Avian Flue in Knox County

flock of hens on green field
Photo by Alexas Fotos on Pexels.com

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Animal Health Division announced today that it is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to respond to the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in a small flock of non-commercial backyard birds (non-poultry) in Knox County. APHIS announced Sunday that it had confirmed the presence of the virus in Maine. Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly. No cases of this particular strain of the avian influenza virus have been detected in humans in the United States. And according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent detections of this strain of influenza in birds in Maine and several other states present a low risk to the public.

This weekend, animal health officials from DACF worked with a farm in Knox County to control the potential spread of avian influenza. DACF placed the property under quarantine and euthanized affected birds humanely. DACF also implemented additional safety measures, such as monitoring properties with domestic flocks within a 10 km radius of the initial property and notifying bird owners of the importance of proactive safety measures to help prevent disease.

DACF’s animal health officials are also working closely with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). Though this strain of avian influenza has not been detected in humans in the United States, Maine CDC is monitoring the health and wellbeing of Animal Health staff and flock owners who were exposed out of an abundance of caution. Signs and symptoms of bird flu infections in people can include: fever (temperature of 100ºF or greater) or feeling feverish, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, fatigue, headaches, eye redness (or conjunctivitis), and difficulty breathing. Other possible symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. As with seasonal flu, some people are at high risk of getting very sick from bird flu infections, including pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and people 65 and older. The U.S. CDC provides information on avian flu transmission at this link. The Maine CDC’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory is prepared to process samples and quickly provide results for anyone potentially exposed to the virus.

According to the USDA, all bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, should:

  • Practice protective security measures to help prevent disease
  • Prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and
  • Report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through your state veterinarian or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593.

 Resources for backyard and commercial poultry producers:

  • USDA has many resources available for commercial poultry producers and backyard bird owners through its Defend the Flock campaign.
  • Information about this campaign and links to toolkits containing biosecurity checklists, videos, and more, are available here.
  • Additional information and resources about HPAI and foreign animal disease preparedness are available here.

Resources to Help With Electric Bills

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

If you’re having difficulty managing your energy bills, there are free programs and services available to help you get caught up and manage your energy costs.

Below are just a few resources designed to help. For a full list of programs, please visit www.cmpco.com/helpwithbill or www.versantpower.com/residential/programs-and-services

  • If you rent your home and need assistance with your electric bill, funding is now available through Maine’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program. For more information about the program please visit: mainehousing.org.
  • The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federal grant program that helps income-eligible households pay for energy bills, repairs, and weatherization. Please contact your local Community Action Agency to apply for HEAP. Qualifying for HEAP is the first step to be eligible to apply for programs.
  • If you have fallen behind, call your electricity service provider. They have payment plans that will help you get back on track. In addition, the Electricity Lifeline Program offers eligible customers a credit on their electric bill. Arrearage Management Program helps eligible customers reduce their past due balance.

Valley Grange Gram — We Came, We Saw…

Valley Grange is located in Guilford, Maine

Our February Meeting included a number of guests, some great food, good conversation and a good time! We were especially pleased to “obligate” our newest members, Sarah Mahan and Nick Jackson. Some of us got to try lamb for the first time, thanks to their potluck contribution and most of us went home with some eggs! For those of you who didn’t come and haven’t seen it, you must watch this video. Not only will you get to meet the family, but you’ll also find their regeneration techniques fascinating.

In other news, we approved the new Hall Use Agreement. A copy will be uploaded to the website soon. We also began discussing Grange Month (we celebrate in May) and Community Citizen of the Year. If you now someone in the area who deserves recognition for their service to our communities, contact Mary Annis or Walter Boomsma. We’re looking for an unsung hero.

We received socks and have more on the way. Thanks to Helping Hearts Ministry in West Virginia for their generous donation! We’ll likely be making our final delivery for this year next week… if you intend to “Sock it to us,” please do so soon!

Thanks also to Phyllis Lyford from the Dover Foxcroft Historical Society for her donation of two patriotic lap afghans for the Operation Gratitude Hospice Project for Veterans.

We started to get writer’s cramp signing thank-you cards and notes. We’ve been so fortunate this winter to members of our communities who have helped us keep our hall open. I’m afraid I’ll forget someone, but thanks to Brian and Cindy Woodworth, Jimmy French, John McKusick… the anonymous donor who left socks in the tote on the porch… with all this help, we were able to come to the February meeting, see the fruits of our labor and have a certain sense that we conquered winter.

Our new Busy Box was put to good use! As a reminder, we are still looking for puzzles, games, etc. suitable for kids. I recently was able to replenish our Book Bin after a visit to the Abbot Liberry. Now that we have kids attending, we welcome any contributions to both! If you can’t come to a meeting, you can leave them in the tote on the front porch.

I stopped at the hardware store on the way to the hall to start the furnace. One of the clerks asked if he could ask a question. “Are you the guy who does that bookworm club thing?” I was able to explain that COVID has our Bookworm Program on hold, but yes, Valley Grange has bookworms who listen to the kids read at school. He complimented the program and said how great it was. (Little does he know that he’s on my list of potential volunteers when we get started again!)

These questions and the support we receive help us remain committed “…to labor for the good of our Order, our country, and mankind.” Thank you!

And if you want to experience the warmth and welcome of the Grange, our next meeting is Friday, March 18, 2022. Potluck is at 6 pm–bring a dish to share if you can. Our meeting and program start at 7 pm and we are usually finished by 8:30 pm. Come as you are and bring a friend! Remember, we are kid-friendly!

There’s Still Time!

Grange Heirlooms are snippets from the lessons of the Grange as taught in the Ritual and Declaration of Purposes.

The new Heirloom Program kicks off in March. If you haven’t heard about it yet, it’s an exciting program designed to remind seasoned members and introduce new members to the values and lessons of the Grange. National Membership and Leadership Development Director Amanda Brozana Rios is hosting several introductory Zoom meetings to provide more details about the program and its use, answer questions, and brainstorm how Granges may build from this great resource. Several sessions have been scheduled to ensure everyone who wants to attend can. Each of these sessions will cover the same material, so you need only attend one.

Each Grange that sends a representative to attend one of the meetings will receive a certificate of recognition and a prize. The State Grange with the highest percentage of Granges attending meetings AND with at least one of the following attending will also receive a prize (President; Lecturer; Secretary; State Communications Director or Newsletter Editor; State Membership Director). You can attend any of the scheduled meetings by clicking this link a few minutes before the meeting.

We’ll be adding a resource page to the Maine State Grange Website soon. It will include all of the information you need to take advantage of this great new program. We’ll also be posting a Grange Heirloom every month. Make sure every member in your Grange knows about this! It’s a great time to subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website!

Subscribe to the MSG Website — don’t miss a post!

Sweet Jonesboro Grange!

Jonesboro Grange Creates Candyland

On February 12, 2022, Jonesboro Grange #357 hosted the first Candyland event at the Grange. For $5, guests were given a box to fill with sweet Valentine’s Day treats. 

The hall was decorated with candy decorations and transformed into a candy land. We had eight tables filled with Needhams, cookies, fudge, homemade chocolates, dessert bars, peanut butter balls, and more! 

$1,200 was raised for the 2022 Grange budget. Grange members have been working hard to bring new and exciting opportunities to the community while raising funds to restore the historic building. 

A table full of Valentine’s Day baskets was raffled off and two Candyland games were offered as door prizes.

Maine Legislative Memorial Scholarship now open

MSG Comm Department Logo
This article is reprinted with permission from an e-newsletter published by Paul Davis, State Senator for District 4.

The Maine Legislature annually recognizes one student from each county who is currently pursuing or planning to pursue education at a two- or four-year degree-granting Maine college or technical school. Through the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), these awards are given to Maine resident high school seniors or full- or part-time post-secondary students accepted to or enrolled in accredited Maine colleges for graduate or undergraduate degrees.

The 2022-2023 application cycle is now open and scholarship applications are being accepted until the deadline of May 1, 2022. Scholarship awards of $1,000 will be given to one student in each of Maine’s counties (16 total). Only complete applications will be considered, which should include the following:

  • A completed 2022-2023 Maine Legislative Memorial Scholarship application
  • An essay (make sure the applicant’s name appears on all pages)
  • Submission of transcripts, recommendations, and a 2022-2023 Student Aid Report (SAR)
  • College students should include both college and high school transcripts
  • All transcripts should also indicate graduation date or anticipated graduation date
  • A copy of a high school diploma or equivalent

Recipients selected from applications submitted by the May 1, 2022 deadline will be selected and notified in the fall. Notifications are not sent to those applicants not selected. It’s important that students submit the 2022-2023 free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in time to receive the Student Aid Report (SAR) back from the federal government. The SAR with Expected Family Contribution (EFC), income information, and the number of family members must be sent to FAME and postmarked by the deadline during the application period.

Valley Grange Gram — We are meeting!

Valley Grange is located in Guilford, Maine

Friday’s Meeting!

You haven’t forgotten we have a meeting Friday, right? Let me explain that I will always make every effort to have our meetings. If you are not comfortable traveling for some reason, just don’t feel obligated to come. When we cancel meetings, we deprive those who want to come of the opportunity and start down a path that suggests a foreboding future for our Grange. Janice and I are Grange Bees for the February Meeting. Unfortunately, I will be returning from teaching in Augusta that day. I may be late for dinner. I plan to visit the hall Thursday afternoon to make sure the furnace is running, etc. Thursday is actually supposed to be a warm day with rain… yay! Between starting the furnace and the forecast, the well should be thawed. Potluck Supper at 6 pm, Meeting at 7 pm will include voting to accept our new members and a review of the hall use policy. During the supper hour, we’ll be sorting socks! Don’t forget to bring your donations! Socks have been arriving from as far away as Pennsylvania and West Virginia!

We’re Needed!

I received an email over the weekend from Carol Smith, Principal of Brownville Elementary. It seems, unfortunately, one of the third-grade students, Garrett Ames, who received a dictionary from us has been diagnosed with leukemia. He won’t be able to attend school for a while and his teacher, Ms. Cail, and his classmates are making an effort to support him. We can too, right? You can watch the news story on WABI-TV 5’s website. It’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Garrett has a dream of becoming a firefighter and “rescuing people from the house.” Fire Departments around the country are responding with support. (If you are associated with a Fire Department or know a fire fighter, why not pass the word along. Our member Pat Engstrom has already found some cool material and is working on a blanket. I’ll be working on this during the week and hopefully have some additional information for our meeting, if not before.  I did share the WABI story on the Valley Grange Facebook page and Mr. Boomsma’s Facebook Page.

And as Further Proof

One town office called Mary Annis and requested our letter asking for financial support! As a reminder, as town meeting season approaches, please consider attending and speaking on behalf of Valley Grange. I can help you with talking points and give you a copy of the information sent to the towns in the area. You know you’re doing something right when people call and ask for an opportunity to donate!

Say “Thanks!”

We will be sending a note of thanks to John McKusick and McKusick Petroleum for “bailing us out” several times recently. Most recently we learned a powerful lesson. We’ve been using RV antifreeze in the furnace. The label says “rated to 50 below.” Well, I don’t think it got down to fifty below but I can tell you that the anti-freeze froze! John not only patiently helped me through the thawing process, he’s donated some special antifreeze to help us out. When I offered to pay he said, “We gotta keep you going.” If you see John, let him know you appreciate his support of Valley Grange! With the support we’re getting, “We gotta keep us going!”

We Now Have a Busy Bin

I picked up a tote and “seeded” it with a puzzle and a few games. We’re looking for activities especially for kids who attend meetings and events… coloring books, crayons, board games, and puzzles. (How cool would it be to have a puzzle going on one of the dining room tables?) Whatcha got to offer? The Busy Bin, the Book Crate, and the extra remaining dictionaries are probably going to end up under the dessert table. We’re running out of room under the Bulletin Board… our blistered finger knitters are refilling those bins!

You’re Needed!

If all goes as planned, we might be able to “Obligate” our new members at Friday’s meeting. It sure would be nice to meet upstairs again, fill most of the chairs, and “do it right!” I’m going to try to “draft” a few people from other Granges… this will be a “Cabin Fever Reliever” with lots of fun!

→FLASH UPDATE!

As I was finishing this up, I learned that Garrett is starting to lose his hair as a result of the chemo. The journey begins in earnest. I also now have an address for mailing cards and other items: Garret Ames, 5690 Bennoch Road, LaGrange ME 04453. If you do send a card, mention Valley Grange so he and his Mom know who you are and where you’re from!

Exploring Traditions — February 2022

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

by Walter Boomsma

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Grange Heirlooms

National Grange is kicking off a program called “Grange Heirlooms.” I recently realized I’d been referring to it as “Grange Heritage.” Since words interest me and I think they’re important, I couldn’t resist wondering about the mistake. For those interested, several dictionary definitions suggest an heirloom is a “thing,” handed down from previous generations. There are several connotations, including the idea that an heirloom stays within the same family for generations.

Anyone interested in farming and gardening is probably aware of a revived interest in heirloom seeds and plants. An heirloom variety or cultivar often exhibits distinctive characteristics such as superior flavor or color.

So the name of the program is wisely chosen. It’s an ambitious five-year program that will make it possible for every Grange to take just a few quick moments at one meeting each month to introduce a key lesson and reflect upon it – thereby passing on part of our heritage. (Maybe that’s why I got confused!) The words were written more than a century and a half ago, but they have much application and meaning to daily life today.

Words like “heirloom, heritage, tradition, and ritual” have more importance every day. Not only is the naming of this program on target, so is the timing. We need more than ever to become aware of the things in our life that do not change but offer us assurance and stability. Without that awareness, we can easily become the victims of the future instead of creating and contributing to it.

I remember a conversation a few years ago with a Granger who insisted her Grange was “not doing any ritual.” I assured her that was not true. My proof went something like this, “You may not be ‘doing’ THE ritual but I’ll bet many of you are parking in the same place every time and probably sitting in the same seats. The same person probably makes the coffee every time…”

We could, of course, explore the difference between ritual and habit. Habits have value with the obvious downside being we stop thinking. (We don’t have to decide where to park–unless someone “took our spot.” That can be very disconcerting to some. Humans like predictability.)

The Grange Heirloom Program will be an opportunity to create some predictability by tapping into our heritage and looking at some heirlooms. At least once a month we can revisit principles that have remained with us through generations of time. We won’t do it out of habit because we’ll think and reflect on one. How many times have you said, “A patron places faith in God, nurtures hope, dispenses charity, and is noted for fidelity.”

Most will realize that we say it twice during a Grange Meeting that is opened and closed “in form.” We accompany it with hand motions that help us remember. (See if you can do it sitting down without the motions.) While we’re thinking and reflecting on this “heirloom,” consider this question: “How many of those four things have you done today?” We are not just Grangers during a meeting, right?

Fifteen words make us think about what it means to be a Granger. Fifteen words that we could recite every morning. We have a lot of heirlooms in the Grange. It may be past time to explore them. The heirlooms haven’t disappeared, but we may have stopped looking at them and thinking about them.

In describing the Grange Heirloom Program, Amanda Brozana Rio said, “[The heirloom lessons of the Grange] are easily overshadowed by the business of the Grange and hampered when spoken by short attention spans and language that is beautiful but uncommon. New members often wait years to see or hear all of these words of wisdom. More seasoned members may recall the words but have not taken the time to think about them and apply them to daily life for some time.”

It’s time.

The first heirloom will be revealed in March. Are you ready?

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.

Communications Column — February 2022

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

Planning for Grange Month

It’s not too early! How are you going to create a stir in your community? For many Granges that should ask “How are you going to create a bigger stir in your community?” I recently had an exciting conversation with a member who described the overwhelming support their Grange is receiving because the community loves what they are doing and wants to keep things happening. I don’t think that’s a Grange that will need much help figuring out what to do during Grange Month!

National Grange has offered the theme “Raised Right Here” for this year. An interesting addition is a plan for a special “Grange Spirit Week” April 3 – 9, 2022. Each day of that week is dedicated to one particular aspect of the Grange.

If that feels overwhelming, think of it as an idea starter. Could, for example, your celebration of Grange Month include information about your Grange Friends? In addition to recognizing a “Community Citizen of the Year,” why not celebrate individuals and organizations who your Grange counts on for help when it’s needed? And, while you’re at it, how about a history of your Grange Hall that includes features available to those who use or rent it? Think about posters and displays. Can you enlist a member of the local media to write a series of articles? Are there organizations you could collaborate and partner with?

The idea is to overwhelm your community with awareness of the Grange. There’s not much time, so get on the phone, schedule a Zoom Meeting, or have an impromptu meeting at your Grange Hall. Throw out some ideas–the crazier the better! You may not do them all, but you just might be surprised at the energy you’ll generate.

Remember, we’re happy to post your events on the Maine State Grange Website–but you have to tell us about them!

If you are going to celebrate a Community Citizen of the Year, don’t forget to order that award from The National Grange Supply Store.

I’ll be updating the Grange Month section of the Program Books and Information Page over the next week or two as resources become available for National Grange. Don’t wait! Start planning the party now!

► FACT: The Maine State Grange Website was visited by over 600 people during the month of January 2022.

Subscribe to the Maine State Grange Website

View from the Farm — February 2022

By Heather Retberg, Quills End Farm

“This farm is run on grit and spit and duct tape.” So said Ben when he was but twelve.  He was not wrong. Plus a little baling twine. 

But, jokes and knowing smiles aside, when the twine frays and the duct tape doesn’t hold, the grit takes us only so far. 

Supportive customers and patrons have taken us a step further, and encouraged us with tangible and loving support; and grace has supplied the rest.  It’s hard for us to reckon that we’ve been juggling that salad of grit and duct tape, grace and gratitude for decades now.  
The fraying twine isn’t just a metaphor, though.  It only holds for so long.  And, then something more rugged is needed.

How could the juggling act change if there was systemic support?  We’ve been working on that question for a bit more than a decade, too.  And, in that first pandemic year, amidst the intensity of it all, we brainstormed with creative minds and hard-working colleagues across farming and food production, financial, and economic development sectors.  We came up with a proposal for greater resilience in Maine, so we could move away from the vulnerability of importing more than 90% of our food from industrial sources.  We called it the Resilience Project and used a pitchfork as a metaphor to help us make the point.  The pandemic had exposed so many weaknesses in our food system, how could we take the pile of pandemic poop and turn it into compost that would nourish a better food system right from the ground up?  We’d need a sharp-tined pitchfork and some of that farmer grit and spit.

We shared the barebones (well, tines) of our policy brainstorm proposal with Department officials from the Bureau of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; we talked to folks at Maine Farmland Trust and the University of Maine, and legislators, too. 

Thankfully, we weren’t the only ones.   From organizations that work on food insecurity, to farms and food processors to non-profits working on hunger, farming sustainability, and getting more Maine food into Maine’s schools and other institutions, all were saying the same thing: if Maine is going to feed itself, or, leastwise, increase the amount of food we produce for ourselves, we need infrastructure.  On small farms and larger farms, in communities, and for food processors. We need food production infrastructure, storage, and distribution networks.  We need more Maine dairy, grain, meats, and fruit.
On our front, we are working hard to grow more community-based food production to increase resilience by diversifying and decentralizing food production.  Infrastructure is key.

Now in 2022, the state of Maine has earmarked some of the federal Covid relief dollars, 20 million of them, for the Agriculture Infrastructure Investment Program, a grant to start turning Maine’s liabilities into a stronger food system.

Another walloping winter storm on Friday left us with power and no good excuse not to set ourselves by the fire between chore times with pen and paper and let the ideas swirl with the snowflakes.  As the cringe-worthy rain gave way to giant, wet snowflakes, Phil and I revisited a topic long since left dusty on a forgotten shelf: if there was a budget if we had access to financial capital, what infrastructure would we add and how?  Where could it go? Would new buildings be needed?  Half of what is needed has been right front and center for years, but to actually build it and house new equipment would take some creative juice.  Thank heaven for all that snow!

We have 2 1/2 more weeks to fill in the blanks, get the estimates, and flesh out the plans so we won’t be relying so much on grit and duct tape for the decades to come, but could be broadening and deepening what we do with access to capital for equipment and more on-farm infrastructure at Quill’s End to reach more of you with a whole lot more efficiency. 

Resourcefulness is a wonderful thing, but so are resources.

The right tools for the work at hand make for better work.

From mid-winter we wish you comfort in the blanket of snow we now have covering the earth, a blanket of relief with promise. 

It’s ‘poor man’s fertilizer’ and insulation for plants; the cold, if it will last long enough(!),  a killer of ticks and unwelcome parasites and bacteria. 

A real winter means a healthier spring and summer. That blanket of snow is a canvas for wildlife escapades (foxes about!) and potential for the coming year, a portend of good things yet to come.

Heather and Phil Retberg together with 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 given us permission to share some of her columns with Grangers. Visit the Quill’s End Farm Facebook Page for more information.