University of Maine Cooperative Extension has released a new fact sheet to support individuals who are starting farm enterprises, an effort that often comes with a steep learning curve.
Bulletin #1215, Avoiding Common Mistakes of Beginning Farmers outlines the challenges often faced by new farmers and offers research-based guidance to help growers and producers reduce risk and build a strong foundation for long-term farm success. Topics include developing a business plan, assessing land and soil resources, evaluating equipment needs, establishing recordkeeping systems and identifying markets. The fact sheet is intended for aspiring and early-career farmers seeking practical information to inform decision-making during the startup phase of farm operations. The publication is available free of charge on the Cooperative Extension Publications webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Nicholas Rowley at 207.778.4650 or nicholas.rowley@maine.edu.
Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.
After toll road scams spread last summer, a new version is surging—texts claiming you owe money for a traffic or parking violation.
These messages often include an official-looking notice offering a court date or a small fine (around $6), with a QR code for immediate payment to avoid penalties. They may mention your location or use fake case numbers to appear legitimate and create a sense of urgency.
If an unexpected message like this sparks strong emotions and demands urgency, treat it as a potential scam. Report the message as spam and avoid responding, clicking links or scanning QR codes. If you think the claim may be real, contact the court or agency directly using trusted contact information.
By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director 207 343-1842
Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Please send us your ideas and thoughts!
The Maine State Grange Office is located at 36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330. mainestategrange@gmail.com.
June Bulletin
Articles for the June Bulletin are due by the end of the day, June 14th.. Recent issues of the Bulletin are available on the Program Books and Information Page in the communications section.
Website Status
No more outages! The site seems to be running faster! We still are occasionally run into missing items and links not working. If it happens to you, please let the webmaster know!
Great Grange News
Ocean View Grange reports they have been highlighted for their Fuel Assistance Program in this issue of the St George Community Development Corporation newsletter. They are happy that their efforts are noted and proud that the Ocean View Grange members are part of helping our community.
Election Stress Getting to You?
Set strict media boundaries: Stop doomscrolling by scheduling 15 to 30 minutes a day to check the news, and use news-free zones (like your bedroom) to disconnect. The June Primaries are only the beginning.
Fryeburg Fair Opportunity
The Fryeburg Fair is seeking a nonprofit to take over the New Church Booth. The New Church group had operated the booth for seventy-three years! The Fair provides an opportunity for over 20 non-profits to earn funds through the operation of various booths. Who is up to this challenge?
What’s Going On?
Don’t forget to submit your special events and programs for our event calendar! We want people to know the Grange is thriving! Surely, there are lots of things happening in Maine, especially in the summer. We also love photos and reports of events that have happened. What’s your meeting magic?
To Ponder…
Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.
Howard Zinn
An Idea for Your Grange
How about sponsoring a Patriotic Flower Contest in your community? This could be done in conjunction with an Independence Day parade or as part of your 250 Celebration. One option would be to follow the model of a Christmas lighting contest. Another would be to create a garden tour with a patriotic theme.
Subscribe!
Remember, we don’t share your email address with anyone, and you get a weekly summary of what’s been posted. Subscribe here! Share that link with your members and Grange friends!
Online Directories Available 24-7
Thanks to those who help us keep these directories current by letting us know of changes!
The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct! Visitors to the site frequently consult these directories.
The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies, along with their contact information. Updated January 16, 2026.
Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.
Chances are you’ve signed up for a rewards or loyalty program at some point—even if you rarely check your account. These are popular targets for this very reason—loyalty account owners don’t tend to monitor their balances the way they might monitor financial accounts.
Criminals hack into loyalty and rewards accounts through phishing messages, malware-infected sites that collect your data, and stealing username and password combinations. Once inside, they transfer the points or redeem them.
Protect your rewards by protecting your accounts with strong, unique passwords and turn on multi-factor authentication whenever possible. Sign up for account alerts so you’re notified of any changes or suspicious activity. And if something looks off, contact the loyalty program directly through your account or a phone number you know is legitimate.
AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (DACF) Maine Senior FarmShare Program (MSFP) will soon begin enrolling participants for the 2026 season. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Maine Senior FarmShare Program, which has helped connect older adults with fresh Maine-grown produce, cut herbs, and honey while supporting local farms across the state.
Enrollment for the 2026 season will open on June 1, 2026.
Interested older adults may complete an online application on the MSFP website. This application includes a menu that lists farms by county, so they can select the farm they would like to enroll with in MSFP. An applicant can choose a farm in any county, regardless of where they live. Applicants will receive immediate email notification indicating whether they are eligible or ineligible.
Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.
Home repairs are inevitable—whether from everyday wear and tear or unexpected damage. But when you’re looking for help, the wrong contractor can make matters worse. Some promise quick, low-cost fixes, then deliver poor work, damage your property, or disappear before the job is done.
Be cautious of contractors who show up uninvited and say they can start work right away, pressure you to make quick decisions, or ask for cash up front. After severe weather, shady contractors may also push you to sign over insurance payments or take out loans for payment.
Always take time to review your options before agreeing to any work. Get at least three bids, check references and reviews, and read contracts carefully before signing. Don’t agree to pay the full cost upfront. While a deposit may be required, it should not exceed a third of the total estimate.
The Maine State Veterinarian’s office is sharing an important memo about animal health rules for the 2026 New England fair and show season. Please review the New England Fairs Memo (PDF).
This memo explains new guidance related to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and how it may affect animal exhibitions this year.
Key points include:
Some poultry and waterfowl shows may be delayed, limited, or canceled.
Cattle from states with HPAI cases should not attend New England fairs.
Strong biosecurity practices are expected for all animals.
Rules for Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (OCVIs) for the 2026 season.
“The only way to escape hardship is to keep moving forward.” Some will recognize this as a “family-friendly” paraphrasing of a quote attributed to Winston Churchill. Over the last month or so, I’ve found it necessary to keep reminding myself, “This too shall pass.”
We’re not quite out of the woods, but the clearing is in sight! (I seem to be full of metaphors and pithy sayings this morning.) There are probably some important lessons to be learned from the entire experience.
After nearly two decades of using the same host server, it became clear that things weren’t working. Well, it became clear to me. The host server folks didn’t see it that way!
I could probably make your eyes glaze over if I told the whole story and shared the many frustrations and roadblocks. The site is now fully migrated to a new server. Yay!
We can breathe easier, but we need to keep moving. It appears the major remaining difficulty is that a number of images disappeared during the move. Fortunately, I’m a bit of a packrat, so all is not lost. I will continue to replace them as I find them. If you experience any difficulties with the site, please let me know!
Forward momentum also demands that we continue to develop the site with news and resources. Thanks to the Granges who share news of events and accomplishments. Our future largely depends on what we do, not on what we say. If you can stand another pithy saying, society would tell us, “What you’re doing shouts so loudly we can’t hear what you’re saying.” Tell us what you’re doing! If local Granges don’t share their news, it’s the same as announcing that you’re not doing anything.
One thing I really like about the new server is that it is focused on WordPress, the platform we use to develop and maintain the site. This promises some great future developments and efficiency.
As a bit of an aside, I confess that A.I. (artificial intelligence) caused some frustration during the migration. But it was also profoundly helpful at times. So much of life is about stewardship and making good use of the tools we have available and the opportunities they create. Is there really such a thing as a “bad” tool?
The website itself is a tool. One way to use the site efficiently is to subscribe so you receive a weekly summary of posts. While site visits declined during the critical period of outages, the number of subscribers did not. In fact, our subscriber count continues to increase. Slow and steady wins the race. (Are you counting the pithy sayings?)
To so many, thanks for your support and patience! If you have ideas or needs, communicate them. Together we can do great things!
FACT: It didn’t take long to receive an email from the new server that we’d passed 500 site visits!
The Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention (MCEAP) has a Speakers Bureau with presenters who are available to give a 60-minute presentation on elder abuse. To raise awareness of the serious problem of elder abuse and the many valuable resources that are available in Maine to help those who are affected by it, the Council developed an Elder Abuse: A Community Problem with Community Solutions presentation.
MCEAP’s goal for this presentation is to provide an overview of the issue of elder abuse including statistics, general information about the different types of elder abuse, and where to go for help. This presentation does not provide profession-specific content, and it does not include information about legal reporting mandates.
For more information or to request a speaker for your event, please contact:
Jill Randall Co-Chair, Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention jrandall@mainelse.org
Reprinted with permission from AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.
Gift cards are popular and convenient for consumers—and for criminals who favor them as easy and hard-to-trace forms of payment.
They may claim the fastest way to fix an urgent financial problem is to go to a store, load a specific amount of money onto one or more gift cards (sometimes called electronic vouchers), and then share the activation numbers from the back of the card. No legitimate government agency or business will ever accept payment this way.
If you or someone you love has experienced this financial crime, turn the card over and call the issuer at the number provided; they may be able to freeze the card before some or all of the funds are drained. You should also report this crime to law enforcement to document what happened should there be a means of restitution down the road.
Fraud affects every generation, and AARP Fraud Watch Network is helping people fight back—one community at a time. By learning together and sharing information, we can better protect one another.
