Hello gals…..

Whew is time flying!  Hard to believe it is already the middle of October!!

I wanted to let you know that I posted an updated sample of our potential logo.  Stephanie and I took the one that most people seemed to like and gussied it up a bit.  Please check the Bees Without Borders chapter thread on the Forum under Chapter Chatter and look at the updated version of the logo.  Let us know if you approve or disapprove so we can move forward with this.

Also, only one person besides myself was nominated for Chapter Leader and that person was not interested….so I guess we just need to have everyone’s vote…..if you want me to remain in that role….you can post your yea or nay on the forum with your yea or nay for the logo.

We have two opportunities for posting about our chapter and ourselves.  Stephanie (QueenofDreams4u) has opened up a Flicker Account for us to post pictures….please contact her if you are interested.   Julie (Willowtreecreek) has opened up a blog so that we can post bios and chapter news. Contact her if you are interested in participating in that blog.  These are both great ways for us to share more of ourselves with each other!!!

I received one journal page….thank you Aunt Jo….and posted it on the chapter blog.  I am so excited to receive and post more of them!!!!

Any chapter aprons out there??????  If you finish yours, make sure you post a picture for all of us to see!

Have a great rest of your week,

Bev

Bee Haven Maven

Monday October 15th 2007 is Blog Action Day.  The purpose of this event is to bring bloggers all over the world to all post on the same day about the same topic – the environment.  I thought it was important for us girls of Bees Without Borders to participate in this event.  We were brought together by Mary Jane Butters who is working to do a lot for the environment.  Most of us are trying to do things that are environmentaly concious.  The world we live in is a wonderful place and as farmgirls I think we have a great sense of respect for the earth and the environment.  So today I want to encourage you to take a look at your life and think about at least 1 change you can make in your life that would make a positive impact on the environment. It would be great if you could post about it in the comments section.

I copied the following from www.maryjanesfarm.org.  They have it posted on their site and say that this is “what they strive for”.  What a wonderful credo for farmgirls and farmers and hardworkers alike.

Here is a list of resources that are relevent to this issue of the environment and may hopefully be of interest to you.  This list was found at http://www.maryjanesfarm.com/resources.asp

If you would like to know the definitions between natural, organic & certified organic, here is a link: http://www.onegrp.com/front.aspx?id=organicterms&SessionID=486220582

Online Organic News and Farming Resources:

Farmland Trust – http://www.farmland.org/default.asp

Acres USA – www.acresusa.com

New Farm – www.newfarm.org

Sustainable Agriculture Resources – SARE – http://www.sare.org

Sustainable Agriculture – ATTRA – http://attra.ncat.org

Women in Sustainable Agriculture – http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/attranews_0306.html

Organic Consumer Association (OCA) News – http://www.organicconsumers.org/sos.cfm

OCA Organic Links – http://www.organicconsumers.org/ofgu/links.htm

MOSES in WI, and other organizations like it in your area – http://www.mosesorganic.org

PCEI in Moscow, ID and other organizations like it in your area – http://www.pcei.org

Rural Roots in ID, and other organizations like it in your area – http://www.ruralroots.org

Raising Chickens – www.chickenvideo.com

Living Simply – http://pathtofreedom.com/backtobasics/building/index.shtml

Farming Classes – www.cultivatingsuccess.org

Buying Farms – www.farmsellers.com

Alternatives to Pesticides – www.pesticide.org

Center for Rural Affairs – www.cfra.org/newsletter/current.htm

Organic Seed Alliance – http://www.seedalliance.org

Solar Greenhouse, Vision, & Inspiration – http://www.solviva.com

Center for Food Safety – http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org

Links to Organic Farming Info – http://www.thefutureisorganic.net/index.html

Gardener’s Supply – http://www.gardeners.com

Rodale Institute – http://www.rodaleinstitute.org

Garden Book – http://fun.to/plant

Farm Resources – http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/directories/default.htm

Solar Info – http://www.ases.org/chapter_newsletter/2005/ND05/ND05.html

Solar Info – http://www.solartoday.org/2006/jan_feb06/zero_energy_nw.htm

Harmony Valley – http://www.harmonyvalleyfarm.com

The Farm Chicks (Live Well, Laugh Often, Junk Much) – http://www.thefarmchicks.com/fashion.html

Natural Children Resources – http://www.childandnature.com

Old-fashioned Farm Supplies – http://www.lehmans.com

Sewing – http://www.sensibility.com/pattern

Women in Sustainable Agriculture Lecture Series – http://www.agrariana.org/

Organic Entrepreneurs – http://www.pixiepoppins.org/index.php

Planet Bed and Breakfast – a bed and breakfast directory assembled by actual B&B owners (over 200 to be exact!).

Far Out Farms – Ongoing education on rural living and raising livestock in the wildlife interface; guest cabin for students.

Windhorse Farm – The Windhorse residential community offers various opportunities for others to enjoy and learn at the farm: custom-designed work/study contracts, tours, Open Farm Days, seasonal celebrations, educational programs, including guest cabins for up to 16 people.

Local Resources:
Meeting local organic farmers through Farmers’ Markets, natural food stores’ produce department managers, Master Gardener Programs, many universities’ agricultural departments, and local USDA offices, which can tell you what crops grow well in your area.

Local Organic Farms – http://www.localharvest.org/organic-farms

Eat Local Eat Organic – http://www.eatwellguide.org/index.cfm
Magazines & websites:

Countryside – http://www.countrysidemag.com

Mother Earth News – http://www.motherearthnews.com

Small Farmers Journal – http://www.smallfarmersjournal.com/.docs/pg/about.html

Farmland Trust – http://www.farmland.org/default.asp

Business Help for Women:

http://www.onlinewbc.gov/

http://www.sba.gov/financing/special/women.html

Nonprofit / Grant Writing Tips – http://www.npguides.org

USDA Grants – http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm

Books:

MaryJane’s Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook…for the farmgirl in all of us
by MaryJane Butters

The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It
by John Seymour

Solviva
by Anna Edey

Mortgage Free! Radical Strategies for Home Ownership
by Rob Roy

The Hand Sculpted House
by Ianto Evans, L.Smiley, and M.Smith – http://www.cobcottage.com

To learn more about BLOG ACTION DAY visit
http://blogactionday.org/
http://blog.blogactionday.org/

Hi everyone!  I am Julie or Willowtreecreek as many of you know me.  Here is a picture of me.

You will have to excuse the quality. I didn’t have any pictures of me so I used the self-portrait feature on my cell phone. I took about 10 pictures and they all came out blurry. This was the best.

 Anyway, let me tell you about myself.  I have been married just over 7 years to my wonderful husband Richie.  We are both teachers and teach in the same school district. I teach k-12 Art and Richie teaches the k-12 Gifted and Talented program as well as a high school journalism class. I have bachelors degrees in both education and art as well as a master’s degree in Gifted and Talented education. I started out as a Kindergarten teacher and then taught second grade while I completed a few classes to add my art certification.  In 2005 our school’s art teacher retired and I was offered the position. I really enjoy teaching and I am especially glad that I get to teach art. It really is a lot of fun.

Richie and I do not have any kids. We do have 4 dogs, 4 cats and 3 horses.  3 of our dogs are english mastiffs which all weigh over 140 pounds!  We also have a golden retriever.  Our cats are barn cats and do a great job of keeping the mice away.

My mom and dad own a bed and breakfast in Virginia.  Here is a link to their website: http://www.orchardhousebb.com . They really seem to enjoy it.  I have one sister. She and her husband live in Illinois. My sister is a Speech Pathologist and her husband is a Graphic Designer.  They just had their first child! He is almost 7 months old and is the most adorable thing.

 I found Mary Janes Farm about a year and a half ago after seeing the magazine in a bookstore. I have been an active member of the forum ever since.

I love sewing and crafting and I even run a small crafting business online.  You can visit my website at http://www.willowtreecreek.com.

I really love what the farmgirl way of life stands for.

Good morning Bee sisters!  I hope you all had wonderful Autumn weekends where you live!  It seems that Pennsylvania is in the midst of Indian Summer with blue skies and temps in the mid 80’s!  The leaves are just beginning to change.   I had a busy farm weekend….apples and brussels sprouts to harvest…..pie baking, beeswax processing….etc.Welcome to you gals who just joined us over the past week.  I will try to bring you up to speed……

Well, it seems that over the past few days everyone has been chiming in with their favorite design for our Chapter patch.  Thank you, Stephanie for gussying up that little drawing a bit.  So far, the majority of gals like image #2(see below)  I will contact MaryJane’s Farm to see if they can produce the patches for us!  If not, I will explore other avenues (unless one of you have one of those nifty embroidery machines that allow you to download and stitch images from the internet!)

Chapter Aprons……our chapter apron fabric was posted on a thread under Farmgirl Chapter
Chatter by Heather (PlumCreekMama)……….

“I found the Bees & Clover fabric (all 3 colors) here:http://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?catid=166&start=51&sid=31U9Hz1kqMHe8bJ-35107423523.44 ”
Several of you have already purchased the fabric.  It comes in 3 colors….pink, yellow, and blue.  Pink was produced for Breast Cancer Awareness.  Your apron can be any style you like…..it is your creation.  We do want to see a picture of it if you can post one, however.  If we have any Chapter get-togethers in the future…..that apron will be our uniform.  Otherwise….wear it proudly and think of your Bee sisters when you do.  I am planning to get a second patch to sew on the pocket of my apron, I think!Journal Page…..I think Halloween is a good “due” date for our journal pages.  For the sake of time and convenience we have decided to each make a page and send to a central location for uploading to the internet and also to put them together in a journal for sending to MaryJane’s Farm.  I will take care of this process once you have sent your pages to me.  It would be easiest if you could send your (8 1/2 by 11 inch) page flat in a large envelope.  I have thought that perhaps the best way to handle the pages is to place each one in a vinyl sheet protector and then make a fancy journal cover for the outside.  This page should express what you want your “sisters” to know about YOU!!!  Pictures, embellishments, etc are up to your discretion!  Whatever you want to do is okey dokey!  Have fun with it!

Send your page to me…. PLEASE EMAIL BEV VIA THE FORUM FOR HER ADDRESS

Chapter Leader……i have had a few requests for me to remain in a leadership role and I will do that happily if no one else has a burning desire!  If you do…..speak up!  If we do not hear any more nominations, we will close this issue this Friday.   I just ask that you all bear with me as we travel down this road.  I will try to make this a great experience for us all.  I have had several offers from you all to help in whatever capacity you are needed and that is great!!!!  I am sure there will be projects, and activities, maybe some fun swaps that you all can take charge of in the future!

If you have any ideas for projects, speak up!  This is your chapter….let’s make it what you would like it to be.

Most of you are very busy, so we will not burden you with lots to do….but it is such a great feeling to be part of a sisterhood and get to know each other a little better.

Chapter blog…….Julie (WillowTreeCreek) posted the message below about our blog…..this blog is just another way for us to get to know each other….and to post info about the chapter.  Eventually, all of this info will be in a “henhouse” created by MaryJane for each chapter.  But for now……..we can start out here.

I think I will be trying to post on that blog sometime this week.  Perhaps this could be a place where we can post links to our own blogs also???

Julie:

“I created a blog for us! Our blog address is http://beeswithoutborders.wordpress.com. I went with wordpress because I can not access blogspot from my work. I have assigned myself as administrator to the account. If you are a member of Bees Without Borders I can give you posting privlages. You will need to sign up for an account on wordpress.1. Go to wordpress.com
2. click SIGN UP NOW
3.Fill out user name and password info.
4. Select – Give me an account
5. Press nextYou will than need to send me the email address you used to sign up for your account and I can add you as a contributor.

We are brainstorming for charity ideas….you will find a list of suggestions on the first page of our Chapter thread on MaryJanesFarm Chapter Chatter.  Feel free to offer more suggestions.  Also, that page will hold the list of current members…..Perhaps we should also put that on our blog site???

You all have been such a wealth of suggestions and enthusiasm!  I am having a great time with all of this and hope you are too!!! 

Have a bee-autiful week……see you around the forum!

Bee Haven Maven

Bev

Hi everyone! Hopefully you got the newsletter today and have taken a quick glance at our blog beeswithoutborders.wordpress.com.  I haven’t added much yet because I need your help!  I’d like to make a little BIO about each of our members.  Please send me a little bio of yourself and possibly a picture.  Remember this will be posted in a public blog so do not include any PERSONAL information.  Also, remember that if you want to sign up for a wordpress account I can add you as a contributor and you can make posts to the blog. You will be able to add tutorials, links, musing or whatever!  Also if you have a blog or a website email me your links and I will start adding them!

Bees Without Borders is a Farmgirl Chapter made up of women from all over the country.  United by MaryJanesFarm.org, our love for sewing, farming and seeking a simpler way of life has brought us together.  Keep checking back as we post about our chapters endevors and projects.