Please note that there is one correction to the story–The Dictionary Project has actually distributed 37,000,000 dictionaries in total!
Valley Grange Presents Dictionaries
View from the Farm – November 2024
Webmaster’s note: The format of this column includes all of the Quill’s Endians participating at various times and in various ways! Phil writes this month’s column.
Making Microbes Happy
In my life, I’ve had a problem understanding wealth and success. The message I get from the culture around me is very different from the message I live.
As a farmer, wealth and success have different iterations, but they are all connected. The base of the issue is microbial. In order to accumulate wealth, I must make microbes happy. My first billion must fit easily on a spoon.
There are many ways to make microbes happy. It’s all in the recipe that you prepare and having proper ingredients. Aerobic microbes need oxygen; anaerobic do not–different recipes for the little buggers even though they eat the same foods. Feed them well, and they will make rich compost or living soil. Treat them poorly, and your soil suffers.
This base of wealth supports the soil, which then feeds everything. The invisible is made tangible.
Soil can then be used to grow food for humans directly or indirectly. One might pick a carrot and eat it for nutrition and pleasure, or one might pick a carrot and feed it to a hog that will later be eaten.
The community that grows around a small farm sits atop the pyramid of wealth and success. Soil creation and microbial de-light occur to tickle palates with flavor. They occur to further life.
Find yourself supporting microbes and soil, the wealth and success of local farms, and local ecosystems–the dividends are fantastic! Take your lessons from the deer in the pasture or the clearing, the fox in the hedgerow, and the hawk above the garden; they all know the food is better where the bases for wealth have been flourishing. We do, too.
Heather and Phil Retberg and their three children run Quill’s End Farm, a 105-acre property in Penobscot that they bought in 2004. They use rotational grazing on their fifteen open acres and are renovating thirty more acres from woods to pasture to increase grazing for their pigs, grass-fed cattle, lambs, laying hens, and goats. Heather is Vice President of Halcyon Grange #345 and writes a newsletter for their farm’s buying club of farmers in her area and has generously permitted us to share some of their columns with Grangers. Visit the Quill’s End Farm Facebook Page for more information.
Celebrate Veterans
Here are some ideas for celebrating our veterans on their special day that don’t require much planning.
- Visit a Veterans Memorial or Cemetery. Contrary to some social media posts, Veterans Day honors both fallen and living Veterans. Memorial Day is meant to honor those who paid the ultimate price.
- Serve the Veteran Community by volunteering or donating. You can combine this with your visit!
- Go to a Veterans Day event. It may take some searching, or you could create your own. Put up a flag!
- Create a moment of silence. A simple but powerful activity would involve concentrating on what our veterans make possible for us all.
These and some additional ideas are available at Veteran Life.
CWA Report – November 2024
By Margaret Henderson, Director
Committee on Women’s Activities
207 948-2762
It was nice to see many of you at State Grange session.
Thankfully, the items that went to “Big E” got back to me a few days before State Grange, so I was able to return these entries to the ladies who entered them. Winners at “Big E” from Maine:
- Class B Doilies: Grace Weste, 3rd Place
- Class C Embroidery: Gail Butterfield, 1st Place
- Class E Plastic Canvas: Elmira Collins, 1st Place
- Class G Adult Garment: Kathy Gowen, 3rd Place
- Class I Quilted Wall Hanging: Jackie Morgan, 1st Place
- Class J Stuffed Toy: Ann Burns, 3rd Place
- Class K Baby Afghan: Elmira Collins, 2nd Place
Congratulations, ladies, you make Maine proud!
Also, at the State Grange Session, certificates were presented to the Granges that made donations to House in the Woods, Home for Little Wanderers, and prize money. A check for $630.00 was presented to Richard Harriman, who will present this to House in the Woods. I went to Home for Little Wanderers and presented them with a check for $605.00. There were also donations of diapers, diaper wipes, hats, mittens, and toys for them. These organizations are very thankful for the contributions the Granges donate to them.
I hope that you all have a very enjoyable Thanksgiving with your families. Let us be thankful every day.
Today Is Your Day!
Grange Heirloom — November 2024
Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Rituals and Declaration of Purposes.
Use the icons below to share this Grange Heirloom on social media and help others understand what the Grange stands for! If this heirloom has a particular meaning for you, click the “leave a comment” link at the left and share your comment with us!
For additional information and resources regarding the Heirloom Program, visit the Heirloom Resource Page on the Maine State Grange Website.
Communication Shorts 11-1-2024
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!
November Bulletin Coming Soon!
The deadline for submitting information to be included in the November Bulletin is November 14, 2024. Recent issues of the Bulletin can be found on the Program Books and Information Page.
Words for Thirds
We’re still looking for any Granges considering or already participating in the Words for Thirds Dictionary Project. Please let us know who you are!
Missing “stuff?”
As we purge older posts and clean things up, you may occasionally encounter missing photos and broken links. Remember, we only maintain two years of posts both to save space and avoid confusion. If what’s missing seems important, please let us know! Mistakes happen.
Note Regarding Contacting State Master Sherry
Please remember to use the correct email address for State Master/President Sherry. An older Gmail address is floating around, but it is not regularly checked. Also, she does not maintain any social media accounts, including Facebook.
Holiday Craft Fairs?
Many Granges offer holiday craft fairs or “makers markets.” Please submit information about yours! We offer statewide publicity and make it easy for you to share information on Social Media. If you submit it before November 15, it will be included in the November Bulletin!
Grange History Booklet Added
The 150th Anniversary Booklet is a literal treasure of historical information about Granges in Maine, including a reasonably complete list of every Grange that has existed in Maine! Check it out!
Consider this Idea!
If you are having any sort of program event, consider offering tours of your Grange Hall. Many folks are interested in learning more about both the Grange and these buildings.
Songbooks for Singing!
Ellie Collins has some Grange Songbooks that are looking for a good home!
Think about this
“If you don’t know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere.”
Henry Kissinger
Online Directories Available 24-7
- The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.
- 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 consult these directories often.
Brownville Students Gain Words!
BROWNVILLE — Grade 3 students at the Brownville Elementary School now have thousands of words and accompanying definitions at their fingertips, along with other assorted facts. The pupils do not need to worry about charged laptops or cellphones to access this information, as each of the nearly 50 youngsters now has their very own dictionary thanks to Valley Grange No. 144 of Guilford...
Check out this amazing article in the Piscataquis Observer about the words for Thirds Dictionary Day in Brownville Elementary School!
Last Call!
Well, at least for now! We still have some confirming to do, but it looks like at least ten Granges in Maine are participating in the Words for Thirds Program.
- Chelsea Grange #215
- East Madison Grange #228
- Evening Star Grange #183
- Farmington Grange #12
- Hollis Grange #132
- Maple Grave Grange #148
- Mill Stream Grange #574
- Old Town Riverside Grange #273 (unconfirmed)
- Valley Grange #144
- Waterford Grange #479
Thanks to the folks who have answered the call and provided information. If you still haven’t, just complete this simple form!
Our resource page is shaping up nicely and should be ready to release in a week or so. It includes a customized logo for participating Granges, many sample documents such as a letter for parents, press releases, media advisories, and a sample presentation outline.
We owe a special thanks to Mary French, Director of the Dictionary Project, for her enthusiasm and support of this effort!
Valley Grange and Local Schools Celebrate Dictionary Day
Guilford–A team of Valley Granger members led by Walter Boomsma is delivering nearly 250 dictionaries to local area schools during the next several weeks. “We have a lot to celebrate,” he noted, “third graders in the area are celebrating tools, words, and the importance of learning and getting their own dictionary to keep.”
The Grange began its “Words for Thirds” Program in 2004 by giving a dictionary to every third-grader at the then-Guilford Primary School. Over the years, the program has expanded to include Piscataquis Community, SeDoMoCha, Brownville, Harmony, and Ridgeview Elementary Schools. Boomsma estimates the Grange has distributed nearly 4,000 dictionaries since. “But it’s really not about the numbers. One kid, one dictionary. The stories are many, but each one is personal. A dictionary can make a big difference in a child’s life.”
Grangers visit schools to make the gift personal and emphasize the importance of people helping each other. Jim Annis, president of the local Grange, rarely misses a presentation. “I love how excited the kids get. These dictionaries are truly empowering, and the program has become a rite of passage. We’re glad we can continue the tradition.”
Boomsma noted that these sorts of connections and cooperation within the community are exactly what the Grange hopes to facilitate. “We’re all about building strong kids and communities,” he said. “We’re also looking for people who share that passion, whether it’s working with the schools and children or seniors or other community organizations.” He cites the Grange’s Blistered Finger Knitters as an example. “As a result of their efforts, we distribute some knitted hats and mittens along with the dictionaries. These are usually given to the school nurse for kids needing little help staying warm.”
“The kids get excited about the books, but I think for most, it’s about more than just getting a dictionary. It’s also about seeing that organizations and individuals in the community care for each of them and want them to succeed.”
The Dictionary Project is based in North Carolina, making low-cost dictionaries available to organizations like the Grange to aid third-grade teachers in their goal to see all their students leave at the end of the year as good writers, active readers, and creative thinkers. Extra dictionaries are always available for new or home-schooled students or students transferring in during the school year. Parents of home-schooled third-graders are urged to call their local school for additional information. For information about the Grange and its many opportunities, call Walter Boomsma at 343-1842 or Mary Annis at 564-0820 or visit the Valley Grange Website (http://valleygrange.com) or Facebook Page.