Good DAY!
A quarterly publication of the National Grange Vol. 5, Issue 4 l Spring 2022
America’s growing agritourism industry From hayrides and wineries to barn weddings and apple-picking, curiosity in the “quaintness” of farming is growing, and so is the business of agritourism. More than ever, rural America is on spotlight as a tourist attraction for all to enjoy.
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ADVERTISE WITH US Our quarterly publication welcomes advertisers. Up to a 20% discount may be offered to Grange members on their ad purchases. All rates shown are for pre-designed content submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of press date for an issue. You may request rates for ads to be designed by our staff.
GOOD DAY!™ PRESS DATES 2022 Issue
Due Date
V6, I2
June 30
V6, I4
November 30
V6, I1 V6, I3
Hits Mailboxes
April 30
June 2022
August 15
October 2022
August 2022
January 2023
Classified ads are also welcomed at $0.50 per word up to 25 words, $1 thereafter; $2.50 per website, email, or other link regardless of word count; $5 per photo (will appear no larger than 1.5”x1”). Special requests (bold design, font increase) available for extra charge. All copy should be submitted no later than 10 days prior to the due date. National Grange assumes no responsibility for that which is advertised in Good Day!™ and reserves the right to reject ads deemed offensive or irrelevant. Please contact Philip Vonada by email at pvonada@nationalgrange.org or by phone at (814) 404-7985 for details.
WRITE FOR US This is your chance! This is your magazine. Submissions may be made by any Grange member in good standing, especially including Junior and Youth members, and must be your own original work. For Juniors, you may get your parent, guardian or another mentor or adult’s assistance to write or draw the piece, but we expect all those who assist to adhere to high ethical standards and allow the Junior’s work to be reflected without influence by the adult/ older assistant. All work must be in good taste and appropriate for our audience. The National Grange reserves the right to reject any submissions.
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Guidelines & The Fine Print Entries may include: photo essay (at least three photos that together tell a story with captions identifying the people in the photo if applicable and what is happening in the scene); short story (max. 1,500 words); poem; essay/article (maximum 1,500 words and must include at least two relevant photographs with captions); skit (no more than six speaking characters; should not take more than 10 minutes to perform and should not require an elaborate set); D-I-Y (do-it-yourself) project with supply list, step-by-step instructions and photos of each step; or open category (examples include but are not limited to a coloring book page related to Grange or agriculture; comic strip or box; recipes, etc.).
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Each entry must be submitted digitally and include name, address, phone number, email (if applicable) and Grange details (name, number and state of Subordinate Grange and office held). Junior 1+ members can list the Subordinate or State Grange they are affiliated with. E-members can list National Grange E-member. Submission
is
acknowledgment
that
publication is authorized. In the case of Junior submissions, this is acknowledgment of right to publish by both Junior and their parent/ guardian. All submissions must be made via email to pvonada@nationalgrange.org.
From the desk of the PHILIP J. VONADA “Where there is change, there is opportunity.” - Jack Welch, CEO, General Electric
Editor
changes, Covid can no longer be an excuse for not changing, either. The time has come to get back into our Grange Halls and back into our communities.
If the past two years of pandemic times and of social and
The Grange was founded as an agent of change for farmers
political unrest and upheaval have taught us anything, it’s that
and communities nationwide and for many years has continued to
change is inevitable, uneasy and necessary. Everywhere you look,
change itself and the world around it.
people are talking about the “new normal” or the way things have to happen now.
Is your Grange still changing or has it grown stagnant and stale? As the quote from Jack Welch at the top of this column
Some people used the past two years for personal growth -
says, change brings opportunity – opportunities for new life, new
discovering new hobbies or reconnecting with old ones, taking
growth, renewed energy and maybe even a shift of focus. The
control of physical or mental health, learning skills or diving
slightest change in direction can have massive effects on the
deep into topics of interest or reclaiming their time and making
depth and breadth of your Grange’s work.
themselves and their family a priority.
In the meantime, I’ve heard many Grange members say their
I did a mix of those things, and I also decided to embark on a
Grange is on the verge of closing due to lack of membership, that
new career, switching from theatre management to this new role
the same people are leading the Grange and its programming
- talk about a change!
today that led it 20 years ago, or that ‘nothing works’ to bring
Although I’ve been a Grange member my whole life, the past few months stepping into a dream job with an organization
in new members. I’ve heard that Granges can’t meet due to pandemic restrictions and that Grange Halls can’t be used.
that I have loved forever did not come without a fair amount of
But I’ve also seen examples of Granges nationwide who have
apprehension, but I am incredibly grateful to be here, growing
adapted to the challenges facing us - showing they’ve heeded
and adapting.
the lesson of the Installing Officer when
How have you adapted during the past two years? How has this adaptation changed
your
relationship
with
the
Grange… or has it at all? Throughout the pandemic-times, many people realized the importance of connection and belonging to a strong community of people. For
“Changes and transformations are constantly passing before us.”
Grangers, this connection comes through
they say “You may encounter difficulties. Overcome
them,
remembering
that
difficulties are but opportunities to test our abilities.” (Installation Ceremony; Installing Officer to President) They are holding their meetings via Zoom or other online sources when it’s necessary (and in-person when it’s not),
(Second Degree; Ceres)
our ritual, meetings, and the work we do in
Granges coming together to support local
our community, building hometown pride
food banks or holding clothing drives, and
and resilience. Have you adapted to help
membership booming in Granges where
strengthen these connections?
new members are listened to and respected; Granges where new
Now I have to ask, how has your Grange adapted?
ideas are being attempted with success and old ideas are being
As you look at your schedule, is everything the same as it was in
revisited and adapted for today’s world.
2019, or have you changed things up? Has your Grange identified
Nationwide, there have been drive-thru meals, trunk-or-
new means of outreach and service to meet new or different needs
treats and socially-distanced or online game nights; I have
in your community? Have you realized that some “old” programs
also witnessed political forums, virtual or in-person classes
are more important than your Grange ever realized? As the world
and programs reconnecting members and non-members to
continues to open up and become “normal” again, what are you
homemaking, gardening and other life skills, and Granges finding
doing to ensure your Grange is relevant and active?
ways to support the small businesses and other nonprofits in their
The past two years have shown us that we must adapt and grow, and though Covid was the impetus for many of these
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communities. As we have been doing for more than 150 years, Granges
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
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are finding ways to get involved in their communities. They
If you are a local Grange leader and the idea of all this change
are adapting, growing and becoming bastions of strength and
scares you, or if your first reaction is “we can’t,” “we won’t,” or
community belonging in their hometowns.
“we don’t know how to,” maybe it’s time for a change there, too.
Change isn’t easy - don’t get me wrong. However, “we’ve
Mentor and empower someone else, then help them to build a
always done it this way” isn’t an answer anymore, and it probably
bridge from the Grange of today to the Grange of tomorrow.
never was.
Seek opportunities for growth and change. Try something
Everywhere you look there are opportunities for Granges to
new or different. Encourage new members to take part in your
be involved in their communities - fundraising or collecting items
business - not just filling in during meetings, but in true leadership
for families or causes in need, beautifying parks and picking up
roles, fostering growth for the future. Let new ideas flow through
litter on local roads, and supporting small businesses and local
your Grange Hall and into the community and see how you
restaurants.
change because of it.
It’s important to remember that changing for the sake of
The Grange has always been an agent of change, but you also
changing might not be the answer, but change is inevitable and
have to be willing to change with it.
also brings opportunities for growth.
President named to Alliance Board of Directors By Philip J. Vonada
of important resources and services. “I am honored to serve on the Board
Communications Director
of Directors for the Alliance for Aviation
On January 26th, it was announced
Across America,” Huber said. “General
that National Grange President Betsy
aviation is critical for agriculture, access
Huber joined the Board of Directors of
to services like medical care and disaster
the Alliance for Aviation Across America
relief, our nation’s food supply, and the
(AAAA).
economy as a whole.”
Formed in 2007, AAAA is a non-
Many
agricultural
operators
use
profit, non-partisan coalition of over
general aviation to transport goods,
6,300 individuals, businesses, agricultural
personnel, and oversee and treat crops
groups,
leading
and land. There are about 5,000 public-
businesses and aviation groups. Their
use airports in towns across the country, yet
goal is to raise awareness about the value
the majority of airline traffic goes through
of general aviation and local airports,
30 of them. All told, general aviation
particularly for rural communities.
supports over 1.1 million jobs and over
small
airports,
and
“We are thrilled that Betsy Huber has
$246 billion in economic impact, according
joined the Alliance Board of Directors,”
partnered to launch futureofaviation.org,
to a 2018 PricewaterhouseCoopers study.
which
said Ed Bolen, President and CEO of the
Additionally, of the nearly 600,000 pilots
general aviation and the benefits of the
National Business Aviation Association
in the United States, the vast majority fly
development and use of sustainable fuel
(NBAA) and the President of the Alliance’s
general aviation aircraft.
and potential new technologies, such as
highlights
the
importance
of
Board of Directors. “Betsy brings a wealth
Huber continued, “As our nation
vertical and landing aircraft, which have
of invaluable experience and perspectives
continues to recover, we are also pleased
the potential to transport goods and
on behalf of rural communities and our
to support the commitments of the
people between rural and urban areas in
agricultural sector, which rely extensively
general aviation industry in critical areas
a more efficient manner.
on general aviation, local airports, and our
of growth, such as the development and
Huber brings a wealth of knowledge
aviation infrastructure.”
use of sustainable fuel and emerging
and experience in business and rural
technologies.”
America, and intends to speak on behalf
Rural America depends on their local airports for business activities,
Recently, the Alliance for Aviation
medical care, disaster relief, firefighting,
Across
agriculture, law enforcement, and a host
many other national and local groups
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America,
the
Grange,
and
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
of farmers and others who depend on the ability to use general aviation practices in their hometowns.
Vice President chosen for Quilts of Valor Board On March 1, Christine E. “Chris” Hamp,
The National Grange is a recognized
Vice President of the National Grange,
“Under Our Wings” program partner
was named to the Board of Directors of
in the mission of the Quilts of Valor
the Quilts of Valor Foundation, with a
Foundation. This program allows Grange
term lasting through 2025.
members to create quilts and award them
Hamp a fourth-generation Grange
to veterans in their communities or in the
member from Nine Mile Falls, Washington,
organization and teach the art of quilting
was elected Vice President of the nation’s
to novices and young people while
oldest agricultural and rural service
completing this meaningful community
fraternity in November. Previously, she
service.
had served as National Grange Lecturer
Hamp earned a bachelor’s degree
since 2016.
in Public Policy & Administration from
One of the major pillars of Hamp’s tenure
as
Lecturer
was
creating
a
partnership with the Quilts of Valor Foundation. In 2017, Hamp introduced the program at the National Grange Session in Spokane. “I wanted a way for
Western and I especially look forward to meeting, learning from, and growing with their dedicated members,” Hamp said. The Quilts of Valor Foundation was founded by Catherine Roberts in 2003,
Washington
University
in
Bellingham, Washington; a Master of Public The
Administration George
degree
Washington
from
University
in Washington, DC; and an associate degree of technical arts in Fire Command
the Grange to honor veterans, and this
while her son was stationed in Iraq. The
Administration from Edmonds Community
program seemed like a natural fit with the
mission of the Quilts of Valor is to bring
College in Edmonds, Washington.
Grange’s background and our popular
comfort and healing to those who have
She is currently employed by Spokane
quilt block contest,” Hamp said. Since
been touched by war, through physically
County Fire District 9 as the Division Chief
then, hundreds of Granges across the
wrapping members in the warmth of
of Administrative Services. She also serves
country have presented Quilts of Valor to
a quilt and a hug. Since 2003, nearly
the Fire District as a volunteer Lieutenant
Grange and community members.
300,000 quilts have been given to
firefighter/EMT and is a Certified Fire
veterans and service members.
Investigator.
“I am excited to join this organization
Let’s hear your story
Indeed, being a Grange member is one of the most rewarding experiences. For many, the story of how they came to join the Grange does not capture the essence of how they came to be a Granger and what that means in their lives. We want to hear from you! What is your #Grangestory that tells how you became a Granger? Did you see application of degree lessons to your daily life and relate them to friends and coworkers? Did you find yourself embracing new ideas and finding ways to overcome differences? Submit your story of no more than 650 words and a photo, if applicable, to Philip at pvonada@nationalgrange.org by May 1 for potential inclusion in a future issue of Good Day! or use on our social media.
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Grange Month celebrates hometowns, sustainability By Philip J. Vonada
options to keep people on farms or small businesses
Communications Director
open (especially related to health insurance, grants and
For many years, April has been designated as Grange Month
educational opportunities)
across the United States. During this month, we encourage
• Create programs that develop children, youth and young
Granges far and wide to create programming that brings people
adults through leadership training, legislative and
into their Grange Halls, promoting advocacy and education.
advocacy training or other home and life skills.
This year, use the National Grange theme “Raised Right Here” in your programming. This theme celebrates resilience, sustainability and the things that make each hometown special. Consider using the “Raised Right Here” theme this Grange
our “Grange Spirit Week” on social media, with the hashtag #grangemonth22. Each day from April 3-9 will have a theme for social media posts that reflect Grange values and involvement in the community.
Month to:
All a member has to do is create a post on Facebook,
• Celebrate local farms, farmers, or other ag services • Encourage discussions about local sustainability and resilience • Identify local producers and mom-and-pop businesses that are vital parts of your communities
Instagram, or Twitter with a photo reflecting the day’s theme, a caption and the hashtag. Promote the Grange to your friends and family in a fun, connecting way. Creating and participating in programs is what makes the Grange unique from community to community. There are
• Sell shirts and other items with the RRH branding and Grange logo encouraging people to see Grange as a place where local talent is “raised” (products aren’t just physical things - they are also Human Resources)
hundreds of ways to incorporate the Raised Right Here theme - what can you come up with? Additional resources to download and use in your Grange Halls, in print and on social media can be found at www.
• Look for legislation to endorse or groups to partner with
nationalgrange.org/grange-month-2021.
to advocate for funding and opportunities for small
Also - check out the inside of the back cover for a calendar of
businesses and local farms/Ag businesses (again, just
everything happening during Grange Month, including online
another thing we do that can now fall under the umbrella)
forums, information sessions, and a trivia night! We hope to see
• Lead or be significant part of coalitions to encourage
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This Grange Month, the National Grange will also be leading
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you there!
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
THIS SECTION HIGHLIGHTS BRIGHT IDEAS FOR GRANGE PROGRAMMING
Lecturer’s Playbook seeks submissions Have you run a successful program or contest in your Grange?
• Space Required (Zoom, tables
Do you organize an annual event or fundraiser?
and chairs, room set up, etc)
Are you looking for inspiration or ideas to make your Grange’s
• Materials Needed (handouts,
programming and community connections stronger?
PowerPoint, internet, paper,
Ann Bercher, National Grange Lecturer/Program Director is beginning to compile submissions for the “Lecturer’s Programming Playbook,” with simple steps to success that any Grange could
pencils, etc) • Number of Presenters (team players) – people needed to
replicate.
help plan, set up, present,
Bercher is hoping to receive submissions from every state - so look at the examples and get in touch. The goal is to debut this Programming Playbook at the National Grange session in Sparks,
cleanup and/or follow up) “Nothing is too simple or too out-of-the-box to share,” Bercher adds, “The programs from your Granges make you special, and we
Nevada this November. “I know there are thousands of great ideas and programs
hope to share with everyone!”
happening in Granges across the country,” Bercher says. “Whether it’s a 10-minute program for members of your Grange or a day-long event for your community, your ideas
Playbook Example
are worth sharing!” Each year, Lecturers and Program Directors across the country are looking for new ways to engage and activate their members and the community. This Playbook will be a simple guide for Granges to reproduce their own programming. Your “Playbook” entry should include: • “Play” Topic – contest, game, educational program, fundraiser • Description of the “Play” • Intended Audience • Goals and Objectives • Time required – 10-15 minutes (part of a regular Grange Meeting), 25-45 minutes (a full meeting or workshop), longer (event or fundraising activity)
Playbook Example
Submit your Ideas! Send your “playbook” with clear directions, pictures and your contact information (in case we want to hear more) to: lecturer@nationalgrange.org as soon as possible!
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Storytelling brings us together by Ethan Edwards Communications Fellow Lecturer, Illinois State Grange Storytelling has been with us from the beginning of human memory. The ancient cave paintings in France record a particularly important hunt. The documents at the core of the world’s faith texts began as oral stories, crafted to preserve culture. From our own cribs, we remember the stories our parents told us to educate and entertain. It is easy to relegate storytelling in our lives as merely a quaint way to entertain within our families and network of friends. But in doing so we may be missing a powerful way to build bridges in our broader communities and uniquely create a
roots, Parton followed her ambitions and
of Jackbox Games and Unify America.
dreams to take her from rural Tennessee to
Gottlieb is convinced that this possible
enormous success in the world of Country
enhanced connection can play a huge part
Music in Nashville.
in transforming America from a country of
But even more significant than her commercial success is that Parton has
divisive politics to a country of problem solvers.
always come back “home” to share
The goal of Unify America is to help
her wisdom, ideas, and knowledge in
people join together with the awareness
Appalachia but also wherever she appears.
that we mainly desire the same outcomes
That she overcame obstacles to achieve
even though political forces make it
great success is important, but what is
impossible to work together. Unify America
even greater is that she shares that process
created the Unify Challenge, in which
through her songs and her stories to
people from opposing ends of the political
transform others. And through her stories
spectrum work together to complete a
she inspires great works in others.
survey about the vision they have for the
Sirah looks to storytelling as an ideal
future of the country. The exercise helps
vehicle for shaping our understanding of
its participants to understand their political
ourselves, our relationships with others,
opposites as fellow citizens instead of
and our place in the world. Humanity seems
adversaries.
shared vision for creating unity of purpose
to respond fully to a story that is rooted in
in our world that seems so mired in conflict.
people and actions but carries some higher
connections with people with whom we
Certainly, it is a communication style that
purpose. The emotional response to stories
disagree, Gottlieb says the goal of the
might serve us well as we seek to strengthen
can build commitment to an idea that
challenge is to point out all the things that
connections
motivates action far beyond the literal facts
Americans do agree on. Problem solving
of the situation.
and storytelling can reduce the contempt
between
our
community
Granges and our local environments. In a recent episode of the podcast
Sirah
finds
powerful
imagery
In
addition
to
building
personal
in
we in America feel about those on the
Everywhere Radio, a production of the
comparing storytelling to The Force from
“other” side. Disagreements over politics
Center for Rural Strategies, host Whitney
the Star Wars movies. It can be used for
prevent people from connecting over the
Kimball Coe invited two thought leaders
good or evil, as significant in forging
outcomes in which they are, for the most
to share their ideas about how the radical
nations and shaping identities as well as
part, in agreement.
gift of storytelling can serve to unify
creating propaganda and sowing division.
Both Sirah and Gottlieb are optimistic
communities.
But Sirah views storytelling as inherently
about the opportunity that storytelling
Kiran Singh Sirah is the president of
“good.” There is something important in
creates for connecting across traditional
the International Storytelling Center in
each of us and stories are a way to connect
barriers. It is an approach that leadership
Jonesborough, Tennessee. Sirah believes
that in each of us.
of Community Granges might look to when
storytelling in its many forms—from the
The really powerful result is that sharing
Appalachian tradition of porch-sitting to
stories builds understanding, empathy,
the newer practice of video calls among
and connection with others, even among
strangers from across the country—shapes
strangers and people we may think we do
our
our
not even like. This vital connection, Kiran
To hear more, attend the upcoming
relationship with others, and our place in
said, ties people and groups together,
virtual festival, Rural Assembly Everywhere,
the world.
and is the basis for the political, cultural,
on April 20 and 21, 2022. Both Sirah
and social movements that transform our
and Gottlieb will be participating in
communities.
this event for the curious and critical,
understanding
of
ourselves,
The Storytelling Center is located in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern
striving to reach across barriers within their own communities. The
full
podcast
is
available
at
dailyyonder.com.
Tennessee, so it is not surprising that Sirah
It is this potential for connection and
geared toward rural allies, neighbors and
speaks of singer-songwriter Dolly Parton as
understanding that drives Coe’s other
admirers. Free registration is available at
one our very best storytellers. From humble
podcast guest, Harry Gottlieb, the founder
ruralassembly.org/everywhere.
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Seeing a new side of farming and ranching through agritourism 54
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by Amanda Brozana Rios Membership and Leadership Director GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE I Development www.nationalgrange.org
55 Photo by Jessica Horton
2021 Grange Youth winners announced Wib and June Justi Community Sevice Award - Jenn Nauss, PA Junior Mentor Award - Gail Switzer, PA Grange Youth Spirt Award - Asheton Medlin, NC
Parliamentary Procedure Team 1st
North Carorlina
2nd New York
Outstanding Young Patron Emma Edelen, IA
Highest Scoring Chair Kathleen Fallon, NY
Youth Ambassadors
Highest Scoring Individual
Amber Corll, OH Cole Settle, NC
Matthew Settle, NC Public Speaking Showcase
Grange Baseball 1st Jessie Jo Guttridge, OR 2nd Baylor Howerton, NC 3rd Asheton Medlin, NC
Emma Edelen, IA Analise Scholten, CA Benjamin Van Kleeck, NY Sign-a-Song Showcase Baylor Howerton, NC
Congratulations!
Photo by Lindsay Schroeder Amber Corll (OH, left) and Cole Settle (NC) were named National Grange Youth Ambassadors, and Emma Edelen (IA, center) was named National Grange Outstanding Young Patron at the 2021 National Grange Session in Wichita.
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Short story collection ‘Rural Voices’ challenges assumptions By Chea Parton Founder, Literacy in Place Growing up in a rural community and attending a rural school, the common refrain and measure of success was to get out of our one-stoplight town. Graduating seniors who were accepted to and attending faraway colleges and universities were admired and folks who decided to take a gap-year or join the local workforce were seen as failures. I fully acknowledge that this might not be the case in all rural locales, but I do think it’s far more common than it should be. Some folks have referred to the outcome of this phenomenon as rural brain-drain and others have termed it out-migration. Regardless of what we call it, thinking about how different types of places offer affordances and constraints when it comes to careers and futures is an important conversation for rural communities to be having. One novel that can help facilitate those conversations is Jeff Zentner’s most recent one – In the Wild Light. In it, Cash lost his mother to the same addiction Delaney’s mom is struggling with and we follow the best friends as they navigate life and loss together. Cash loves being on the river and hiking the mountains and wants to be there for his papaw as he battles emphysema. But Delaney makes a scientific discovery with Cash’s help that lands them both full scholarships to Middleford Academy, a fancy boarding school in Connecticut. Delaney is set on going but Cash isn’t so sure. Can he leave the land he
Courtesy of jeffzentnerbooks.com
loves behind to support his best friend? Will out-migrating somewhere he feels he doesn’t belong be the breaking of Cash or the making of him? As a rural out-migrant myself, it was really exciting for me was to see how Cash and Delaney experienced and processed their own out-migration. One of the things that is so powerful about books that serve as mirrors for our own experiences is
the way that they invite us to consider our own experiences through new and/or different light. Even though Cash and Delaney’s experiences are similar to mine in their out-migration, they’re also different enough that using them to reflect my experiences illuminates areas of those experiences that I hadn’t thought about before, which is why making sure that rural and rural out-migrant readers have mirrors of their experiences is so important. Zentner is a master at both painting a place and showing how it shapes people’s experiences in the world. Throughout the text there are brief and beautifully written descriptions of Cash and Delaney’s home place. Particularly striking is the embodiment and sensory experiences of place.
Courtesy of jeffzentnerbooks.com
For example, Cash says, “It’s a lie that water is odorless. Water smells like water. The way wind smells like wind and dirt
Jeff Zentner, author of In the Wild Light
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smells like dirt. The mossy, metallic fragrance of the river wafts around us in the syrupy humidity, mixing with the flinty scent of
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67
wet stone and the yeasty tang of mud. The sun bakes the river
of the tensions that rural out-migrants experience. How do I
water into our clothes, making them stiff, and onto our skin,
simultaneously represent and feel connected to both places?
leaving a taut film that feels like dried tears” (p. 48).
Does it mean that I’m becoming less me that I start to feel less
When they out-migrate to Middleford, we begin to see how their home has shaped both how they see themselves outside
of an outsider in my new place? Does it mean I’m not rural anymore?
of that town and how others see them. They both show an acute
Cash and Delaney’s travel across their rural working-class
awareness of how they might look to other people - especially
backgrounds and the affluence of Middleford makes for a really
the kind of (rich, suburban) people who are moving their kids
interesting consideration of how we see ourselves and see
into Middleford Academy. They both struggle in different ways
others in particular places.
to come to terms with being out-migrants.
In the Wild Light provides a wealth of opportunity to think
Cash bristles when his roommate mocks his papaw’s
about and analyze how place shapes culture, opportunity, who
accent and still feels connected to the people and place of
we are, and what we know of the world. Plus, the writing is simply
his East Tennessee home, but he also acclimates to his new
gorgeous. It would be an excellent addition to community and
place at Middleford. This is a really important representation
school libraries as well as book clubs.
Resources for reading rural gems
Reading Guide Questions for Book Clubs and Classrooms In the Wild Light offers an important opportunity to
think about what it means to leave, to stay, and return to rural communities. As the class or book club reads, they could ask: • What is (or was) the common sentiment about leaving your rural hometown? How do (or did) you feel about it? • How did you feel about Cash’s decision to leave? Why? • How would the meaning of In the Wild Light be different if Cash would have decided to stay instead of going to Middleford with Delaney? • Would you have felt differently about Cash and Delaney if they would’ve struggled with acclimating to Middleford and decided to return home? Why? • What do you imagine Cash and Delaney could and/or should do after graduating from Middleford? What would you do if you were them?
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Possible Activities for Classrooms Zentner often includes his favorite things - including his favorite places – in his books, so there are some powerful place-based activities that pair reading and writing made possible by engaging with In the Wild Light. In one such activity, students could: • Think about a place in the community they love to be. They might have a few favorites, so it might be helpful to allow them to write for a few minutes to think about what place they want to choose for this particular assignment. It could be inside or outside, but it needs to be a place they love and feels special to them. • Visit that place at least four times over the course of the next couple of weeks. While there, they should t ake a picture of a moment that strikes them as particularly lovely or salient. They should also journal/write in their writer’s notebook. What do they notice? See, touch, taste, smell, hear? How is all of that connected to why they love this place? For example, how/why does it make them feel safe or fulfilled or joyful or alive, etc. • Create a collage of their places, a wordle of their journal entries, and choose a piece of In the Wild Light to use as a mentor text for their own place-connected writing. They could choose a prose or poetic passage, and work together in writing groups to write and fine-tune their own place-based pieces. • Publish their collages, wordles, and place pieces. They could create an exhibition in their classroom just for their class, submit them to Literacy In Place to be published on the web, or put together an exhibition in a more public venue like the library or a school board meeting where both school and community stakeholders could be invited to enjoy the beauty of the community through students’ eyes and their writing. To learn more, visit literacyinplace.com
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Blessings of a Farmer by June Unruh Delaware State Grange
I love the Earth freshly plowed The beauty, the smell I love Spring’s possibilities New planting, new growth I love the Summer sun, the rain, the wind The sweet pollination of wheat permeating the air Ready for harvest Freshly mowed hay drying in the hot summer wind I love Fall and the smell of damp, earthy soil once again Corn rustling in the wind, ready for harvest Beans drying, now plentiful to see Winter comes and we must rest Time for “Mother Earth” to rejuvenate Farmers sharing their passion Of next year’s planting and harvest God’s promises and blessings once again to see I feel blest to be a “Farmer” To take care of “Mother Earth” To protect her through sustainability To feed the world and nourish them The blessing of “Farming” is like no other
Photo by Heather Gill on Unsplash
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NOTES FROM A SMALL TOWN
Walking the Atlantic Path By Christopher Dean Massachusetts Grange Member
article that it was a path that had been
later, after quarrying died out in the mid-
on the edge of property lines in the part
1950s with the coming of glass and steel
of town called Pigeon Cove.
skyscrapers, the factory turned to making
Pigeon Cove was at one time a
steel tools used in construction. The
On Sunday mornings in winter, on
modest place, there were small farms
a gray and cold day, though not below
there, really little more than backyard
Pigeon Cove also had a small local
freezing, or on a sunny warm day in the
gardens, there were rock quarries which
school and the nursery school that I
summer, though not when it’s too hot
dug the best granite in America; granite
went to in the mid-60s. The school had a
out, I’ll go for a walk along the seashore
from Rockport is used in many buildings
picture window in the back, overlooking
as I like to do, a habit that I’ve acquired
in Boston and throughout New England.
the spectacular vista of orange-speckled
since Covid first appeared.
There was a small factory that made
gray granite and deep blue ocean.
I had read about it in a newspaper
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tools used in the quarrying trade, and
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company is closed now.
I remember sitting there on a bench,
looking at picture books and enjoying the perfect white light
members of the regulars, friends from away. We were joined
that reflected off the water.
once by a nightclub singer, whose name I didn’t recognize. We
And the old path that I walk along, a shortcut across from one part of town to the other, is called the Atlantic Path, running
were joined by a local writer, and someone I used to work with. They’re all nice people.
along the edges of the properties that line up on the rocks.
We talk and walk and share the beauty around us, sometimes
Beginning in the late 19th century, deeds started to list the
it’s a profound experience, usually it’s just a nice thing to
path, to locate it officially, with the custom that as long as the
do. People from away sometimes gasp at the beauty of the
path was “in use” it belonged to the public. The term “in use”
landscape, which I admit I don’t really take for granted; I love
has been debated, but it was vague enough to mean almost
that it’s so close to my house and that I can take advantage of it
anything, so the path was public without being Public.
whenever I want to. Their pleasure in it makes me feel a little bit
Over the years, Pigeon Cove has become popular with the
like I might even have something to do with it.
rich. Its site is perfect for watching the sea, the light is warm,
At the end of this past fall, we were joined by a scientist
the trees are thick and fluffy in the summers, the old houses on
who has joined us before. He was just sitting on the rocks,
the street are cozy and tidy. Along the ocean, the number of
about half-way along the route, waiting for the group as we
really big houses started to grow, old farms and family homes
came along, and walked the rest of the way with us. He’s an
were plowed under to create ever-larger mansions for owners of
interesting and involved person and he and I got to talking
lavish vacation homes.
about all those things that one talks about while one is out on
And with the money came the usual problems: the rich
the rocks with fellow humans. He’s recently retired, not much
didn’t want to let people see the water from anywhere, they
older than I am, relaxing now, still interested in learning, and
started putting up hedges and fences where there had been
still happy to share what he’s learned. He knew a lot about
uncontested open space, and worse, they no longer wanted to
the landscape that surrounded us, but he said he was always
permit people to walk along the edge of their property, even
interested in learning more about it. He explained how to tell
though the path was shown on their deed. Hundreds of years of
how far away something is at sea, and how far the horizon is.
small-town tradition was tossed out by selfish people who lived
There’s always something new to learn, he said, never give that
in these expensive homes for no more than a few weeks a year.
up. When you stop learning, you start dying.
The only way that citizens of the town can claim our right to
I pointed to a spot, directly above a prominent rock, across
use the rights-of-way is to use them, so once a week, on Sunday
the dark blue water, just a gray lump really. Was it a mirage? No,
mornings, a varying group of citizens and sometimes tourists
he said, it’s Mount Agamenticus in Maine, about 55 miles away,
will meet at the opening of the path to walk along it as citizens
somewhat inland, and a Maine State Park. We walked past a
have for centuries. I feel a mild sense of pride when I do; I hate
bunch of pricker bushes which surrounded vines that had tiny
missing it, it’s my “cause”, my activism. It’s also, technically,
Concord grapes on them, grapes sweeter than they usually are,
good exercise and not so strenuous that it’s especially difficult,
a tiny explosion of that sweet strong taste, leftovers from the fall
though there are some parts which make it at least a little bit
harvest, the grapes that the birds couldn’t reach.
tricky - there’s some climbing, though not much, good hiking
There’s a bend in the path, through the woods, which is
boots are a worthwhile idea, or at least sneakers. And a sense
where there used to be a spring and the owner of the land
of when you should wear a coat.
sold the water, bottled, to people in town as having special
It’s quite a responsibility that we’ve taken on in order to
qualities. The vast outcrops of rock that we were walking on
maintain the use of the path. The landscape is beautiful, a
were five-hundred million to six-hundred million years old,
treasure even, but quietly beautiful, the sea has moods and the
when multi-cellular life was just starting to get a foothold on the
land responds to them. New England has always had that cozy,
planet; older than the dinosaurs which left their bones; older
“settled” quality, like it’s somehow “finished”. I’ve met lots of
than trilobites which left their exoskeletons; older than jellyfish
very nice people on the route, I look forward to it every week,
which left no mark in the passage of time. And the rocks, being
except on those weeks where the weather is being difficult: ice
eroded by the constant waves, year after year, eon after eon,
and snow, rain, mud, high wind, the usual suspects.
are quietly being transformed into something else for which
Sometimes there have been only two of us at the start, as we walked the usual route, sometimes we have a dozen. I’ve met people from all over: Europe, Japan, South America. There
only nature has the patience. We’re only here for a little while, it seems, and only the Earth endures.
are retirees who are new to the area, weekend tourists, family
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