Good Day! Volume 7, Issue 2 (July 2023)

Good DAY!

A quarterly publication of the National Grange Vol. 7, Issue 2 l July 2023

™

Christmas in July Granges around the country have been holding holiday programs for as long as anyone can remember.

Now, they're being showcased and replicated, bringing fun to communities nationwide.

Good DAY!

N & V

GRANGE NEWS & VIEWS

5

L

LEGISLATIVE & ADVOCACY UPDATES

18

F

FOUNDATION

22

S RA

THE STATE OF RURAL AMERICA

26

I

IDEAS FOR GRANGE PROGRAMS & ACTION

32

MEMBERSHIP NEWS & RECOGNITION

38

J

JUNIOR GRANGE

57

Y

GRANGE YOUTH

60

M

48

PERSPECTIVE Christmas in July

H & L

HOBBIES & LIFESTYLE

66

F & R

FOOD & RECIPES

75

L W

™

81

LAST WORD

On the cover: Santa Claus chats with Everly Smith at the Goldendale Community Tree Lighting Festival and Candy Cane Parade, which was orrganized by Goldendale Grange #49 in Washington.

Follow us on Social Media National Grange, National Junior Grange National Grange Youth, National Grange Lecturer @nationalgrange

@nationalgrange

@nationalgrangeofficial

National Grange

Good Day! Magazine is a quarterly publication of the National Grange. located at 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006.

ISSN: 2688-6030. | All comments and questions can be directed to pvonada@nationalgrange.org.

Reproduction or distribution of any part of this magazine is prohibited by anyone other than a Grange member or a chartered Grange without written permission from the National Grange Communications Department.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE ®

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3

WHAT’S THE GRANGE? The National Grange was founded as a fraternal organization for farm families in 1867 – opening its doors to men and women equally from the start.

From rural free delivery of mail to the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people, Grange has influenced many aspects of American life and culture.

Today, we continue to advocate for rural Americans and those interested in all areas of agriculture – including those who just like to eat – and our local Granges provide millions of dollars and hours of service to their neighbors annually.

Each Grange operates as a grassroots unit, taking on projects most appropriate for their communities and advocating based on their members’ beliefs.

®

Learn more at www.nationalgrange.org.

OUR

Officers

William “Chip” Narvel, DE, National Steward

Chris Hamp, WA, Vice President champ@grange.org

John Plank, IN, National Assistant Steward

Executive Committee Chair lschaeffer@grange.org Susan Noah, OR

Executive Committee Member snoah@grange.org Leroy Watson, NH Executive Committee Member & Grange Advocacy Board Chair leroyawatson@nationalgrange.org William “Buddy” Overstreet, TX, Executive Committee Member boverstreet@grange.org Ann Bercher, MN, National Lecturer

lecturer@nationalgrange.org

Betsy E. Huber, Publisher National Grange President President, Grange Foundation President, Grange Advocacy betsy@nationalgrange.org Philip J. Vonada, Editor Communications Director pvonada@nationalgrange.org communications@nationalgrange.org Stephanie Wilkins, Subscriptions Manager IT Director swilkins@nationalgrange.org

Amanda Leigh Brozana Rios Membership & Leadership Development Director & Grange Foundation Associate abrozana@nationalgrange.org Loretta Washington Sales, Benefits, Programs & Membership Recognition Director lwashington@nationalgrange.org

Kathy Gibson, MA, National Lady Assistant Steward Barbara Borderieux, FL, National Chaplain

Samantha Wilkins National Junior Grange, Youth & Young Adults Director samantha@nationalgrange.org

Joe Goodrich, VT, National Treasurer Debbie Campbell, PA, National Secretary

Pete Pompper Community Service Director communityservice@nationalgrange.org

Christopher Johnston, MI, National Gatekeeper Cindy Greer, CO, National Ceres

HEADQUARTERS PHONE (202) 628-3507

Kay Stiles, MD, National Pomona Welina Shufeldt, OK, National Flora

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE

4 ®

Staff

Burton Eller, Advertising Partner Legislative Director Executive Director, Grange Advocacy beller@nationalgrange.org

Betsy Huber, PA, President betsy@nationalgrange.org

Lynette Schaeffer, IL,

OUR

www.nationalgrange.org

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Betsy E. Huber

The holidays are all about celebrating

We can all use these benefits in today’s

the values and traditions that bring us

crazy world.

together as friends and family. These

Closely

related

to

gratitude,

important connections can bring us unity

recognition is considered to be a

through togetherness, generosity, and

fundamental human need, and for good

gratitude.

reason; it can improve productivity,

The holidays are best celebrated by

decrease

turnover,

decrease

stress,

surrounding yourself with people you

and improve overall satisfaction. Lack

feel the most connected to, whether that

of recognition is the number one

is family, friends, or your fellow Grange

cause of employee turnover, or in the

members.

Grange, membership loss. Making time

One of the benefits of observing

to properly praise your colleagues for

a holiday tradition is that it connects

their efforts should be a top priority.

us with others by commemorating our

Christmas is a great time to recognize

past together, as well as providing a

those Grangers for their hard work in the

sense of belonging. By spending the

past year.

together with their immediate families, it’s even more helpful to brighten their season by gathering the Grange family and focusing on what we’re grateful for.

• Volunteer

your

time.

Many

holidays with your fellow Grangers, you

Furthermore, recognition is one of

have great potential to strengthen your

the top drivers of candidate interest in

communities collect toys, gifts, or food

relationships. Celebrating together can

organizations. If prospective members

baskets for those less fortunate. This

create traditions and build a stronger

see how you value and recognize your

is a great project for your Grange to

Community Grange.

members, they are more likely to join

help with. The holiday season is about

you.

giving back and helping others in your

Not every Grange may have holiday traditions, but if you don’t, it just gives

The following points may help you

you the freedom to start creating your

practice gratitude in your daily life and in

own! Read in this issue about the many

your Grange family.

community.

• Focus on the positive. Challenge yourself to find the positive side of any

different ways Granges celebrate, and

• Express your gratitude. It’s so

situation and avoid negative interactions.

start making plans now to try new things!

important to take time to thank the

Many people feel extra pressure during

You can really try anything you think is

people you know for their presence in

the holidays to make everything perfect,

fun.

your life. You can do this verbally or by

to find the perfect gifts, to decorate their

One of the best ways to celebrate

writing a short note telling them how

home to the extreme. Remember that

with others is by gathering together and

important they’ve been to you in the

family and friendships are what’s most

expressing your appreciation for one

past year.

important and the holidays are about

Studies show that practicing

• Connect with your family. Whether

gratitude regularly can make us happier

your family is by blood or your Grange

Enjoy reading about the varied ways

by

health,

Brothers and Sisters, it’s most important

that Grangers celebrate the holidays,

enhancing positive emotions, boosting

to get together with those you love during

and plan to start a new tradition in your

our self-esteem, and reducing negativity.

the holidays. For those unable to get

Grange this year.

another.

increasing

our

mental

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gratitude and happiness.

5

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!™ 2023/24 PRESS DATES Issue

Due Date

Hits Mailboxes

V7, I4

November 30

January 2024

V7, I3 V8, I1 V8, I2

August 31

February 28 May 31

October 2023 April 2024 July 2024

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.

6

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

Editor

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Yes, there’s technically a little bit more to this Oscar Wilde quote, but this is the part I want to focus on...

In the last issue, I wrote about “The Beginner’s

others. You can comment on posts or send messages to Granges or individual profiles to say “I want to know more about this!” and (most likely) somebody will respond.

Mindset,” or the art of taking a fresh, “blank slate” approach to projects, events, etc.

As much as Granges take pride in the activities they do, I also want us to start taking pride in sharing HOW we do

In this issue, I’m saying - sometimes, you don’t need

them. If a Grange in Oklahoma sees a successful program

to reinvent the wheel. Later in this issue, a few Granges

from a Grange in Iowa, there’s no shame in reaching out

have come forward to share their ideas of successful

to ask for more information.

programs, service projects, and community events they’ve

Let’s start sharing more!

completed around the holidays. They shared willingly (or

The African philosophy of ubuntu means “I am

maybe I badgered some people a little), but there’s no reason you can’t try one of these in your Community, Pomona, or State Grange.

Each quarter, as Secretary of my county’s Pomona Grange, I print a sheet of all the programs and events reported

from

our

twelve

Community/Subordinate

Granges. In doing so, all of our members have the chance to see what’s being done in the communities around our county, and they get ideas for projects they can potentially replicate - whether its donations made to local first responders, participating in Pennsylvania State Grange’s “Buy the Books” program for local elementary schools (then going and reading a portion of the book to the classroom), creating birthday cake packs for local food banks, or dozens of other projects completed each quarter.

because we are,” or that our personalities are shaped by our relationships, and our common bonds are what is really important. Our Granges exist because of the other Granges that exist - and the Granges that came before us.

Similarly, you could say - when one of us succeeds, we all succeed.

By sharing our ideas and the ways that we make things happen for our Granges and our communities, we can make things easier for others, which means more people win and there’s more of an impression being made by Granges in communities nationwide. Personally, I see no need in being selfish to the point of “Well, I had to figure this out the hard way, so others should, too...”

Let’s give everyone an easier path to winning. Share on social media, in your local newspapers, in your State

Every Grange around the country is busy doing good

Grange newsletters or magazines, or even send it to me

things, but we all admit that doing the same projects

for potential inclusion in The Patrons Chain or Good Day!

every year can get a bit stale.

magazine. I can’t promise that everything will get seen or

One thing I like about the National Grange Community Service & Activities page on Facebook moderated by

published (and some things may be held for later), but I will do my best!

Community Service Director Pete Pompper, is that it’s

Isn’t it time we start sharing? Allow your projects to be

always full of new ideas. There are so many things being

“imitated” and consider it “flattery.” After all, it’s always

done in the communities where our Granges serve that

nice to be told that we’ve done a good job, and what

there’s no reason we have to do it alone.

better way is there than seeing another Grange replicating

Social media makes it so incredibly easy to connect with

a project you’ve already done?

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“Flow into the Future” at the 157th Annual Convention Turner, Northeast Region Host Committee

By Philip J Vonada

co-chair. The committee is encouraging

National Grange Communications Director

members to send or bring socks, hats, or mittens for men or women to this year's

Each year, the National Grange holds its

convention. Monetary contributions will also

annual convention and business meeting in

be accepted. Community Missions serves

a different location in one of the five regions

vulnerable populations through crisis &

around the country. In recent years, the

community services, mental health housing

Convention has been to Sparks, Nevada;

and recovery services, and youth services.

Wichita, Kansas; Bloomington, Minnesota; and

They offer shelter, meals, clothing, faith

Stowe, Vermont. This year, the northeast region

development, and more.

is ready to invite Grange members and friends

In

to "Flow into the Future" in Niagara Falls for

National Grange President Betsy Huber. "While we always encourage members to observe the session in action, there are also tours of the local area, workshops on a variety of topics from National Grange staff members and outside presenters, Evening

of

with

presenting again at this year's convention.

to appreciate everything these conventions have to offer," said

the

partnership

Rural Minds , founder Jeff Winton will be

"You don't have to be an officer or Delegate

at

the

TM

the 157th Annual National Grange Convention!

entertainment

continuing

Excellence,

fellowship

opportunities with Grange members from every corner of the country, and so much more."

This year's convention will feature all of that and more. The adult tours will include stops to Power Vista, Old Fort Niagara, and Niagara Falls State Park. The Youth and Junior tours will also visit Cave of the Winds, and the Youth members will also be completing a service project.

"This year, we have chosen Community Missions of Niagara Frontier as our host region community service project," said Paula

For all attendees, Saturday morning will offer free QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training to help connect with people dealing with a mental health crisis.

Attendees are also encouraged to ensure their passport is up-to-date. "The hotel and convention center are just blocks from the Falls and it's a quick trip into Canada," said Huber. "For anyone who hasn't had that experience, it would be a shame to miss it!" Visit https://www.usps.com/international/passports.htm to check on your passport status or to start the process of getting a new one - don't wait!

This year's host hotel - The Sheraton Niagara Falls features unique amenities that will provide plenty of opportunities for fellowship between events. From an in-house Starbucks to the largest hotel pool in Niagara, a Rainforest Cafe to a direct connection to the Seneca Casinos, there's plenty to see and do. This year, the host committee is also able to provide baked goods and snacks in the hospitality room, which will be located on the first floor of the hotel.

In addition to standard rooms, the Sheraton Niagara Falls also offers "family suites" that contain bunk beds, so there's plenty of room for your whole family! To book your room, visit this link: https://book.passkey.com/event/50097253/owner/50027056/ home or call (716) 285-3361.

The Niagara Falls Convention Center, just across the street from the hotel, also offers plenty of space for meals, committee meetings, the session room, and much more!

A special addition this year is a partnership with Savor Restaurant and the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute, just a block closer to the falls from the host hotel and convention center. This 70-seat student-run restaurant is a great addition to the local restaurants for meal breaks a few days, but "they have offered to

The Cave of the Winds at Niagara Falls offers a unique perspective on this natural wonder.

Photo courtesy of Destination Niagara USA

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set up extra tables so that you can eat in the Atrium if you wish," said Linda Sanderson, Northeast Region Host Committee cochair. The culinary students will prepare "to-go" breakfast boxes

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if you call a day in advance, and it will be available to pick up at 8:00 a.m.

Lunch is served Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11am-1:30pm.

National Grange has 30-45 chairs reserved for lunch each day, but you must call in your reservation by 10:00am.

Dinner reservations can be made on the Savor Restaurant website

LUNCH CHOICES

- but reserve early. Visit https://www.niagaracc.suny.edu/nfci/savor/ to

prix fixe - 1 starter & 1 main - $17

make your dinner reservations.

Lunch is served 11-1:30 (M/W/F)

The Niagara Falls Culinary Institute is part of the Niagara County Community College at the State University of New York. "They will also offer tours on the same days they serve meals between 9 & 3," said

Starters: Apple & Arugula Salad (GF), Crushed cucumber Salad (Vegan & GF), Beets & Tahini (Vegan & GF), Hush

Sanderson.

Puppies, Roasted Broccoli & cheddar soup (Vegetarian) A new look at Convention

and Lentil Chili (Vegan, GF)

In spring of 2022, President Huber appointed Vice President Chris

Main Dishes: Savor Burger, Shrimp Po’boy, Fish & Chips,

Hamp as the Chair of the Convention Advisory Work Group. Karie

Penna Alla Vodka (Vegan), Chicken Piccata, Curried

Blasingame (IL), Jennie Gentry (NC), Jay Sexton (OR), and Chad Smith

Chickpeas (Vegan, GF), Mediterranean Rice Bowl (GF),

(CA) also serve on the work group, which has been charged with

Savor Salad (GF) White Broccoli Pizza, and Traditional

examining every part of the National Grange Convention - what can be

Pizza

improved or changed, what should stay the same, and what "out of the

DINNER CHOICES

box" ideas could be tried.

"Nothing is off the table," said Hamp. "We're looking at everything - from the schedule of events to location to cost to what else can be offered to make it the must-attend event for every member at every

prix fixe - 1 each starter, main, & dessert - $30 Starters: Warm Goat Cheese and Quinoa Salad, Bruleed Pear & Walnut salad (GF), Beets & Tahini (Vegan/

level."

Over the past several months, the committee has been meeting with "interest groups" - officers, delegates, staff, youth members, past

GF), Student Featured Soup, Flatbread of the Day, Pan-seared Lump Crab Cake

officers, the Assembly of Demeter, and more. "We have made every

Main dishes: Sweet & Spicy Peperonata Pizza, Bacon

effort to cast as wide a net as possible and we have a lot to look at,"

Mushroom Swiss Burger, Smoked Chicken & Sausage

said Hamp.

Gumbo, Hearth Roasted Walleye (GF), Shrimp Cavatelli

Additionally, an informal survey was also included in several issues

with Peruvian Green Sauce, Seared Polenta Cake with

of the Patrons Chain newsletter. "We're just starting to examine those

Glazed Vegetables (Vegan & GF), Culinary 133’s Cut of

answers," Hamp said.

the Day (GF), Traditional Pizza.

For the 2022 National Convention in Sparks, Nevada the Advisory Work Group worked to make sure first-time attendees felt welcome

Desserts: Peanut Butter Bar, Mixed Berry Tart (Vegan), Crème Brulee (GF), & Lemon Blueberry Bomb.

by providing an "intro" sheet about the jargon one might hear around the Convention Center and what new members could expect to see on

menu & prices subject to change

various days. They also had a Bingo-style "Passport" that encouraged session attendees to see certain functions and meet different people.

Registration Information

Early Bird Registration ($32) is open through September 4, 2023 General Registration ($37) will be open until October 9, 2023 Late Registration ($42) closes for meal options on November 8, 2023 Registration on Site will be available at the late registration cost, but you will not be able to obtain tickets to any meals Register at https://www.nationalgrange.org/157th-annual-national-grange-convention/

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Convention highlights will include:

• Welcome Banquet^ by Northeastern Host Region Monday, 6:30 p.m.

• Advocacy Luncheon^ - Tuesday,12:00 p.m.

• Opening of 157th Annual Convention*, with the President’s Addresses - Tuesday, 2:00 p.m.

• Friendship Dinner^ - Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.

• Salute to Agriculture Luncheon^ - Wednesday, 12:15 p.m.

• Grange Hall of Fame and Quilts of Valor presentation - Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

• Workshop by Jeff Winton, Rural Minds - Thursday, 3:00 p.m.

• GROW Club Dinner^ - Thursday, 5:45 p.m.

• Silent Disco Youth party - Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

• Session Opening by Youth Officers - Friday, 8:30 a.m.

• General & Youth Tours^ - Friday • National Grange Honors - Friday, 7:30 p.m.

• Rural Minds QPR Training - Saturday, 9:00 a.m.

• Junior Tour^ - Saturday • Sixth Degree Conferral - Saturday, 10:00 a.m.

• Seventh Degree Conferral+ - Saturday, 1:00 p.m.

• Grange Celebration Banquet^ - Saturday, 6:00 p.m.

• Evening of Excellence - Saturday, 8:00pm

"We are trying to increase the value of the National Convention for attendees," Sexton added. "The Delegate policy work is important and admirable, but it is hard to fully understand and appreciate for the first-time National Convention attendee.

It's a very different animal from the day-to-day work and interactions that make a successful Community Grange." Sexton wants everyone to know that the Convention has plenty to offer for attendees to take home to their Granges, but the committee is looking how to improve these offerings, so everyone can easily see reasons to attend our National Convention.

Making plans to travel to Convention?

By Plane: The Convention Host Committee will be making trips to and from the Buffalo Niagara and Niagara Falls International Airports between 1 PM on Sunday, November 12 and 3 PM on Sunday, November 19. Outside of these times, taxis, metrobus, and Uber/Lyft are available options.

By Bus: Greyhound will deliver you to Buffalo, New York, or Niagara Falls, Ontario (Canada). Other bus lines have stops in Niagara Falls, New York, but no official depot station.

By Train: There is an Amtrak stop about 1.5 miles north of the hotel.

By Car: Plenty of parking is available at the hotel and Convention Center for anybody traveling in their own personal vehicle.

* Opening of Session only open to Seventh Degree members, all others will be admitted before the Addresses. ^ Ticketed Event + The Seventh Degree Conferral is open for any member to watch. Those obtaining their Degree should pre-register.

The Sheraton at the Falls features many amenities ready to make this convention memorable.

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Along the Way... Francis Marion McDowell spot where the McDowell Family

By Norman Houser Author, The Pennsylvania Rambler www.thepennsylvaniarambler.com Pennsylvania Grange Member

stone stood, the plaque placed by the

National

Grange

called

out,

drawing me closer. I carefully walked around the family stone – the back

I have to admit – in all my years of

lists his wife Eva and their daughter

traveling, I had never visited New York’s

Louisa. Returning to the front, I read

Finger Lake Region. Traveling northward

the plaque placed by the National

along the eastern edge of Keuka Lake, I was taken in by the beautiful landscape.

After a short tour of Penn Yan, which is located on the northern shores of the Lake, I turned my attention toward the

Grange: “Francis M. McDowell. One of the seven founders and first High

Priest of Demeter of the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. 1868-1873.”

sacred grounds of Lakeview Cemetery.

Francis Marion McDowell was born

The cemetery is a “Who’s Who”

June 12, 1831, in Wayne, New York,

of the region with politicians, military

one of four children to Matthew and

figures, two Medal of Honor recipients,

Maria McDowell.

and local men and women who are

McDowell received his education in

noted for their contributions to the

common schools around Wayne before

community. Stopping at the office,

attending Alfred University in Alfred

I

New York. After graduating, he returned

received

directions

for

Francis

McDowell and was soon parked yards from the grave of one of the Founders of the Grange.

to Wayne, where he taught school.

At the age of 20, McDowell would leave teaching behind and became a

Walking up the hillside to the

partner in Hallett & Company, a banking firm located in New York City. He would be sent to Europe to find capitalists

willing

to

invest in the KansasPacific

Railroad.

growing of grapes. McDowell would create his own vineyard on the shores of Lake Keuka.

At a fruit fair in Hammondsport, New

York,

McDowell

would

meet

William Saunders. Saunders introduced McDowell to the Grange movement.

McDowell was interested and he would go to Washington, D.C. to help with the newly created fraternity.

McDowell developed the symbolism and ritual of the Seventh Degree, linking

be

agriculture with ancient European rituals.

pivotal in the early years

With the help of John Thompson, the

of the Grange.

ritual work of the Seventh Degree was

While

would

in

London,

written and a Manual prepared. In 1884,

McDowell courted and

the Seventh Degree was presented

married Sarah Josephine

to

“Jennie”

Tennessee.

Spang

on

October 21, 1861. Her sudden

Photo by Norman Houser

that was developing in the region – the

This

experience

The final resting place of Francis and Eva McDowell is in Lakeview Cemetery, Penn Yan, New York.

A portrait of McDowell, as found in Origin and Progress of the the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry in the United States by O. H. Kelley.

eight

candidates

in

Nashville,

McDowell would be selected as

passing

on

the first High Priest in the Assembly of

November

24,

1870,

Demeter in 1868. On November 16,

affected

McDowell

1868, McDowell would write to Caroline

deeply and he returned

Hall and conferred upon her the title of

to Wayne and settled

Ceres for the National Grange, making

down. Upon his return

her the first female to hold office in

home, McDowell took

the Grange and also the first person to

interest in a new industry

hold the office of Ceres in the National

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Grange.

McDowell would serve as Treasurer of the National Grange for nearly 21 years, from 1878 to 1893, until failing health compelled his resignation. McDowell's financial experience helped the Grange through its early years, keeping it financially stable. After he stepped down, his wife, Eva, whom he married in December 1874, would take over as Treasurer, holding that position until 1919.

Only months after McDowell stepped down from his office, he died at his home in Penn Yan, New York. On May 22, 1894, the good and faithful servant passed and was buried within the sacred grounds of Lakeview Cemetery. Eva, who served as the fourth Treasurer for the National Grange, would pass November 9, 1928 and was placed to rest next to Francis.

I finished paying my respects to Francis and Eva McDowell and began my return trip southward. Roughly fifteen miles south of Penn Yan, sits another memorial for Francis McDowell.

Turning onto State Route 230, I drove towards the community of Wayne. Just west of the community, McDowell Cemetery rests on the southern side of New York State Route 230.

Entering the main entrance to the cemetery, the memorial for Francis McDowell sits along the left side of the dirt roadway. The large boulder was from the McDowell farm and the plaque situated on it remembers the importance of

This monument in McDowell Cemetery, Wayne, New York, reads: “Dedicated to the memory of Francis M. McDowell, one of the seven founders of the National Grange - Patrons of Husbandry - located near his burial place by Steuben Co. Pomona Grange and the New York State Grange.”

Photo by Norman Houser Francis McDowell as a Founder of the Grange. This memorial was dedicated on June 25, 1949 – former National Grange Master/President Louis J. Taber was one of the speakers at the dedication service.

Are you a

Grange in Action ?

Apply to be recognized as a Grange in Action for being active in your community and completing events or projects.

Open to Subordinate/Community, Pomona, and Junior Granges!

Simple application of one letter-sized page with pictures and captions of at least 3, but no more than 6 events or activities for your Grange.

https://www.nationalgrange.org/grange-in-action/ SUBMISSION DEADLINE:

SEPTEMBER 1

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14

GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

Oregon Institute for a Better Way and National Grange partner, capture FCC grants funds to spread Affordable Connectivity message Oregon Institute for a Better Way

on advocating for the infrastructure

(OIBW) was selected as one of about 200

that will allow broadband service to be

entities to receive grant funds from the

available in every home.”

FCC for an outreach campaign designed

Community Navigators will assist

to inform communities, especially in

in planning, compliance and activating

rural areas across the country, about

their partner network to further promote

the agency’s Affordable Connectivity

awareness of the program that provides

Program (ACP).

subsidies for internet access and devices

Oregon Institute for a Better Way

to those living at or below 200 percent

partnered with the National Grange and the Community Navigator network on a solution to increase awareness and enrollment in the largest broadband affordability effort in the nation’s history.

“Our

passion

communities

and

is

to

ensure

serve

our

everyone

of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Huber

has

served

on

the

FCC’s

Households with an individual who

Advisory

is already enrolled in benefits such

Committee and Precision Ag working

as Medicaid, Supplemental Security

group since 2017. She said she is happy

Income, SNAP, Public Housing or the

to see the commission’s investment in

Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch

broadband access be multi-pronged.

Program, WIC, Lifeline and others or

Broadband

is aware of and making good use of

Deployment

worked

those living on qualified tribal lands and

broadband

taking part in tribal-specific assistance

infrastructure for more than twenty years.

programs automatically qualify for the

Now it is time to take the next step to

ACP benefit.

“The

Grange

has

programs and monies provided to

for

enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities. This program does just that, and we are honored to be entrusted

bridge the digital divide by supporting

“For many households, the cost of

with funds to provide this outreach in

affordability. We’re proud to take part in

groceries, gas and rent can eat up the

often overlooked communities,” OIBW

this program that we see as a benefit for

monthly budget, putting internet access

Founder and Director Misty Burris said.

qualified individuals to afford service and

out of reach,” said FCC Chairwoman

Burris said the partnership is essential

potentially improve their own education,

Jessica Rosenworcel in the agency’s

health, job potential and more,” Huber

press release announcing the awards.

to the campaign’s success.

“Working with an organization like

expansion

of

the

said. “We will never lose focus, though,

Rosenworcel said the affordability

the Grange provides validity to the information and builds on the Grange’s long history of leading the efforts to decrease the digital divide.”

The National Grange, with its nearly 1,500 local chapters throughout the United States and more than 130,000 members, will serve as a primary vehicle to deliver the message about the ACP. “Since very close to our founding in 1867, equitable access for rural individuals has been the signature issue for the Grange. The 21st century version of that, which we have been leading not just with rural individuals in mind, is the digital divide,” said Amanda Brozana Rios, who serves as the grant coordinator for the National Grange.

National Grange President Betsy

Members of the Oregon Institute for a Better Way and the Community Navigators network stand in front of the Community System Navigators office in Redding, California. Photo by Amanda Brozana Rios

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15

effort currently supports internet connections in more than 16 million households.

plan.

“Thanks to the FCC’s grant funding, Granges will also soon

“That’s progress, but we want to do more to get out the word

have physical sign-up materials they can provide individuals

about this powerful program and reach families that may not

whose lack of access does not allow them to simply go online

know about this benefit,” Rosenworcel said. “These outreach

to take part in the program,” Brozana Rios said.

grants will help us expand awareness in more communities, so we can continue the work to close the digital divide.”

ACP, which was created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for qualifying households on qualifying Tribal lands.

The benefit also provides up to a $100 per household discount toward a one-time purchase of a computer, laptop, or tablet if the household contributes more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase through a participating broadband provider. A list of broadband providers taking part in the program can be found at www.fcc.gov/affordable-connectivityprogram-providers.

Eligible

households

can

enroll

by

going

to

AffordableConnectivity.gov to submit an online application or print a mail-in application. They can also contact their preferred participating broadband provider to select an internet service

HOW YOUR GRANGE CAN BE INVOLVED To make this outreach successful, we’re encouraging every Grange to take part. It’s easy.

We highly encourage you to send a representative for your Grange to attend one of our informational Zoom meetings, held at least once a week through October, which are announced in the Patrons Chain and on the National Grange Facebook Page.

If you or someone in your Grange is unable to attend, you can reach out to Amanda Brozana Rios at membership@nationalgrange.org or 301-943-1090. She will provide you a basic overview of the program.

After you learn more about the program, you must sign up to become an outreach partner using the link http://grange.biz/signupgrange (or scan the QR code above). If you are unable to get online, you may be signed up after your phone call with Amanda.

Once enrolled as an outreach partner, you will be connected with the community navigator for your state who will work with you to identify ways your Grange can implement outreach in your community with your already planned events and discuss other opportunities available to you. They may also offer to attend ACP sign-up events held at your Grange to assist with community questions and provide devices for sign-ups, and discuss with you potential incentives for taking part in outreach.

Some free items that your Grange may receive to promote awareness of the ACP include letter-sized posters to hang in community spaces; large folded business cards explaining the program and eligibility criteria; a banner that can be hung on the outside of your hall; yard signs that may be placed in members’ yards on well-traveled roads or on community property with appropriate permission; and more. We also have materials such as digital ads that may be placed in church bulletins, local newspapers, and more - all free to request and use.

Navigators will remain in contact with your Grange to gather details about the distribution and use of the items to help determine the reach of our Granges in the communities, which will show the impact the Grange can make through information campaigns.

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www.nationalgrange.org

Getting the job done together Combining federal infrastructure funding and private sector investment will get more Americans connected to the internet.

Let’s get to work and connect more people than ever before.

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© 2023 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

17

“Fly-In” connects members to legislative priorities

By Philip J Vonada National Grange Communications Director On Wednesday, April 26th, the National Grange held its annual Legislative Fly-In. Unlike other years where members would gather in-person, this year's event was held virtually, due to ongoing negotiations with the National Grange's headquarters and the evolving state of the Covid-19 endemic.

Each year, the National Grange and Grange Advocacy hold the Legislative Fly-In to connect Grange members to the work that is being done on their behalf in Washington, DC, and issues that are important to the Grange.

"It was an easy choice," said Burton Eller, National Grange Legislative Director. "Not only were we able to reach members who might not be able to travel to Washington, but we were also able to lock in speakers for the day who might also not have been able to join us otherwise."

Nearly 100 Grange members and leaders from around the country tuned in for the 3-hour event. Participants were able to send in their questions ahead of time to give presenters some guidance on what Grange members wanted to hear, and others sent in questions via Zoom.

Headlining the day were the Chairpersons of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Representative Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA), respectively. They each spoke about this year's Farm Bill, which is currently being drafted.

"Rural communities... are part of the fabric of our wonderful

Senator Debbie Stabenow (top) and Representative GT Thompson each provided remarks for the Virtual Fly-In.

Screencaptures from National Grange YouTube

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Legislative Director Burton Eller (left) directs questions to Josh Maxwell, Policy Director for Congressman GT Thompson, at the National Grange Headquarters during the Fly-In.

Photo by Philip Vonada

nation and we have to continue to invest in these communities so they can thrive - now and well into the future," said Senator Stabenow. "This Congress, I'm focused on passing a bipartisan Farm Bill... that will help keep our rural communities resilient and thriving."

"Every Chairman wants a Farm Bill that is bipartisan and on-time," said Congressman Thompson. "In order to write a meaningful Farm Bill that meets the needs of the entire agriculture value chain, we must first conduct an audit of what's working, what's not, and what needs fine tuning."

Other speakers included Mikayla Bodey, Senior Professional Staff for Senator Stabenow; Josh Maxwell, Policy Director for Representative Thompson; Janet McUlsky, President of McUlsky Health Force; Jenna Alsayegh, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships for USTelecom, Laurel Laverrier, Assistant Administrator of the USDA Rural Utility Service Telecommunications Program; and Misty Burris, founder of the Oregon Institute for a Better Way. Topics varied across Grange priority issues that included rural broadband, telehealth, access to healthcare, and agriculture.

"It was a great day," said Eller, "I think we reached a good number of people, and made an impression with each of our presenters, too. The Grange remains a vital force and leading voice for our country and rural America."

The full video from the Fly-In is available on the National Grange YouTube channel at youtube.com/nationalgrange, or by scanning the QR code below.

Plans are already in the works for 2024's Fly-In. Traditionally, presidential election years take members to the "First in the Nation" primary election in New Hampshire, where Grange members get the chance to volunteer on a campaign of their choice, although a decision has not yet been made about where or when the 2024 Fly-In will be.

Stay tuned for more information in the coming months about the 2024 National Grange Fly-In.

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Thank you, Sean! National Grange’s Legislative Assistant heads to law school We are extremely sad to say goodbye to Legislative

may need to be revised

Assistant Sean O’Neil on June 30. Sean has been with us for

or eliminated to keep our

three and a half years, first as an intern and then as right-hand

policy relevant. This year,

man to Legislative Director Burton Eller.

he’s been working with

I can’t even express what a benefit Sean has been to

the hemp/cannabis study

the National Grange office, to the entire organization, and

committee, which will be

especially to Burton. His interest and initiative have allowed

reporting at the National

Burton to focus on forging new connections and relationships

Session in November.

with Advocacy partners, other associations, and like-minded groups to advance our priority issues and apply for grants.

Besides

all

his

hard

work, Sean has been a

Sean took on the task early this year of connecting with new

great addition to the office

members of Congress, especially those with a large Grange

staff, always with a friendly

membership in their districts. He set up in-person meetings with

greeting and willing to offer suggestions as a newcomer to

them and “broke the ice” for State Grange Presidents to follow

Grange. He is an active member of Potomac Grange #1 and

up with their Representatives and develop relationships that

received the Seventh Degree in Sparks, NV.

will be useful in the future. He also interviewed and supervised our interns over the last two years.

Sean will be attending Harvard Law School in the Fall so he will be very busy, but we hope he’ll have a chance to attend

He has attended and reported on hundreds of meetings, webinars, committee hearings, etc. to free up Burton’s time for other work. He became very familiar with the legislative policy book and advised the National sessions committees on what

some Grange functions in Massachusetts in the next few years.

Sean, thank you so much for your contributions to the National Grange. We will miss you!

~ Betsy

A note from Burton Eller, Legislative Director:

O’Neil presents a legislative workshop at the 2021 National Grange Session in Wichita, Kansas.

Sean first came to the National Grange as a college intern in the summer of 2020. He was a rising senior just up the street at George Washington University pursuing a double major in political science and economics.

He excelled on the GW debate team as he pursued his passion to become a lawyer. Sean grew up in the rural Finger Lakes region of New York near Ithaca, an area known for its superior apples.

Intern O’Neil was assigned to support the policy and advocacy efforts of the Grange.

Rural broadband deployment was an instant policy issue connection for him at the Grange as he often told influencers in Washington about the lack of high-speed broadband in his area of rural New York. Following his graduation from GWU, the Grange was able to bring Sean onto our staff to expand our efforts in the policy, advocacy, and legislative arenas.

As the quick learner that he is, Sean

Photo by Lindsay Schroeder

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immediately did a deep dive into the National Grange policy book and was soon ready to carry the Grange policy banner around Washington. He is equally comfortable talking to members of Congress, corporate offices, and grassroots Grange members, and he can deliver an effective message to all three entities. He has helped deliver Grange policy and raise the Grange profile in Washington. In a working man’s language, he’s an “all-around good hand.”

We have a bona fide, dyed-in-the-wool policy wonk, issue expert, public speaker, lobbyist, Grange member, and advocate for rural and small-town America. But we’re losing him to his dream.

As Sean is on his way to law school, we can’t help but be proud of him and wish him the best; we’ll look forward to having him back in Washington with a “JD” behind his name to advocate for common sense public policy in some capacity.

19

These four challenges will shape the next farm bill – and how the US eats

By Kathleen Merrigan Executive Director, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Arizona State University Originally published in The Conversation

For the 20th time since 1933, Congress is writing a multiyear farm bill that will shape what kind of food U.S. farmers grow, how they raise it and how it gets to consumers. These measures are large, complex and expensive: The next farm bill is projected to cost taxpayers $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

Modern farm bills address many things besides food, from rural broadband access to biofuels and even help for small towns to buy police cars. These measures bring out a dizzying range of interest groups with diverse agendas.

Umbrella organizations like the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union typically focus on farm subsidies and crop insurance. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition advocates for small farmers and ranchers.

Industry-specific groups, such as cattlemen, fruit and vegetable growers and organic producers, all have their own interests.

Environmental and conservation groups seek to influence policies that affect land use and sustainable farming practices.

Hunger and nutrition groups target the bill’s sections on food aid. Rural counties, hunters and anglers, bankers and dozens of other organizations have their own wish lists.

As a former Senate aide and senior official at the U.S.

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Department of Agriculture, I’ve seen this intricate process from all sides. In my view, with the challenges in this round so complex and with critical 2024 elections looming, it could take Congress until 2025 to craft and enact a bill. Here are four key issues shaping the next farm bill, and through it, the future of the U.S. food system.

The price tag Farm bills always are controversial because of their high cost, but this year the timing is especially tricky. In the past two years, Congress has enacted major bills to provide economic relief from the COVID-19 pandemic, counter inflation, invest in infrastructure and boost domestic manufacturing.

These measures follow unprecedented spending for farm support during the Trump administration. Now legislators are jockeying over raising the debt ceiling, which limits how much the federal government can borrow to pay its bills.

Agriculture Committee leaders and farm groups argue that more money is necessary to strengthen the food and farm sector. If they have their way, the price tag for the next farm bill would increase significantly from current projections.

On the other side, reformers argue for capping payments to farmers, which The Washington Post recently described as an “expensive agricultural safety net,” and restricting payment eligibility. In their view, too much money goes to very large farms that produce commodity crops like wheat, corn, soybeans and rice, while small and medium-size producers receive far less support.

Food aid is the key fight Many people are surprised to learn that nutrition assistance – mainly through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps – is where most farm bill money is spent. Back in the 1970s, Congress began including nutrition assistance in the farm bill to secure votes from an increasingly urban nation.

Today, over 42 million Americans depend on SNAP, including nearly 1 in every 4 children. Along with a few smaller programs, SNAP will likely consume 80% of the money in the new farm bill, up from 76% in 2018.

Why have SNAP costs grown? During the pandemic, SNAP benefits were increased on an emergency basis, but that temporary arrangement expired in March 2023. Also, in response to a directive included in the 2018 farm bill, the Department of Agriculture recalculated what it takes to afford a healthy diet, known as the Thrifty Food Plan, and determined that it required an additional $12-$16 per month per recipient, or 40 cents per meal.

Because it’s such a large target, SNAP is where much of the budget battle will play out. Most Republicans typically seek to rein in SNAP; most Democrats usually support expanding it.

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Anti-hunger advocates are lobbying to make the increased pandemic benefits permanent and defend the revised Thrifty Food Plan. In contrast, Republicans are calling for SNAP reductions, and are particularly focused on expanding work requirements for recipients.

Debating climate solutions The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act provided $19.5 billion to the Department of Agriculture for programs that address climate change. Environmentalists and farmers alike applauded this investment, which is intended to help the agriculture sector embrace climate-smart farming practices and move toward markets that reward carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services.

This big pot of money has become a prime target for members of Congress who are looking for more farm bill funding. On the other side, conservation advocates, sustainable farmers and progressive businesses oppose diverting climate funds for other purposes.

There also is growing demand for Congress to require USDA to develop better standards for measuring, reporting and verifying actions designed to protect

or increase soil carbon. Interest is rising in “carbon farming” – paying farmers for practices such as no-till agriculture and planting cover crops, which some studies indicate can increase carbon storage in soil.

But without more research and standards, observers worry that investments in climate-smart agriculture will support greenwashing – misleading claims about environmental benefits – rather than a fundamentally different system of production. Mixed research results have raised questions as to whether establishing carbon markets based on such practices is premature.

A complex bill and inexperienced legislators Understanding farm bills requires highly specialized knowledge about issues ranging from crop insurance to nutrition to forestry. Nearly one-third of current members of Congress were first elected after the 2018 farm bill was enacted, so this is their first farm bill cycle.

I expect that, as often occurs in Congress, new members will follow more senior legislators’ cues and go

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along with traditional decision making.

This will make it easier for entrenched interests, like the American Farm Bureau Federation and major commodity groups, to maintain support for Title I programs, which provide revenue support for major commodity crops like corn, wheat and soybeans. These programs are complex, cost billions of dollars and go mainly to large-scale operations.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s current stump speech spotlights the fact that 89% of U.S. farmers failed to make a livable profit in 2022, even though total farm income set a record at $162 billion. Vilsack asserts that less-profitable operations should be the focus of this farm bill – but when pressed, he appears unwilling to concede that support for large-scale operations should be changed in any way.

When I served as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture from 2009 to 2011, I oversaw the department’s budget process and learned that investing in one thing often requires defunding another. My dream farm bill would invest in three priorities: organic agriculture as a climate solution; infrastructure to support vibrant local and regional markets and shift away from an agricultural economy dependent on exporting low-value crops; and agricultural science and technology research aimed at reducing labor and chemical inputs and providing new solutions for sustainable livestock production.

In my view, it is time for tough policy choices, and it won’t be possible to fund everything. Congress’ response will show whether it supports business as usual in agriculture, or a more diverse and sustainable U.S. farm system Kathleen Merrigan was a Deputy Secretary of Agriculture from 2009-2013, serving under Secretary Tom Vilsack. She was the first woman to chair the Ministerial Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 2011.

This

article

is

republished

from

The

Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

21

Grange Foundation presents Partnership in Agricultural Literacy Award centered around National Agricultural

Conference

Literacy Outcomes, utilizing resources

taking place June 26-29 in Orlando,

and materials made available from the

Florida.

National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization.

The

National

have

Beaches”

The Grange Foundation supports youth development,

promotes

agriculture

been piloted at the Summit building

education

(NAITCO)

and will be shared with the other six

communities,

and National Grange Foundation have

elementary buildings in the Butler Area

heritage,

selected the Community Agricultural

School District to ensure all students are

activities. The Grange Foundation was

Partnership at Summit (CAPS) Elementary

introduced to vital agricultural concepts.

formed in 1964 to aid in furthering the

School, in Pennsylvania’s Butler Area

Grade-level

worked

ability of the National Grange to provide

School District,

as the recipient of its

together to develop ag kits for use within

opportunities to our next generation of

2023 Partnership in Agricultural Literacy

the established curriculum, allowing for

leaders and instill agricultural interest/

(PAL) Award.

an agricultural overlay for classroom

rural issues/and community service issues

instruction.

and career opportunity and community

Organization

in

resources

the

the

Classroom

Agriculture

These

“Beyond

CAPS was selected for its innovative

teachers

have

and

research,

and

citizenship

improves

fosters

culture,

and

charitable

effort to use an agricultural focus to

“The Grange Foundation is proud

service as a way of life. To learn more

expand student learning and meet

to present this award each year, and

about the Grange Foundation visit

the needs of the whole child. CAPS is

winners like CAPS keep inspiring us

https://grangefoundation.org.

committed to cultivating lifelong learners

with their passion, creativity and impact

and informed citizens with respect and

on both the children and communities

representing

appreciation for conservation, agriculture,

they serve,” said Betsy Huber, National

Classroom programs in most of the 50

and the outdoor environment.

Grange president.

states, the District of Columbia, Puerto

With

support

of

Agriculture

in

the

community

“National Agriculture in the Classroom

Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its

partners like the county 4-H Extension

and state and territory Agriculture in

mission is to educate Pre-K-12 teachers

Educator, Audubon Society, conservation

the Classroom programs depend on

and students about the importance

district members, and the Pennsylvania

educators like those involved with CAPS

of agriculture by providing them with

Friends of Agriculture Foundation, CAPS

to deliver agricultural literacy outreach

web-based materials, workshops and

is working to use agricultural concepts

to students in innovative ways in their

awards programs that demonstrate how

as a pathway to learning. Donated

communities,” NAITCO President Katie

agriculture can be used to effectively

resources,

presentations,

Carpenter said. “Their whole student

teach core subject areas. To learn

experiences

approach is producing positive impacts

more about NAITCO, please visit www.

for students beyond the classroom.”

agclassroom.org.

and

the

NAITCO is a non-profit organization

educational

unique

hands-on

offered by partners have helped provide the means for students, teachers, staff,

“This has truly been a partnership, as

and families to immerse themselves in

CAPS has worked with a wide range of

a world of agriculture, both during the

community groups, foundations, and

Agriculture in the Classroom Program,

school day and at home.

others to expand agricultural literacy

grant

access.

accession

In order to accomplish this goal, CAPS

These

dedicated

individuals

This

work no.

is

supported

by

the

2018-45042-28608/project no.

1016518,

from

the

has taken an aggressive approach to

have built a program that, with the right

USDA National Institute of Food and

curriculum development and professional

leadership

could

Agriculture.

Any

learning, offering staff an opportunity to

be replicated at other schools,” said

conclusions,

or

participate in the Pennsylvania Friends

Charlene Shupp Espenshade, executive

expressed in this publication are those

of Agriculture Foundation Educator’s Ag

director of Pennsylvania Friends of

of the author and do not necessarily

Institute, both virtually and in person. In

Agriculture Foundation.

reflect the view of the U.S. Department

and

commitment,

addition, building staff have been working

They were honored at the 2023

to design lessons for their classrooms

National Agriculture in the Classroom

22

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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

of Agriculture

opinions,

findings,

recommendations

Foundation urges Granges, members to donate directly to Kelley Farm “With

By Amanda Brozana Rios

serving

Grange Foundation Associate Make

your

Minnesota

checks

Historical

payable Society

the

Grange

as

pass-through

a

Foundation

transferred to the MHS so it could be

entity,

used to teach people about agriculture

that information gets lost and that

and its evolution, as well as introduce

to

distance between the giver - the

visitors to the farm to the Grange.

Over

the

years

under

MHS’s

with

individual or Grange who is sending a

Kelley Farm on the memo line or to

donation - and the final recipient. This

ownership, the farm has housed animals

the Friends of the Kelley Farm directly.

can do more harm than good in the

and welcomed visitors, but in 2003 the

That’s the request of the Grange

philanthropic relationship. I think this is

site was threatened with permanent

Foundation, which had for many years

a wise move of the Board, one which

closure, in great part due to a lack of

served as a middleman, collecting

will allow us to focus more on what we

funds. At that time, the Friends of the

donations for Elk River, Minnesota,

actually ‘own’ by way of programming

property of Oliver H. Kelley, as of the

that meets our mission and to allow the

board’s May meeting.

Minnesota Historical Society to build a

This move came after a discussion about the desire of most nonprofits to know their own benefactors and

new relationship with their supporters in the Grange.”

The unique property of one of the

communicate directly with them, be

Grange’s

it to provide information about the

today

programs and services they offer or to

working 1860s farm, has a rich history

properly thank them and account for

all its own.

their donations.

primary

serves

as

founders, an

which

educational,

The farm was owned for a number of

“Charitable organizations like the

years by the Grange after it had gone

Minnesota Historical Society, which

on the market in the early twentieth

owns and operates the Kelley Farm, or

century.

the Friends of the Kelley Farm, which

Granger who found out about the sale,

raises funds and assists in attracting

and then transferred to the National

visitors to the location, want to be in

Grange

touch with their donors, to recognize

Grange sought support for its upkeep

them and show them where their

from

donations are going and what they

as well as local, Pomona and State

help support,” Grange Foundation

Granges.

Associate Amanda Brozana Rios said.

Purchased

by

by

delegate

members

around

an

Illinois

consent, the

the

nation

However, in 1962, the property was

IF YOU DONATE If you or your Grange chooses to donate to the Kelley Farm, please do so directly through the Minnesota Historical Society, which owns and operates the property, or the Friends of the Kelley Farm.

When donating to MHS, make sure to include KELLEY FARM in your memo line or otherwise indicate where you wish your contribution to be applied. The mailing address for donations is: Minnesota Historical Society 345 W. Kellogg Blvd.

St. Paul, MN 55102 When donating to the Friends of the Kelley Farm, you may send checks to: Friends of the Kelley Farm 15788 Kelley Farm Rd NW Elk River, MN 55330 You may also give online to the organizations.

Donations to the Minnesota Historical Society can be made through https://www.mnhs.org/support/donate - however, there is no way to earmark your donation to the Kelley Farm through this site.

Delegates and guests at the 2019 National Grange Session in Bloomington, Minnesota, visited the Oliver Kelley Farm and the new visitor center before the opening of the convention. Photo by Lindsay Schroeder

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Donations to Friends of the Kelley Farm can be made through https:// www.mightycause.com/organization/Friends-Of-The-Kelley-Farm

23

Kelley Farm nonprofit was established, with several Grange

reference to Kelley’s involvement in the Grange’s founding

members as the first members of that organization. They

and information about the Grange historically and today had

focus on raising awareness about the farm and ensuring it is

been greatly downsized as collections have changed.

a protected asset through legislative advocacy; encouraging

When Grange Foundation was established in 1964, one

attendance at the farm’s event and visits by school groups

of the first funds established allowed members to provide

and adults; and provide fundraising support and volunteer

for the Kelley Farm and receive favorable tax benefit for

hours to maintain the farm.

sending donations. Ever since, the fund has been in place,

In 2017, the Kelley Farm underwent a $15 million

but over the years, donations dwindled. Brozana Rios said

renovation and revamp by MHS, which included building

she believes this in part is due to the fact that the Minnesota

a new visitor center and creating exhibits and interactive

Historical Society can do little to report directly to their donor

lessons to compare modern farming to methods used in the

Granges or individuals of their successes, their outreach and

1860s. This was made possible partly thanks to donations

their needs.

made by the Grange Foundation and Granges nationwide.

However,

while

Oliver

Hudson

Kelley’s

“This does not end our desire for a good relationship

agricultural

generally with the Minnesota Historical Society or the Farm

contributions remain a major feature of the farm, the Grange’s

directly,” Brozana Rios said. “We hope Granges will visit

influence and appearance on the farm have dwindled.

the Kelley Farm website, or the farm itself, and learn about

During the 2019 National Grange in Bloomington,

what is happening at that property today, then consider their

Minnesota, Grangers visited the Elk River farm as a part of

interest in supporting the work of the Minnesota Historical

the tours, and were able to see a place in our Order’s history

Society with that property going forward.”

on display. Those who had previously visited noted the

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Is Rural America Struggling?

It Depends on How You Define ‘Rural’ The Office of Budget and Management will release a new list of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties based on data from the 2020 Census, which is likely to toss formerly growing rural areas into metropolitan counties.

Many small towns in rural America, like the one pictured here, may find themselves suddenly recategorized into “metropolitan” counties because of data from the 2020 Census.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

By Sarah Melotte Courtesy of The Daily Yonder Later this year, some of the nation’s most economically successful “rural” counties will be reclassified as metropolitan, moving their populations and economic output from nonmetropolitan to metropolitan with the stroke of a pen.

That’s because 2023 is the year the federal Office of Management and Budget will create a major revision for its list of Metropolitan Statistical Areas based on data from the 2020 Census.

Because of how Metropolitan Statistical Areas are defined – using a combination of population figures and commuting patterns – the reclassification is likely to move some of the fastest growing and economically productive rural counties into the metropolitan category.

This gives a falsely bleak impression of rural America, according to scholars Daniel T. Lichter and Kenneth M. Johnson.

The researchers from Cornell and the University of New Hampshire respectively, call this phenomenon “the paradox of rural

26

population decline.”

“The demographic paradox is clear,” Lichter and Johnson write. “Over the past four decades, a significant share of nonmetro America’s fastest growing counties have been lost to metro reclassification, with population and economic growing accruing to America’s rapidly expanding universe of metro counties.”

During the reclassification in 2013, for example, the Office of Budget and Management (OMB) shifted 112 nonmetropolitan counties into the metropolitan column, moving 5.7 million residents into metro areas. These formerly nonmetropolitan counties met one of two criteria: 1) they gained enough population to have a central city of at least 50,000 residents, or 2) the proportion of the county’s workers who commuted into an adjoining metropolitan county grew past 25%. Change in commuting patterns is more commonly the cause of reclassification, according to Lichter and Johnson.

Counties that grow to meet these criteria tend to be doing better economically than other nonmetropolitan counties. So, Lichter

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and Johnson say, the growth results in reclassification, which results in a decline for the counties that remain nonmetropolitan.

What Is Rural?

Which counties are nonmetropolitan matters because it’s one of the most common ways that policy makers, federal agencies, and researchers use to define what we mean by “rural.”

You might think you know rural when you see it. When you think about rural places, maybe you picture an agrarian landscape.

Or maybe an old growth forest in a remote wilderness comes to mind.

But what if you had to provide a clear definition? That’s where things get messy.

Even geographers, demographers, and statisticians can’t agree on a single definition of rural.

Depending on which definition you use, rural Americans either comprise 46 million residents, or over 60 million residents.

Rural populations are either growing or stagnating, economically vibrant or persistently poor, predominantly white or rapidly diversifying.

Federal agencies use over a dozen definitions of rural. But at their core, those definitions are generally variations on two predominant categorization systems — either the OMB’s Metropolitan Statistical Area or the Census definition, which is based primarily on population density and goes down to the census block level, meaning that parts of a county may be rural and other parts urban.

The Census Bureau uses the smallest scale at which we can measure rurality. The census block is about the size of a neighborhood block. The Census definitions, which were revised for the 2020 census, says census blocks with a population of 5,000 residents or 2,000 housing units are urban. Everywhere that is not urban is rural. Using the Census definition, these rural places can range anywhere from an uninhabited desert to a small community.

In the OMB system, metropolitan areas are defined county by county, not down to the census block. The entire county is either metropolitan or it’s not, based on the size of a city in that county or commuting patterns. The 2013 OMB list has 1,165 metropolitan counties.

The OMB considers all other counties to be “nonmetropolitan.”

It’s important to note that metropolitan is not synonymous with urban, nor nonmetropolitan with rural. In fact, OMB actively discourages federal agencies and researchers from using nonmetro as a proxy for rural.

But the ease of the system and its use of economic information like commuting patterns make it useful for a variety of purposes.

The Daily Yonder, for example, uses the OMB nonmetro definition as a proxy for rural in most of our analysis because it’s compatible with other monthly and annual datasets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, USDA, and many, many more.

These data reports typically don’t go down to the census block level, so the Census definition of rural isn’t helpful in analyzing how urban and rural differences might be affecting social and economic conditions. So the Daily Yonder and many other organizations, public and private, frequently use the OMB nonmetropolitan county list as a stand-in definition for rural.

Rural Population Growth Paradox Because the OMB’s metropolitan/nonmetropolitan system doesn’t rely exclusively on population sizes, and because it’s based on economic activity as well as settlement patterns, on a county-bycounty basis, its categorization of counties can be counterintuitive at times. One example is Morgan County, Tennessee, a county of 21,000 on the edge of the Cumberland Plateau, about 30 miles or so west of Knoxville.

In 2013, the OMB classified Morgan County as a metropolitan county even though the Census reported that 99% of the population lived in rural areas. There’s no urban center within Morgan County; Wartburg, the county seat, has around 900 residents. Harriman has nearly 6,000, but most of that city is in adjoining Roane County.

What makes Morgan a metropolitan county is that more than a quarter of its workforce commutes into a metro area for employment.

According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 1,205 individuals commute from Morgan County into neighboring Anderson County, which is home to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is part of the Knoxville metro. Another 1,125 commute into Knox County, which has a population about

500,000, including the city of Knoxville.

Hundreds of other counties face a similarly complicated relationship to adjacent metropolitan counties. According to the 2013 OMB list, in 232 metropolitan counties (as defined by the OMB) more than 70% of the population lives in a rural area (as defined by the Census).

From Nonmetro to Metro — and Back Again When OMB updates its list of Metropolitan Statistical Areas later this year, some nonmetropolitan counties will become metropolitan.

The reverse can also happen: formerly metropolitan counties can become nonmetropolitan if their central city loses population or a smaller percentage of workers commutes into a nearby metropolitan county. It’s usually a much smaller number of counties. In 2013, 36 counties switched from metropolitan to nonmetropolitan, removing 1 million residents from the metropolitan counties and adding them to the nonmetropolitan population.

Counties that make the switch to nonmetropolitan from metropolitan tend to be doing better economically than the counties that remain nonmetro. One of those counties was Rappahannock County, Virginia, that transitioned into a metropolitan county in 2013 because of commuting patterns.

The median household income in Rappahannock County was 73% higher than the nonmetropolitan median, according to 2021 estimates. In 2021, the estimated median income in Rappahannock County was $90,000 per year, compared to $52,000 in all nonmetropolitan counties. The population grew by 6% between 2000 and 2020, compared to 2.8% among all nonmetropolitan residents.

Beaufort County, South Carolina, switched from nonmetropolitan to metropolitan in 2013 and exhibits the same trend as Rappahannock County. In 2021, the estimated median household income was $74,000, 42% higher than the nonmetropolitan median.

The population of Beaufort grew by 57% between 2000 and 2020, from 120,000 residents in 2000 to 195,600 in 2020.

In 2021, the median household income was $56,000 per year in the 112 counties that switched to metropolitan in 2013. That’s 8% higher than the nonmetropolitan median of $52,000.

Population growth was also much higher in these counties over the last decade. Between 2010 and 2020, the counties that switched to metropolitan grew by 6%, while growth in the rest of nonmetropolitan America stagnated.

When counties that have large rural populations are lumped into the metropolitan category, it can make rural America look poorer and smaller than it really is.

“We point to the long-term implications of this demographic winnowing process,” writes Johnson and Lichter, who suggest that reclassifying nonmetropolitan counties leaves behind the rural counties that are least likely to prosper or grow in the future.

Demographers stress the importance of considering how our definitions might obscure the truth about rural America.

“Is the widening gap in rural-urban mortality, for example, due wholly or in part to the transfer of growing, more affluent, and healthy counties (and people) from the nonmetro to metro side of the ledger, leaving behind declining, poorer, and less healthy nonmetro counties?” Johnson and Lichter write.

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Commentary: Census 2020 Exposes Deep Digital Divide and Reinforces Need for Paper Options

By Jim Haigh Courtesy of The Daily Yonder Census 2020 did not go well. Nor did it go as planned. This critical distinction has been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic, which again exposes the depth and breadth of the digital divide in America.

Popular narratives about the digital divide that separates our nation are too often anchored narrowly on the mere availability of broadband in a community.

And now, emerging narratives about Census 2020 self-reporting issues routinely fail to look beyond the pandemic disruptions.

Long before the launch of this decade’s Constitutionally mandated count of the country’s resident population, planners at the Census Bureau smartly decided to embrace modern technology and create an online platform for responding to the critically important questionnaire. But then they made a giant leap of faith.

Instead of allowing every household to choose whether to participate online, by phone or by mail, the Bureau took the additional unprecedented step of deciding for them. Physical paper Census forms had been the traditional means of survey and reply, and the expectation for generations of respondents. But the Bureau made the calculation this year that 78.2% of households should want to, would be able to — and simply would just jump online to self-report crucial information. (Keep in mind: the final mail response rate was 74% in the 2010 Census.)

So nearly 8 in 10 residential addresses were not sent a paper form to complete at the launch of Census 2020 — which could have easily included directions for other options to reply. Instead, they were mailed “invitations to participate” online (or phone) — in envelopes identical in size and external message as those sent to the 21.8% who received a physical form to fill out. And then, when most of them failed to go online (or call), they were mailed reminder after

28

reminder — to go online. software, and a place where they are Only after the fourth or fifth mailing, available. Clearly, we have a long way to depending on local delivery, did the forced- go to eliminate the challenges that will digital group finally get a paper Census. enable everyone to more fully embrace and But for whatever reason, the envelope was participate in all things digital — including identical to the previous mailings with with Census 2020. no external wording to announce that there This is why consumer advocates was finally a physical survey inside, making relentlessly explain to policymakers and it easier to again dismiss by those weary of companies that digital-only communications the web. are not for everyone. Printed and digital From before the launch and throughout options are necessary for full inclusion the Census 2020 campaign, the Census and broader participation in commerce Bureau invested heavily to promote and community. Collectively, we need to participation and describe the vital civic appreciate that so many of our neighbors importance of response. The continuously report difficulties in accessing online evolving multimedia campaigns on technologies, have security concerns broadcast, cable, print, online and social about online fraud or require paper media shared a universal theme throughout: communications for practical reasons. The Reply Online! digital divide is not limited to older adults, The pandemic didn’t help Census 2020 low-income households without computers efforts. Nor did it create the digital divide. or broadband service, people in rural areas Instead, it compounded the multiple where unreliable internet access is common, dynamics that make it so wide and deep. And it would seem now that the final Bureau plan ignored the variety of reasons why Americans so often choose not to opt-in to electronic communications when given the choice of paper — especially when they consider the correspondence to be sensitive, personal, or important.

The digital divide is far more complex than not having the availability of broadband infrastructure where one lives or works. Mere availability is a significant yet separate problem from personal affordability of broadband. Which is distinct from actual adoption and practical use of the expensive, fee-for-service communications infrastructure. All of which also require additional, expensive A 2020 United States Census waits to be completed. tools including fairly new Photo via Enayet Raheem on Unsplash hardware and very recent

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minority populations in urban areas with theoretical availability but not affordable access, and the one in four people living with a disability of some kind that are three times more likely to say that they never go online.

The future of a vibrant, inclusive and fully counted America needs an accurate Census 2020 that is not irreparably damaged by unwavering plans and artificial deadlines. Our country cannot afford a lack of will to learn and adapt under urgent circumstances — and must take the additional steps with extended timelines to assure

fully representative results. Keep Me Posted urges Congress to immediately pass legislation to extend the legal deadline for Census 2020 — and implores the Census Bureau to send a paper form to all non-responsive residences in an envelope clearly marked “Final Notice: Paper Form Enclosed — Postage Paid” along with robust and safe in-person measures to count communities historically known to be a challenge to include as required by our Nation’s founding document.

Addressing Rural America’s Veterinarian Shortage Beyond making farm calls for “routine” emergencies, large animal veterinarians are often the first line of defense in keeping a nation’s food supply safe. alone makes the major decisions for animal

home, about five miles out of town, I

treatment while also offering counsel and

pondered what the future might hold for

advice to a wide range of clients. On this

the Coldspring Veterinary Clinic. With

day, Dr. Vann saw only dogs and cats

just one veterinarian to serve the entire

inside the clinic, but out back, a paddock

community, questions of sustainability

held several cows, a goat, and a sheep,

and succession come up quickly. When Dr.

illustrating the reliance of the region’s

Vann inevitably decides to retire, will there

law lives. Because we drive, our two dogs

farmers on her veterinary practice as well.

be a younger veterinarian there to take

also make the journey which adds another

As I drove back to my mother-in-law’s

over her practice? If not, how far will her

By Anna Thompson Hajdik Courtesy of The Daily Yonder April 19, 2023 Every

year,

our

family

makes

a

southern trek to East Texas from Madison, Wisconsin, specifically to visit the small town of Coldspring where my mother-in-

layer of chaotic fun to the trip. This past year, one of our dogs contracted a UTI shortly after we arrived, so I found myself at the mixed veterinary practice in Coldspring several days into our visit. While my wait was long (3+ hours) I was thankful that this small practice allowed walk-in/same day appointments. My dog got her antibiotics and her UTI cleared up without any issues.

Spending all that time in the small waiting room allowed me to observe the interesting cross-section of animal lovers and their pets that rely on veterinary care in rural and remote areas of the country.

From young puppies with scheduled wellness check-ups, to cats in need of allergy treatments, to two old dogs who sadly went into one of the two exam rooms and never came out, the pace of client visits never slowed.

The Coldspring Veterinary Clinic has just one veterinarian – Dr. Merry Holmes Vann. While she has help from a capable office staff and a cadre of vet techs, Vann

The number of veterinarians who work with cows, pigs, chickens, and other farm animals is on the decline as fewer students opt for large animal practice. This brings up concerns about food safety because large-animal veterinarians serve as inspectors at ranches and slaughterhouses.

Editorial photo from AdobeStock

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current clients have to drive to receive care?

market in Alabama. Subsequently, they prevented that animal from entering the food supply.

A Crisis in Veterinary Medicine Nationwide, it’s no secret that the state of veterinary medicine

Solutions for Veterinary Shortage Areas

is in crisis. During the pandemic, pet ownership increased

Meanwhile, on television the rural veterinary practice has

dramatically as pervasive loneliness led people to adopt dogs and

become a mainstay of cable. Shows like “The Incredible Dr. Pol,”

cats at unprecedented rates. This, in turn, drove up demand for

“Heartland Docs,” and “Critter Fixers:

veterinary care.

viewers to the challenges, diversity, and inherent drama of the

Country Vets” expose

More attention in recent years has been focused on the many

mixed animal veterinary practice in rural settings. While these

stressors veterinarians face in their industry. High debt loads

programs have their critics, they provide an important window into

(routinely in the six figures) upon graduation from vet school, pay

the day-to-day struggles and triumphs of what can be a grueling

that is often not reflective of their specialized training, long hours

profession.

on the job, and the sometimes emotionally fraught relationship

Although positive representations in popular culture are

veterinarians have with animal owners, all coalesce to result in a

appreciated by the veterinary industry, actual solutions to the rural

concerning decline in the number of young people who want to

vet shortage need to be more widely implemented. The 2023

pursue veterinary medicine.

Farm Bill offers some opportunities to get the ball rolling. Senator

This is only compounded by alarmingly high suicide rates in

Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi has become one of the more

the field. According to American Medical Veterinary Association

outspoken politicians questioning the effectiveness of the USDA’s

(AMVA) statistics, one in six veterinarians have contemplated

Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. The program

suicide. A report released in 2020 by the AMVA in partnership with

will pay up to $25,000 each year for three years toward qualified

Merck Animal Health, found that veterinarians are 2.7 times more

educational loans of eligible veterinarians who agree to serve in

likely than the general public to die by suicide.

a veterinarian shortage area. Hyde-Smith is the co-sponsor of the

In rural America, the veterinarian shortage is intensified by

Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Enhancement Act which

unique challenges that include lower pay than urban counterparts,

would abolish a federal withholding tax on those loan repayment

demanding work schedules not conducive to work/life balance,

funds. Incidentally, Mississippi has one of the most significant

and a lack of mentorship opportunities. According to the U.S.

shortages of rural veterinarians in the country.

Department of Agriculture, the dearth of rural veterinarians is

Recruitment of young people into the profession also needs to

at an all-time high, with 500 counties across 46 states reporting

be a more pronounced part of the conversation. Increased funding

critical shortages. Moreover, recent graduates are generally more

for agricultural education in high schools, along with making

attracted to working in companion animal practices (dogs, cats,

more federal and state resources available to 4-H and FFA youth

and other small animals) because the pay is better, the hours

programs could lay important groundwork for simply exposing

more predictable, and the working conditions less dangerous.

children and teens to a range of ag industry professions that also

Graduation statistics published in 2022 showed that fewer than

include veterinary science.

3% of new veterinarians chose to work exclusively with food

In the end, the rural veterinarian shortage is a complex problem

animals (i.e. livestock) while nearly half choose to work exclusively

that demands a wide array of solutions. Support in the form of loan

with companion animals. The consequences of less veterinarians

forgiveness, mental health resources for practicing vets, economic

going into large-animal practice have implications far beyond rural

incentives, mentorship opportunities, and community outreach are

America.

all viable strategies that can and should be on the table for policy

Beyond making farm calls for more routine emergencies like aiding in the delivery of a breech calf or treating a horse

makers as they consider the future and sustainability of our rural communities.

for Colic (a common gastrointestinal condition in horses), large animal veterinarians are often the first line of defense in keeping

Anna Thompson Hajdik is a senior lecturer at the University

a nation’s food supply safe. They inspect animals that eventually

of Wisconsin – Whitewater in the Languages and Literatures

enter the food chain and engage in surveillance work that guards

department. Her rural background and continued interest in

against outbreaks of disease. As climate change increases the

agriculture informs her research and writing, as well as her

risk of animal-to-human disease transmission, this role for large

“extracurriculars,” including serving as vice president of the

veterinarians has taken on even greater importance. For instance,

Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association.

in 2017, veterinarians detected a rare case of Mad Cow Disease in

This article is republished under a Creative Commons license

an 11-year old beef cow during a routine inspection of a livestock

30

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Learn more at policy.charter.com/workforce GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL 31

This section highlights bright ideas for Grange Programming

Recycled plastic films become community bench

By Marybeth Southworth Communication Fellow Jefferson Grange #1384, PA A successful project is accessible for all your members, includes the community, and supports the goals of the Grange.

Jefferson Grange #1384 (PA) has partnered with Trex, a composite decking, railing and outdoor items company headquartered in Virginia, in a recycling project that resulted in a Trex bench that will be placed outside the Jefferson Grange stand at the Schuylkill County Fair.

In the Fourth Degree, the Overseer encourages members to “adorn your grounds with... natural attractions.” Family coordinator Marybeth Southworth registered the Jefferson Grange at NexTrex.com in June 2022. Trex provided educational materials, collection boxes and a link to register plastic film that Jefferson Grange collected and delivered to recycling bins at local grocery stores including Weis, Redners, and Giant.

Amy Farr of Schuylkill Racquetball and Fitness Club stated that “Seniors are eager to help a local non-profit and bring grocery bags to recycle when they might have put them in the trash if they were not saving them for a good cause.”

Grange members bring recyclable film to meetings to be weighed and delivered to the recycling points. The First Degree encourages members to “persevere in the pursuit of the pure, the beautiful and the good.” All the members of Jefferson Grange were excited when the first bench was delivered in December

Marybeth Southworth deposits collected plastic films into a recycling collection point at her local Redner’s grocery store.

Photo provided.

2022. Each organization has six months to collect 500 pounds of plastic film in order to earn a bench, which are made of recycled plastics After completing a six-month project, organizations can sign up

again to repeat the process. Southworth stated she

was surprised in her one-person household how much film like toilet paper wrappers, insides of cereal boxes, and packing materials (bubbles) that she generated along with the expected shopping bags.

Have you had a successful program or project completed in your Grange? Do you want the world to know about it?

Jefferson Grange members show off their collected plastics at one of their meetings.

Photo provided

32

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Send your article with 2-3 highresolution photos to Philip Vonada at pvonada@nationalgrange.org.

You might just see it featured here in the Ideas section!

Impactful stories offer hope for recovery from prescription opioid addiction (CDC)’s Rx Awareness campaign. The

medical conditions, there are evidence-

campaign uses first-person testimonials to

based treatments available, but stigma can

increase awareness that prescription opioids

impact how well treatment and prevention

can be addictive and dangerous, increase

programs work. Friends and family can

fentanyl - are on the rise in the United

awareness of effective recovery options, and

help reduce stigma and support loved

States and represent an urgent public health

reduce stigma.

ones in maintaining treatment plans and

challenge.

Recovery is possible

recovery. Also learning about the the signs

Courtesy of Brandpoint Drug overdose deaths - driven by illicit opioids

such

as

illicitly

manufactured

For some individuals, the trajectory into

Opioid use disorder is a medical condition,

opioid misuse begins with being prescribed

not a moral failing. It is a treatable disease

an opioid to manage pain after surgery, to

where treatment approaches that involve

treat an injury, or to manage chronic pain.

And

while

prescription

opioid-involved

overdose deaths have declined in recent years, prescription opioid misuse is a strong risk factor for future use of illicit opioids like heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl and for developing an opioid use disorder.

Thus, preventing prescription opioid misuse remains an important part of the public health response to the opioid crisis.

Real stories Anyone

can

become

addicted

to

prescription opioids.

At the age of 19, Britton was prescribed opioids for an injury he sustained while serving in the U.S. Army. After struggling with opioid use disorder for 11 years, he credits a structured therapy program with

medications as well as behavioral therapy and other recovery supports are most effective. Although no single treatment

of overdose and how to reverse it can save lives. Naloxone is a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose when administered in time. It is available without a prescription in most states.

A day for action

pathway works for everyone, individuals who

August 31 marks International Overdose

receive medication-based treatment have

Awareness Day. In addition to raising

substantially greater chances of stopping

awareness around a major public health

opioid use and having sustained recovery.

issue, the annual observance provides

Treatment and prevention work

an opportunity for family and friends to

When we act early, we can prevent opioid

remember those who have died from drug

use disorder and overdoses. Everyone can

overdose. Offering a list of worldwide

help, starting with increasing awareness

events

about life-saving actions and encouraging

preventing overdose in the community, this

people struggling with substance use and

campaign inspires action.

addiction to seek and engage in treatment.

and

Discover

shareable

more

stories

resources

of

for

recovery

stigma

and find resources to help you fight

surrounding addiction is a major barrier

opioid addiction in your community at

to seeking treatment. Like many other

https://www.cdc.gov/rxawareness.

According

to

the

CDC,

helping him get into and stay in recovery.

Now Britton hopes to use his story to prove to others like him that “light is at the end of the tunnel.”

Tessa had a similar experience, suffering a high school sports injury that led to being prescribed opioids and ultimately becoming addicted to these medications - which she used through her pregnancies. During her active addiction, she lost custody of her children and relapsed eight times but ultimately was able to make changes needed to sustain her recovery. Tessa now has her own treatment center and is supporting pregnant women who struggle with substance use.

This and other stories are part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

I

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33

Addressing Your Children’s Challenging Behaviors reduce the likelihood of biting.

Courtesy of Family Features

Defiance

Many parents of young children face behavioral concerns like children not listening, throwing tantrums, biting and more. While every situation is unique, parents can rest assured they aren’t alone and these behaviors aren’t atypical.

“As young children grow and develop, behavioral challenges are to be expected,” said Dr. Lauren Starnes, senior vice president and chief academic officer, The Goddard School. “That said, just because these behaviors are often normal doesn’t mean they are easy for the parents addressing them or the young children experiencing them.”

While eliminating undesired behaviors like defiance, tantrums and biting is likely unrealistic, it’s not a lost cause for parents.

Understanding why certain behaviors occur and the appropriate techniques to address them can help parents mitigate their impact and lessen their frequency, duration and severity.

Starnes recommends these ways to understand and address challenging behaviors in young children.

Biting Infants often bite when teething. Young toddlers bite out of excitement, exploration or in response to inconsistencies in their environment. Older toddlers and 2-year-olds frequently bite as a communication method, such as when they fail to have the language to communicate frustration.

For children who are 3 years of age or older, biting is typically an aggressive behavior. Understanding the root cause can help tailor the response more appropriately to curb the behavior. For example, giving infants various textured teething toys can lessen the likelihood they will bite. For 2-year-olds, modeling how to use words and phasing out oral soothing items like pacifiers can also

Raising young children means preparing to hear them say, “No.” One of the primary developmental milestones of early childhood is emerging independence. The overt exertion of independence tends to peak at or around age 2 and can continue at varying degrees of intensity, depending in part upon the personality of the child.

One important factor about defiant behavior is that while it is independence exertion, it is also attention-seeking. Behavior is communication and some defiant actions may simply be a means of obtaining attention and situational control. By giving children more independence - for example, asking “Can you please put your shoes on for me?” or “Can you pick which one of these dresses you want to wear today?” - you may be able to help them become compliant.

Logical consequences can also help. For example, if children refuse to sit in their chair to eat, have them stand for dinner or remove their snack until they sit.

Tantrums The American Academy of Pediatrics defines tantrums as a behavioral response by young children who are learning to be independent and desire to make choices yet lack the coping and self-regulation skills to handle frustration. Whether a tantrum is triggered by communication gaps, frustration or a reinforced behavior to control a situation, there are specific techniques that can be used to deescalate the behavior and help children regain emotional composure.

Your reaction to a tantrum is a direct predictor of its intensity and longevity. Taking an opposite position to children in terms of volume, speed of movement and pace of speech can be enough to counterbalance the tantrum.

Another effective technique to curb a tantrum is sportscasting.

Using a soft tone of voice, sportscasting is the verbal, non-biased account of what is happening in the moment retold in thirdperson as though telling a story or broadcasting a sport. While this may feel awkward at first, it often catches children’s attention and deescalates their reaction. For example, “Lou wanted more gummy bears. Mom said no. Lou is yelling and crying.”

There is no silver bullet to stop biting, defiance and tantrums.

These behaviors, for better or worse, are expected parts of early childhood. However, by gaining an understanding of their root causes and employing appropriate techniques to address these behaviors, parents can mitigate their impact while helping children develop and grow socially and emotionally.

For more actionable parenting insights, guidance and resources

34

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

I

- including a webinar with Starnes providing additional tips for behavioral guidance - visit GoddardSchool.com.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org

National Grange contest deadlines approaching GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY IN ACTION AWARD submit a minimum one-page written description of your Grange's grassroots advocacy action along with at least one photo

Deadline: September 1

More information: bit.ly/23ngadvocacy

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35

Fire Sale and store updates

JEWELRY

Vintage Hall Dedication Plaques Designed in 1947, these wooden hand-carved

Member recognition pins are

plaques have felt backing. 11.5”x13”, with

available in 5-year increments

space to add an engraving for your Grange.

from 5 years through 80 years

Limited number available.

Sold as-is. $25 each, including shipping.

All Past Office (Master, Lecturer, Secretary, and Past Junior Master) pins, and various Degree charms and ties bars are on sale!

Sesquicentennial Challenge Coin 150th Anniversary 2.25” diameter coin, emblazoned with the “esto perpetua” logo.

Was $25, now $15 plus shipping.

Prices vary.

People, Pride, and Progress

by David M. Howard This history book chronicles the impact of the Grange over the first 125 years of the organization.

Was $12.00, now discounted to $6.00.

Own a part of history commemorating the National Grange’s Headquarters in Washington, DC. These limited-edition pins are sure to be collector items! Each pin includes a card with details about the Grange Building. Available in bulk at major discounts!

Kelley Farm Challenge Coin Celebrating the 2013 exemplification of the 1873 Degrees at the Kelley Farm.

2.25” brushed nickel coin.

On sale: $15.00 + shipping

Lapel / Grange Officer sash pins Buy 3 or more for a discounted

Belt Buckle

price.

Solid pewter with antique finish, fits

Available: E, F, H, L, M, O, P, S

most standard belts. Buy 3 or more to receive a discount.

Order at www.grangestore.org or call (202) 628-3507 ext. 109 GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE

36 ®

www.nationalgrange.org

Health in the Heartland and Beyond

The Alliance for Women’s Health & Prevention (AWHP) is deeply invested in the lives of women living in rural communities and the health challenges they face, from geographic isolation, to higher poverty rates, to a shortage of providers that creates a barrier in accessing routine screenings. We asked women living in rural America about these barriers, and how they impact their health. Here’s how they responded…

Nearly half (48%) of women living in rural areas have forgone a preventive healthcare service, including:

26% skipped a preventive health service, such as a

yearly check-up or routine test

18% skipped a medical test or treatment 23% did not get a vaccine recommended by a

healthcare professional

17% couldn’t get an appointment with a primary care provider (PCP)

16% couldn’t get an appointment with an OBGYN

The top reason women living in rural areas reported forgoing preventive care:

31% are unable to afford out-of-pocket costs Advocating for Prevention-Focused Policy Issues AWHP is committed to advancing policies that alleviate barriers so that all women and girls have access to highquality, affordable preventive care. Join us in working to address social and environmental factors and advocating for access to care and treatment, vaccine access and affordability, and early detection and diagnosis for all women.

Learn more about AWHP

womenshealthandprevention.org @AWHPOrg

GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

37

Honoring THE BUILDERS OF OUR

GRANGE MILESTONES 150 YEARS CONTINUOUS SERVICE ®

• Guiding Star Grange #1, Massachusetts • Morning Grange #227, Kansas

MEMBERSHIP ANNIVERSARIES 85 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP New Hampshire • Lola Jones, Concord #322 • Irene Noyes, Concord #322 Pennsylvania • Robert Buckley, Hookstown #1980

80 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP Illinois • Alvin Henninger, Prairie #1832

Oregon • Wilma Guttridge, Springwater #263

Washington • Barbara Hagedorn, Fargher Lake #853

75 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP

Maine • Alice Ponziani, Topsham #37

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75 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP (CONT’D) Massachusetts • Sylvania Camandona, South Middleborough #337 • Robert Farrar, Sterling #53 • Alma Kingsley, Pittsfield #14 • Ruth Parsons, Williamsburg #225 New Hampshire • Louise Huntoon, Blazing Star #71 • David Lynde, Concord #322

Pennsylvania • Phyllis Hackenberger, Walker #786 • Beatrice Kauffman, Ontelaunee #1617 • Lester Miller, Virginville #1832

Rhode Island • Shirley Tucker, Richmond #6

Illinois • Pat Sanford, Guilford Hope #6

• Sippican Pomona Grange #31, Massachusetts • Prairie Grange #1832, Illinois

Ohio • Marian Chace, Mason #1680 • Mary Hartzell, Pike #1669

Pennsylvania • Gladys Kieffer, Virginville #1832

Idaho • Duncan Carnie, Mica Flats #436 • Maurice Johnson, Mica Flats #436

100 YEARS CONTINUOUS SERVICE

New York • Irene Fassett, Springfield #1523 • Phyllis Hanno, Beaver Falls #554 • Frances O. Hulle, Hamptonburgh #950 • Rose Simmons, Clifton Springs #1042

New Hampshire • Florance White, Concord #322

Connecticut • Anna Doolittle, Cheshire #23 • Dorothy Gurnee, North Stonington #138

L egacy

Rhode Island • Sally Cavaca Arruda, Little Compton #32 • Ronald Corey, Slocum #36 • Norma Wordell Elwell, Little Compton #32 • Walter C. Elwell, Little Compton #32 • Leo Guertin, Jr., Kickemuit #24 Washington • Helen Bucher, Sequim Prairie #1108 • Barbara Hedden, East Hill #786 • Jean Kosik, Lower Naches #296 • Bernard Scott, Lower Naches #296 • Veleta Stobaugh, Lower Naches #296

M GOOD DAY! MAGAZINE ™

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50 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP Colorado •

David McCord, Victory #452

Connecticut •

Judith Elliot, Vernon #52

•

Charles Lussier, Coventry #75

•

Laurie McBrierty, Coventry #75

•

Gordon Miller, Coventry #75

•

Marilyn Morris, North Stonington #138

•

Susan Niederwerfer, Vernon #52

Kansas •

Melanie Bostwick, Pleasant View #1459

Maine •

Joanne Bernier, Willow #366

•

Diana Henton Gorham, Topsham #37

•

Sherry A. Harriman, Bauneg Beg #382

•

Gerard Lupien, Willow #366

•

Nancy Lupien, Willow #366

•

Mark Matteau, North Scarborough #495

•

Deborah Willette, Willow #366

Massachusetts •

Pamela J. Gale, North Orange #86

•

Shawn Gaudette, South Middleborough #337

•

Francis Gibson, Central Community #22

•

Darlene Gregoire, Ware #164

•

Grace Holland, Sterling #53

•

Frances Keeler, Pittsfield #14

•

George Keeler, Pittsfield #14

•

Ruth Koczela, Williamsburg #225

•

Evelyn K. LaRagione, Pittsfield #14

•

Barbara McKinney, Pittsfield #14

•

John R. Miller, Chesterfield #83

•

Eliza Stuart, South Middleborough #337

•

Doug Warner, Williamsburg #225

Nebraska •

Eldine Dove, Waverly #369

New Hampshire • Sandra Daughen, Blazing Star #71 • Joan Jackson, Rochester #86 • James Phelps, Blazing Star #71 • Terry Taylor, Blasing Star #71 • Gail M. Turcotte, Rochester #86 • Wayne L. Turcotte, Rochester #86

• • • • • • •

New York • Glenn Barringer, East Pembroke #1157 • Stanley Barringer, East Pembroke #1157 • Edward Bonicave, Jr., Bath #294 • Helen Forward, Pleasant Valley #838 • MaryJo Hinkson, East Pembroke #1157 • David C. Newkirk, Mayfield #683 • Faye Newkirk, Mayfield #683 • Betty Ogborn, Colonel Harper #1508 • David Ogborn, Colonel Harper #1508 • Veronica Relyea, Pleasant Valley #838 • Douglas Stairs, Dryden #1112 • Sandra Tourtellot, Milton #685

Rhode Island • Julie Brodeur, Richmond #6 • Patricia Cottrell, Richmond #6 • Bertha Tanner, Richmond #6

Ohio • Joan Althouse, Willow Grove #1688 • Tom Althouse, Willow Grove #1688 • Susie Griffin, Perry #2729 • Joseph Steiner, Mason #1680 • Mark Steiner, Mason #1680 • Bernice Stephenson, Mason #1680 Oregon • Phillip Van Buren, Midland #781 Pennsylvania • David Geschwindt, Virginville #1832 • David Haag, Ontelaunee #1617 • Linda Heck, Ontelaunee #1617 • Doris Hoffman, Virginville #1832 • Nadine Hook, Russellville #91 • Sylvia Keller, Virginville #1832 • Dean Kirkhoff, Ontelaunee #1617 • Kenneth Manwiller, Ontelaunee #1617

Jeffrey Miller, Virginville #1832 Kenneth Schlegel, Virginville #1832 Barbara Seidel, Virginville #1832 James Shutt, Hookstown #1980 Frances Reyburn, Russellville #91 Christine Williams, Virginville #1832 Dean Yarnall, Russellville #91

Vermont • Bruce Beauvais, Blue Mountain #263 • Elizabeth Beauvais, Blue Mountain #263 Washington • Irene M. Brown, Camas Valley #842 • Wayne Cain, Chumstick #819 • Chester Crowell, Skokomish #379 • Ken Dougherty, San Juan Island #966 • Kenneth Freese, Happy Valley #322 • Robert Glaesemann, Columbia Valley #983 • Lyle Hansen, Lower Naches #296 • Holly Hamilton, Columbia Valley #983 • Ranger Kidwell-Ross, Sequim Prairie #1108 • Gerald Meserve, Espanola #698 • Linda Meserve, Espanola #698 • Richard Nurell, Happy Valley #322 • Charles Minor, Skokomish #379 • Walter Radmer, Espanola #698 • Editha Randall, Centerville #81 • Haldis Sholes, North River #946 • Robert Sholes, North River #946 • Sally Sinnema, Happy Valley #322 • Betty Y. Sipp, Adna #417 • Russell Lee Smith, Columbia Valley #983 • Thomas R. Spence, Lower Naches #296 • Mike Sundstrom, San Juan Island #966

Anniversaries listed on these pages are collected from certificates requested by local and State Granges. If you want to ensure your members are recognized for their continued service, you can send in their anniversaries to Philip Vonada at pvonada@nationalgrange.org.

We also highly suggest that local Granges request anniversary certificates, Silver Star and Golden Sheaf recognitions, or commendation letters from the National Grange. If you have questions about how to do so, contact Loretta Washington at lwashington@nationalgrange.org or by phone at (202) 628-3507 x109.

M GOOD DAY! MAGAZINE ™

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Welcome New Members TO THE Grange Family Abernathy #346 (OR) • Carol Newman • John Olson • Mary Lou Olson • Beverly Ramsey • Jay Saatkamp • Pamela Saatkamp • Majorie Sloan Addy #603 (WA) • Sheila Anderson • Abigail Belliveau • Mark Carlson • Shelby Carlson • Amanda DeVall • Abby Johnston • Mitzi Johnston • Esther Mansfield • Frances Mansfield • Marlin Mansfield • Tony Mansfield • Mark McCracken • Cristy Robbins and 7 Junior members Adirondack #530 (NY) • John Avallone • Denise Avallone Adna #417 (WA) • Sonja Svenson Altona #127 (CO) • Elizabeth Helaans • Robert Helaans • Kevin Markey • Letha Ochs • Dee Walsh Antrim #98 (NH) • Petrine McNiff • Terry McNiff Ash Butte #802 (OR) • Don Carter Azalea #786 (OR) • Robert Brashear • Barbara Hardin • Trisha McKeon • Scott Toliver Banner #627 (CA) • Judy Ballentine • Mara Barnett • Tyler Barnett • Holly Beardsley • Esther Collins • Maggie Crane • Deni Dax • Tom Dax • Robin DeMartini

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Blue Spruce #574 (VT) • Gloria Waterhouse • Harvey Waterhouse

Georgia Dow Joseph Figueira Cathé Fish Jade Goodman Dallas Guier Shan Kendall Tina King Sharon Loucks Kirk Miller Karen Niles Lucia Pennino D. Kirk Pharis Karie Ploeger Lorraine Reich Peter Roloff John Rose Glenda Skibitzke Anna Thea Robin Towers D. Loraine Webb Larry White

Boulevard #389 (OR) • David Thomas Brunswick #1337 (NY) • Nicholas Halford • Kenneth Herrington • Coleen Mitchell-Vedder Buckhorn #1119 (PA) • Stephen Andry Kovitch Buell #637 (OR) • Ian Bottenberg • Ray Bottenberg • Aron Bradley • Christine Bradley • Susan Chamberlain

Barberton #571 (WA) • Bre Wubben • Drake Wubben • Matt Wubben • Noah Wubben and 3 Junior members Barlow Gate #157 (OR) • Doug Lowell • Colleen Strohm Baughman #2114 (OH) • Dan Broome Baw Faw #34 (WA) • Marissa Baglien • Martin Baglien • Gailelee Carlisle • Cory Collaro • Tashin Collaro • Hannah Johnson Beaver Homes #518 (OR) • Dinae Monro • Joi Sweten • Kerry Sweten Bee Hive #385 (WA) • Nancy Eastman Belleview #759 (OR) • Cary Tronson Bellgrove #369 (ID) • Charlie Doucette • Charlie Doucette, Jr. • Stephanie Doucette • Jame Pinkerton Bethlehem #137 (NY) • James McGaughan

Burbank #630 (WA) • Bette Brooks • John Brooks • Crystal Ober • Peter Ober Burgettstown #1502 (PA) • Stacy Rutter Bushy Fork #1073 (NC) • Kent Carver • Howard Whitfield • Craig Wrenn • Tracy Wrenn Butternut Valley #1533 (NY) • Jody Hughes • John Mitchell • Gale V. Sorenson Carmichaels #1389 (PA) • Paul Rhodes Camas Valley #842 (WA) • KC Byrd • Matthew Byrd Cedar #534 (WA) • Robert Kuro • Alicia Sandhei Chetco #765 (OR) • Christina Roberts • Doris Westoby Chimacum #681 (WA) • Tom Erlichman • Dan Hysko Clarkes #261 (OR) • Tracy Johnson • Dawn Maxfield • Janet Wynne

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Clifton Springs #1042 (NY) • Kimberly Coon Cocheco #81 (NH) • Robert Canney Collins #893 (WA) • Tera Drey and 1 Junior member Columbia #267 (OR) • Marnie Conti • Joe Luna • Lori Luna • Michael Moore • Kelsay Mueller • Jeff Neiger • Trisha Neiger Copake #935 (NY) • Veronica Brodsky • Alison Holden • Steve Klein • Brooke Larsen • Anita Salberg • Oleg Sheherbakov • Madeline Silverman • Harold Treiber • Karen Wimmer Corfu #142 (NY) • Tammy Schollard Corriher #627 (NC) • Margie Baucom Crescent #136 (CO) • Aaron Dittermore • Kyle Flaherty • Julie Fuller • Dominick Gendill • Kristen Himmerle • Kate Otto • Mia Pierce • Sheila Sereshteh and 3 Junior members Crescent #1123 (WA) • Jolly Bittick • Patrick Singhose Creswell #496 (OR) • Deanna Buss • Beverly Michael • Dari Norton • James Pinnell, Jr. • Teresa Pinnell • Leah Potter • Shelby Squire Curriers #1273 (NY) • Azlila Young

NEW MEMBERS (CONT’D) Davis Lake #501 (WA) • Arnold Allen • Kimberly Allen • Cathy Meed

• •

Emily Lumpkins Porter Lumpkins

Edgemere #355 (WA) • Glen Kitcin • Sandy Kitcin • Luanne Packwood

Dawson #419 (PA) • Maria Catalina Deer Lagoon #846 (WA) • Jeff Anton • Joseph Kleinman • Robin Skaggs • Rocky Skaggs • Kimberly Tiller and 2 Junior members Diamond Valley #31 (NV) • Eli (Jason) Adkins • June Adkins • Darrell Archuleta • Kimberly Archuleta • Spencer Bateman • Adeline Callaghan • Khloe Callaghan • Rylee Callaghan • Ashlee Frei • Taylor Frei • Jonica Gonzalez • Amber Hooper • Michael Hooper • Sienna Hooper • Rebecca Kellett • Michael Lawrence • Jana Row East Chatham #1066 (NY) • Haley Caligiuri East Spokane #148 (WA) • Alvie Aguilar Beirlich • Larry Beirlich • Brendan Biele East Wenatchee #1012 (WA) • Kyah Albright • Tiffany Albright • Isabel Cruz • Aaron Kelly • Erin Kelly • Natalie Kelly • Payton Kelly

Elk Plain #782 (WA) • Travess Erker Elmdale #2162 (OH) • Jennifer Crago • Randy Crago Fairdale #1157 (PA) • Pamela Jenner Fairview #273 (OR) • Shirley J. Laviorlette • Marie McCoy • Brad Pierce • Susan Pierce • Barbara Renteria • Mary Ruef Fargher Lake #853 (WA) • Gage Allen • Justin Allen • Jason Bustad • Jonah Bustad • Monica Bustad • James Ellis • Katie Ellis • Jenna Gilmour • Joey Gilmour • Glenn Parelko • Kelly Parelko • Joseph Piper • Joseph Piper, Jr. • Tasha Piper • Christine Roberts • Hailey Russel • Bradley Sakrison • Robert Villasenor and 7 Junior members Ferguson #809 (NC) • Tim Jones

Fertile Valley #1094 (WA) • Barbara Branch • John Branch

Granville #857 (WA) • Andrew Dee • Peyton Dee

Five Mile Prairie #905 (WA) • April Jones

Grassroots #2112 (PA) • Tina Fedonik • Christopher Fox • Cindy Fredrick-Fulton • Todd Fulton • Jordan Garil • Annie Gerhart • Tammy Gerhart • Allyson Hoffman • Nancy Trimble Kline • Stephen Kline • Cindy Swanger • Jared Swanger

Forest #853 (PA) • Norma Black • Kay Gawlas • Lisa Hoffman • Macalie Hoffman • Doug McMichael • Kathleen McMichael Fredonia #1 (NY) • Charles Cichon • Dale K. Davis Freedom #1152 (WA) • Cyruss Brown • Joseph Klein • Martha Klein • Leslie Lingeroth • Cecily Piovesan • Doug Piovesan • Carden Rhodes • Steele Morales • Wendy Morales • Donna Watts and 4 Junior members

Green Bluff #300 (WA) • Dawn Keig • Steve Keig

Fruitland #999 (WA) • Helen Rohlman • Kathleen Warren

Hickory #1285 (PA) • David Courson • Tami Curley

Garfield #317 (OR) • Les Rickett

Hillsboro #73 (OR) • Robin Briscoe • Vera Livi • Lydia Yates

Golden Gate #451 (CO) • Michelle Barnes • Michael Camarata • Marge Frueh • Rachel Janicki • Gordon Pierce • Carol Scardello • Catherine Valen • Cecilia Wilson Goshen #561 (OR) • Herb Richmond

Greenwood #1852 (PA) • Sandra Brofee Happy Valley #322 (WA) • Kelly Shomier Harrison #422 (ID) • Brad Hruza •

Whitney Hruza

Hope #269 (OR) • Barb Anderson • Sara Cash • Donald Davis • Colter Frazier • Sylvia Frazier • Chris Giggy • Suzan Hamblin • Kent Lanning • Kimberly Lanning

HAS YOUR GRANGE RECENTLY WELCOMED A NEW MEMBER? Make sure they are recognized!

Anyone may submit the names of new members so they can be recognized in Good Day! by emailing Philip Vonada at pvonada@nationalgrange.org or by calling (814) 404-7985. ®

NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE: AUGUST 31, 2023

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NEW MEMBERS (CONT’D) • • • • • •

Ann Olsen Phil Plaza Jim Rea Pamela Russell Ron Spisso Kari Van Leuven

Howard #297 (PA) • Chris Aikens • Kathi Alterio • Rick Koleno • Sandra Koleno • Anita Masden • Brooke Maden • James Masden • Cheryl Miller • Lindsey Nyman • Alyson Rawlings • Kyle Rawlings • Patricia Stover • Lana Sutton • Richard Sutton • Earl Thompson • Jacob Weaver • Tiffany Weaver Humptulips #730 (WA) • Jaelyn Johnson • Jon Johnson • Tianna Wynn Hurricane Creek #608 (OR) • Lisa Hampton • Bob Weber Illinois Valley #370 (OR) • Randy Pogorelic • Patti Pogorelic Inland #780 (WA) • Jaimee Stone Junction City #744 (OR) • Todd Haag • Jeanine Samples Kettle River #1120 (WA) • Keston Anderson • Riley Delp • Weston Eaton • Hunter Ferguson • Breydon Gleave • Brooklyn March • Isaiah Paulson Kettle River Junior #413 (WA) 7 Junior members Keystone #2 (PA) • Robin Eachus • Ben Webb King Hill #162 (ID) • Alfred Heath • Grace Heath • Wilder Jones

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• •

Lowell #745 (OR) • Cathy Hernandez • David Hernandez • Barb Parry • Mike Wary • Sharon Wary

Lucas Longstaff Jamie McDonald

Kirkland #684 (NY) • Kenneth Hartman Lamson #588 (NY) • Rose Bower

Lummi Island #925 (WA) • Robin Cohen

Leedy #339 (OR) • Darby McCann • Aaron Secrist • Wes Youssi

Macleay #293 (OR) • Violeta Martinez

Left Hand #9 (CO) • Jim Kalinski • Dick Larson Lemhi Community #404 (ID) • Casey Clapp • Chance Foster • Crystal Foster • Hildee Foster • Wyatt Foster • Cari Whitson • Katarina Whitson • Walter Whitson • Elli Whittaker • James Whittaker Little Deschutes #939 (OR) • Pamela Perrine • Terry Perrine Live Oak #655 (OR) • Charles Booth • Chelsea Booth • Randy Dupee • Rusty Galloway • Teresa Galloway • Barb Hilty

Manson #796 (WA) • Beau Alanis • Kourtney Alanis • Colin Banghart • Ashlee Farrar • Dylan Farrar • Travis Farrar • Breanna Field • Wesley Field • Kaya Hadley-Banghart • Sandra Hirst • Greg Kurtz • Myra Kurtz • Wyann Lester • Janel Lyman • Tren Lyman • Nicholas Pittman • Robin Pittman • Emilia Schoenwald • Merisol Sherer • Robin Skouge • Rachel Taylor • Alissa Ustanic • Kim Ustanic • Al Zalewski and 17 Junior members Marion #276 (WA) • Amy Cross • Stephanie King • Lyn McNees • Molly Williams • Roger Young

Logan #109 (PA) • Dan Miller Logan Hill #1086 (WA) • Stephen Johnston • Rick Poole London #937 (OR) • Glenn Moehlin

Marys River #685 (OR) • Molly Arnold • Karla Austin • August Bobier • Helen Kai • Mateo Ledger • Vienna Ledger and 2 Junior members

Long Beach #667 (WA) • Keenan Berry • Bryan Haberman • Sheryl Reynold • Bryan West • Robyn West • Paul Wilson Louden Center #2271 (OH) • Nicole Feucht • Jim Rupp • John Rupp • Sam Wauguman

Matlock #357 (WA) • Logan Beebe • Jeff Boomhower • Jason Chappell • Bernie Games • Darlene Henson • Dale Hudson • Deena Jensen

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• • • • •

Sheila Jensen Debra McDougall Jenny Scott Kayla Travers Tracy Travers

Meridian #265 (WA) • Grace Jones Minnehaha #164 (WA) • John Caton Mohawk #217 (NH) • Russell Hamilton Moses Lake #1151 (WA) • Michael Cox • Tricia Cox • Julie Garibay • Jessica Jachetta • William Jachetta • Aaron King • Brynlynn King • Abigal Neustel • Judine Neustel • Scott Neusel and 3 Junior members Mosier #234 (OR) • Russell Hargrave Mountain Home #285 (ID) • Dee Ross • Larry Ross Mountain Valley #79 (WA) • Gay Johnson • Jennifer Slayton and 1 Junior member Mountain View #98 (WA) • Monica Rudestam Multnomah #71 (OR) • Sara Lord • Shannon McCarl • Ray York Myrtle Creek #442 (OR) • Alexandria Colman and 1 Junior member Natal #302 (OR) • Travis Andreasen • Amanda Graham • Holly Hassell • Meegan Johnson • Kendell Nelson • Jessica Seastead New York State Grange Associate Members • Dean A. Handy • Jeff Winton – Rural Minds, Inc. • Red Dragon, Inc. Movie Productions

NEW MEMBERS (CONT’D) North Bellingham #201 (WA) • Aaron Brand • Elizabeth Schilling North Carolina State Grange Associate Members • John Angel • Mark Apple • Kevin Armstrong • Makayla Barbee • Robert Barber • Sandra Barnes • Stuart Beam • Ronald Bowman • John Bunn • Judy Castleberry • Jerry Creech • Phil Garris • Steve Harris • Sarah Harrison • Jonathan Hardee • Lynn Hardee • John Heneghan • Don Holloman • Earl and Shirley Holloman Trust • Kimberly Houston • Michael Houston • Gary Jackson • Tim Midyette • Dan Mosca • Don Rawls • Lloyd Roberts • Judy Rowe • Garland Sherrill • Edna Stancil • Donna Thompson • Robert Wiggs • Rodney Woolard North End #820 (OR) • Jeffry Moody • Laura Moody Oak Grove #198 (OR) • Francis Nibler • Janice Nibler Oak Grove #873 (NY) • Jeanne Ferranto • Annie Trujillo • Dan Tyler Oakview #311 (WA) • John Beckman-Rostad • Isaac Harjo • Lindsey Harjo Ohop #812 (WA) • Amanda Adams • Corey Adams • Eoghan Adams • Annelise Dattilo • John Dattilo

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Denise Flansburg Heather Kelly Christine King Monte King Joseph Kryszczak Lisa Libby Jodi Morris Matt Morris Laurie Ramsey Mary Schactler Penny Swanson Pam Waring and 7 Junior members

Old Richmond #675 (NC) • Abby Bowen • Thomas Newsome III Olney #793 (OR) • Nettie Blair • Ronnie Kelly • Brittany Olson • Jeremy Olson • Kathryn Olson • Tyler Olson • Buck Skaggs • Amy Webb • Bill Webb

Libbie Werlau

Pleasant Ridge #135 (ID) • McKayla Crawford • Steven Crawford • Marie Herman • Merle Herman • Alan Reasor • Kris Reasor • Michele Smart • Debbie Steiner • Tyler Wyatt Prospect Point #1067 (WA) • Adalyn Hall Prosperity #315 (WA) • Carrie Dukes • John Dukes • Biene Wood Quincy #321 (OR) • Amelia Schvett Ralston #943 (WA) • Umpqua Bank • Elena McKenzie • Justin McKenzie

Ontelaunee #1617 (PA) • Elisha Merkel • Marga Row Orcas Island 3964 (WA) • Josh Brown • Michelle Hamon • Cynthia Hawkins • Marilee Holm • Vanessa Julian • Heidi Lindberg • Carol Murray • Maria Papademetrion • Kathy Person • Julie Sahisteen • Wendy Shinstine Pacific #413 (OR) • Barbara Treankler • Jeff Weber Painter Creek #1923 (OH) • Kevin Sennig Paradise Valley #389 (ID) • Lisa Carle Pierstown #793 (NY) • Catherine Mistretta • Katherine Snyder Pioneer Junior #42 (NJ) 7 Junior members Plattekill #923 (NY) • Glen Botto • John Werlau

•

Ramsey Park #352 (OR) • Vicki Vaughn Rathdrum #351 (ID) • David Mundhenk Red Lion #1781 (PA) • Kennedy Laird Redland #796 (OR) • Diane Peterson Redlands Mesa #487 (CO) • Stan Adams • Kip Baxter • David Cooper • Janice Cooper • Jeff Law • Donna Littlefield • C.J. Simmers • Terri Todd • Jane Vale Richland #1995 (KS) • Christina Chapman • Darick Chapman • Rees Chapman • Tracy Colegrove-Lindsey • Jim Holt • Kathy Holt • Cierra Lindsey Rickreall #671 (OR) • Shannon Curtain Riversdale #731 (OR) • Carol Fine

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Rockford #501 (OR) • Leah Cain • Marna Hauck • Claudia Munk Von Flotow • Sarah Wolf Rome #226 (WA) • Kim Cook • Ali Hajy • Marcia Hoelzen • Kate Kiefer • Marissa Papetti • Rory Peterson Rose #1051 (NY) • Denise Kline • Jonathan D. Stewart Rose Valley #953 (WA) • Laura Jurica Roseville #1290 (PA) • Andrew Hawk • Patricia McElhinny Russellville #91 (PA) • Mark Conner • Rebecca Conner • Bobbie Jo Delp • LaVerne Fronfield • Vernon Fronefield • Harvey Reyburn Saint Andrews #832 (WA) • Cayden Casimir • Dustina Casimir • Kayle Casimir • Scott Casimir • Branden Jorgenson • Adrianna Marchessault • Mike McLean and 6 Junior members Salisbury Center #624 • Virginia Baker • Brenda Barton • Linda Bilinski • Stanley Bilinski • Sandra Bradley • Richard Congden • Nora Cool-Guinup • Brian Hicks • Crystal Hicks • Joseph J. Muncey III • Steve Paul • Barry Presigiacomo • Debbie Prestigiacomo • Barbara Schwartz • Gregory Williams • Marilyn Williams Sallal #955 (WA) • Catherine Mitchell

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NEW MEMBERS (CONT’D) Sauvies Island #840 (OR) • Carolyn Rubenstein San Juan Island #966 (WA) • Ann Marie Alliuse • Anthony Atlas • Forrest Brickman • Keith Gray Chatham • Claire Crawbuck • Fiona Cushing • Christy Desermeaux • Sheila Doyle • Faie (Robin) Gertjejansen • Paul Bennion Haynie • Jana Kessinger • Jacey LaManna • Eva Luna • Emma Rastatter • Matthew Rickman • Justin Rodda • Ken Sommers • Guisepi Spadafora • Dave Zeretszke Schley #710 (NC) • Ralph Coleman Scholls #338 (OR) • Sharon Bidstrup • Bill Racine Scotts Mills #938 (OR) • Sandra Jackson • Donna Wilson • Keith Wilson Scrubgrass #1705 (PA) • Bonnie Snyder Sequim Prairie #1108 (WA) • Brian Slater • Phyllis Slater Sharon #800 (WA) • Lonnie Crumley • Brett LaMond Shavers Creek #353 (PA) • Kristie Holsey Shermanata #1796 (PA) • Autumn Moore • Canyon Moore • Chris Moore • Debbie Moore • Kari Nace Siletz Valley #558 (OR) • Kaye Anderson • Jane John • Glendora Osborn • Sheryl Willey • Nancy Yolman Silverton #748 (OR) • Karyssa Dow

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•

John Paul Simpson

• • •

Sixes #856 (OR) • Stacey Sanders

Joshua Crowther Dave King Rachel Nettleton

Sunflower #162 (CO) • Lois McLauchlan • Eugenia Sorotokin Thomas

Skyline #894 (OR) • Deb Erath • Daniel Mayeri Sonoma Valley #407 (CA) • Michael Acker • Will Ackley • Gina Cuclis • Patricia Cullinan • William “Cody” Curtis • Peadar Dalton • Seth Dolinksy • Laurie Gallian • Raymund Gallian • Colleen Ganaye • Maida Herbst • Greg Larson • Dawn McIntosh • Sean Paxton • Phil Sage • Roy Tennant • Paul Wirtz

Sunnyside #842 (OR) • Ava Bernhard • Emmerson Bernhard • Lisa Ewers • Darcy Hall Swauk Teanaway #984 (WA) • Traci Williams Taft Settlement #473 (NY) • Helen Martin The Sandy #392 (OR) 1 Junior member Thurston #853 (OR) • Mary Davis • Robin Gibeau • Jodie Lovern • Susie Lynch • Teri Schendel

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Vernon Hanson

Wesley #1675 (PA) • Hunter Viscusi Whelan-Ewartsville #114 (WA) • Marsha Ginther • Mark Saam • Robin Saam • Allison Winning White Clover #784 (OR) • Ken Erickson • Cynthia Marti • Evelyn Mast White Trail #1143 (WA) • Barbara Buckmann • Hunter Buckmann • Chelann Noyes • Jarred Noyes • Janet Tapia and 1 Junior member

Tri Community #1008 (WA) • Cassie Henry • Michael Henry

Willamette #52 (OR) • Kathy Allen • Merle Allen • Veronica Cruzen • Emily Dray • Ryan King • Cheryl Kinney • Jerry Larson • George Love • Claudia Orton • Joel Orton • Linda Sebring • Suzanne Smith

Spray #940 (OR) • Janice Damitio

Triangle #533 (OR) • Shawna Dufault

Williams #399 OR) • Alba Seoane

St John’s #729 (NC) • Karen Barbee • John Swaringen

Twisp Valley #486 (WA) • Mark Tesch • Annie Utigard

Windsor #980 (WA) • Linda Penning

Stanford #808 (NY) • Daniel C. Leach • Austin H. Parsons

Union #152 (PA) • Jennifer Johnson

South Bay #250 (WA) • Daniel Whitehouse South Camano #930 (WA) • Maricel Wise Spencer Creek #855 (OR) • Vernon Dougman • Harry Stayner • Michael Waldorf

Stratford #238 (NH) • Shawn Covill • Alan Farrar • Dora Farrar • Mathew Roy Stevenson #121 (WA) • Sara Callaghan • Sean Callaghan • Roberta May Summerfield #661 (NC) • Angela Herbin • Michael Herbin Summit #432 (OR) • Kyla Basher

Tigard #148 (OR) • Karen Brokken Tiverton #1515 (OH) • Rick Eaches

Waitsburg #1 (WA) • Mitzi Mauer Waller Road #1111 (WA) • Kaelan Champneys • Nate Champneys • Raychel Champneys • Candice Cook • Skyler Decoteau • Scott Eubanks • Caleb Lee • Joshua Lee • Jerri Worklan and 2 Junior members Waterford #231 (OH) • Jim Cline • Rose Cline

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Welcome New Granges!

The following Granges were newly-chartered or reorganized since our last issue.

Banner #627 (CA Diamond Valley #31 (NV) Howard #297 (PA) Pioneer Junior #42 (NJ) Rosamond #867 (CA) Sonoma Valley #407 (CA)

MEMORIAL NOTICES RUTH CHARLOTTE (KUENTZ) LAMPMAN

Past First Lady, Texas State Grange (1984 - 1994) Past National Grange Pomona (1987 - 1995)

Ruth Charlotte Lampman passed away on March 6, 2023.

Ruth was born on October 15, 1925 in San Antonio, Texas to Charles and Emmy Kuentz. In 1943, she graduated from Burbank High School, then worked at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.

Ruth was introduced to Clifton Lampman by her best friend as a blind date the night of her friend’s wedding on

February 27, 1944. It was a match made in heaven and they were engaged on April 17th of that year.

She married her “Honey,” Clifton Lampman, on June 3, 1944. One of the many things they loved doing together was dancing. Their favorite dance was the waltz and they were often asked to lead the Grand March at weddings, anniversaries, and family gatherings.

Ruth and Clifton were married for 67 wonderful years before his death in 2012. Ruth had a passion for sewing and crafting. She won several awards and passed on her love to many family members. She also enjoyed handcrafting holiday and home decorations.

Ruth was a member of the Texas State Grange for over 60 years. She held the office of Secretary for sixteen years and many other offices in Subordinate and Pomona Grange.

The highlight of her Grange service was her election to the office of National Pomona for eight years from 1987-1995, and serving as a National Delegate alongside her husband Clifton while he was Texas State Grange Master/President from 1984-1994. Ruth was also one of the original team members

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of the Texas State Grange Rose Drill, and she performed with the team for close to 60 years.

Ruth was a member of the Sons of Hermann Pershing and Brunhilde Lodges and served as president of the Pershing Lodge. She, along with Clifton, were the founders of the Hermann Sons Northwest Dance classes in the fall of 1983, and performed clogging routines with the lady cloggers.

Ruth is survived by her loving family, her children Sharon (Chuck) Solanik and C.J. (Donna) Lampman, brother Charles Kuentz, six grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins, and many friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband Clifton, sister Viola, brothers-in-law Raymond Lampman, Sinton Lampman, and Payton Lampman, and sisters-in-law Judy Kuentz, Helga Lampman, Helen Lampman, and Martha Lampman.

Cards and condolences may be sent to: The Lampman family c/o 2738 Oak Island Drive #9 San Antonio, TX 78264

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VIRGINIA BROWN GROBUSKY

Past First Lady, South Carolina State Grange (1967 - 1983) Past National Grange Flora (1969 - 1973) Past National Grange Women’s Activities Director (1974 - 1980) Virginia Brown Grobusky, a native of Walhalla and daughter of Clyde and Pearl Jennings Brown, passed away on April 3, 2023.

“Jenny” was a Walhalla High School graduate and captain of the first women’s basketball team there. She met George Grobusky while working at Harper’s 5 and 10 cent Store on Main St. in Walhalla. They were married on July 12, 1944 and spent 62 years together.

A member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Walhalla, she formed the first Women’s Club there in 1950 and spent many years planning fundraising projects and fellowship activities for the parish.

Her career was spent assisting her husband in his insurance office and in many leadership roles for the National Grange and her church. She was a National Delegate for South Carolina from 1967-1983. In 1969 she was elected National Flora, where she served until 1973.

The next year, she was appointed as National Women’s Activities Director , and served from 1974 - 1981.

Jenny was an expert seamstress who, after teaching her daughters to sew, taught classes through the Clemson Extension Service and the Hamilton Career Center.

In her retirement years, she became an avid golfer and mastered the art of quilting. She was instrumental in helping to establish the Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail and was a member of the “Stitching Friends” sewing club.

Jenny is survived by her 5 children: Donna King (Richard) of Salem, Peggy Cornette (Bob) of Salem, Trish Emmert (Doyce) of Salem, Robert Grobusky of Walhalla, and Mike Grobusky of Walhalla; 7 grandchildren; and 15 great grandchildren.

In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her sisters: Grace Schap and Eleanor Alexander.

On Tuesday, April 11, visitation was held at Davenport Funeral Home, and the funeral mass at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.

Cards and condolences can be sent to: Donna King 198 Kings Ridge Road Salem, SC 29676 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Peggy Cornette 220 Riverwood Drive Salem, SC 29676 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Robert Grobusky 2499 Blue Ridge Blvd Walhalla, SC 29691

ROGER TROXELL

Past President, Maryland State Grange (2001 - 2007) Roger Lee Troxell, age 77, Past National Delegate and President of Maryland State Grange, formerly of Thurmont, Maryland, passed away Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at Celebration Villa, Dillsburg, PA. Roger was born December 30, 1945, in Thurmont, MD the son of the late George Russell and Mabel (Wastler) Troxell.

He was a lifelong dairy farmer and he enjoyed living on the farm surrounded by his family. Roger also enjoyed having his cats and dog with him on the farm.

He was a member of Apples United Church of Christ in Thurmont where he taught Bible and Sunday school.

Roger was a member of the Thurmont Grange #409, and was President of Maryland State Grange (2001-2007). He also served as its

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Treasurer, and was a member of the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Association.

Roger served as a tour guide at the Jenny Wade house in Gettysburg, and was a Civil War reenactor with his brothers James and Theodore.

He is survived by his sister, Margaret Carbaugh of Thurmont, MD; twenty two nieces and nephews; and many great and great-great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by five brothers and one sister.

Memorial services were held Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Apples United Church of Christ, Thurmont.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Apples United Church of Christ, 7908 Apples Church Rd., Thurmont, MD 21788.

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Cards and condolences may be sent to: Margaret Carbaugh 8533 Old Kiln Road Thurmont, MD 21788

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Christmas in July

How Granges from coast to coast bring holiday fun to their communities 48

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One of the trees on display at the “Giving Tree” Festival, hosted GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE

by Goldendale Grange #49 in Washington.

www.nationalgrange.org

Photo provided

Every year, in our nearly 1500 Granges nationwide, thousands of events and community programs are held, donations are made, and so much more. This Perspectives article focuses on holiday events and programming, mostly because there’s no December issue of Good Day!, to allow Granges to “show off” what they do and hopefully inspire others.

These articles and ideas were submitted by Granges around the country for inclusion: Goldendale Grange #49 (WA)

Goldendale Grange assisted in staging the 2022 Goldendale Community Tree lighting Festival and Candy Cane Parade on December 10th. Granger Lanae Johnson, with over twenty years of experience on the Christmas committee, coordinated the event. Twelve local Grangers also volunteered their assistance.

Young kids playing on the snow-covered courthouse lawn provided a perfect holiday scene. A 40-foot living evergreen tree, covered in snow, and decorated with hundreds of colored lights twinkled in the frosty evening mist, following the tree lighting program.

Sirens screeching and bells clanging announced the arrival of the Candy Cane Lane Parade.

Leading the parade was Grand Marshall, Judy Bane sitting snugly in a warm Christmas-colored red and white vintage 1957 Studebaker. The car was donated for the parade by Grange supporter Edgar Holbrook.

It was chauffeured by another Grange member Steve Johnson. Following the Grand Marshall were young girls on horseback intermingled with decorated floats pulled by pickups.

As the parade ended, parents and children wandered quickly from the bitterly cold 25-degree outside temperature to the warm and comfortable former Masonic Lodge Building. Our Grange ladies, led by Lecturer Luann Whitmire and Laura Walker, served over 250 cups of hot turkey noodle, ham and bean, and Butternut squash homemade soups. Klickitat Valley Health provided 300 decorated Christmas cookies.

Cups of hot chocolate were available from the Rachel Starr Memorial Booth.

A Grange member, Dr. Jim Ogden, known across the state for his music abilities, played Christmas carols on his accordion, accompanied by Joan Heming, a spry 91-year young lady who loves to play the piano.

To the delight of all the youngsters, Santa Claus quietly slipped into his big chair appropriately placed next to the fireplace. For over an hour Santa listened to

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Cameron Mains, a Junior at the University of Washington and recipient of a life-saving kidney donation, received support from the Children’s Organ Transplant Assocation who, in turn, received support from Goldendale Grange’s Giving Tree Festival.

Photo provided

and entertained the kids.

The event was very successful, and we look forward to next Christmas. The lodge building next to the courthouse and the decorations were provided by Grange member Daniel Lefever.

Goldendale Grange also held a “Giving Tree” Festival this past year to help with a life-saving organ transplant.

Cameron Mains grew up in Goldendale, graduated from Goldendale High School, and is a two-time recipient of a local Grange Scholarship. When he was 10 years old, he was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease that would eventually require a kidney transplant.

Currently, he is a junior at the University of Washington majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

In addition to attending college, he was working two jobs, and going to Children’s Orthopedic Hospital three times a week for a five-hour dialysis session. He needed a kidney transplant, and soon!

Ten years after his diagnosis, that life-saving kidney would be donated by a local second-grade teacher. In early October, Cameron and the organ donor entered the University of Washington Hospital and a very successful transplant was achieved.

Organ transplants place a heavy financial burden on both the donor and the recipient; Goldendale Grange

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wanted to help both families. Under the leadership of Susan Marlow and Jeanne Bradley, a special two-day fundraiser called “The Giving Tree Festival” was staged at our Grange Hall. Eleven decorated trees were contributed.

Goldendale Grange donated the use of the hall and provided meals (by donation) during the two-day event. The Grange also decorated one of the eleven Christmas trees.

Tickets for each of the trees were drawn on the evening of November 5. The event generated $7,000 - well beyond our expectations. Proceeds from the event were returned to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) who paid the initial expenses for the procedure.

The unused food from the meals was donated to New Hope Farms, a care facility for young adults with mental and physical handicaps.

Flora Grange #1762 (IL)

Christmas started for Flora Grange by ringing the bells for the Salvation Army in one of our local banks, and by donating $100.00 to the Salvation Army from our Grange.

Our next Christmas project was setting up a Christmas tree and scene for our Grange and fair in our local Belvidere Park along with other businesses and churches so members of the community could drive by at night and see the various displays and see that our Grange and our local fair were amongst the community displays.

Each year in our local community building, the local Granges and other organizations decorate Christmas trees with decorations they make. Our sewing ladies from Flora Grange spent two days sewing Christmas decorations for our tree.

This tree was given to a family in

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need with four children, along with $200 cash, many gift cards, and a tree skirt made by a member of the sewing group.

At our Flora Grange Christmas potluck/party, members created 21 cookie & fruit trays to take to shutin friends and Grange members, we sang Christmas carols and Santa came and read “’Twas The Night Before Christmas” to our Junior Grange members. Everyone had an enjoyable evening.

Grantham Grange #968 (NC)

members that were published in the Goldsboro Newspaper in the 1940’s. Most of the letters he read were family members or friends and were recognized by the members attending.

Jimmy Martin was in charge of the rest of the program, which was music. LaRue Tart sang “Merry Christmas to You.” The group Encore, which consists of Jimmy Martin, Anita Lanier, Sue Nobers, and Craig Millard sang “Christmas, Such a Wonderful Time of the Year” and “We Three Kings;” Jimmy, Jane Beaman, and Anita Lanier sang “Who is He in Yonder Stall” and the “Hawaiian Christmas Song,” which they really entertained us on that one! Canaanland sang “You Can Depend on Me” and “Power in the Name of Jesus”. It was very enjoyable entertainment!

Grantham and Brogden Grange are very blessed to have such talented musicians as members.

Also, during the month of December Grantham Grange members helped build 3 handicap ramps for area residents.

Grantham Grange has partnered with Selah Christian Church for the past two years, helping them with their Live Nativity. This is a drivethru event, featuring 13 scenes from the tax collector and the birth of Christ to His resurrection, three crosses, and the empty tomb. In 2022, we had 15 Grange members participate on December 3rd and 4th. A total of 188 cars drove through, including 558 people (and 17 dogs)!

Our Christmas program was held on January 7, 2023, and was a catered dinner held at Falling Creek Baptist Church. We had 60 members present and 12 guests.

We sent invitations to people who are not Grange members who helped us at our food booth at the Wayne Regional Agriculture Fair. Several of those attended and we had one new member join that night.

Part of the program was from Grange member Sherwood Williford who read Some of the teddy bears and other stuffed animals collected Letters to Santa from by members of Collinsville Grange #2264 (OH) to be donated Grantham Community to PARACHUTE: Butler County CASA.

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Photo provided

Members of Penns Valley Grange #158 (PA) sewed and donated 100 stockings to Stockings for Soldiers in 2022. This year, they are working to provide even more stockings to this program.

Photo provided Collinsville Grange #2264 (OH)

Members at Collinsville Grange in Ohio found about about a Teddy Bear Drive being hosted by Butler County United Way and decided to participate.

Teddy bears or other new stuffed animals were donated to to PARACHUTE: Butler County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for children in need and their families who are in uncertain situations.

The Grange collected teddy bears at their December meeting.

being made to keep the project going into 2024.

To get non-sewers involved, the Grange also began making “upcycled” Christmas cards to be sent with the stockings. These cards are created on heavy cardstock, using cutouts from recycled Christmas cards to create the outside (and sometimes the inside, too). This has been a great way to include members of all ages from Junior Grangers through senior citizens.

Learn more about how your Grange could also participate in this program at stockingsforsoldiers.org

Penns Valley Grange #158 (PA)

High Desert Grange #22 (NV)

In 2021, members of Penns Valley Grange began sewing Christmas stockings to be given to Stockings for Soldiers, based in Delaware. The Stockings for Soldiers program is in its 20th year. This past holiday season, over 9,000 boxes and 32,000 pounds of “goodies” collected (food and snacks, hand-knitted hats, toiletries, toys/stuffed animals, socks, wipes, entertainment items, and letters of appreciation) were sent to active service troops in more than a dozen countries.

In 2022, 100 stockings were sewn by Penns Valley Grange; and they are already on the way to meeting and exceeding that number in 2023, and plans are

In 2020, Americans found themselves facing an unknown enemy whose tendrils wrapped around every aspect of life. The COVID pandemic had hit every community, here and abroad, with a force unknown since the Bubonic Plague. It was a dismal year. Fear, masks, outdoor restrictions, indoor restrictions, uncertainty, loneliness, depression, illness, and even death.

In an effort to lift the spirits of our community, High Desert Grange #22 in Fallon, NV, sought a Christmas activity that would bring our community together and lighten the load during this tragic time, keeping in mind all of the restrictions in place. Socializing was out - but

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fun was still to be had!

Toys for Tots is always looking to raise awareness for its program and High Desert Grange is always looking for ways to be of service to our community. So, a partnership was formed, and the Convoy of Lights was born.

For the past three years, Grange members and community businesses have braced themselves against the cold to adorn cars, trailers, and floats with lights and decorations and, with the Toys for Tots entry, head through town on a designated route. Santa always finds time for a quick visit and laughter is abundant.

The entry fee to participate is one toy or a monetary donation for Toys for Tots. There’s plenty of public notice before the event so the community knows where to line up to watch from cars and on foot.

During the first year, spectators were only allowed in cars and only 15 signed up as entries. Now a popular attraction we had 30 entries and donations rose in 2022.

This event is so unique during this time of year that our city has asked to be part of it. Next year they will help by expanding the designated route and providing police assistance along the way.

Our Convoy of Lights is well on its way to becoming a Fallon tradition.

Terrapin Neck Grange #932 (VA)

People in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities enjoy getting a treat as much or more than everyone else.

Steps to Success • Pick a facility.

• Contact the activities director so you will know how many residents they have that are able to receive what you are offeringexample, cookies and cards.

• Pick holidays and appropriate

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Community members enjoy the Festival of Trees in Riverton Grange, a part of the annual Christmas in Historic Riverton event.

Photo provided

•

treats- (We make deliveries for Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas). Coordinate with the Activities Director for a date and time to deliver the treats.

Take photos and send to your local newspaper and post on social media.

Riverton Grange #169 (CT)

For many years, Connecticut’s Riverton Grange has participated in their community’s Christmas in Historic Riverton 3-day celebration the first weekend in December each year. Riverton, Connecticut, is an historic village located in the Town of Barkhamsted, situated along the banks of the Farmington River.

Current Riverton Grange President Dave Roberts’ 4th greatGrandfather, Judah Roberts, was one of the earliest settlers of Riverton and served as the community’s first U.S. Postmaster. Judah and his father Joel Roberts both served in the Revolutionary War. Riverton emerged as a manufacturing city due to the presence of waterpower from the Farmington River and was

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the home of the internationally famous Hitchcock Chair Factory.

Since the 1990s, the community has celebrated an annual event known as Christmas in Historic Riverton. Activities include candlelit walks through the village; holiday shopping; enjoying hot chili or New England clam chowder in a bread bowl at the local general store; Community Sing-Along; Renaissance Christmas music; wine-tasting tour; glass blowing demonstrations; six performances of “A Christmas Carol” at the local Congregational Church; roving Christmas caroling; Christmas puppet show; Touch-A-Fire Truck; Meet and Greet with Santa Claus; children’s craft workshop; horsedrawn carriage rides; cookie decorating and face painting; bonfires for roasting marshmallows and making s’mores; and the most popular event of all: Riverton Grange’s Festival of Trees.

For the Festival of Trees, miniature artificial trees are distributed to community groups and individuals

to decorate with their special theme. Themes might include fishing, animals, tractors, snow, religion, lottery tickets, Lions, Girl Scouts, history, or nature. The trees are displayed around the holiday-decorated Grange Hall, with Christmas music playing, and for two days the community (over 500 attendees in 2022) is invited to come inside the hall to vote for their favorite decorated tree(s) by placing non-perishable food items under the tree - or they can purchase paper script representing pounds of food that they place in a box at the base of their favorite tree.

At the end of the event, the non-perishable food items are weighed, the paper script is tallied, and two trees are selected as the winners, with each receiving a cash prize.

For the children’s category this past year, the winner was the local Girl Scouts Troop of Barkhamsted. The Lions Club of Barkhamsted won the adult category and donated their cash prize to ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities), a local non-profit whose mission is to enable people with disabilities to gain greater independence and mobility through the use of specially educated dogs.

Hot chocolate and cookies are served to all attendees in the festive hall. Handmade Christmas wreaths are created on-site and sold, with all proceeds going to the local food pantry for those experiencing food insecurity. The non-perishable food and funds raised are donated to the Pleasant Valley Community Food Pantry; this past year over 350 pounds of food and over $700 in cash were donated. Attendees tell us they look forward to this special weekend every year when our village and community Grange comes alive with that holiday sparkle and helps attendees re-create the holiday spirit of yesteryears.

Clear Lake Grange #692 (MN)

At our November 2022 meeting, a member brought up the idea to give Christmas cookies to our local law enforcement officers. We contacted the Aitkin City Police, the Aitkin County Sherriff’s Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol for numbers of officers in our area. Four members baked cookies, and as our Grange is a member of the Aitkin County Historical Society and we had baked for their cookie sale, we also purchased four dozen mixed cookies from them.

Members then met and individually bagged the cookies (2 per bag) – a total of 9 for the City Police, 7 for the State Patrol, and 57 for the County Sheriffs.

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One of our members delivered them to each location.

A total of 14 dozen cookies were given to our LEOs. We had enough cookies left to leave a tray for a senior housing complex to have during their coffee hour. We were thanked for the treats.

Ada Grange #570 (OR)

After three years of not being able to hold our annual Holiday parties, this year we were able to invite the community families to our Halloween and Christmas Parties.

At our Halloween party, children enjoyed carnival games. Especially popular were the fishing pond and the dart balloon games. We have a costume parade, and everyone enjoys the delicious refreshments provided by the Grange members.

Attendees at our Christmas party enjoyed visits with Santa and crafts the whole family could participate in doing.

Everyone enjoyed the hayrides (rain or shine).

Refreshments were provided by Grange members, children received goodie bags from Santa and were allowed to choose an ornament off the Christmas tree.

Holiday gatherings and events aren’t just for Christmas, either. Here are a few other ideas that have been submitted for other holidays: Marvel Grange #479 (CO)

The community has come to expect the Marvel Grange to hold an annual New Year’s Eve party. In the past nearly quarter-century that we have been sponsoring a New Year’s Eve party, we have only missed three years when the organizers had a family wedding on New Year’s Eve, or were in Orlando, or COVID was in full swing.

The party was an idea presented by Russell Greer who was around 18 years old at the time. The idea was to have a party in our rural area so that people who wanted to party on New Year’s Eve didn’t have to drive to town (25-30 miles away). Our party would be familyfriendly, no alcohol, good food, and good clean fun and games.

Each year, we choose a theme, prepare a meal around the theme, decorate the hall, give the food unique names, encourage costumes (which are optional), play table games, collect and give away door prizes and celebrate the New Year with sparkling cider. People always want to bring something, so we

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Scrabble, Uno, cribbage, Farkle, checkers, chess, cards, Yahtzee, and Pictionary are a few of the more popular games.

People are encouraged to bring their favorite game.

Twister and other children’s games are available. One year we had a tub full of pinto beans with toys hidden for them to find!

People can come and go at any time. The nice thing about this party is that anything you can think of can be added!

Liberty Grange #1780 (PA)

The Easter Bunny plays games with chidlren from the community at Liberty Grange #1780 (PA)’s annual Bunny Brunch.

Photo provided

suggest that they bring snacks to share throughout the evening. Most years, we have contacted our local CocaCola company for a donation of Coke products for the evening and they have been very generous.

The first year we had a Medieval theme, with chicken, potatoes, and vegetables. We covered tables with freezer paper, and used no utensils for eating, which also meant there were no dishes to do after the dinner. Other themes have included Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Mary Poppins, Australian New Year’s, Cajun, Mardi Gras, and Farm. The menus for the meal have gotten simpler over the years. In 2022 we had an Australian New Year’s Eve Party. It’s summer in Australia so we could have hot dogs and other types of summer food!

Grange members are great at contacting local small businesses or their workplace for door prizes. Some years, we’ve had special ways to give out door prizes, while other years we just pulled names from a bucket.

We usually have a separate drawing for kids, who are always eager with excitement to hear if their name is drawn for one of the numerous prizes.

After the dinner, we pull out the table games:

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Our annual Bunny Brunch was held on March 26, 2023 from 11am to 2pm. Crafts, games, photo with the Easter Bunny, live bunny ‘petting zoo’, Easter egg hunt, and of course buffet-style food with French toast sticks, and egg and French toast casseroles for the whole family.

Girl Scout Troop #46727 uses Liberty Grange Hall for their meetings and held a Pancake Breakfast on May 20, 2023 to raise funds to purchase supplies needed for their Bronze Award Project. This project will paint games on the blacktop at our local school, Laurel Elementary.

Our 1st Mental Health Event, held on May 21, 2023, included seven local businesses that support mind, body, and soul health and wellness. Some of the businesses include Rock Falls Coffee, Avon, The Balanced Scales Holistic Wellness Studio, author Kat Rodgers, Hope Grows caregivers support, Little Lunette Moon, and Your Essential Self massage therapy. A lunch of walking gyros was offered with the proceeds to be used for Pennsylvania’s “Buy the Books” classroom project and planning next year’s Mental Health Event.

Your Grange can make a tremendous impact - in ways you may not even expect! From participating in or organizing large-scale community events, to providing for families in need, to taking care of others in your community by taking part in service projects, there’s no “wrong” way to celebrate the holidays.

If you have an idea for a program - give it a try, then be sure to tell us about it! Many of the programs and ideas listed today were the idea of one or two Grange members, but “it takes a village” - or the whole Grange - to make them a true success.

GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE

Awww.nationalgrange.org fresh Old Hanna’s Town Ale is tapped at the All Saints Brewing Launch.

Photo courtesy of Food21

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ince 1953, Pioneer Telephone has provided Western Oklahomans with the technology necessary to connect with the people, communities, and information that matter most.

Pioneer, local, member-owned, and operated, recognizes that innovative technology is the cornerstone of progress, quality of life, and economic well-being of rural Oklahoma.

Pioneer invests in more than just communication infrastructure. Pioneer Telephone, and its team proudly support the people and organizations that are working to move their community forward. Since 1991, the Pioneer Telephone Board of Trustees and the

Scholarship Committee, have awarded over 365 scholarships totaling more than $1.1 million.

Pioneer also proudly supports numerous schooland community-related events and activities.

Thank you, Blake, the Pioneer Telephone team, and all our nation’s broadband providers, for connecting America’s heartland to today’s opportunities and tomorrow’s dreams.

Learn more at USTelecom.org

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As biopharmaceutical researchers keep searching for breakthrough treatments and cures they don’t have to look far for inspiration.

www.PhRMA.org

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Deaf Awareness Service Project Through the deaf awareness service project your Grange/Junior Grange will have the opportunity to choose one or more of the following events to support the deaf community and serve as a committee to help bring awareness to deaf culture within your own communities.

You may work together with your Subordinate and/or Junior Grange to host one of the following events.

• Start a Sign-Language Club in your school/Grange/Community to teach children about sign-language and encourage them to learn the language.

• Host a silent dinner where the patrons are only allowed to sign and there is no talking allowed without sign during the dinner.

• Host a deaf movie night- there are several ASL films all in sign-language or other movies about deaf culture. Gather to watch these movies with only closed captioning and no sound.

• Host a deaf coffee chat at a local coffee shop, restaurant, or Grange Hall and invite the deaf to come and have a sign-language social.

• Host a fund-raiser event to raise funds for the Grange Foundation Deaf Activities fund.

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Ready, Set... Disco!

Juniors & Youth invited to National Grange Convention in Niagara Falls!

by Samantha Wilkins National Junior Grange & Youth Development Director We are calling all Youth and Juniors! It’s time to get excited, pack your bags, and prepare to attend the 157th National Grange Convention in Niagara Falls, New York!

The Youth will meet beginning on Wednesday, November 15, to start their time at National Convention. Kicking off the long weekend with the Parliamentary Procedure (aka “Parli Pro”) contest, we will test the knowledge of our youth teams with two opportunities to take the Parli Pro Test. If your state is not bringing a Parli Pro team to National Session we encourage you to reach out to your National Youth Director (youth@nationalgrange.org) to be paired with a possible team.

Learn more about Parli Pro here: https://nationalgrangeyouth. org/youth-programs/parliamentary-procedure-contest/ Wednesday evening will be filled with fun activities and several opportunities to get to know other youth from around the country. Youth Officers will get to work on Wednesday evening, meeting their respective National Officers, learning new drills, and Grange ritual. Any youth member age 14-35 is welcome to apply to become a Youth Officer and part of the Youth Officer Council!

On Thursday of National Convention our Youth will visit the business meeting to witness the election of National Grange officers and see some of the “inner workings” of the Grange. Following elections, Youth will begin workshops, learning about the resolution process of the Grange. They will debate amongst themselves actual resolutions coming from our Granges in order to present these resolutions to the Delegate body on Friday.

The day will continue with a discussion with Rural Minds founder and CEO Jeff Winton. After a discussion with the general membership, Jeff will be breaking off with the youth participants to get first-hand input from our members on how we can partner together to better protect and support our youth during a mental health crisis.

After a brief break we will be ready for a competitive game of Grange Baseball where the Silver Sluggers (Regional winners) will gather together to compete for the Championship title.

Ambassador and Young Patron Candidates and members of the GROW Club will then attend a special dinner where they will be inducted into the GROW Club.

The fun doesnt end there! This year we are bringing back the youth dance, which is open to anyone who wants to

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come get their groove on. This year’s dance theme will be a disco - a silent disco. Yep, that’s right! We will be hosting the first-ever Grange Silent Disco. Everyone is welcome to come enjoy the fun or watch the entertainment of a silent disco!

On Friday morning, the National Youth Officers will open the Grange, debate a resolution, call for a Delegate vote, introduce a few special speakers and celebrate all the Junior Grangers who will be in attendance at session.

After the opening, our Youth will head off to explore the area of Niagara Falls and see some of the history of the area.

Our Junior Grangers will then join in for the Junior Activities day. All are invited to come and watch the regional winners participate in the Junior Sign-A-Song and Public Speaking contest. After their contests, the National Junior Ambassador and 2024 Ambassador candidates will work to entertain and educate the Juniors at session. They will be teaching attendees about Junior Programming, showing them activities that can be done back at their home Granges and more.

Friday evening, Youth and Juniors will join in celebrating at Grange Honors night, where the various contests held by the National Grange will have their winners announced.

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Saturday morning between Degree work and Juniors touring the Niagara area, we have invited Dr. Daniel Pinti an English professor from Niagara University and minister to speak to our youth and young adults on topics related to leadership development. He is excited to bring the fun and interactive discussion to life and help our youth become better leaders!

With several changes in the recent years within the Grange Youth Department we have decided to finish off our weekend with a youth round table. During this portion, all Youth are invited to attend as we discuss the future of the Youth Department. We will discuss future programming, what we are doing that is great, what could be done better, and how we can get more Youth to make a commitment to the future.

If you or someone you know is interested in participating in any of the contests that happen at National Convention we urge you to take a look at the 2023 program book (visit nationalgrangeyouth.org or nationaljuniorgrange.org) for all of the most uptodate requirements and details for application.

If there are certain steps that seem unmanageable for you or the Youth or Juniors in your state, please reach out so we can discuss those pieces.

We have had many folks working hard to make some fun and big changes for National Convention this year and we are excited to see all of the new things that will be happening at Session this year! We hope to see you all in Niagara!

GROW Club

Travel Scholarship designated to assist Horizon Leadership Participants and National Youth Officers attending National Grange Convention

Application: http://grange.biz/gctravelscholarship

Deadline: October 20th

Youth members enjoyed the “Wizard of Oz” themed dance at the 155th National Grange Convention in Wichita. Costumes are always part of the fun at the annual youth party - what will you come up with for the Silent Disco?

Photo by Lindsay Schroeder

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Literacy In Place’s “Christmas in July” Wish List

By Chea Parton

I love the change of seasons. Whether it’s from hot to cooler or the other way around, I love the newness. At the time I’m writing this, it’s time to get the planter out, and I love talking to my mom about her plans for the garden and hearing about the new calves down the road. The only thing that I wish summer had is Christmas, so I’m excited by this issue’s Christmas in July theme.

As you can imagine, as a kid (and even today), the lines of my Christmas list were heavily populated by book titles. Some were books I’d seen friends reading, others I’d seen in the school library but hadn’t had a chance to check out yet, and still others were those I couldn’t get at the Scholastic bookfair because we didn’t have enough money. The last item was usually just “more books.”

Luckily, family and friends loved me enough to stay on list and Christmas was always a joyous time of figuring out what order I wanted to read those books in. I was sure to pace myself, too. I made sure that I’d have some books ready to go for summer. When not doing chores, you could find me up in a tree, or underneath one, with my nose in one of those books.

The books I was reading, though, were never mirrors for my rural life. I never read a book where a character was rushing and stressing over their 4-H projects or trying to come up with an argument for why they shouldn’t have to pollinate corn or detassel or de-rogue. Whose legs and back ached from picking beans in the garden or who stole secret swipes of the freezer jam. This left me dreaming of a different life than the one I had.

It left me wanting to leave, which is funny because I’ve been working on trying to get back ever since I left.

So, with the hope of helping other young (and young-atheart) readers find books that they can see themselves in, here is my Christmas in July wish list and what I loved about them.

A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy

Another Appalachia by Neema Avashia

From the book jacket: Emmett Maguire wants to be country music’s biggest gay superstar - a far reach when you’re seventeen and living in Illinois.

But for now, he’s happy to do the next best thing: Stay with his aunt in Jackson Hollow, Tennessee, for the summer and perform at the amusement park owned by his idol, country legend Wanda Jean Stubbs.

Luke Barnes hates country music. As the grandson of Verna Rose, the disgraced singer who had a famous falling out with Wanda Jean, Luke knows how much pain country music has brought his family. But when his mom’s medical bills start piling up, he takes a job at the last place he wants: a restaurant at Wanda World.

Neither boy is looking for romance, but sparks fly when they meet - and soon they’re inseparable. Until a long-lost secret about Verna and Wanda comes to light, threatening to unravel everything.

Will Emmett and Luke be able get past the truths they discover…or will their relationship go down in history as just another Sad Country Love Song?

What I loved about it: So much! The made-up country music lore. The complexity of all the characters and their relationships to one another, and especially the themes of trying, failing, and continuing to grapple with accepting and being yourself.

From the book jacket: When Neema Avashia tells people where she’s from, their response is nearly always a disbelieving “There are Indian people in West Virginia?” A queer Asian American teacher and writer, Avashia fits few Appalachian stereotypes. But the lessons she learned in childhood about race and class, gender and sexuality continue to inform the way she moves through the world today: how she loves, how she teaches, how she advocates, how she struggles.

Another Appalachia examines both the roots and the resonance of Avashia’s identity as a queer desi Appalachian woman, while encouraging readers to envision more complex versions of both Appalachia and the nation as a whole. With lyric and narrative explorations of foodways, religion, sports, standards of beauty, social media, gun culture, and more, Another Appalachia mixes nostalgia and humor, sadness and sweetness, personal reflection and universal questions.

What I loved about it: I am a memoir enthusiast and love reading about people’s stories and their experiences. The first memoir I ever remember reading where I felt like I could see myself and my rurality was Jeanette Wall’s The Glass Castle, which I read as a 26-year-old. Avashia’s writing is gorgeous and powerful, and her experiences help to deepen and expand our notion of what it looks like and means to be rural.

Founder, Literacy in Place

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Man Made Monsters by Andrea Rogers

The Gathering Dark by Tori Bovalino

From the book jacket: Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe’s homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period that will leave readers longing for more.

Alongside each story, Cherokee artist and language technologist Jeff Edwards delivers haunting illustrations that incorporate Cherokee syllabary.

What I loved about it: The illustrations in this book are gorgeous, and it tackles important social issues through history in a way that weaves in fantastical beings like vampires and werewolves. Rogers is a powerhouse writer, and I was absolutely hooked from the first word to the last.

From the book jacket: These are the stories that haunt us.

A cemetery full of the restless dead.

A town so wicked it has already burned twice, with the breath of the third fire looming. A rural, isolated bridge with a terrifying monster waiting for the completion of its summoning ritual. A lake that allows the drowned to return, though they have been changed by the claws of death. These are the shadowed, liminal spaces where the curses and monsters lurk, refusing to be forgotten.

Hauntings, and a variety of horrifying secrets, lurk in the places we once called home. Written by New York Times bestselling, and other critically acclaimed, authors these stories shed a harsh light on the scariest tales we grew up with.

What I loved about it: I have been discovering and enjoying short-story collections recently, and this one is spooky and excellent. I loved that each story was a story in its own right but also fit so perfectly with all the other stories. There are a variety of rural perspectives represented, so I felt like I was getting to learn about different rural places, people, and cultures.

The Complicated Calculus [and Cows] of Carl Paulsen

by Gary Eldon Peter From the book jacket: Set on a small and struggling family dairy operation in southern Minnesota, The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen follows fifteen-year-old Carl as he confronts his crush on Andy Olnan, a handsome and confident but secretive “city boy” recently transplanted to farm life from Minneapolis who may or may not share the same feelings.

At the same time, Carl and his father clash over the future of their farm, a legacy of Carl’s late mother: how do they honor her dream for the family while also ensuring financial security? Carl discovers his own resilience in the face of grief, adult-sized decisions, and unrequited love, and along the way learns to cope with both the challenges and rewards of being different.

What I loved about it: Carl’s struggle to understand and navigate life without his mom, with his dad who seems to hate their dairy (which Carl loves), and as a queer rural kid with a crush felt so real. I related so much to his uncertainty and attempt to figure things out. He was an incredibly endearing character, and the story captured the complexities of both rural life and adolescence.

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Bend in the Road by Sara Biren From the book jacket: Seventeenyear-old Gabe’s life is a mess. His debut album—produced by his rock star dad—made him an overnight sensation, but his second album tanked, he just got dumped by his on-again, off-again girlfriend, and he’s desperate to come up with the money he needs to fix a major screwup.

The only place he can be free from the paparazzi and rumors is the family farm - the farm that seventeen-year-old Juniper’s family has managed since before she was born. When Juniper learns that Gabe’s about to inherit the farm, she worries that he’ll sell it. She comes up with a plan to get close to him and stop that from happening.

At first, Juniper and Gabe couldn’t be more at odds, but the more time they spend with each other, the more they grow to like each other. Can they set aside their differences to do what’s best for the farm - and each other? Or will all the drama and secrets tear them apart?

What I loved about it: I love a good enemies-to-love-interest story but had never read one set in a rural place - let alone one that tackles important rural issues like farm succession and in-/out-migration. I also really appreciated the depiction of complicated family dynamics in this engrossing love story.

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Angel Falls by Julia Rust and David Surface Vicious is my Middle Name by Kevin Dunn From the book jacket: With a partiallyshaved head, purple Doc Marten boots, and the sinking realization that no one in a fifty-mile radius has ever heard of her favorite all-female punk band Lite Brite, 13-year-old Sydney Vicious Talcott wants to be anywhere but her new home of Beaver Dam, NC, especially when mean girl Brittany Winters treats her like the punchline to every joke.

But just as life begins to seem more tolerable with her two new book-nerd friends and a growing appreciation for the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, Sydney discovers that a shady corporation is planning to build an environmentally-damaging asphalt plant right next to the school.

Her attempts to work through the system to stop the plant›s construction fail, so it›s up to Sydney to fight the corporation and their political lackeys the only way she can, using the do-it-yourself tools she has learned from punk rock. But before she can triumph, Sydney, her family, and friends must endure bullying, harassment, immigration raids, and more.

What I loved about it: This story fired me up! I was so inspired

by Sydney, her resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, her use of the principles of punk to fight for her community and the environment, and the way she faces her own imperfections to grow as a person. I still miss her and her friends. This is a book I’ll definitely be re-reading.

Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin From the book jacket: After a night of magic turns deadly, Iris Gray vows to never let another person learn she’s a witch. It doesn›t matter that the Witches’ Council found her innocent or that her magic was once viewed as a marvel - that night on the lake changed everything. Now settled in Washington, Iris hides who she really is and vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. And while she loves working at the wildlife refuge she runs with her mother, she loathes Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.

From the book jacket: What if you had the power to heal your broken family? To bring back a lost loved one? Jessie and Jared are about to find out in a place called Angel Falls, where an ancient and mysterious power waits to fulfill their deepest wishes––with dangerous consequences.

Fifteen-year-old Jessie Reed would do anything to keep her parents together. When her father inherits an old house from his elderly and mysterious Cousin Dorothy, Jessie accompanies him to the seaport village of Beauport while her mother stays behind in New York City. Fearing for her parent’s marriage and unnerved by the prospect of spending her summer in “a dead woman’s house,” Jessie strikes out on her own and stumbles across the isolated trails of Angel Falls, a wild and beautiful place that holds the ruins of a three-hundred-year-old town with a strange history. She encounters Jared Younger, a sixteenyear-old local boy who considers these forbidden woods his own.

Jared is a caretaker for his father, an artist crippled by depression.

Jared feels powerless to save his father––until a series of unexplainable events brings him face to face with a power he never knew he had.

Jared’s teacher, Chris Delany, offers to help him understand and control the strange thing happening to him––but are Delany’s motives as pure as they seem? Or, as Jessie suspects, does Delany have a secret agenda that puts Jared in danger?

What I loved about it: Dual perspective stories are one of my favorites, and I loved that this one featured insider and outsider perspectives on the coastal rural setting. Plus, the story concept was fresh, new, and complex. This one was another page-turner that I didn’t want to put down.

When Pike makes a particularly hurtful comment, Iris concocts a cruel curse for him. But just as she’s about to dispel it, an owl swoops down and steals the curse before flying far away from the refuge. The owl is a powerful amplifier, and if it dies, Iris’ dark spell will be unleashed not only on Pike but on everyone in the region.

Forced to work together, Iris and Pike trek through the wilderness in search of the bird that could cost Pike his life. But Pike doesn’t know the truth, and as more dangers arise in the woods, Iris must decide how far she’s willing to go to keep her secrets safe.

What I loved about it: This was another excellent enemies-to-loveinterest story. I think we all have things we hide from people and/or are hesitant to share, and I really related to that aspect of Iris’s story. I also loved the camping and wilderness aspect of this story, and getting lost in it along with being envious of Iris’s connection to animals.

Whether you’re young or young-at-heart; whether you love a good mystery, thriller, fantasy, or love story; whether you’re from the rural Midwest, Appalachia, or Northeast - there’s a good story here for you, so treat yourself to one this Christmas in July.

Book images courtesy of their publishers.

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AGRITOURISM FEATURE

Food, festivals, and fun featured in the upper Great Plains and midwest

By Elizabeth Hiner

Disclaimer: All of the locations and attractions written

Senior Communication Fellow

about in this column are open at the time of print. I have

On this leg of our journey, we will be visiting the Dakotas,

noticed recently that due to COVID and its repercussions, some of the places that I have previously suggested may

Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In the last issue, we went to most of

no longer be in operation. As a rule of thumb, please verify

the Great Plains, so we will finish with North and South Dakota,

before you plan your vacation around one of the activities.

starting in South Dakota since we finished in Nebraska on our last outing.

South Dakota is home to my favorite rock group. Can you guess this rock group? I will reveal the answer before we head to North Dakota.

Until then, let’s check out the fish! Our first stop is at the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery. The hatchery is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where their goal is to tackle the aquatic conservation of fish habitats for future generations to enjoy, by conserving, restoring, and enhancing fisheries. The Booth Society works in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to educate, enhance and promote recreational opportunities for our benefit and enjoyment.

When you visit the hatchery, stop by the office, and pick up one of the tailored scavenger hunts to make the trip more memorable. The hatchery is home to four varieties of trout: rainbow, brown, brook, and cutthroat. These fish range in age from three to fifteen, with an average age of eight years. Some of those fish will be exceptionally large.

The museum displays a portion of the 185,000 items housed

in the facility, making it the largest collection in the country.

Items include fish management and cultural items, periodicals, publications, equipment, and personal artifacts. The museum is open daily in the summer and the collection management facility is by appointment only.

They also have a restored train car and Great Lakes cabin cruiser that were historically used to transport the fish from the fishery to the fishing grounds.

Our next stop is south of Rapid City to the Yak Ridge

Cabins & Farmstead. The owners are supporters of local foods

initiatives and have agricultural roots that run deep in South Dakota’s farm to table way of life. The farmstead is home to a small herd of Himalayan yaks, honeybees, free range chickens, gardens and the natural Black Hills flora and fauna. The yaks were chosen because of sustainability; yaks are very efficient for raising and they can be used in multiple ways – meat, fiber, and milk.

Yaks have one of the best feed-to-weight gain ratios for meat animals, which produces less emissions and environmental impact. You can also use yaks as pack animals for back country trips. As a species, these animals have been domesticated for more than five thousand years! You can schedule a tour of the farmstead whether you stay in the cabins or not. They are open year-round, Our last stop in South Dakota is at Stensland Family Farms dairies. We will visit the actual farm in Iowa on our next adventure, but they offer their products at three locations in Sioux Falls one east, central and west.

Before we head to North Dakota, did you figure out the rock group? If not here

Nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota, mere miles from Mt. Rushmore, the Yak Ridge Cabins can get you up close and personal to these Himalayan yaks.

Photo courtesy of Yak Ridge Cabins

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is the answer: My favorite “rock group” is the guys at Mount Rushmore, with the sculptures

of

Presidents

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This famous “rock group” can be found in South Dakota!

AdobeStock Photo

block. Now that

Our last stop in North Dakota is the

is the kind of quilt

Wild Terra Cider Company in Fargo.

block I could do

This stop is just to sit and relax and have

with ease, as I

a drink and a snack. This is for all the

have

tougher

adults after traveling with the kids for

time sewing quilt

days on end, you love them to death,

blocks, but I am

but somedays you just need to have

still working on it!

some space away… I know I did when

So, now we are

mine were teens and didn’t want to

off to the Pipestem

be bothered with what mom and dad

a

Creek

Garden

Nature

Retreat

Lodging The Red River Barn Quilt Trail is just one attraction at Crooked Lane Farm in Colfax, North Dakota.

Photo courtesy of CrookedLaneFarm.com Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Also, the in-process carving of Crazy Horse in South Dakota. (I have a couple of pieces of granite that were chipped off during the work there - it was before 9/11 but they definitely set off the detectors at the airport… They couldn’t believe I was hauling rocks around!)

Our first stop in North Dakota is to the Crooked Lane Farm. This is an historic farm in Colfax that has been in the family for over a hundred years. At heart, it is a working family farm that expanded in 2012 to offer classes at the Crooked Farm Folk School. The classes offered include quilting, blacksmithing, wood fire bread baking, kids’ art camp, and more depending on the time of the year. You can schedule a private class depending on your interests and the time of the year. This is also a good spot to host a party or to use as a wedding destination.

The Crooked Lane Farm is also a stop on the Red River Barn Quilt Trail. This is just starting to gain interest in the area along the river that divides North Dakota from Minnesota. The Partnership is looking for quilters, crafters, and folk artists in the area to join the trail, who share an interest in saving our rural, local heritage in the form of barn quilts. Barn quilts are typically large flat squares of wood, painted to look like a quilt

in

and

Carrington.

I

wanted to do. Sometimes, that’s still true now that they are adults. Now that we are all rested and relaxed, we are heading east.

picked this one as

Minnesota has 68,822 farms with

it is a bit different

329 offering agritourism in some form.

than most of the

Hopefully, as Grangers, you all know

places I review; this one is for the bird

about the Oliver Kelley Farm, which is

watchers out there who just like nature and

located just northwest of Minneapolis

enjoy the outdoors. There are a variety of

in Elk River. You can visit the historic

options for where to stay, as they offer

farmstead, where the current house sits

cabins, RV hookups, and houses for rent

on the foundation of the original Kelley

on the property. Each rental is provided

house - the only thing remaining is the

with a map of bird-watching trails,

root cellar. If you look closely, you can

where visitors can possibly see five rare

see the rock wall built in the 1850s.

species of birds: Baird’s, LeConte’s and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed sparrows, as well as the Sprague’s pipit and the Chestnut-collared Longspur.

Close by, you can visit the Arrowwood National

Wildlife and the Chase Lake

National

Wildlife

Refuges, which are within a 40-minute drive. The largest

white

population

pelican

in

North

America can be found at Chase Lake. The American Bird

Conservancy

has

designated this area one of America’s 500 most important bird areas. If birds aren’t your thing there is the herd of bison.

Hunters

are

welcome

during the hunting season.

H & L

The 1870s farmhouse at the Kelley Farm in Elk River, Minnesota, is built on the foundation of the home where Grange Founder Oliver Hudson Kelley lived.

Photo courtesy of the Kelley Farm

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good sauerkraut. You will find activities and food vendors, one of which features Frank’s Kraut for free; some of the activities include a kiddie parade, a car show, mini rods, a cabbage toss, and much more. You might want to stop by the World Champion Kraut Eating Contest or the Miss Henderson coronation. To top off the festival, there is live music and a softball tournament.

This is a place that offers fun for the whole family. For current information check out their Facebook page.

Our final stop before venturing into Wisconsin is the Hopkins

Raspberry Festival, held the third weekend in July (this year,

from the 12th-16th). This festival was started in 1935 as a way for the town of Hopkins to boost area businesses during the Great Depression. Food merchant Art Plankers proposed using raspberries as the theme, and the farmers and businessmen planned the festival to coincide with July’s raspberry picking season. The original draw was an invitation for the citizens of Minneapolis to motor out to enjoy the hospitality of Hopkins, the “greatest” of the northwest suburbs, with entertainment and a free dish of raspberries and cream. The festival is an institution, celebrating its 88th year in 2023 and still going strong despite the raspberry fields being long gone.

This festival’s roots were in agriculture and agritourism long before it was a formal “thing.” Go enjoy a taste of history and the many activities they have planned, like the kids’ fishing tournament at Shady Lake, sports events including baseball, The Hopkins Raspberry Festival has been celebrating regional agritourism since 1935.

Photo courtesy of Hopkins Historical Society At the house, visitors can help with “chores” and cook an authentic 19th-century meal, as well as try their hand pumping water from the well that services the house and the barn. Oliver Kelley drilled two wells, while others still pulled their water from the river. If the historic farm is not your idea of fun there are the farm labs, the garden, and the barn labs, and you can also visit the visitor’s center or hike the nature trails.

Our next stop is Henderson, for the Sauerkraut Days festival held during the last weekend of June. This is our not a strictly “agritourism stop,” but it sounded like fun, and I enjoy eating

pickleball, and rugby, or the car shows, including a soapbox derby.

Our last destination for this issue is the state of Wisconsin.

Our first stop is the Rainbow Ridge Bed and Breakfast in Onalaska, just north of La Crosse. The farm offers a farm stay with several amenities, including goat yoga - I am finding as we go on this journey you can do yoga with almost any type of animal, reindeer in Alaska, butterflies and mini pigs in Colorado, and bunnies in Vancouver to name a few! Rainbow Ridge offers a camp for kids aged 7-12 (for kids 5-6, contact the farm directly), where they learn a variety of skills from animal husbandry to gardening. While the kids are having fun on the farm, parents can take in a wine tasting at one of the three wineries in the area, all of which are within an hour’s drive of

Support some of the locations mentioned in this article: • D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery - dcboothfishhatchery.org • Yak Ridge Cabins - yak-ridge.com • Crooked lane Farm - crookedlanefarmnd.com • Pipestem Creek - pipestemcreek.com • Wild Terra Cider Co. - wildterra.co

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• Oliver Kelley Farm - mnhs.org/kelleyfarm • Henderson Sauerkraut Days - kraut.hendersonmn.com • Hopkins Raspberry Festival - raspberrycapital.com • Rainbow Ridge Farms - rainbowridgefarms.com • Driftless Wisconsin Tours - driftlesswisconsin.com • Sassy Cow Creamery - sassycowcreamery.com

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Rainbow Ridge. If that is not to your taste, there are many other activities in the area, like biking and boating. Rainbow Ridge is known for breeding award-winning dairy goats; throughout the late winter and early spring, you could also witness the kids being born!

One of the other agritourism adventures is a two-day Driftless

tour of Amish country starting in Viroqua. They recommend

starting your day with breakfast at Viroqua Food Co-op or

the Wonderstate Café to fortify you for a day of walking and driving.

The first stop on this tour is B&E’s Trees, an off-the-grid farm producing organic bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup, where you will want to dress to get a bit dirty as the terrain is rough.

After a stop for lunch in Westby at Borgne’s or one of the other restaurants, we are off to the second leg of our first day, visiting the Wehling Farm and Country Store northwest of Westby. At this farm, you will learn about why and how to get into certified

With more than 70 flavors of ice cream (among other incredible dairy products), Sassy Cow Creamery is the perfect end to a trip through Wisconsin.

Photo courtesy of Travel Wisconsin

organic farming, for farmers and non-farmers alike. On the tour, you will find out about raising heifers, the Wehling store, and

just north of Madison. The creamery sits halfway between the

hear some funny stories. The last stops on the tour are the three

two farms of the Baerwolf brothers, and exclusively uses the

wineries – Vernon Vineyards, Driftless Brewing Company, and Sugar Creek Winery.

milk produced on the farms. You can watch how these delicious products are made through a large viewing window located

Our last stop on this two-day tour could take all day Driftless Curiosity in Viola. This is a 200-acre organic farm that

between the store and the production area. The creamery hosts several educational and informational events so the

offers unique experiences for the whole family, so we are taking

public can see where their food comes from. They are open

plenty of time to check out the many workshops or learning

seven days a week, with a farmhouse kitchen where you can

experiences focused on arts, social justice, experimental

order sandwiches, soup and salads, and to finish off your meal

learning, and, of course, farming.

you should try the seasonal freshly-made ice cream, either in

When planning this leg of the trip, be sure to check the

the form of a cone, shake, malt, sundae, or just a plain old dish.

schedule first to pick the workshop you are most interested

You can enjoy your meal and ice cream at the park shelter and

in as these workshops run for 6 hours, starting at 10 a.m. A

tractor playground, feel free to bring a picnic if you prefer.

sample of the workshops offered includes maple syrup, herbal

With this delicious treat, we are done for this adventure. See

wildcrafting, and traditional Mexican weaving. The workshops

you next time when we check out the states along the western

are also separated into season, another reason to schedule

bank of the Mississippi River - Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and

your trip around your interests.

Louisiana.

Our final stop in Wisconsin is at the Sassy Cow Creamery,

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NOTES FROM A SMALL TOWN

The Spirit of a Community

By Christopher Dean

Massachusetts Grange Member

Just down the street from us is St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Rockport, which was only founded in 1882, so it’s not very old as New England churches go. It didn’t become an actual parish church until 1960 - quite recently, by the same standard. In my youth, it was one of nine churches in town, and it was unique in that it was the only one that never had a steeple as the building was originally a boat shed. Anyway, steeples are a bit of a nuisance with very high maintenance costs.

The building itself is cute, small, painted white, with stained glass windows that feature the usual religious figures and scenes, and it also has a small depiction in glass of the town’s famous fishing shack Motif #1, and Rockport being a fishing town, there are a lot of references to Christ as a fisher of men; the designers knew their audience.

Above the altar, there’s an elaborate reredos, hand-carved by a member of the church showing the Nativity, Crucifixion, and Christ on the Road to Emmaus, in the style of the German Renaissance woodcarver Tilman Riemenschneider, quite spectacular in all, but still homey in the way of small-town New England churches. It impresses without trying to overwhelm, and the fact that it was locally produced by a real artist who also designed a bronze statue in nextdoor Gloucester, is a plus.

Churchgoing in New England is a fading custom. Of the eight churches

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One of the “fishers of men” stained glass windows at St Mary’s; very appropriate for a fishing community. Just over Jesus’ shoulder is a square depicting Motif #1, Rockport’s “mascot.” Photo by Corey Spence

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in town sixty years ago, two closed in the 1970s, and one, the Methodists, closed only last November, along with its sister church in Gloucester.

Both buildings are now up for sale.

The Rockport Methodists had a building that looked like a house, rebuilt after a catastrophic fire; it was clear that they’d chosen a form that would be sellable with a small amount of renovation as churches are notoriously difficult places to use for housing.

The parishioners at St Mary’s know about all this but are optimistic about their future. Their priest of twenty-seven years retired only this past March, just before Holy Week; the timing was a surprise, but the Episcopal Church requires that priests retire in the month of their birthday, so it was ordained that she should leave at the high point the church year. The community has pulled together to run things without a priest while they wait for a new “bridge” or temporary priest to take the reins. The church’s Vestry has been allowing members of their local hierarchy to run whole services, several people that I know have been asked to deliver sermons, coffee hour always works like a wellmaintained clock and every week there are doughnuts and coffee from the local coffee place and homemade cookies.

If a new person were to show up at church without knowing anyone, they would most likely not even know that a priest wasn’t there. Of course, there’s no communion, but if one weren’t necessarily attuned to that feature of worship, it wouldn’t seem remarkable. So, basically, they have

The reredos above the altar at St Marys was hand-carved in the style German Renaissance artist Tilman Riemenschneider.

Photo by Corey Spence

things under control, and it looks good - they know what they’re doing and they’re doing a good job. In fact, there’s been no drop in attendance since their priest retired, with all the goodwill in the world.

By the time you read this, their new bridge priest will have been installed, and they will be looking for a new priest to take over from there. The process is expected to take about a year or so and the Episcopal Diocese is helping them with the process from beginning to end.

I’m not a member of the St Mary’s community, but I know several people who are. We haven’t lived in this town especially long by New England standards, only eight years in fact, but the community at St Mary’s has become an important part of our lives. We know people who have gone there and whose families have gone there for generations, and also those who have gone for only a few years longer than we have, but St Mary’s has been a welcoming and genuinely, friendly group, they’ve been generous and helpful; everyone there knows me even though I can’t remember names like I used to, but I’m still pretty good with faces.

I’ve reached the point where around Halloween, I

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start looking for things to add to the collection for St Mary’s annual Advent fair on the first Saturday in December. There’s always something: books, old candlesticks, serving dishes, whatever, and it warms the cockles of my heart when I put them aside knowing that this or that will go to a good home.

I happily bake cookies for their meetings and they always appreciate them and make sure that I know it.

The really big church in town, the Congregational Church (also called The Congo” and the building is called “The Old Sloop” because it looks like a ship under full sail from a distance), is a huge and handsome white-painted building, whose “new” edifice is well over two hundred years old, has a prominent steeple that can be seen from all over town and has the town’s official clock tower, quite a building.

They’re the big cheese in everything they do. They have a folk concert series, they’re the go-to place for a funeral if you’re not aligned with a church, and their Christmas Fair is the grand-daddy of all Christmas fairs. Last year, their fair was so elaborately decorated that it looked like it had been designed by a professional set decorator for a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie: giant bows and plaid swags, outsized plastic ornaments, big piles of sellables just about everywhere. By comparison, St Mary’s was very low-key, I choose to use the word “sincere.” They were just doing the best they could, and their hearts were on their sleeves. You just had to want to give them a hug.

They do things locally like make sandwiches for shut-ins and sponsor a local-artists sale in the parish hall; in a town filled with artists both professional and amateur, that’s a big deal. They do a Blessing of the Animals every October, providing little certificates and St Francis medals for pets and giving them a chewy bone as a prize for behaving during the ceremony. All-in-all, none of this is news, or even very surprising, but they’re an essential part of the rhythm of small-town life here. I may not be a paying member of the church, but I wish them well on a daily basis as they’re a part of my life and the lives of the rest of us here.

Photo by Corey Spence

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Life on the Homestead...

Spotlight: The Green Shack Dodge Center

By Suzann Gilliland Peterson High Desert Grange #22, Nevada In the southeastern quarter of Minnesota sits the small town of Dodge Center in the county of Dodge. Just 15 miles west of Rochester, Dodge Center is part of the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a population of 2,670, according to the 2010 census.

Quiet and peaceful most days, it is an industrial and trucking town with a variety of large family-owned farms surrounding the area. The seasons offer varied temperatures, dropping well below freezing for most of the winter months. Springs are wet and fill with color quickly, summers are hot, muggy, and buggy, and autumn is spectacular with its brilliant colors. Tornadoes and hail with flash-flooding are concerns from spring through autumn with blizzards and sleet issues in winter.

In 2009, Zach Wilcox completed his Army enlistment. He and his wife Brittany began looking for a place to live. Dodge Center captured their hearts. When asked what drew them to the Dodge Center area, Brittany replied, “Both my husband and I grew up in a small town in southeast Minnesota. Dodge Center is close enough to Rochester while still being small, and it has enough amenities to not have to drive all over for things we need.”

Several years passed and Brittany decided to pursue her

One of the first things that the Wilcoxes did was purchase bees for The Green Shack. Bees remain important for their business and the homestead, and they offer several beekeeping and beeswax classes.

Photo provided by The Green Shack

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life-long passion of horticulture. She enrolled in Rochester Community and Technical College. While there, she realized she wanted to make horticulture her “forever career,” so she and Zack began talking about how they could make that a reality. It is against this backdrop that The Green Shack homestead was born: their “forever home.” Brittany describes why she chose the homesteading lifestyle in these words: “… I was very excited about growing our own food and being more able to self-sustain our family by hard work instead of living off of someone else’s hard work for little pay.”

Family owned and operated by Brittany, Zach, and their two children, Alex and Emily, The Green Shack sits on a large piece of property. When they first started out, their pursuits included purchasing bees, sprucing up their place, and growing some plants.

Soon after, they realized that their property had much greater potential. They added ducks, chickens, and goats. Because there is a large building on the property, they decided to turn it into a place where they could teach classes, host groups for arts and crafts activities, and sell their products.

Zach is skilled in the arts of wood and metal working. In addition to horticulture, Brittany enjoys glass work, painting, making goat milk soap, and teaching others how to care for their plants, among other pursuits. There is also room on their homestead for small and large public gatherings as well as a home for their family; being part of a community they love is a bonus. Brittany sums up their love of community with these words: “We are so passionate about our business and really enjoy this community.”

The Dodge Center area has a number of large farms for corn, soy, turkeys, pigs, and cows, as well as a few small homesteadtype places that are able to grow and supply for their own households only.

Given the fact that theirs is not the only homestead in the area, the question that comes to mind is what sets The Green Shack apart from its neighbors? Undaunted, Brittany comments, “We are an open business where people are able to visit our animals whenever they’d like, take walks out on the property (which I hope one day I’ll be able to landscape like an arboretum), and just enjoy time outside. We also host a large variety of classes to keep the whole family entertained during all seasons.”

Crops that are currently grown at The Green Shack include both fruits and vegetables. Brittany grows indoor plants to use during classes she teaches, and she is also in charge of starting plants, maintaining them, cleaning them, and making sure they are healthy. Her father, Peter Wegwerth, helps water them.

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At the moment, they are currently raising goats, ducks, chickens, geese, rabbits, and Button quail; bees also remain a big part of their homestead for all they provide. Caring for animals is an important and time-consuming job. In addition to her plant responsibilities, Brittany is mostly responsible for the animal well-being, too. However, her father is a great help with making sure every animal is fed and watered, especially in winter.

Alex and Emily have their responsibilities, too. School is at the top of the list. Alex, a 7th grader, is homeschooled while Emily is a 4th grader at a local school.

Brittany finds that organizing herself well enough to get done all she has to do to be her biggest challenge. “I write lists and have a calendar, but I constantly overbook myself or I book things and my health issues flare, so I have to keep my loads light for a few days,” she says.

The most rewarding thing for her is “The smiles on people’s faces when they come in and get to see or try something they’ve never done before.”

The Green Shack offers a wide variety of classes, services, and products.

Elaborating on everything they do, Brittany says, “My love for plants, animals, our environment, and artistic expression

The classroom at The Green Shack is a major attraction for visitors of all ages, with more than two dozen classes offered. You’re certain to find something that will interest you and perhaps spark a love of homesteading.

Photo provided by The Green Shack

has been a large motivator while growing our business. We offer so much it is hard to explain without people actually coming out to ‘The Shack.’ We enjoy visitors and showing people the love and effort we put into our business. We host Girl Scout troops and 4-H clubs, and will host daycares and school events.”

Classes they offer include Bee Basics I, Bee Basics II, Basic Beekeeping, Beeswax, Fairy Garden, Sign Painting, “Bob Ross” Painting, Planter Painting, Mosaic, Wands, Stepping Stone, Goat Milk Soap, Succulents, Railroad Spike Knife, Paracord Knotting, Macramé Knotting, Learn to Crochet, Wreath Making, Decorative Holiday Planter, Ceramic Painting, Kids Crafts, Basic Blacksmithing, Wood Burning, Basic These playful goats are among the six animal species currently Flower and Vegetable being raised on the homestead.

Seed Starting, Starting Photo provided by The Green Shack Your Own Herb Garden,

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and Making Chainmail.

Products offered include recycled glass planters, honey, goat milk soap, and custom creations in wood, metal, art, and more.

Available services include parties of any kind: birthdays, ladies’ night out, office bonding time, and family fun time.

Depending on the time of year, The Green Shack can also host a petting zoo and/or provide gems bags for a mining sluice during a party. Kitchenette, dining area, and tables and chairs are included in the space rental.

With all they offer, it is evident that Brittany and Zach have a sincere desire to share their love of husbandry, art, community involvement, and family commitment, all of which come together in The Green Shack.

The Green Shack is located at 20658 Cty Hwy 34, Dodge Center, MN 55927, behind the Pine View Apartments.

For more information on their classes, products, services, and available store space, you can check out their website at http://www.thegreenshack.net, their Facebook page, or you can follow them at #thegreenshackmn or #thegreenshack.

You can also call 507-633-3100.

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GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL

The Iconic Foods of Christmas Celebrations

By Ann Olson Bercher

Lecturer, National Grange President, State Grange of Minnesota Certified Culinary Specialist Christmas in July? The last thing I want to think about right now is Christmas.

Much of our country went through a wickedly long winter and the relief that has arrived is most welcome.

At the same time, I must admit, as I have been planning my garden for this growing season, I am preparing for the winter months ahead. While I don’t have to plan for enough food to feed myself for the coming winter, what I do plan for is the primo foods to store to make those amazing dishes I make during the winter months, and to give away as gifts.

Rhubarb gets frozen or made into Rhubar-B-Que sauce, poblano peppers are roasted and frozen for later use, corn is blanched and frozen, basil and other herbs and greens are made into pesto and frozen, berries are made into jellies and jams, and then there are the tomatoes! I could write a book on what I do with tomatoes!

Our Granges offer many Christmas Holiday activities, dinners, and programs leading up to Christmas. That got me thinking about the iconic foods that are related to Christmas. I decided to ask around our National Grange family. Here are a few nuggets that I discovered: National Community Service Director, Pete Pompper’s family must have green bean casserole with French onions. They also have a corn casserole made with jiffy cornbread mix, whole corn, cream corn, and cheddar cheese, and you can add jalapeños. “Oh, and a Dutch baby Christmas morning with some type of fresh berry compote.”

Vermont State Lecturer, Alice Daley mentioned they have home fries with onions and pepper, waffles with strawberries and bananas, bacon, and sausage. There is also some kind of egg dish that varies every year.

Don and Lynette Schaeffer (Lynette is the State President of Illinois) have a tradition that goes back to

when they were dating. Don’s mom always had freshly baked cookies on the table. “When we got married, we decided that each year during the Christmas season we would bake cookies,” they said. “This past December (2022), we made 14 different kinds of cookies, and some batches are doubled if they are a favorite. In the past five years we have added making two kinds of candy as well. We mix, we bake, we store, we share at family gatherings. The first year of cookie baking was Christmas of 1975! There are always chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, chocolate crinkle, cherry chip, lemon, peanut butter, and molasses… These are the ones family members request each year.”

Kathy Gibson, National Lady Assistant Steward from Massachusetts said, “Our Christmas tradition was originally told to me by another parent and I liked it so much, I started doing it when my kids were little… and we still do it today. As one of the desserts, we would have a birthday cake for Jesus. I’d bring it out, we’d put candles on it and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jesus. It’s a way to remember why we are celebrating Christmas.”

Michigan State Lecturer Jackie Bishop noted, “Our Christmas family food tradition comes from my maternal grandmother. We had our gathering on Christmas morning, which included breakfast. The main course for breakfast was Goldenrod Eggs. This basically is boiled eggs in white sauce, with the egg yolk grated over

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the top (thus the golden rod). The egg mixture is served over toast. I do have to admit that I don’t grate the eggs over the top, but just add both whites and yolks into the white sauce. It is a very hearty meal.”

Suzanne Davis, California State Lecturer, explained, “A few years ago after a really big Thanksgiving dinner, and pondering another big Christmas dinner with all the planning and cooking, we realized that we were pooped! As we were discussing what we wanted to do for Christmas dinner I said I wanted pizza.” After the first year using a raised dough, they have since chosen no-rise dough and make smaller, individual pizzas “tailored to everyone’s connoisseur pizza desires. Everyone participates in dough-making and pizza-topping.

It has turned into a great family fun time that we all look forward to and even friends come to join us. You never know who will be at the table, but we all know that it will be full of fun and good food!”

Montana State Lecturer Scott Nicholson told me, “Our family’s go-to Christmas foods are always evolving due to changes in taste or someone scoring a new recipe at a potluck, social or (gasp...) a web page, but there is one constant must-have... FRUIT CAKE! Before you go yuck, I will explain. The timehonored family recipe is not your typical 5-pound brick suitable for use as a doorstop, but a moist slice of goodness. The secret? One of the base ingredients is applesauce.”

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Apparently, they always had a full cellar full of McIntosh apples.

National President Betsy Huber noted, “The one must-have food for Christmas dinner is turkey! I love turkey and it just would not be Christmas without it. I love the leftovers for turkey sandwiches, casseroles, and just warmed up with gravy. Of course, I also make stuffing, lots of gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes for my son Andy, and a vegetable or two from the garden.

Christmas dinner is about gathering all the family around the table and giving thanks for another year.”

It is fun to note that as families expand by adding new members usually through marriage, but sometimes through moves to new

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areas of the country, new friendships, or just plain curiosity, new traditions get added to the assembly. Ask your family members what they think the iconic Christmas food must-have is and you’ll find some similarities, but probably a few surprising differences!

I did a little research on some of these iconic foods and made a few discoveries.

The Green Bean Casserole was invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly who was working as a supervisor at the home economics department of Campbell’s test kitchen in Camden, New Jersey. She was asked to create a recipe that would use Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup and other ingredients found in the household pantry. Hers was the perfect recipe for post-War America when cheap, fuss-free cooking was all the rage.

After World War II, home cooks had access to canned and frozen goods, as well as packaged foods, due to the absence of wartime rationing and advancements in food preservation technology. Reilly’s hand-written original recipe card even made it into the archives of the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame.

The history of the Egg Bake is a little more complicated.

Lots of dishes using eggs are popular over the holidays from cakes and cookies to the beloved egg bake. The use of eggs as a culinary ingredient probably began as far back as 6,000 BC in China. Culinary evidence confirms that the Ancient Egyptians and Romans were using eggs as thickening agents in breads and cakes. Apicius, a Roman culinarian, is said to have invented baked custard in 25BC. Our cookies, cakes and egg bakes have a long history!

Many of our Christmas traditions began long before Christmas was celebrated. Most are the result of Winter Solstice celebrations, which often included hearty roasted meat, stiff drinks, and sweets. Once Christmas celebrations began occurring in Europe, spices entered the picture. Many of our favorite Christmas cookies include spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and mace. Gingerbread is a classic Christmas cookie that also uses molasses as a sweetener, something that the cooks of yore appreciated as refined sugar was so expensive.

Fruitcake is another traditional food that is often maligned, but it had its place historically as the use of dried fruits like citrons, apricots, dates, and plums were available for use during the long winters. From the time of the Romans through the Middle Ages and into Western European cuisine, fruited breads were popular.

Italy produced a dense, sweet, and spicy panforte (strong bread), Germany had its stollen, and the Caribbean produced a “black cake,” a boozy descendant of the British plum pudding, where the fruit is soaked in rum for months before being used in the cake. The fall from grace for the fruitcake probably occurred once it became commercially available in the 20th century. I am in Scott Nicholson’s corner on this one - there are some fantastic homemade fruit cake recipes out there. You’re lucky if you know someone that will share! (Scott, I’m still waiting

for the recipe!)

Following up on eggs and their use for the holidays, we ought to consider eggnog. This was an English concoction from the 17th century containing a mixture of milk and wine, used to toast to the health of those who partook. It was a natural choice for celebrating the holiday and spreading good cheer. Today’s eggnogs are a mixture of eggs, milk, and sugar - spiked with rum or bourbon.

Plum pudding or figgy pudding follows the fruit cake tradition with the use of dried fruits, nuts, and sweeteners.

Historically, “plum” referred to any type of dried fruit.

Many Victorian recipes called “Plum Pudding” contained no plums or even prunes, but often contained raisins, currants, beef suet, citrus zest, almonds, and spices.

Another holiday classic for some is the Yule Log, or the Bûche de Noël, a French, log-shaped cake that was meant to evoke the memory of the massive, decorated logs that the Celts burned as they celebrated the Winter Solstice. Today’s Yule Log recipes are usually a layered or rolled sponge cake filled with a mousse or buttercream and decorated with meringue mushrooms or holly leaves, powdered sugar, and red berries.

One last little gem is the origin of the Sugar Plums that “danced through the heads” of children as they lay dreaming the night before Christmas. First, there originally were no plums in them. The sugar plums that the English ate between the 17th and 19th centuries were seeds or nuts covered with layers of liquid sugar and allowed to harden between layers, often taking several days to solidify. The result was about the size of a plum.

At last, I need to mention the main dish, the roast turkey or the roast goose, the duckling, the ham, the leg of lamb, or the lutefisk. The main dish was often the result of the economic fortitude of the family, and whatever was available at the local meat market, or what could be harvested from the recent hunt. I must share, that while I was exposed to lutefisk as a young child by my Norwegian parents, my siblings and I soon ended that tradition, and my mother, thankfully, replaced that “fish” with a lovely Norwegian meatball meal, still complete with lefse.

At your holiday celebrations, share your “must-have, iconic” food traditions and their origins with each other, and try one or more of these recipes or ideas for a

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Gingerbread

Crispy

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened.

1 cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 egg ¼ cup molasses ½ teaspoon orange zest (optional) Royal Icing (recipe at right)

Royal Icing 4 cups powdered sugar 3 tablespoons meringue powder

½ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ cup warm water 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat together all ingredients with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 7 – 10 minutes or until mixture is very stiff.

1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger,

2. Stir in warm water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until

allspice, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium

icing reaches desired consistency.

speed for 30 seconds. Add both sugars, beating well. Beat in egg, molasses, and orange zest.

3. Gradually beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer.

4. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

5. Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour (or overnight).

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

7. On a 12 x 15-inch piece of parchment paper, roll out half of the dough to 1/8th inch thickness.

8. Cut out desired shapes. Peel away excess dough leaving the cutouts on the parchment paper.

9. Transfer parchment paper with cutouts onto a baking sheet.

10. Bake for 6 – 8 minutes until the edges are just beginning to brown.

11. Place parchment paper with cutouts on wire racks to cook.

NOTE: This is a great cookie recipe too. Cutting out the shapes on parchment paper and removing the parts not needed is brilliant!

I cannot claim to have come up with that idea.

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Yule Log

1 prepared boxed chocolate cake (your choice, follow directions and ingredients required.)

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup powdered sugar 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Chocolate and vanilla frosting of choice

1. Prepare boxed cake mix in two 9-inch round cake pans according to box directions.

2. When cakes have cooled, slice each cake into 2 layers. Set aside.

3. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.

4. Gradually beat in the cream, ¼ cup at a time until mixture is smooth after each additional.

5. Increase mixer speed and beat until stiff peaks form.

6. Add vanilla and beat a few more seconds to combine.

7. Spread filling mixture across three layers of the cake, stacking the layers.

8. Use chocolate frosting to frost the sides of the stacked cake. Use a fork to create vertical stripes in a bark-like texture.

9. Use Vanilla frosting to frost the top of the cake.

10. Drop spoonful’s of chocolate frosting over the vanilla frosting on the top of the cake. Starting at the center of the cake top, use a fork to create concentric circles on the top of the cake creating “growth rings.”

11. Decorate with rosemary sprigs, evergreen sprigs, pomegranate seeds or other embellishments.

NOTE: What this actually looks like, is a stump. So perhaps I should have called it a Yule Stump.

Eggnog

1 cup whole milk ¼ teaspoon salt 7 egg yolks

Ice Cream

¾ cup sugar 2 cups heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons dark rum (or bourbon) ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1. Heat milk and salt to a boil in a 2-3 quart saucepan. Remove from heat.

2. Whisk together the egg yoks and sugar in a bowl.

3. Gradually, add ¼ cup of the hot milk whisking constantly.

4. Pouring in a slow steam, add the yolk mixture to the hot milk over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture registers 175 degrees (about 3-5 minutes.)

5. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.

Add cream, rum, vanilla and nutmeg. Stir to combine.

6. Chill the mixture, covered for at least two hours.

7. Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least two hours. Soften in refrigerator before serving, about 20 minutes.

NOTE: Of course, you can easily freeze commercially available eggnog right from the carton!

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N0-Bake

Sugar Plums

1 cup almonds, roasted and coarsely chopped 1 cup dates, chopped 1 cup dried apricots, chopped

1 ½ teaspoon orange zest ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon allspice 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg ¼ cup sugar

1. Combine all ingredients except sugar in a food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a thick paste.

2. Using hands damped with water, roll mixture into 1-inch balls.

3. Roll balls in sugar.

4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Figgy Pudding Sticky Sauce with warm

1 ½ cups chopped pitted dates

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup chopped dried figs

2 ½ ounces dark chocolate,

2 cups water

grated

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups brown sugar

7 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup sugar

14 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

Vanilla ice cream, optional

2 ½ cup flour

Whipped cream, optional

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the insides of 6 – 1 cup ramekins.

2. Heat dates, figs and water in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Let cool 5 minutes and stir in baking soda.

3. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and puree.

4. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer. Add eggs and beat well.

5. Fold in the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda the chocolate and the pureed date mixture.

6. Pour mixture into prepared ramekins slightly less than half full.

7. Bake in oven for 35 – 40 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. May be served in the ramekin or unmolded to a plate.

9. In a medium saucepan stir together the sugar and cream over low heat. Continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

10. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.

11. Add the butter and stir until incorporated.

12. Cut a small X in the top of each pudding then pour sauce over. May also serve with ice cream and or whipped cream.

NOTE: You might be able to use 8 1-cup ramekins and fill them less than half full.

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www.nationalgrange.org

THE LAST

Word

By Rick Dungey Executive Director, Trees for Troops We expected around 15,300 total trees last year, based on the estimates

we total the pick-up locations and list them by state, here’s what we had last year:

from the farms and retail centers that gather donated trees and load them

Rank State # trees 1 Oregon 4,000 2 New York 3,486 3 Michigan 1,186 4 North Carolina 1,030 5 Pennsylvania 1,023 6 Massachusetts 800 7 Wisconsin 765 8 Georgia 732 9 New Jersey 703 10 NH & VT 390 11 Illinois 380 12 Washington 350 13 Ohio 304 14 California 300 15 Virginia 250 16 Maine 228 17 South Carolina 150 18 Indiana 130 19 Minnesota 100 20 Kansas 90 21 Texas 60 22 Florida 25 23 Tennessee 13

into the FedEx trucks.

But all the participants came up with about a thousand more!

16,391 total trees in 2022.This puts the grand total through 18 years of the program at 293,392 trees donated to the military

by Trees for Troops and FedEx. We’re often asked where do all the trees come from. When

24

Missouri

6

And where do they end up? Here’s our military base distribution from last year:

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Branch Air Force Army USCG Marines Navy

# bases 16 25 11 9 23

Delivered 3,585 7,158 442 2,636 2,570

of extra attention. Ideas being explored include showing the

TOTALS

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16,391

We plan to open an online store this year to sell items branded

entire process of “THE tree” from farm to base and the family who receives it.

We continue to expand the ability to help farms move small numbers of donated trees to the handful of pick-up locations to get them on a FedEx Freight truck at the designated time.

Sometimes we’re asked about the impact the program has.

There’s a lot of ways that can be answered, but it may be easiest to just share straight from a military family who received a tree. I’ll share this email from a family stationed at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport: Thank you for our tree!

with the program, including Christmas cards using the artwork submitted by youth and adults in a creative contest. The Spirit Award recognition has become formalized and allows the Foundation to highlight individuals and organizations who go above and beyond to support Trees for Troops each year.

We need your support of Trees for Troops year-round!

We are stationed on NCBC Gulfport where my husband serves with the Seabees. Our family received our tree last night at the base tree lighting event. What an amazing gift! These four kiddos are very excited to start decorating a real tree instead of an artificial one, something we didn't expect to be able to do this year.

Thank you so much for this generous gift. We feel so blessed and grateful.

Through the generosity of people all over America, as well as Christmas tree farmers, FedEx Freight, sponsors and supporters, our Trees for Troops program has provided more than a quarter million free, real Christmas Trees to military families and troops since it started in 2005. Our mission is to provide Christmas SPIRIT to kids, families and the environment, and the Trees for Troops program does that.

There are may ways for those not necessarily in the Christmas tree industry to get involved: some organize fundraisers for the

Merry Christmas, Heather E.

Foundation, some sponsor trees that get donated, some retail entities offer special promotions to support the program. If you

Planning Trees for Troops 2023 We are in the planning stages now for a ceremonial presentation of the 300,000th tree in the program’s history in 2023. We have had ceremonies for the 100,000th and

have any questions or ideas to share with the Foundation about Trees for Troops, please contact Rick Dungey, Executive Director, at 314-416-2245 or info@christmasspiritfoundation.org.

200,000th tree given away. These milestones can garner a lot

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Grange Membership

BENEFITS Below is an overview of some of the benefits that are available to Grange members across the country.

A full, detailed list can be viewed on the National Grange’s website: www.nationalgrange.org/benefits

$

SHOP

We have partnered with MemberDeals, ODP Business Solutions, Lenovo, and UPS Savings.When you shop at these locations or use these services, you are giving back to the National Grange and receiving special deals in the process.

FINANCE

The National Grange has partnered with TSYS Merchant Solutions, which has been serving merchants for more than 30 years and offers a payment processing program tailored to your business needs. If you have a small business, this advantage could help you.

TRAVEL

HEALTH

R/

X

PHARMACY

INSURANCE

With discounts from Choice Hotels, Wyndham Hotels, Worldwide Hotel, and Avis and Budget rental car services, as well as RV accommodations with Harvest Hosts, these exclusive Grange benefits are sure to help you when planning your next vacation.

Our partnerships with Life Line, Hear in America, Start Hearing, Comfort Keepers, and eHealth Medicare are sure to give you peace of mind about your health.

We have multiple partnerships to help Grange members obtain discount pharmacy cards. CVS Caremark offers the RxSavings Plus Card. The U.S. Pharmacy Card is a free discount prescription card available to Grangers.

Last offer excludes members in NC.

We have partnerships with Member Options, United of Omaha Life Insurance Company, AFLAC, Farmers Insurance, and pet insurance through Nationwide to give our members discounts on insurance rates and deals. Clouse Insurance Agency can help find the coverage you need to protect your Grange Halls.

State-based and property-based restrictions apply. Contact agency directly.

Excludes Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and North Carolina.

... and many more plus new ones added regularly. Check our website for all active benefits. www.nationalgrange.org/benefits