Communication Shorts 05-15-2024

By Walter Boomsma,
MSG Communications Director
207 343-1842

Communication Shorts are brief (short) but important items posted for your information and use. Send us your ideas and thoughts!

May Bulletin Is Now Available!

The May Bulletin is complete and available. You can find recent issues of the Bulletin on the Program Books and Information Page.

Take the National Grange Survey!

National Grange has announced a goal of increasing overall member satisfaction by 20% within the next year, as measured by an annual member feedback survey. They are asking members to complete a survey (about ten minutes of your time) regarding current feelings and attitudes toward the Grange. Please take the survey by June 30.

National Convention Registration Available

Registration for the 158th Annual National Grange Convention is now available. Register and submit your payment by July 31 and save $5 on registration.

Website Outages

We are getting reports of brief outages of the Maine State Grange Website. These usually only last a minute or two and are caused by the host server. We are monitoring their frequency and will request action if the situation doesn’t improve soon.

Consider this Idea!

Raise money on your anniversary? If you’re having an anniversary celebration, could you do a fundraiser and raise money based on the number of years?

Think about this!

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”Online Grange Directory CHANGE?

Maya Angelou

Submit News! Be “famous”

Submitting news can be as simple as a photo and “cutline.” A cutline is a brief description–longer than a caption–to accompany the photo. Let’s prove that the Grange is alive and well in Maine! (Photos should be submitted as an attachment to an email.) We get inquiries from people looking for active Granges!

Online Directories Available 24-7

  • The ODD Directory features all state officers, directors, and deputies with contact information.
  • The Directory of Granges features all Granges in the state with a contact person. Please make sure your listing is correct!

CWA Report – May 2024

By Margaret Henderson, Director
Committee on Women’s Activities
207 948-2762

Committee on Women’s Activities

The CWA Committee met last month. We planned the program booklet for next year and chose the items for the baking contest and craft projects. This was a very productive meeting. I am so thankful for the ladies who are on this committee with me.

Just a reminder that contest entries are due at Headquarters on August 20th. I will be there from 9-3 that day. If you can not bring them that day, please call me or headquarters and make arrangements with either Sharon or myself to make sure that your entries will be there to be logged in on the 20th and judged on the 23rd. Sharon is there on Tuesday and Thursday every week, and if you can not do one of those days, call me, and I will find a day that works to make sure that your entries will be judged.

I hope that everyone is doing well. I am looking forward to some warm, sunny days and many Grange activities.

Exploring Traditions – Low hanging fruit

Meandering Around the Grange Way of Life

Harvesting the low-hanging fruit

By Walter Boomsma, Guest Columnist

We are kept from our goal not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal.

Robert Brault

An apple picker often works with a bag slung over his shoulder. Experienced pickers always begin at the top of the tree. Typically, the fruit is “better” because it gets more sun. The bag gets heavier as the work progresses. Starting at the top puts gravity to work on the picker’s side.

Until insurance regulations required us to remove a wood stove, the foyer of our Grange hall included a non-working woodstove with several chairs around it. One day, during a quick stop, I found my companion sitting in one of the chairs, staring into space.

He explained that he was visualizing a scene from a century earlier. He pictured a few farmers sitting there, absorbing the warmth and discussing their challenges. I joined him in his reverie.

While the past is behind us, sometimes it’s worthy of a visit. When considering those early Grangers, we should explorre how difficult their lives were as farmers and as early organizers of the Patrons of Husbandry. Consciously or not, they didn’t just focus on the low-hanging fruit in their farming practice and in growing the Grange.

Perhaps we should sit by the stove virtually and discuss continuing the Grange. I recall a conversation (electronic, not by the stove) several years ago with a member who passionately suggested that the Grange should be open and welcoming to everyone. He wasn’t wrong. But the hazard we may create is forgetting the lessons of agriculture. Culling livestock, selective breeding, and many other practices are necessary to maintain the health of the herd. Weeding the garden removes unwanted plants. The word “contribution” comes to mind.

This is certainly not to say that the low-hanging fruit has no value. Even the drops (fruit that falls to the ground) serve a purpose. But most know how “one rotten apple will spoil the barrel.”

I worked with a management team years ago that had a team member affectionately referred to as “good ole number 32.” In football terms, John got the ball when the team needed a yard because the team could count on him to get it. Sometimes, you win by a yard.

But the players who can advance the ball further down the field are just as important and can’t be overlooked.

In our drives to increase membership, we must remember it’s not just about increasing membership, it’s really about increasing the reach, relevance, and resilience of our organization. Find some members who can make an end run or go up the middle. We also need and want some number 32’s.

Whether we use the lessons of farming or a sports analogy, we must remember the goal of membership is not simply increasing the roster. Remember: we are increasing our reach, relevance, and resilience.

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.

View from the Farm – May 2024

Webmaster’s note: The format of this column includes all of the Quill’s Endians participating at various times and in various ways! Phil writes this month’s column.

The Mother of Invention

Some years ago, Heather and I were asked to teach a portion of a class for beginning farmers. A portion of our presentation included listing a few ideal skill sets for a small farmer. We had a little fun with this. The list was usually long and included diesel mechanics, carpentry, electrical knowledge, plumbing, heavy equipment operating, chainsaw proficiency, butchery, basic veterinary skills, welding, computer skills, etc… 
Mind you, I didn’t even get to the “farming” part!

One could spend a lifetime learning any one of these trades well, let alone being able to demonstrate a passing level of proficiency in all of them. So most of us get by. We hire out what we can afford and either dispense with the need or find a workaround for the rest.

I’ve been meaning to take a welding class for decades. Somehow, the time to do it has eluded me. Thankfully, we have seldom needed welding skills as we have not owned much equipment.

This is all changing as Carolyn and Benjamin are amassing tillage, cultivating, forage, and woods equipment for their team of horses. A lot of this equipment has been hanging out on rock walls or in barns around the peninsula for decades and requires maintenance and repair.

For Christmas, I gifted the farm and family an arc welder and an acetylene torch, two important components of metal working. The arc welder came to us from a dear friend whose husband has passed and, until now, has sat in our shop awaiting a 240v outlet. A store is still holding on to ‘our’ acetylene torch, unaware of my plans to purchase it.

Necessity is a good motivator. Last week, after cracking the loader frame on the tractor again, Benjamin and I decided to try and fix the issue. The professional welder we hired a few months ago had declared our problem fixed, emphasizing, “You can’t break that.”

We snaked the required heavy duty wire through an underground chase to the barn and found the correct outlet for the machine, wired it, and blew no fuses in the process. Thankfully for us, Benjamin has taken a welding class. Two days post-repair, the farm weld is holding! 

We hope this will continue. 

Meanwhile, Benjamin is practicing on other projects. Our ’96 Tacoma is on the shortlist for repair. Exciting.

It is apparent that more trade skills will need practicing in the near future as needs arise here. I read somewhere,”Maine only has one plumber (fill in the blank for other tradespeople), and he is not answering his phone.”

On to fence-mending this week so the cows can be turned out of the barn for the season.  Now, that is a skill in which I’m well practiced.

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

Communications Column – May 2024

By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director

Our April Column discussed “boosting” the Grange. One obvious way of doing that is to promote your events thoroughly. Since I’ve recently had some questions about posting events on the website and in the calendar, let’s continue the theme!

When you submit information about an event…

For example, the deadline for the May Bulletin was May 14th.  As long as space permits, I include the entire website calendar (the following month [June] through December) in that (and every) Bulletin. I usually complete the Bulletin a day or two after the deadline and post the PDF on the website. I also send it to MSG Headquarters for them to print and snail mail a copy to all Subordinate Grange Secretaries. The way the local secretary handles it is very individualistic. Many bring it to their next meeting. That’s where it gets tricky. Using Valley Grange as an example, we’ll be meeting on June 19th, so you can see how most of the June events in that Bulletin will be over by the time it reaches some people.

For the website, I usually post events within 24-48 hours of receiving them. I probably should note that we don’t post “regular” meetings. I love to create an individual post for events when there’s sufficient information. If you use the submission form on the website, it prompts you for what to include. If sending an email is easier, by all means do so—if you send an email, you can attach a copy of any flyers or other visuals. Visuals help me create an actual post for the event!

Once your event is posted on the MSG Website, it’s easy-peasy to share that post to Facebook–or lots of other places! Go to the bottom of the post and click the button!

Find the button representing how and where you want to share a post.

Hopefully, this shows the value of posting your events to the website:

  • Your event information is posted and available almost immediately after submitting it;
  • Your event may include illustration–for example, we have standard logos for events such as public suppers and yard sales;
  • Your event information is easily discovered by people searching for Grange activities;
  • Your event is easily shared by anyone on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc.;
  • Your repeating events are listed as such on the MSG Event Calendar;
  • Your event gets statewide and national exposure.

To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time.

Leonard Bernstein
Tell us why you love the grange
Submit an Event or News

â–ş FACT: So far this year, nearly 3,000 people have visited the MSG Website!

Quick Tip — Community Events!

Cool Idea

One of the software providers for our website recently blogged some ideas for community events that will draw people in.

  1. Game night
  2. Food festival
  3. Farmers market
  4. Community cleanup
  5. Arts and crafts exhibit
  6. Seasonal or holiday events
  7. Marathons
  8. Wellness and fitness
  9. Movie night
  10. Hobbies and how-to workshops
  11. Swap meets
  12. Guides and tours
  13. Sports
  14. Talent show
  15. Unique, community oriented festivals

What are you going to do this summer? Don’t forget to submit your events to the MSG website calendar!

Danville Junction Grange Yard Sale

Saturday, May 25, 2024 – 9:00 am until 1:00 pm

Attic treasures, books, RADA cutlery, baked goods, beans and chili (to go), pick your prize raffle, 50/50, plants and more.

Tables are available for rent, $20 each. For more information or to rent a table, contact Maynard Chapman at 207 312-5591.

Danville Junction Grange is located at 15 Grange Street, right off Route 202 in Danville.

Flowers in Your Garden?

Guest Ag Article by Nate Pennell
MSG Executive Committee Member

Some flowers in your vegetable garden will be very helpful to attract native pollinators and other beneficial insects.  Marigolds are one example. Try several of your favorites. Pansies are great for early gardens and will last all summer and into fall. Try a few glads. Some of the most productive gardens in Maine, include flowers. Always try to produce enough for your family and some to give or sell to others.

Community gardens are also very popular. They grow for many in their community and enjoy doing it.  It is very easy to enjoy what you do when you do for others!

Raised Beds for Farming

Warming the soil in raised beds before you plant in Maine, it needs to be done in March and April, or early May up north. Adding some compost and additional soil if needed, will insure a successful crop. Raised beds can be replanted with lettuce, greens, radish, and other quick growing items. If you do not have very successful crops at any time, be sure to take a soil test! The University of Maine Soil testing service can get you results in a couple of weeks. Soil and Water Districts across Maine as well as your local Cooperative Extension Office can assist and guide you. Other ideas that can work for you are window boxes, door step planters, and small gardens, especially for the elderly.

Happy gardening this year and next!

Ag Committee Report – May 2024

By Roberta Meserve, MSG Ag Director
(207) 998-3857

A big Thank-you for those who provided fudge in March for the Legislators. They loved it.

The Agriculture Committee met in Augusta on May 10, 2024 to discuss Agricultural Scholarship applications. We awarded scholarships to these applicants:

  • Samantha Bissell, Palmyra, Nokomis H.S.
  • Hannah Dean, Ripley, Dexter H.S.
  • Cooper Dellarma, Solon, Carrabec H.S.
  • June Foyt, Monmouth, Monmouth Academy
  • Madison Shaw, Saco, Old Orchard Beach H.S.
  • Ryleigh Turgeon, Buxton, Bonny Eagle H.S.

Each recipient will receive $500.00.

Grange Agricultural Enterprise Award   Application deadline date August 1.

Applicants must earn at least a portion of their income from their Agricultural Enterprise.

The application form approved by the Maine State Grange Agriculture Committee must be used. The form is available here.

Awards: The winner will receive $100 cash prize and will be invited to showcase their enterprise at the State Grange Annual Session in October of that year, and share display space with the MSG Agriculture committee at the Agricultural Trade Show the following January at the Augusta Civic Center, at no expense.   The sponsoring Grange will also receive a $100 cash award.     

The Patrons Chain 5-10-2024

Articles in this edition include:

  • Massachusetts Agriculture in Action Expo Showcased State’s Vibrant Farming Community
  • Member Satisfaction Survey
  • Presidential Prompt
  • National Convention Registration is Open
  • Grange’s Affordable Connectivity Program grant effort ends
  • Coming Soon… Grange Today!
  • Programming Notes
  • Analysis: The Myth of Rural Voters’ Power in the House of Representatives
  • Register for the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference
  • Grange Supply Store: Emblem Patches
  • Grange Member Benefit: Nationwide Pet Insurance 

Click the button below to read and/or subscribe to the Patrons Chain!

Read THE Current Issue
Subscribe to Patrons Chain

Note that all recent issues are available on the National Grange Website. Occasionally, a weekly issue isn’t sent. For example, the last Friday of the month is usually a View from the Hill week, so the fact that one hasn’t been posted on the MSG website doesn’t necessarily mean we skipped it! You can double-check using the link (Read the Current Issue) above. Effective 2024, we will only maintain one year of issues on the MSG website.