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.
Registered Maine voters may use this free service to request an absentee ballot for the November 03, 2026 General Election. Ballots must be received no later than 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Election Day.
For more information, please visit the Secretary of State’s Upcoming Elections page.
Suicide prevention is not one moment or one person’s job. It lives in the relationships we build, the support we offer, and the communities we create together.
Week 1: Strengthen Suicide Prevention Together
If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here!
By Laurie McBurnie, MSG Treasurer
When your Grange requests funds from the Maine State Grange (from your subordinate account, Community Service reimbursement, etc.), please take note that these requests go to the State Master (not me). She and the Executive Committee will approve the request and send it along to me to pay.
The check will be made payable to the contractor (or Grange in the case of Comm. Service reimbursement) and mailed to the subordinate Grange SECRETARY (unless otherwise directed by the State Master).
Please process these checks as soon as you receive them. This will help keep the State Treasurer sane when balancing the monthly statements.
If you do not receive the requested check within a couple of weeks of the request, feel free to contact me directly.
Sherry Harriman,
Maine State Grange Master/President
207 490-1029
STATE SESSION
October 30 & 31. Black Bear Inn in Orono. Get your Delegate Credentials and meal orders in. Looking forward to seeing you all there.
THANKS FROM RICHARD
Richard asked me to thank everyone for the cards, calls, prayers, and well wishes while he was in the hospital and rehab after his heart repair. He is doing great and is now home.
DONATIONS AND GRANTS – MAINE GRANGE FOUNDATION
The Maine Grange Foundation, Inc. is held by the State Grange and is used when a group or individual wishes to make a charitable donation to your Grange and have it designated as tax-deductible. The Maine Grange Foundation account is also used when your Grange receives a Grant from another group or organization, and it must go into a 501(c)(3) account; then the Maine Grange Foundation can pass it on to the designated Grange.
Grant funds or donations from another group are made by check to the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc., on behalf of a Subordinate (Community), Pomona (County) or State Grange. Note on the subject line the name and number of the Grange to whom the donation is for and the reason for the grant or donation, such as new kitchen, roof, windows, plumbing, etc.
Send checks to Maine Grange Foundation, Inc., 36 Anthony Ave, Suite 102, Augusta, ME 04330. The check will be deposited and held in the Foundation account, noting the Grange name and number it belongs to. After the check clears, a Foundation Officer will withdraw the donation, and we will send a bank check to the appropriate Grange. (The only persons allowed to access the account are designated officers and legal signers of the Maine Grange Foundation, Inc.)
We will return a receipt and tax-deductible form, which includes our specific number, to the contributor; please provide their information and address. If multiple donations are made, we may hold them in the account and send them as one lump sum to the Grange. Please let us know what your preference is in writing.
The Maine State Grange does not provide funds or grants for building repairs, improvements, property upgrades, or paying bills.
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.
Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the achievements of America’s workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity and well-being.
Before it became a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized initially by individual states. New York was the first state to introduce a bill recognizing Labor Day, but Oregon was the first to actually pass a law in 1887. During 1887, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York – passed laws creating the holiday.
By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday and Congress passed an act on June 28, 1894, making the first Monday in September of each year the legal holiday. For many, the three-day holiday weekend marks the unofficial end of summer as public schools and colleges return to class.
As food and product recalls continue to make headlines, criminals are following suit. They send texts, emails, or other messages claiming that a product you purchased has been recalled and that you’re entitled to a refund or free replacement.
The message may look legitimate, appearing to come from a retailer or manufacturer you trust. It urges you to act quickly and click a link to claim a refund or verify your account. But in reality, the link takes you to a fake website designed to steal your login credentials and personal or financial information.
If you receive a message like this, don’t click. Instead, go directly to the company’s official website or app to verify the recall and check your account. You can also confirm recalls through the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which maintain lists of recalled products at fda.gov/safety/recalls and cpsc.gov/recalls.
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.
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By Walter Boomsma, MSG Communications Director
I’m working on a fully updated Communications Handbook to introduce for the 2026-27 Grange year. The business of communication continues to change rapidly, and it’s time to ensure the handbook meets the needs of our Granges and Grangers.
Like it or not, we must embrace technology. Studies show that over 80% of Maine citizens own a smartphone. Device ownership tracks closely with age demographics. In Maine households, roughly 93% of householders aged 15 to 34 own a smartphone, compared to only 49% of householders aged 65 or older.
If we are to remain relevant to our communities, our communication to those communities (and with each other) must also be relevant. We face a real challenge here. Our handbook will attempt to be a relevant resource. (I do love alliteration!) The current handbook shows how to format a press release document. The new handbook will address sending emails.
What would be helpful? If you have some thoughts, you can easily comment on this post. (Look to the left and click “Leave a Comment.”) Or, if you’d prefer, email me. My ambitious goal is to have this available at our State Convention in October, so don’t delay!
We’ve got some, but we want more! What does your Grange do that works? I’m looking for creative ways we communicate internally (among members) and externally (with the public). Again, you can leave a comment or send an email.
The current handbook is available on the site for viewing and downloading: 2025-2026 Communications Handbook. It’s worth a look! And your ideas and tips are worthy considering for the updated version!
We’re Grangers; we help each other.
For 2026, the Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is inviting organizations, communities, farms, nonprofits, municipalities, and event organizers to submit public fall events for possible inclusion in Maine’s Weekly Foliage Reports.
DACF is looking for more activities that give residents and visitors another reason to get out and experience autumn in Maine, including:
Events should take place during Maine’s fall foliage reporting season, generally mid-September through mid-October, and must be open to the public.
DACF will review events based on timing, location, relevance to the foliage season, and available space. Submitted information may be edited for length, clarity, and style.
The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety (BHS) announced last week that Maine law enforcement will participate in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over High Visibility Enforcement Campaign.” Usually held in mid-August through Labor Day, which is September 7 this year, the campaign kicked off in earnest on August 19.
According to BHS, Maine State Police, county sheriff’s offices and local law enforcement will be participating in the three-week effort. Nine fatalities involving blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 grams per milliliter (the state’s legal limit) or greater were recorded in Maine over the past three summer campaigns.
There were 162 fatal crashes in the state in 2025, of which 27 involved alcohol or drug impairment, according to state data. In all, 173 people died on Maine’s roadways last year, and 29 of those were due to operating under the influence.
This data and program could be the basis of a Family Health and Hearing Report and, if promoted, qualify as Community Service.
