Quite often in the fall, while I walk up from delivering the cows to their latest patch of grass, I swing by an apple tree or three and taste. Every year it amazes me how such a variety of flavor and experience comes from the same genus. I suppose it shouldn’t, as the milk from every cow tastes different, makes different cheese and different yogurt.
However, the apples seem more distinct. One warms and comforts like a fire, the next refreshes like a cold shower in the summer. They remind me of why fall is my favorite season. Food is everywhere!
And apples are a hope for the future.
A pippin is the hope that we will be here to taste, that the world will be at peace enough to enjoy the complexity of flavors, that the land will still yield. A lot rests in an apple. Yes, it is immediate alimentation. However, beyond satiating our hunger there is an inexact map that leads a casual disposal of an apple core to become an act of exploration. This happened many many times around our haunts, and has led to glory and disappointment, but always hope. All of the varieties now cherished by our populace were chance encounters with hope, and eventually, with the palate. Tasting fall, with its beautiful foliage and crisp air helps me remember what hope tastes like.
Editor’s note: Phil continues to write “View from the Farm” while Heather recovers from her surgery. Send her a card/note at Quill’s End Farm, 192 Front Ridge Road, North Penobscot ME 04476
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.
Due to “circumstances beyond our control,” the Degree Day and Installation scheduled for this Saturday, October 15, 2022, is being postponed to a future date that will be announced soon. The Mill Stream members, degree team, and installation team are truly unhappy and regret this! Since all Granges were invited to participate and this is short notice, please help spread the word so no one misses this news. A new date will be announced soon.
Highland Lake Grange will have a roasted turkey drive-up, take-out only, dinner on Saturday, November 12, 2022, from 4:30-6:00. There will be roasted turkey, green beans, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, bread, cranberry sauce, and cake. The cost is $10.00 per person. Please have the exact price for the meal(s) you want.. You will drive up, pay and receive your meal. No substitutions or pre-orders. If a long line of cars develops, serving may start earlier for safety. The Grange is located near the corner of Rt 302 and Hardy Road, Westbrook. FMI Joann Levesque 207 233 7119.
By Margaret Henderson, Director Committee on Women’s Activities 207 948-2762
Committee on Women’s Activities
BRR!! We have had three mornings in our area where the temperature was only 28 at 6 am! There was some frost on the pumpkins on those days. I was not ready for that yet.
What beautiful fall colors! I took a couple of days last week and went for a ride to enjoy them.
I hope to have the entries back from the Eastern States this week. I will bring them with me to State Grange so you may pick them up there. If you can’t be there, please call me and let me know so that we can make arrangements for you to get them.
I am looking forward to seeing many of you at State Grange Session!
White Rock Grange #380, Gorham, will host our annual Homemade Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 9 am-2 pm. Over 30 crafters, jewelry, sewn & knitted items, goat soap, soy candles, home decor and much more! White Rock Grange Facebook Page has more information.
The dictionaries are here! Dictionary Days are coming! I’ll probably start working on the schedule later this week… but we have a job to do at our next meeting—sticking the labels in over 200 dictionaries! We’ll also be creating the bags of hats and mittens made by our Blistered Finger Knitters—we usually deliver those at the same time as the dictionaries. As usual, Piscataquis Community Elementary School, SeDoMoCha, Brownville Elementary, Ridgeview Elementary, and Harmony Elementary third graders will receive dictionaries. The hats and mittens will be placed in the care of school nurses for distribution as needed.
Sock it to us? This program was so successful last year we’re hearing that schools are still well-supplied. Janice will check on this and see what the needs look like.
Our next meeting is Friday, October 21, 2022. Did you notice that I left it out of the last Grange Gram? This will be a “working” meeting, so your hands will be helpful. Last year we discovered that a “Grange Angel” named Sandy had “snuck in” and done all the labeling before the meeting. Since she’s now in Pennsylvania, it’s doubtful that will happen again!
State Convention, October 20-21, 2022. As you may know, we are entitled to two voting delegates at State Session. At the September Meeting, we voted to appoint Walter and Janice as delegates, Pat Engstrom as an alternate. This becomes an interesting two days—I (Walter) can only attend Thursday due to teaching commitments in Bangor. The tentative plan is for Janice and I to attend on Thursday and Janice and Pat on Friday.
Raffle Ticket Sales… keep those cards and letters coming in! As of today, ticket sales have grossed $326 and we’ve received $250 in related donations from our fall letter.
Bookworming! I’ll be chatting with Mrs. Wright about this soon… and contacting previous bookworms. By the way, I just learned about the passing of Bob Kimball… a great guy and community supporter. His wife, Tyne is one of our most enthusiastic bookworms. Details regarding arrangements are not available yet, but please remember the family in your thoughts and prayers.
Our Schedule for 2022. We may host at least one Dictionary Day at the Grange Hall… if this happens, remember that it is not a public event, but Grange Members are encouraged to attend. Passing out dictionaries and helping the kids find words is fun! The actual date is “TBA,” but will be later this month or early November.
Friday, October 21, potluck supper at 6 pm, meeting/program at 7 pm. Grange Bees are Jim and Mary. We’ll be getting dictionaries, hats, and mittens ready for distribution.
Friday, November 18, potluck supper at 6 pm, meeting/program at 7 pm. Grange Bees are Walter and Janice. We’ll be drawing our raffle winners! Make sure you have all tickets and money turned in that night at the latest!
Friday, December 2, potluck breakfast for supper at 6 pm, program at 7 pm. You can wear your jammies! Because of the nature of this particular program, we’re all Grange Bees*!
*Grange Bees are those who prepare the hall for that event or meeting. Responsibilities include ensuring we have staples such as milk, rolls, and butter, turning on the heat, lights, etc. Everyone chips in, so it’s not a hard job! It’s that time of year when adding antifreeze to the furnace is an essential part of closing up the hall after meetings and events. Instructions are on the side of the furnace… and there is a “Grange Bee Checklist” posted in several locations in the hall.
Stay warm and enjoy the foliage! See you in a couple of weeks!
Maine State Junior Grange met in Lincolnville at Tranquility Grange in September. We started our day making Dog Chew Toys, which will be sold at State Grange to raise funds.
During the meeting Juniors decided on a price to charge for chews and they also decided to send the fair money to the National Grange Foundation this year.
McLaughlin’s Seafood Shack in Lincolnville hosted the Junior Grange for lunch. The Juniors played on the beach before returning to Tranquility for a sweet treat “Candy Bar” which was enjoyed by all. A parent explained that it was a “Candy Buffet” not the anticipated “Candy Bar” that they anticipated. They were able to fill bags with candy to enjoy at home.
The items that were usually judged at Campout were judged by Barbara Schwartz who also helped make the dog chews. The results will be announced at State Grange Session.
A fun time was had by all. Thank you to Tranquility Grange, Mclaughlin’s Seafood Shack (Ricky Mclaughlin) and all who participated for a fun day.
Gleaned from an email written by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director
Facebook Page Zoom-torial Recorded
Phil Vonado, National Grange Communications Director, recently led a Zoom-torial on “How to Create a Facebook Page,” which also included some information on the free design website Canva, as well as how to create a Facebook Event. This video is now available on the National Grange YouTube channel and can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/-F3iqXyN5Lo. (We’ll be adding this link/video to the Grange Resources Page.)
National Grange Guide to Contests
A National Grange Guide to Contests, with contests from the Junior, Youth, Lecturer, and Communication Departments. (A legislative department contest will also be added shortly.) This Guide is available on the Program Books and Information Page of the MSG Website in the National Section.
Is Your “Elevator Pitch” Helping You?
by Phil Vonada, National Grange Communications Director
An elevator pitch is your 30-second “canned speech” or “stump speech” to give perspective members or curious minds a taste of who we are as an Order and organization. Elevator pitches are used with people or businesses all the time, whether you know it or not – they’re used when trying to court a donor to your fundraiser, when working at a membership booth or food stand at a fair or festival, or when riding an actual elevator at the National Grange Convention (I know I personally had an actual elevator pitch in Wichita last year!)
The goals of your elevator pitch should be to (a) to ignite and encourage further conversation about the aims and mission of the Grange and your Grange in particular and (b) to let the other person do some research on their own.
But what does your elevator pitch sound like?
Does it start with “Well, in 1867, Oliver Hudson Kelley was sent to the south…”? Or maybe “The Grange is a farmer’s organization…?” A lot has changed since then! While we hold onto our roots as an agricultural organization, we are also known as an advocacy and community service organization for all of rural America.
Let’s start with the Grange’s mission statement: The Grange strengthens individuals, families and communities through grassroots action, service, education, advocacy and agriculture awareness.
And then tailor it for your own Grange – State, Pomona, or Local.
I also note that we are the nation’s oldest agricultural fraternal organization. My pitch sounds something like this: “The Grange is America’s oldest and foremost agricultural and rural service organization, focused on supporting and advocating for rural America in nearly 1,500 communities nationwide. At Penns Valley Grange, we believe in supporting our community through direct action and service that builds up families.”
Your elevator pitch shouldn’t be a membership pitch. There’s no “… and here’s why you should join” at the end, but rather the pitch is the seed that will hopefully take root and grow – through a partnership or an eventual membership.
I encourage Granges to take time to work with one another to build their elevator pitches – and I look forward to hearing them!
Gimme a “G!” — Just make sure it’s capitalized!
“Grange” is a proper noun and it should always be capitalized!
A Quarter’s Worth
The next deadline for A Quarter’s Worth submissions is November 1st. Please send these to Ann Bercher (lecturer@nationalgrange.org). (A Quarter’s Worth is the National Grange Lecturer’s Newsletter.)
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 the next issue is November 30, 2022
National Grange Convention
156th National Grange Convention will be held at the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nevada, from November 15-19, 2022. Visit the National Grange Website for information and to register.
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.
“Notes from National” is based on a monthly email received from the National Grange Communications Department.
156th National Grange Session is scheduled for November 15-19, 2022 in Sparks, NV
Our fraternal circle has once again been broken. Sister Elaine Walls, former Lady Assistant Steward and former Ceres of the Maine State Grange passed away Friday, October 7, 2022. Her wake will be from 4 pm – 7 pm this Friday, October 14, 2022, with the funeral to be held at 10 am Saturday, October 15, 2022. I understand arrangements have been made for MSG Chaplain Collins to conduct a Grange Service at 6:30 pm Friday at the Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral home, 199 Woodfords Street, Portland, ME 04102.
Parkman Grange would like to invite the public to supper to benefit a local veterans group. The supper will be on Saturday, October 15, 2022, starting at 4:30 till 6:30. The menu includes: ham, potato dishes, cole slaw seasonal veggies, yeast rolls, gingerbread desserts, and beverages. Veterans and active military eat for free, all others by donation. Parkman Grange is located at the corner of State Hwy 150 and North Dexter Road in Parkman Center. For more info, call Sue at 207 277-3942.
