Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
Our February 6th program was a Valentine card making party! Junior Granger and 2026 Miss Western Maine Jr. Teen Natalie shared some facts with us about the holiday before crafting cards as a group for the residents of Woodlands Senior Living in Farmington.
Big thanks to Girl Scout Troop #2096 for loaning their scissors, glue sticks, and markers!
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By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915
Spring will be here soon, which means that Grange month in April is on our doorstep. Does your Grange have anything planned? If so, please let us all know by advertising on the Maine State Grange website. Over the years, our Granges have become more individualized and isolated from one another, even within their own Pomona. A Pomona meeting is where the Granges in your area meet once a month to keep contact between Granges strong. However, many of our Granges do not have their Fifth Degree and hardly ever see anyone from their area or a neighboring Grange. What has happened? Why are many not finishing their degrees? Are we encouraging them? What do our new members know about Grange other than what they see in their own Grange?
We need to start bringing back programs that bring others to our different Granges to interact and to have fun. Some of the programs we used to be the following:
Three-point meetings. This is where a Grange invites two other Granges for a night of fun. One Grange usually provides dinner, another, the program, and the third, the officers.
Green Sash and Pink Sash nights. This is when a Grange invites the members of its Pomona or the State Officers to take their offices for the evening while the host Grange provides the program.
Youth Nights. Sadly, with the lack of youth in our Granges today, these nights are almost non-existent. To the youth of different Granges, it was their night to shine and provide a program.
Ritualistic Night. When I was lecturer at my Grange years ago, this was my favorite program to present, so all members could learn or refresh their knowledge of rituals and traditions.
Agricultural Nights and Legislative Nights. There were also fun nights in which the program was based on Ag or legislative issues. Resolutions were conceived, and we also learned about planting, harvesting, and filled with skits, or having a speaker as part of the program.
Without the above programs, what do we have now? Do Granges still have programs that invite others? How are we to take in new members if we have nothing exciting or beneficial for them? We need to start interacting more with one another through our Grange meetings (Community, Pomona, and State) to grow and prosper. ALL OF US are responsible for keeping Grange alive, so ask this question at your next Grange meeting: What is our vision for the future?
Submitted by Marilyn Stinson
Public Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner
Saturday, March 14, 2026, 5:OO PM – 7:00 PM
Corned beef OR ham, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, rolls, desserts, beverages, home made pickled beets. Served buffet style, but we will assist anyone; takeout available without the coffee.
Only $18.00 (cheaper than most restaurants and no tip), Seniors 65+ only $15.00, Family rates.
Reservations or FMI – Marilyn at 207-308-3901. Gluten-free dessert option.
By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director
Where Are You?
The name and number of a Grange should be on the building or on the sign at the road AND should include the day and time of the meetings. This way someone passing by or visiting the area will know when you meet.
Master Sherry
One of my earliest attempts to visit a Grange had a somewhat humorous result. It was over two decades ago. I was relatively new to the Grange, and technology was still young. I drove to Lincoln, thinking that the Grange wouldn’t be too hard to find. I stopped for directions (more than once), and no one could help. In fact, no one had ever heard of a Grange Hall. It took a few phone calls to learn that Lincoln Pomona Granges were several hours away.
In more recent adventures, I’ve learned that some Granges appear to have multiple locations. It goes with the territory of rural life. There are countless examples where someone unfamiliar with the area could become mightily confused.
I’ve been guilty myself of giving directions like “turn left where the schoolhouse used to be.” When my sister and family from North Carolina first visited us, I talked them in and, without thinking, actually said that. After a short silence, my brother-in-law reminded me that this was their first visit to Maine and asked how they would know where the schoolhouse used to be.
Under the heading, “Nothing’s perfect…” I’ve also learned that travelers coming from a certain direction to our home need to ignore their GPS at one suggested turn. But the simple truth is, we need to make it easy for people to find us, and “us” includes our Grange Halls.
One way to do that is to know and use your hall’s street address. Street addresses in Maine are assigned by local municipalities (usually the code enforcement officer or town clerk), plantations, or county commissioners (for unorganized territories), adhering to E-911 standards. The E-911 system requires that each structure be linked to a unique physical address that clearly identifies the caller’s location (e.g., 35 Pine Road). Remember that dispatchers are often far away from the communities they serve.
The additional benefit of standards for street addresses make it possible for anyone to locate a building. Once you have your hall’s street address, please use it. I recommend placing the street number outside the building or on a post. It also wouldn’t hurt to have it posted inside the hall. There are additional steps you can take online, including locating your hall on Google Maps.
As an aside, the National Grange’s “Find a Grange” program does not include Maine; you should not rely on it. Our Maine State Grange online directory is based on the published roster. We’ll update it soon, when the roster is issued, but we can also make changes at any time.
Making your hall visible and easy to find is another great spring project!
FACT: During a recent seven-day period, more than fifty people visited the website from Facebook.
Every Saturday, 10 AM-4 PM, Kennebec Valley Grange hosts a flea market on two floors. Seamstress in attendance 10 AM-2 PM. You’ll find baked goods such as whoopie pies, regular pies, and Needhams. (Pies by preorder. Doris 399-1191) There are also baked beans, Dynamites, and haddock chowder available to go, by the pint or quart. Fresh local eggs. We also offer a small lending library of books and magazines on homesteading, cooking, and farming. FMI Diane Pinkham, Master, 314-5135
Kennebeck Valley Grange is located at 560 Main Street in Madison, Maine.
Submitted by Tina Thurston, 207 515-2361
Please forgive the last-minute notice and invitation, but we at Norway Grange 45 want to ensure we don’t exclude anyone from our draping of the Charter this coming Saturday, February 14, in honor of our long-standing, now-at-peace Grange sister, Ethel Lacourse. She led the good fight and lasted 95 years. We will honor her memory with a noon meal, with the ceremony commencing at 1 pm.
Please join us. Even if you’re unable to attend, please send us a written remembrance, and someone will read it in your proxy. Thank you, good brothers and sisters.
For more information, please contact Tina Thurston at 207 515 2361 or email us at norwaygrange45@gmail.com
Please let us know if you can come.
Norway Grange is located at 15 Whitman Street in Norway, Maine.
A recent issue of the California State Grange included flyers for several programs offered across the state. There were plenty of pancake breakfasts and suppers. A few of the different events are:
Many of these are not one-time events. Consistency matters.
What have you got planned? Remember to submit your event!
By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director
Some Changes and Reminders
As we begin a new calendar year, I’ll share some changes we are making and offer a few reminders that should be helpful. And I probably won’t resist including some accomplishments!
There will always be some challenges with the relationship between the Bulletin and the website. They are two very different media. (Think about the difference between reading a newspaper and getting news online.) One minor change we are working on involves the use of photos, particularly with monthly columns. While photos work well on the site, they simply do not reproduce well in the printed Bulletin. Therefore, we’ll either eliminate photos from the Bulletin or replace them with line art.
Speaking of that difference in media, we will continue the content shift we started several years ago. The website will continue to emphasize news, events, and the interests of local (subordinate) Granges. The Bulletin will be driven primarily by monthly columns and reports—still appropriate for local Granges, but not as time-sensitive.
We’ll continue to encourage subscriptions to the website. The number of people subscribing to the site has been steadily increasing. We have at least 10% more subscribers than we did a year ago, and that number continues to grow! Let’s continue that trend. As many have said, with a monthly Bulletin and monthly meetings, the site is one way to stay connected to the Grange on a regular basis. We work at keeping posts relevant and timely—no spam and no complicated algorithms deciding what you should see! Your subscription is confidential. We don’t share your contact information with others. Subscribing (and unsubscribing) is easy-peasy.
Technology advancements often help us, but they can also create more challenges. The use of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) is currently near the top of the list! As a reminder, we should all use AI very deliberately. It doesn’t always get things correct or complete. Bear in mind, you may be using it unknowingly. If, for example, you search the Internet, the results are generated by automation. One of the major concerns with AI is diminished critical thinking among users. Don’t let this happen to you. As a quick example, I have used spell and grammar checking for a long time, but I always review suggested changes to make sure AI has not changed the meaning of what was written. In short, keep your brain active. Don’t let AI do your thinking for you!
We will continue purging the site of posts and columns that are over 2 years old. This may result in some broken links, but it will keep the site up to date and manageable. It also reduces server space. If you experience any problems, please let me know!
Note that our policy regarding Fraternal Concerns has not changed. “We will not, therefore, post Fraternal Concerns regarding sickness and death. Exceptions may be made when concern involves a current or past state officer or other person well-known throughout the state. This policy also avoids potential privacy issues.” The entire policy is available on the website on the Program Books and Information Page. Please submit any fraternal concerns, but understand the need to limit publication.
I’ll continue to report changes and reminders. While this is not a paid position, I truly believe that I work for you, Grange Members in Maine. If you have concerns, questions, or ideas, please let me know. Remember to submit your Grange’s events and news!
FACT: In 2025, over 250 columns and posts were added to the website! 10,000 emails were sent to subscribers and ODDs using our automated system!
By Rick Grotton,
Membership Committee Director
207 582-5915
I will be attending the annual Agricultural Trade Show in Augusta this week to talk to people about grange and to try to get some new membership. Each year I attend, emblazed in my Grange attire, either wandering around talking to the vendors or seated at the Maine State Grange booth, enticing new membership and explaining what Grange has to offer. People from all over the state attend and check out the agricultural exhibits, eager to find new ideas or products to help with their gardens and food production. Events like these offer a great opportunity to add new membership. We have people sign up who are interested, and the list is passed to Granges based upon the geographical location of the person’s residence. Applications and other information are readily available.
By attending this event, I am achieving three things that are mentioned in my columns over the years as in the following:
Visibility, by letting yourself be shown and making yourself known.
Approaching others and having pleasant conversations about Grange.
Wearing clothing that proudly displays Grange emblems and creates conversations such as, “My parents (grandparents or myself) used to belong to Grange” and “Do Granges still exist?”
I encourage all members to attend any kind of event in their jurisdiction where there may be interest in Grange membership. There are so many people who have not heard of Grange, so get out there, make yourself visible, talk to others and wear Grange apparel!
by Maia Zewert, Editor Lincoln County News
Submitted by Laurie McBurnie
It’s not often a teacher walks out of a student of the month assembly with an award, but such was the case at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro on Monday, Dec. 22.
In front of a gymnasium full of MVHS students, faculty, and staff, members of Willow Grange 366 in Jefferson surprised special education resource room teacher Kali Martin with the Maine State Grange Educator of the Year Award.
“I’m just completely blown away,” Martin said after the presentation. “I had no idea this was coming.”
Willow Grange member Paula Roberts introduced the award during the assembly, describing the recipient without initially naming them.
“This teacher saw a need in the Medomak community and acted on it to make a difference here at Medomak and beyond,” Roberts said. “And she has involved her students and the student body to show them, although community service can be hard work, it is extremely rewarding.”
Roberts also quoted MVHS Principal Linda Dolloff Pease, who said Martin “is appreciated and well-loved and plays a big role in the positive culture of the school.”
When she was revealed as the recipient of the Maine State Grange Educator of the Year Award, Martin immediately received a standing ovation from all in attendance. As Martin joined the presenters, Roberts listed Martin’s many accomplishments during her time working at the high school, including initiating a weekend backpack program to provide students in need with food, preparing food for the annual Empty Bowl Supper, and helping to start a free clothing program for students in need.
Martin also started the Medomak Valley Soul Food Pantry, which serves over 300 families, Roberts said. She applied for and received a grant to purchase an industrial-sized freezer for the pantry and also collects food from Hannaford and arranges deliveries from Good Shepherd Food Pantry to keep it stocked.
“She has gone above and beyond her teaching duties,” Roberts said. “Kali has given unselfishly of her time and resources to support Medomak students and the community.”
In addition, Martin is involved with the school’s student council, participates in Treat Tuesdays, and “is known for her root beer floats for the entire staff,” Roberts said.
“Kali Martin has the biggest heart ever and it shows here in the many ways that Paula Roberts outlined in her presentation,” Pease said. “She is an advocate for young people in addition to being aware of staff needs and having a little fun!”
Maine State Grange Secretary and Willow Grange President Sharon Morton presented Martin with the award. In addition, Martin was presented a $100 donation from Maine State Grange Treasurer and Willow Grange Secretary Laurie McBurnie to support the food pantry.
“Having such a supportive administration and having the support of the community to keep the pantry going has just been such a huge blessing,” Martin said. “It’s just grown … and it helps our families get what they need.”
For more information or to make a donation to the Medomak Valley Soul Food Pantry, email Martin at kali_martin@rsu40.org.