Patrons of Husbandry – a website dedicated to the Granges located in Maine
The Maine State Grange Office is located at
36 Anthony Avenue, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330
The office is open Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 9:30 am until 1:30 pm
The email address is mainestategrange@gmail.com.
For website matters, email webmaster@mainestategrange.org.
With colder weather approaching, the Maine Department of Energy Resources’ 2026-2027 Winter Heating Guide can help residents save money, stay warm, and find assistance. The guide brings together practical tips, financial assistance programs, and contacts for help throughout the heating season.
Start by scheduling annual heating system maintenance and asking your fuel provider about automatic delivery to help avoid running out. You can also explore weatherization incentives through Efficiency Maine and MaineHousing. Maine’s heating fuel price reports can help you compare costs and make informed decisions.
Several programs offer support for eligible households:
If you are very low on heating fuel and cannot afford a refill, you may qualify for emergency assistance. Call 211 or contact your local Community Action Agency for information.
The webpage also includes heating safety resources, warming center information, a recorded winter heating webinar, and a new printable contact sheet to share with neighbors, family members, or community organizations.
By Christine Hamp, National Grange President
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a good reminder that we can make it harder for criminals to steal our personal information or take over our accounts.
Scam messages often include a link or an attachment that perpetrators use to introduce malware onto your device or send you to a site that will seek to collect login or payment information.
Protect all online accounts with strong, unique passwords (strongly consider using a password manager) and turn on multifactor authentication when available. Also, keep your device software updated – the updates often include important security fixes.
Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
Articles in this edition include:
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Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. To save server space, we only post the table of contents on the MSG Website.
Fall Craft Fair at the St. George Grange on Saturday. October 10, 2026, from 9 am until 2 pm includes fresh-baked goods, coffee, mulled cider, homemade jelly, jam, fudge, and canned goods. Lunch will be available: soup w/biscuit, hot dogs, and drinks. For more information, contact the St George Grange Secretary at 207-372-8904.
The St George Grange is located at 32 Wiley’s Corner Road.
Danville Junction Grange will hold a Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday, October 24, from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm. The Grange is located at 15 Grange Street (off Route 202) in Danville. Six-foot tables are available for rent for $20 each, plus an item donated to the Grange raffle. A light lunch will be available. To rent a table, please contact Barbara at 310-0652 or Norma at 583-7211.
The Parkman Grange is again helping Santa this Christmas through its MSAD 4 Santa Project. This program is for newborns to high school seniors in the MSAD 4 school district and provides warm winter coats, boots and a toy for families that could use some help this Çhristmas. Applications were distributed by the school and are also available at the Parkman town office and on the bulletin board on the Parkman Grange porch.
The deadline to apply is November 13, and you can return applications by mail to PO Box 114, Guilford, ME 04443, or in the locked box on the Grange porch. The Parkman Grange is located on the corner of State Highway 150 and North Dexter Road.
Distribution will be on December 20, 10 AM to noon.
Save the date: Our kids Christmas party will be on December 5, 1-3 PM. Santa will be there with gifts and photos. Simple crafts can be made as gifts for family and friends. Cookies and cocoa will be served.
Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange Master/President
207 490-1029
State Session October 30 & 31. Black Bear Inn in Orono. You or Your Delegates may pick up new Department Program Books Agriculture, Lecturers, Women’s Activities, Community Service, Communications and the Annual Reports will be in the Delegate materials. If you did not have delegates at the session, you may download the programs and reports from the web under “Program Books,” or if you want a printed copy, email or call the office or me, and we will send them to you. You may request all or just select certain ones. Agricultural Scholarship, Educational Aid & Howes Nurses Scholarship requirements and applications can also be found on the website or requested from the office. We need to promote these scholarships and awards in our communities; each is a wonderful opportunity for our young folks.
2027 Roster information is past due. Another reminder, a few more than half of you have provided your info. Even if there were no changes, a report needs to be sent.
Successful Granges are Led by People
Responsibilities of a Leader
Communicate the Grange story with confidence. The Maine State Grange Communications Handbook offers practical guidance for connecting with local media, writing news and event announcements, sharing photos, and keeping members informed. From press releases and branding to websites and social media, it’s a useful resource for Grangers who want to share their work clearly and effectively.
The Communications Handbook is brand new for 2026, and it’s much more than the traditional program book. Journalists probably know the Associated Press Stylebook has 504 pages. While this Handbook incorporates some AP practices, it’s much shorter at 35 pages and still quite inclusive. It’s free! Give it a try!
The National Grange has identified Mill Stream Grange #574 as a 2026 Distinguished Grange.
The National Grange will recognize Mill Stream Grange along with 53 other Community, Pomona, and Junior Granges and four State Granges at the 160th Annual National Grange Convention in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, this November, as well as at a special National Grange Honors Night on November 20th.
“Earning the title of Distinguished Grange is a powerful reflection of what the Grange can accomplish at the local level,” said National Grange President Christine Hamp. “It recognizes a Grange that is engaged, growing, serving its neighbors, developing leaders, and creating meaningful opportunities for members to make a difference. These Granges are not simply gathering for meetings. They are building stronger communities, welcoming people into the Grange family, and turning ideas into action. Their work represents the very best of who we are and shows the lasting impact a strong Grange can have.”
To be named a Distinguished Grange, Mill Stream Grange submitted a recap of activities, events, and other qualifying data from July 2025 through June 2026, which the National Grange then reviewed. Some of the projects and programs included establishing a Little Free Library, decorating Veterans’ graves, providing area third-graders with dictionaries as part of their “Words for Thirds” program, and crafting “heart cards” for the residents of Woodlands Senior Living in Farmington.
Master/President Jill Sampson tells us that much of the credit goes to Lecturer/Program Director Kristen Heck, who “worked really hard on it, and adds, “The Grange has always been about community and family. Our members and our neighbors gather, bond, and build a stronger, healthier community for ourselves and our children. We are excited and enjoy finding new ways to meet the changing needs of our community.”
The Mill Stream Grange Hall is located at 128 Town House Road in Vienna. Regular meetings are held the first and third Friday of every month at 7:00 pm, following a supper at 6 pm. Mill Stream Grange maintains a Facebook Group, or you can contact Secretary Laurena Cunningham at (207) 246-8534 for more information about meetings and upcoming events.