great idea! Just imagine if all the chapters had their own patches! Could we trade? Earn?(like Girl Scouts)How much fun would this be!
Can't wait for the latest updates!
Angie.
"Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance" JUDE 1:2 |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
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Carol Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
4033 Posts
Carol Sue
Washingtonian
USA
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Posted - Sep 11 2007 : 2:54:44 PM
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I love this and thank each and everyone who particapated in this. That was the most encouraging thing to read today.
Thanks Carol Sue
Enjoying life. |
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celebrate2727
True Blue Farmgirl
989 Posts
Beth
MJF
Farmgirl
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Posted - Sep 11 2007 : 2:57:41 PM
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Fantastic- So happy to see us united with such a great patch- and what a great way to have a chance meeting with other farmgirls by an identifying patch. You never know when you might run into each other and this way we won't miss meeting up!
Perfect Perfect Perfect!
blessings
beth |
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UrbanChick
True Blue Farmgirl
331 Posts
Ayako
Atlanta
GA
USA
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Posted - Sep 11 2007 : 3:02:48 PM
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Oh good. I have embroidery software too to make custom logos but I"m not that proficient at it. I'll try to get the emblem out in the embroidery machine to when I have a chance.
Janet- I have Artista software what are you using? I'm going to try this weekend when I get a chance!
"Courage dosen't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying: I will try again tomorrow." |
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Marybeth
True Blue Farmgirl
5766 Posts
Mary Beth
Stanwood
Wa 98292
USA
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
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Posted - Sep 11 2007 : 3:19:14 PM
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I love it!!! What a fun and perfect idea for our sisterhood..just perfect. Henopause dosn't sound nearly as bad as menopause either..haha..
I can hardly wait to hear more and to be able to have that denim jacket to collect patches on!! How fun and cute is THAT????
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Cheryl
True Blue Farmgirl
919 Posts
Cheryl
Magalia
CA
USA
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Posted - Sep 11 2007 : 4:16:33 PM
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I love the idea and the logo!
Cheryl
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 |
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Kathie
True Blue Farmgirl
2436 Posts
Kathie
Thonotosassa
Florida
USA
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Posted - Sep 11 2007 : 5:05:32 PM
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Perfect!
All just PERFECT ideas!!
In a World Where you Can Be Anything, Be Yourself.. |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
1845 Posts
Brenda
Ray Township
Michigan
USA
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
5845 Posts
Shirley Jean (Jeannie)
Florida
USA
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Posted - Sep 12 2007 : 09:33:26 AM
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I am in, too! Are the things we are already doing going to "grandfather" us in to certain patches when they are available? :)
Another great idea from MJF!
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
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Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4314 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
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Posted - Sep 12 2007 : 10:04:38 AM
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Love the logo! In fact, when I walked to a thrift store on lunch today, I found/bought a tiny porcelain hen and her rooster - LOL-I feel a hen collection coming on! :D
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?" - 'Brother Dave' Gardner |
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Aunt George
True Blue Farmgirl
1476 Posts
Georgann
Midlothian
VA
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Leezard
True Blue Farmgirl
950 Posts
Elizabeth
Novi
MI
USA
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Official Farmgirl Sisterhood Members: NEWS!!! Official Farmgirl Logo |
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NEWS!!! Official Farmgirl Logo
