Maine Animal Health Officials Respond to Bird Flu Cases

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This article is reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by Paul Stearns, State Representative for District 119.

Due to multiple detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Maine and New England, Maine Animal Health Officials announced an advisory recommending cancellation or postponement of competitions, exhibitions, shows, swaps, or other in-person events encouraging the gathering or comingling of domestic fowl or poultry.

Advisory: The risk for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) remains high, and bird owners are advised to keep birds indoors to prevent the spread of this disease. The trends observed with past North American HPAI outbreaks are that we often see a reprieve in the summer months. This is because summer is when the virus present on the landscape (outdoors) is degraded by sunlight and heat. Animal Health Officials from the six New England States recommend that all competitions, exhibitions, shows, swaps, or other in-person events encouraging the gathering or comingling of domestic fowl or poultry be postponed until July 1, 2022, or later.

“The best way to prevent spread of HPAI from infected poultry to healthy poultry is to avoid unnecessary mixing of groups of domestic birds,” said Maine State Veterinarian Dr. Michele Walsh. “With the risk of HPAI considered high in Maine, we are confident that a smart tactic to control the spread of HPAI is to recommend canceling or postponing poultry events through July 1, 2022, and re-evaluating the HPAI threat to domestic poultry and pet birds at that time.”

For a complete snapshot of HPAI in Maine, the state’s response, a list of frequently asked questions, and additional HPAI resources, visit maine.gov/dacf/hpai

To report sick poultry or unusual domestic bird deaths, call the USDA’s toll-free sick bird hotline at 1-866-536-7593.

To report a strange-acting or dead wild bird, call the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife at 207-287-8000.

Teacher Appreciation Week Is May 2 – 6

Some ideas for Granges…

  • Send flowers or food to school for the teacher’s lounge
  • Hold a teacher’s car wash at the Grange Hall
  • Print and sign this poster and hang copies around the community.
  •  Wear red on National Teacher Day (May 3, 2022)
  • Post messages of appreciation on social media
  • Put together this cute and crafty  “chill pills” gift for the office or teachers’ lounge
  • Ask local restaurants, bakeries, shops, or spas to partner with you to provide teachers with a free item or small gift card
  • Draw and write chalk messages on the sidewalks outside the school*
  • Visit the staff parking lot and clean car windows during the school day; leave a note under the wiper*
  • Write a letter to the editor of local newspapers

*Communicate with school administration and get permission, especially for anything you’d like to do on school property. If you’ve got a really neat idea, add it as a comment here.

Raising Backyard Chickens at White Rock Grange

Saturday, May 14, 2022, 3:00 – 5:00 PM

four assorted color roosters
Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

Join Windham Blue Seal and November’s Harvest in this event to discuss raising chicks, how to raise chicks, and common problems. Choosing a breed, where to buy, and how many. Getting ready for your chicks: what supplies do you need to get started, shelter, nesting boxes, and more. White Rock Grange is located at 33 Wilson Road, Gorham ME. For more information, visit the White Rock Grange Facebook Page.

Cooking for Crowds

Food Safety Training for Volunteers:

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This article is reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by UMaine Extension

Many organizations and community groups rely on volunteers like you for a variety of food events for fundraising, fellowship, food pantries, or other services to the community. But cooking for a crowd is tricky! How do you store all that food? When is the food completely cooked? How long can you leave food on the buffet table? Now there is a workshop on Safe Food Handling designed specifically for Volunteers.

This class meets the Good Shepherd Food Bank food safety training requirements.

Click here to request a workshop

For more information…

Starling Hall Update

Loyal website visitors and subscribers with a great memory will perhaps remember a post a while ago regarding Starling Hall located in Fayette, Maine. That post told the “wonderful story of a former Grange Hall because of a group of dedicated volunteers.” In summary, the hall was acquired by the town and a group of volunteers in 2015 formed “Friends of Starling Hall” (FOSH) as a 501(3)C. Their efforts are described as “uniting history and purpose–restoring a treasured former Grange hall for use as a community center.”Since then, much progress has been made toward restoring the hall to its former glory.

You can read about some of the improvements and ongoing work on the Starling Grange Hall Website. These have not been easy tasks! A 2021 news article in the Kennebec Journal details much of the history and costs to date.

In order to keep the project moving forward, FOSH is currently seeking federal funding to supplement their local fundraising efforts. Certainly, Grangers understand the importance of “uniting history and purpose” and appreciate the value of maintaining heritage and history. You will enjoy the video below!

More Grange Music–Right in Your Home!

Some folks may have heard Katherine Rhoda play at a few Grange events around Maine over the past few years. If not, here’s your chance!

person playing guitar with musical notes
Photo by Elina Sazonova on Pexels.com

On Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 10 AM, Katherine will offer a 50-minute online performance of Vintage Grange Songs as part of the New England Folk Festival, which is happening on Zoom. As the program notes say, “Founded shortly after the Civil War, the Grange has a rich heritage of songs celebrating agriculture and advocating for farming communities. Katherine Rhoda sings from vintage Grange songbooks.”

Info about the festival is at https://www.neffa.org. For those unfamiliar with Zoom technology, there is an orientation to using Zoom: https://www.neffa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/How-to-Zoom-Be-Prepared-to-Fully-Enjoy-your-Event.pdf. The online festival is free, though donations are welcome, to be split among the performers and tech team.

Katherine plays “heartfelt music fostering authentic human connection.” Visit her webpage about Grange songs at https://katherinerhoda.com/offerings/vintage-grange-songs/

Notes from National – April 2022

Reminders

Regional Leadership Conferences are coming up soon… National Grange Convention registration will be opening soon… 2022 Communications applications are now open–any and all ages welcome!

National Grange Virtual Photo Contest

A recent mailing from National Grange Lecturer Ann Bercher summarized the rules, clarified the deadline (June 30, 2022) and outlined submission guidelines. (A copy is available on the MSG Website.)

Grange in Action Program

The Grange in Action Program invites Granges to submit a one-page summary of at least three events/activities no later than September 25, 2022, for recognition at the 2022 National Convention. (Rules and instructions are available on the MSG Website.)

Grange Supply Store Note

Effective May 1, 2022, any Grange Supply Store “rush” orders that require expedited arrival (7 days or fewer from time of order) will have a $25.00 expedition fee added to the order and the shipping fee. This includes any seals, certificates, and membership recognition applications.

National Grange Heirloom Program

Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Ritual and Declaration of Purposes. Please share “success stories” about the use of the program with us, or if you come up with other innovative ways to incorporate the Program in your Granges. Information and materials are now available on the National Grange Website.

New Member Recognition in Good Day Magazine

Want to see your new members recognized in Good Day Magazine? Anyone who has not been recognized as a new member in the past year can be included. Use this link to share the news. The deadlines for each issue are:

  • April 30, 2022
  • June 30, 2022
  • August 30, 2022
  • November 30, 2022

156th National Grange Session is scheduled for November 15-19, 2022 in Sparks, NV

Fraternal Concern, William Hatch

Submitted by Sharon Morton, MSG Secretary

It becomes my sad duty to inform you of the death of William Hatch, Past Deputy of the Maine State Grange, on April 17, 2022.  Condolences may be sent to the family c/o Shirley Hatch, 332 Leeds Junction Road, Wales, Maine  04280. 

Read the complete obituary here.

As noted in the comment, in lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in his name to Danville Junction Grange, c/o Roberta Meserve, 48 Pond Road, Raymond ME 04071.

Exploring Traditions — April 2022

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

by Walter Boomsma

Barn Raising

Most would probably agree that the “Grange Way of Life” includes a healthy dose of “helpfulness.” Historically, the Grange served as a way for farmers to help each other achieve things both politically and practically. Of course, we are no longer limited to farmers and, in a sense, the emphasis on community is ultimately evidence of the Granger’s desire to be helpful.

Indeed, one of the challenges we face as an organization is the change in the definition of community. In the earliest days of the Grange, the farmers often were the community. Our communities are often defined differently in today’s world.

An oft-cited example of “community” is Amish barn-raisings. Amish friends and neighbors come together to help build a barn. A very practical need is fulfilled in a manner that brings the Amish community together. The work combines socializing with a practical goal. The goal is often accomplished efficiently—often a significant portion of a large barn is built in a single day.

Recently, however, a barn-raising resulted in a near tragedy. In the typical post and beam construction, the walls of the barn are built on the ground and then pushed into place manually by all of the builders using various length poles. You can perhaps well imagine the amount of precision involved in achieving this raising of the massive and heavy walls into place. During one such raising, a momentary distraction by some caused a loss of momentum and the wall came crashing down. Fortunately, no one was injured.

The idea of a barn-raising is certainly a wonderful example of people coming together to help each other and the amazing possibilities created by a strong sense of community. But this accident is also an example of how easily and quickly it is possible to lose that unity and sense of purpose. I have no idea how many Amish it takes to raise a wall into place. But if some become distracted, lose sight of the goal, and stop contributing, there is a danger of failure instead of success.

I don’t know of any Granges that have raised barns. (But I’m willing to bet many Grange Halls were built by the members.) But we do take on projects that are about helping each other and are similar we combine socializing with getting the work done. Certainly, those projects involve planning and require leadership. (Most barn-raisings are planned and led by one or two Amish “engineers.”) When we are undertaking projects, we should be demonstrating the Grange Way of Life. When it’s time to “raise the walls,” we need to keep looking up and pushing.


Any degree or ritual quotations are from the forty-sixth edition of the 2013 Subordinate Grange Manual or the most recent edition of the Pomona Grange Manual. The views and opinions expressed in “Exploring Traditions” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official doctrine and policy of the Grange. Information about the book “Exploring Traditions—Celebrating the Grange Way of Life” can be found at http://abbotvillagepress.com, on Mr. Boomsma’s Amazon Author Page, or by contacting the author.