Good DAY!
A quarterly publication of the National Grange Vol. 4, Issue 4 l Winter 2020-21
One for the history books Embracing change to make the 154th Annual Convention a reality honors Grange founders, who were known for advocating for technology and new ideas
™
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 Office Depot/Office Max and The Azigo CashBack Shopping Mall. 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
R/
X
With discounts from Choice Hotels, Wyndham Hotels, Hertz, Dollar Car, and Thrifty rental car services, as well as other hotel and rental car businesses, and RV accommodations with Harvest Hosts, these exclusive Grange benefits are sure to help you when planning your next vacation.
HEALTH
Our partnerships with Comfort Keepers, one of the top companies in the eldercare industry, Life Line, and the Medical Air Services Association, the oldest prepaid emergency transportation and screening organization, are sure to give you peace of mind about your health.
PHARMACY
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. Also a partnership with National Affinity Services allows access to the public subsidized government marketplace.
INSURANCE
We have partnerships with United of Omaha Life Insurance Company and MetLife Home and Auto Insurance to give our members discounts on insurance rates and deals. We are proud to announce a new benefit partner, Clouse Insurance Agency. 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
Good DAY!
™
GRASSROOTS
27
J
JUNIOR GRANGE
75
F
FOUNDATION
35
Y
GRANGE YOUTH
83
M
MEMBERSHIP NEWS & RECOGNITION
37
H & L
HOBBIES & LIFESTYLE
84
L
LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
49
R
FOOD & RECIPES
92
PERSPECTIVE:
65
L W
LAST WORD
97
G
P
A family’s legacy up in smoke
NATIONAL NEWS, ISSUES OF INTEREST & VIEWS: Annual Convention Goes Virtual
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Cover Photo
9
National President Betsy Huber smiles after closing the 154th Annual National Grange Convention from the Headquarters conference room in Washington, D.C., on November 18. Truly a convention for the history books, Huber presided over the meeting held through video teleconference, with delegates from across the country gathering virtually to do the work of the Order - including discussing and voting on nearly a hundred resolutions. Huber is entering her sixth year as President, and in that time has faced numerous hurdles of significant magnitude, including an unexpected $1 million chiller/boiler repair at the National Headquarters and engineering reports detailing significant repairs on the near horizon; the resolution of the National Grange’s trademark and other legal battles with the former leadership of the California State Grange, which broke away and formed the California Guild, taking organizational assets and causing confusion and strife; and a pandemic that has changed the face of not just the annual convention, but upended “the way we’ve always done things” and required adaptation on the fly.
Photo credit: Amanda Brozana Rios, National Grange Communications Director
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 communications@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
Staff
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.
®
Officers
Betsy E. Huber, PA, President betsy@nationalgrange.org F. Philip Prelli, CT, Vice President Executive Committee Chair philip.prelli@snet.net Susan Noah, OR,
Executive Committee Secretary master@orgrange.org Leroy Watson, NH, Executive Committee Member & Grange Advocacy Board Chair leroyawatson@nationalgrange.org Lynette Schaeffer, IL,
Executive Committee Member schaeffr@att.net Stephen Coye, NY,
Executive Committee Member steve@nygrange.org Chris Hamp, WA,
National Lecturer lecturer@nationalgrange.org
Betsy E. Huber, Publisher National Grange President & President, Grange Foundation betsy@nationalgrange.org Amanda Leigh Brozana Rios, Editor Communications & Development Director & Grange Foundation Associate communications@nationalgrange.org Loretta Washington, Subscription Manager Sales, Benefits, Programs & Membership Recognition Director lwashington@nationalgrange.org Stephanie Wilkins, Subscriptions Assistant IT Director swilkins@nationalgrange.org
Learn more at www.nationalgrange.org.
OUR
OUR
Samantha Wilkins Operations Manager & National Junior Grange Director samantha@nationalgrange.org Burton Eller Legislative Director beller@nationalgrange.org
William “Chip” Narvel, DE, National Steward John Plank, IN, National Assistant Steward Karen Overstreet, TX, National Lady Assistant Steward
Joe Stefenoni Membership & Leadership Development Director membership@nationalgrange.org Mandy Bostwick Youth Development Director youth@nationalgrange.org
Barbara Borderieux, FL, National Chaplain
Pete Pompper Community Service Director communityservice@nationalgrange.org
Sherry Harriman, ME, National Treasurer Judy Sherrod, TN, National Secretary Christopher Johnston, MI, National Gatekeeper
Kelly Klingman Program Assistant kklingman@nationalgrange.org
Cindy Greer, CO, National Ceres
Sean O’Neil and Kennedy Gwin Interns
Kay Stiles, MD, National Pomona
Mujo Mrkonjic Building Engineer
Welina Shufeldt, OK, National Flora
HEADQUARTERS PHONE (202) 628-3507
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE
4 ®
www.nationalgrange.org
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Betsy E. Huber
The 154th Annual National Grange
back, finding ways to stay in contact,
Session is completed, and it is certainly
conduct their business, and serve their
one for the history books!
communities. I’m so proud of our local
All
52
delegates
plus
officers
Granges and individual members who
“Session
immediately took action, making masks
Central” taking place in the National
and gowns, opening food pantries,
Grange Headquarters, Washington DC,
serving
with only staff present in person. Zoom
whatever they could think of to stay
sessions were held for a total of 14 hours
active and help their neighbors.
over two days and 97 resolutions were
Perseverance
participated
virtually,
with
deliberated, two officers elected, and a meaningful memorial service conducted. Earlier committees
in
November Zoomed
the for
eight many
hours to discuss, amend, and make recommendations on their resolutions and policy statements.
free
drive-through
meals,
Despite the obstacles of lockdowns, physical distancing, isolation, even lack of income or food, we’ve kept going, persevering as we always do, recognizing that difficulties are but opportunities to test our abilities.
is one of the vital parts of your life that you can’t do without. Thank you to all those Granges who have continued to meet in some way,
Throughout its 153 years, the Grange
either virtually, by phone, or in person,
Although we would rather have been
has always found ways to continue its
to continue your work helping others in
together in person, it was great to see
great work, overcoming all obstacles
your communities.
and chat with friends but we missed
and pressing on to the goal of service to
having you there!
others.
are re-setting their priorities, to invite
Priorities
them to your meetings and involve them
As we near the end of the year and completion of nine months of the pandemic, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons we have learned.
Society as a whole has re-centered, discovering what is really important to
Take this opportunity, while people
in your community service activities. We can step in now to fill that void
us—family and friends. Perhaps the Lord
created when all other activities are
wanted us to get rid of all the busyness
closed, if we show our value to the
Grangers have proven their resilience,
in our lives that wasn’t accomplishing
individual and the community through
the ability to bounce back into shape
very much, and concentrate on the vital
our service to others. Use these unusual
after being pressed or stretched; the
things: spending more time together as
circumstances as an opportunity to
ability to recover strength, spirits, and
a family, enjoying meals together in our
showcase your Grange as a vital resource
good humor quickly.
homes, appreciating our children and
in your community. We have a chance to
parents as we should.
make 2021 the best Grange year in our
Resilience
In spite of the
huge challenge of not being able to meet in person, Grangers have bounced
Hopefully you’ve realized that Grange
lifetimes!
Our theme will remain the same for 2021, Cultivating Connections. Please share the creative ways your Grange is embracing this theme by sending an email with details and photos, if applicable, to communications@nationalgrange.org. GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE ®
www.nationalgrange.org
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!™ PRESS DATES 2020-21 Issue Due Date Hits Mailboxes Spring
February 1
April 1, 2021
Fall
August 15
September 15, 2021
Summer Winter
May 1
November 1
June 1, 2021
January 1, 2022
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 Amanda Brozana Rios at communications@nationalgrange.org or by phone at (301) 943-1090 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.
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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6 ®
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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 communications@nationalgrange.org.
From the desk of the AMANDA LEIGH BROZANA RIOS
Editor
By the time you read this, most of
yes could come for their own reasons -
county. They are people, diverse in their
the holiday season will have passed and
faith, love of singing, an opportunity to
professions, their family structure, their
people will be going about their lives -
spend time with friends or the person
faith and so much more, but they believe
changed as they are from the pandemic
they had a crush on, or as was for me,
in small acts to bring joy to others and
- without the same sense of joy, hope,
to make people smile and feel like they
are tolerant of or embrace our most
gratitude and charity toward others as
were part of a connected community
central tenets - faith, hope, charity and
seems to be wrapped up in the sprint
filled with a young generation that cared
fidelity.
toward the end of each year, regardless
about others.
of religion or nationality that seems to be
1992
The adjustment of bringing my through
husband, who is a city kid that has fallen
snowstorms and frigid temperatures and
in love with, but is still quite baffled by
We are fortunate that in most
beautiful nights, with sometimes nearly
interactions with Grange members, in
three dozen young people with a few
some of this rural life stuff, back home
which spirit lives on far beyond the last
adult tag-alongs to a handful that braved
two calendar months, we get a bit of that
the weather, we knocked on doors and
joy all year long.
sang - some of us badly - and enjoyed
part of the human experience.
From
to
1997,
I’ve reflected on this in the past
our little tradition. When I moved home
few months as I’ve made a move with
for a brief time about a decade ago, we
my husband and fur-children to my
did it for a Christmas, along with dozens
childhood home, back with my father
of others in several different towns in the
who has been experiencing a number of
area over a few different nights.
health issues over the past year. Coming
home
obviously
This year, back to the original crew
has been far less difficult than I had imagined it may be. My father is happy to have us home and benefits even more because we bring with us streaming services with new westerns for him to watch and in-house tech support for his new smartphone. And I’m right where I need to be, ready to merge my Grange world with my childhood goals of enriching
brings
with some new additions and a few folks
up so many memories and provides
from our little town seeking to spread joy
opportunities to recenter and reconnect
in what is the most challenging year of
with a part of my identity that I have often
most of our lifetimes, we officially began
felt a bit removed from while away. It also
to pass the torch. Most of my friends
allowed me to fall back into friendships
have human children, many the same
I’ve cherished since my childhood and
age as we were when we criss-crossed
find ways to connect both to who each
the sidewalks covering everything from
has become today and who we were
“Silent Night” to “Rockin’ Around the
Even if it’s not a Christmas tune, I
Christmas Tree.” This will soon be their
hope you’ll resolve this year to keep
memory of Christmas, and that makes
a song in your heart and an eye open
my heart so happy.
for the future of the Grange. They - the
many years ago. One thing that was a huge part of our lives and identity was outreach.
our community and finding ways to reconnect on a human level. You could say, I’m still running on the holiday high. I hope you are, too, because I think we all know when 2020 ended, the challenges that face us personally and as a nation have not.
members-to-be - are out there, finding
When I was 11, I pitched a crazy idea
Truly, it’s the only way I know how to
to my friends - made ever more strange
celebrate the season, but it’s also one of
because I have never been deeply
the ways I find “my people.” Caroling
By the way, if you’re looking for me,
religous. I wanted us to go to the two
with this group allowed me to figure out
or trying to keep your roster up to date,
local nursing homes one evening and
just who may be great additions to the
you can find me at 1509 Red Dale Road,
then door-to-door in our town another
list of folks to help reorganize a recently
Orwigsburg, PA 17961. I’d love to hear
to Christmas carol. Each person who said
closed Grange - the last standing in our
from you sometime!
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE ®
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ways to brighten the spirits of others.
7
Esto Perpetua Ensure the
Grange future in 4 easy steps
Contribute to the National Grange Building Fund or Other Worthy Projects
With necessary repairs like the new roof, the National Grange is in need of your help. You can make a difference by donating directly to the National Grange. Donations to the Grange Foundation help in many ways to strengthen our organization and ensure it truly lives on forever.
STEP 1. SELECT FUNDS OR PROGRAM(S) YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT.
Please indicate the amount you wish to donate to each fund or project. Choose as many as you wish to support and indicate the percentage or amount of your total donation you wish to go to each fund or project selected. If you do not indicate amounts, an equal distribution of your donation will be made to each. Unspecified donations will be credited to the Grange Foundation General Fund.
NATIONAL GRANGE
STEP 2. CALCULATE YOUR TOTAL DONATION. 100% of all proceeds go to the programs you wish to support.
A nonprofit, agricultural fraternity designated as a 501(c)(5) by the IRS.
I am making a $_________ donation to National Grange.
$______ National Headquarters Building Fund
I am making a $_________ donation to Grange Foundation.
$______ Internship Program $______ Legal Protection Fund GRANGE FOUNDATION
A nonprofit organization, focused on the betterment of rural America and agriculture based on education and leadership development, designated as a 501(c) (3) by the IRS. Donations to the Grange Foundation may be tax deductible. Consult your financial advisor.
$______ General Fund
STEP 3. PROVIDE YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS. Check one. _____ I have enclosed checks made payable to National Grange and/or Grange Foundation. _____ I wish for my donation to be made via credit card. (Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted) Name on card ___________________________________
$______ Junior Grange Fund $______ Grange Youth Fund $______ Community & Leadership Development Fund
Card Number ____________________________________ Expiration Date ________/_________ CVC __________
$______ American Arts and Culture Fund $______ Kelley Farm Fund
Signature _______________________________________
$______ Communication Fellows Program
You may also go online to www.nationalgrange.org/give or call Amanda Brozana Rios (301) 943-1090 to make your contribution today. STEP 4. SEND YOUR COMPLETED FORM to the National Grange at 1616 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20006 and relax, knowing you have honored our past and helped to secure our future.
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE
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a
Grange leaders tackle variety of issues during first ever 2-day virtual National Convention By Amanda Brozana Rios National Grange Communications & Development Director History was made this November when the delegates and officers of the National Grange met via Zoom to hold the organization’s 154th Annual Convention. Slated for Nov. 17 through 21 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the event was shortened to only two days, Nov. 17 and 18, and held virtually with only limited staff on site at the Washington, D.C.,
headquarters
organizational
leaders
building attending
and via
Zoom. Other members were invited to take a peek into the proceedings throughout the two days on a livestream that appeared on the National Grange
Photo by Amanda Brozana Rios
YouTube and Facebook pages. National Grange President Betsy Huber called the session to order from behind a podium and laptop in the headquarters conference room. “It was very different,” Huber said of the event. “Our founders probably would never have envisioned a world made
Most National Grange staff were on site at the Washington, D.C., headquarters
of the organization to ensure the 154th Annual Convention went off without a hitch in mid-November. National Grange President Betsy Huber, left, looks
to Sales, Benefits, Programs and Membership Recognition Director Loretta
Washington and Operations Manager and Junior Grange Director Samantha Wilkins, who were consulting with delegates and officers gathered through Zoom for the event.
possible by the internet with meetings of people scattered throughout the country,
carried, but the American flag, Grange
but we made it work.”
flag and open Bible were all still honored
The set-up was certainly different.
mainstays.
members. On the first night of the two-day session, a memorial service was held, led
Instead of marching drills and officers
Attendees stood and sat based on the
by National Chaplain Barbara Borderieux
seated around the hall, the attendees
raps of the gavel and slight adaptations
to honor 15 past National Delegates,
joined from living rooms and kitchens,
were made to ensure the meeting felt as
including Past National President Robert
much like normal as possible, but “it’s
Barrow, who passed away since the close
the fellowship of Grange conventions
of the 153rd Annual Session.
offices and backyards. No staves were
that was sorely missed,” Huber said.
Representatives
from
each
state
Fellowship and brotherhood were
from which the memorialized member
not forgotten throughout the session
hailed provided a tribute and each of
with time built in to socialize and honor
the National Graces recited a poem.
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
9
National Grange IT Director and Potomac Grange Chaplain Stephanie Wilkins sang “Amazing Grace” and “Great is thy Faithfulness.” During the convention, several special moments were taken to recognize the efforts of individuals to raise profile of the organization over the past year and go above and beyond in their service. One such moment of recognition came as Wilkins was thanked for her 20 years of service to the organization. National Grange Community Service Director
Pete
Pompper
presented
Huber and Legislative Director Burton Eller with Community Service Director’s pins, noting the work they have done to bring together and provide a sense of community for members and beyond, and ensure rural residents’ needs are brought to the attention of legislators and regulators during this trying time. Huber was also presented with a framed copy of an op-ed she co-authored that was published in The Washington Times in November 2019 on the need for Congress to consider rural needs when debating an infrastructure package. Grange Advocacy Board Chairman Leroy Watson said the work Huber, Eller and the rest of the staff has done to raise
Photo by Amanda Brozana Rios National Grange President Betsy Huber, in the background, looks to staff
gathered in the Washington, D.C., headquarters building during the 154th
Annual National Grange Convention, to ensure all votes have been counted prior to announcing the results of a resolution. Delegates and officers of the National Grange appear on Zoom on a computer in the foreground.
the profile of the Grange over the past year has been incredibly helpful to rural
submitted and begin writing policy
can be done thoroughly and in a timely
Americans everywhere.
statements.
fashion.
He said work done by delegates to
“I think the work the committees
Many of the State Presidents gathered
set policy provided an excellent base
were able to do before convention in
at the event had also hosted their own
for our outreach because of its thorough
their Zoom meetings was excellent, and
State Conventions via Zoom or other
vetting.
it allowed them time to really think about
virtual platform in the weeks prior, and
attendees
what resolutions were proposing and
had experienced the more challenging
said the event was a success, everyone
what Grange policy looks like,” National
elements of taking a long-established
noted they hope to be back in person in
Grange Legislative Director Burton Eller
form and renewing it for an entirely new
2021 with everyone safe and healthy in
said.
environment.
While
she
and
other
attendance.
Eller and Huber both said they plan
California State Grange had thought
in
to continue using Zoom or a similar
through the voting process and chose
committees during the weeks leading
platform to hold committee meetings in
to incorporate paddles for voting – a
up to the Convention to discuss present
advance of the in-person event in future
green thumbs up and red thumbs down
policy, review resolutions that had been
years to ensure the work of the Order
that delegates would raise upon the
Delegates
10
met
via
Zoom
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
call from the President to vote on everything from minutes to
urging further research into chronic pain, the development of
amendments to resolutions. Paddles were distributed only to
non-opioid therapies and other pain management options and
voting delegates by mail a week prior to the event.
further education about chronic pain and ways to manage it
National Operations Manager and Junior Director Samantha
while avoiding opioid addiction.
Wilkins and National Benefits, Sales and Membership
In the summer, several State Grange Presidents took up the
Recognition Director Loretta Washington served to tally votes
issue of improving the Dietary Guidelines of America (DGA),
as they were taken with only a few requiring extra scrutiny
by urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and
because of the close nature of the results.
Human Services to require the committee which creates these
“I’m glad we had the color system. It made it easy to
standards to place an emphasis on legitimate and pertinent
recognize what the vote was the delegate was trying to cast
health studies and recommendations. Specifically, State
and ensure that we only counted eligible voting delegates
Grange Presidents took issue with the removal of whole milk
since they were the only ones with the paddles,” Samantha
from schools because of the DGA, when research shows there
Wilkins said.
are positive benefits to drinking whole milk, specifically with
Of the nearly 100 resolutions under review by the delegates, several dozen new policies or changes to the policy book were
vitamins and minerals found in milk that can have long-lasting health benefits.
made, and one change to the Digest of Laws – stating explicitly
Additionally, a resolution looking at emergency funding for
that executive committees at all levels may act on behalf of the
the USPS, something the Grange wrote and spoke at length
Grange “only in times of emergency.”
about during the summer and fall, was passed.
A few policies of note that passed during the convention are very timely, Eller said.
Eller said policy was already on our side, but the resolution helped to make a direct statement that the Grange “supports
Specifically, he highlighted three that have already garnered press attention for the Grange.
a move by Congress to provide the USPS emergency funding, not just continued support and efforts to reduce the burden of
The first is a policy that places the Grange among groups
pre-funding its pension, so it can continue essential services.” A resolution to support reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Communities Self-Determination Act passed, with delegates showing concern for the more than 700 rural counties across the country who could face “dramatic budgetary shortfalls” without such a move by Congress. As rhetoric was rampant regarding the composition of the nation’s highest court and potential expansion thereof, delegates voted to oppose any legislation that would expand the number of justices of the Supreme Court beyond nine or remove lifetime tenure. COVID-19 and health issues raised by the pandemic were also at the forefront, with delegates debating several resolutions, including those adopted that encourage “people to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding immunizations,” and a recommendation that the CDC use information learned during this pandemic to “implement a more comprehensive plan for assisting the older population during times of health emergencies.” From those recommendations, the Grange encourages legislation by Congress to “improve efforts to prevent, control and respond
Photo by Amanda Brozana Rios
to future pandemics and the potential effect they may have on
National Grange Legislative Director Burton Eller takes
our public health as well as the health of our economy.”
Annual National Grange Convention in mid-November.
ways that all “long-term care facilities have sufficient access
notes on resolutions as they are discussed during the 154th
N
In addition, a resolution passed called for any plan to find
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
11
to personal protective equipment and
Resolutions
from
Granges
in
favors allowing up to 49 percent foreign
infectious disease testing for all staff and
Washington,
California
ownership of a U.S. communications
patients.”
found success with the Citizenship
company as a method to exit or avoid
Rounding out the focus on healthcare
Committee and majority of delegates
bankruptcy for a short term (less than
issues, the delegates passed a resolution
to the session who voted in favor of
or equal to seven years) period; and
in favor of amending “the Social Security
supporting a new holiday, veterans, the
“no one foreign entity should own
Act to count a period of receipt of
homeless and media issues.
more than a 25 percent stake in a U.S.
Oregon
and
outpatient observation services in a
Adopted was a resolution coming
communications company in the long-
hospital toward satisfying the three-
from Five Mile Prairie Grange #905
term.” As such, delegates set a priority
day inpatient hospital stay requirement
in Washington, written by a 12-year-
for the organization to lobby the FCC
for coverage of skilled nursing facility
old
Emily
to overturn its May 29, 2020 decision
services under Medicare.” This is an
Cabbage.
resolution
on a petition by Cumulus Media for up
important change in law, Eller said, as
directs the Grange to lobby Congress
to 100 percent aggregate direct and/or
current statute says that if a patient is
for the establishment of a national day
indirect foreign investment in order to
listed as receiving hospital care under
of observance for Eleanor Roosevelt,
exit bankruptcy.
“observation” not “inpatient” status,
a Granger herself, “for her work and
The Grange strongly supports the
and is later transferred or returned to a
contributions both to the American
U.S. military and all who serve in our
skilled nursing facility, they incur all costs
people and on behalf of international
armed forces. They went on record at
for medical care at that facility.
human rights.”
this convention in support of non-citizen
Junior
Grange The
member,
adopted
“This often is a surprise bill, and
“This was a great learning exercise,
veterans and their immediate families
patients sometimes don’t know what
and also a great win for an amazing,
to be offered “an expedited path to full
status they’re being held in at a hospital
and under-recognized woman,” Jauna
citizenship during their service or upon
or how it will impact them financially,”
Cabbage said.
receiving an honorable discharge.”
Eller said.
Emily said doing research about
The Grange is also in favor of
how national observances are codified
alternative housing units, such as tiny
and following her resolution through its
homes, to house the homeless and
grassroots, democratic process in the
encourages the development of tiny
Grange – similar to that of legislation
house villages specifically to address the
introduced in Congress – has inspired
needs of homeless veterans.
her.
Delegates also adopted as part of
“It has been such an interesting
their policy a statement encouraging all
and motivating opportunity, and has
Granges “to strive for social and racial
opened my eyes to things I’m very
justice, equality and compassion in
lucky to experience, such as meeting
human relations by initiating open public
elected officials, and making a difference
meetings in collaboration with other
nationally,” Emily said.
local and State organizations fighting
The Grange is on the record as supporting local news, specifically in favor
against social injustice and harsh racial practices.”
of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act
Trying to assist others was also part of
Photo by Amanda Brozana Rios
and similar legislation that would help
the rationale for delegates in electing to
During the 154th Annual National
especially help small newspapers, which
make national policy support of the Food
are often the only journalism outlets
Donation Improvement Act, which would
serving rural communities, to continue
allow food donors, caterers and others
their watchdog role. Additionally, the
to receive additional liability protections
op-ed she co-wrote that appeared in
Grange voted on a resolution in favor
when donating food, a way to decrease
of limiting foreign ownership of U.S.
food waste and combat food insecurity.
2019.
media outlets. “The National Grange
Convention,
Grange
Advocacy
presented National Grange President Betsy Huber with a framed copy of an The Washington Times in November
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
In addition, delegates elected to
adopt policy in support of custom butchers to slaughter, package
suffering due to the COVID pandemic.
and sell animals from local farms to in-state communities for
Delegates adopted an addition to current policy including
individual use without an inspector on site, a move that would
dairy workers as well as sheepherders to the H-2A nonimmigrant
increase local sustainability and access.
visa category, and allowing for “extensions of additional three
The Grange also is encouraging public funding for awareness
year periods without requiring a period of absence” prior to
campaigns about farm and ranch stress and destigmatize
extension, moves that would help relieve some stress on the
mental health care in rural communities, as well as expand
dairy industry.
stress management training to agents of the Food Service and
Finally, livestock was part of the discussion in relation to
Risk Management Agency, among others, who deal directly
wildfires, when delegates adopted a resolution in support of
with producers so they may be able to direct farmers in need
public education of the value of using rangeland and forestland
to appropriate mental health services.
as grazing area to reduce wildfire fuel load. Additionally,
In another agriculture related move, delegates adopted
delegates voted to support the Emergency Wildfire and Public
policy to support the Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act or similar
Safety Act or similar legislation focused on reducing the threat
legislation that will financially assist fairs across the nation
of wildfires especially in the western part of the United States.
Kansas set to host 2021 session; great entertainment slated operates three farmsteads all within the
By Kennedy Gwin National Grange Intern
same vicinity.
155th Annual National Grange Convention November 9-13. 2021 · Wichita, Kansas
ng Connections Cultivati
Gear up and get ready for National Grange Convention in 2021, because it will be a reunion to remember! 2020, we look forward to this opportunity National
highlights that make Wichita a fantastic home for the event.
Grange
As an example, did you know, Wichita
Convention will take place in Wichita,
is the airplane manufacturing capital of
Kansas.
the world?
Melanie Bostwick, First Lady of
Within the convention site there are
the Kansas State Grange, is serving as
many different options for food within
convention host planning chair. She has secured an “ideal location,” and has been pulling together several great options for the event, including first-rate entertainment. Bostwick, who is also a member of the Grange Foundation board, worked to secure the Peterson Brothers, a country/ agriculture parody band who cover
share their story and discuss how others Bostwick also noted some area
Region Great Plains by the d e t s ho
to come together. 155th
speaking opportunities and a chance to can become agriculture ambassadors.
After an untraditional convention in
The
While at the convention the Peterson Brothers will take time to engage in a few
walking distance as well as a riverfront “You will not want to miss this
walk to enjoy in the afternoon or evening.
performance,” Bostwick said. “They are
The hotel also offers a car service that
just great, funny and entertaining, and
will take you anywhere within a 1.5-mile
wonderful ambassadors of agriculture.” The Peterson Brothers band is made up of the three brothers Greg, Nathan, and Kendall.
radius of the hotel and pick you up when you are finished exploring the city. There are multiple activities for people of all ages, so do not be afraid to bring the family along, Bostwick said.
and reinvent songs to reflect their lives.
All three brothers currently work on
Popular hits include “A Fresh Breath of
their family farm in Kansas where they
Farm Air” (a parody of the Fresh Prince
grow
of Bel Air) and “We will Milk Cows” (a
wheat, and their primary agricultural
since,” Bostwick said. “Come check it
parody of We will Rock You). Their act is
item, beef cattle.
out, as this won’t be a convention that
also filled with jokes and more.
sunflowers,
The
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family
alfalfa,
currently
soybeans,
runs
and
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
“It has been 30 years since we’ve been in Kansas [for a National Grange Convention] and it has really changed
you will forget.”
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Why are food prices rising and how can you save? Courtesy of Brandpoint The COVID-19 pandemic has affected food prices more than nearly any other part of the household budget. In April, the Food-at-Home Consumer Price Index increased 2.7 percent, which was the largest monthly jump since 1974. From June 2019 to June 2020, food prices are up 5.6%. Why is this happening, and furthermore, how can you save on your family’s grocery bills? The food supply chain and price fluctuations The food supply chain is made up of three parts: production, processing, and retail. As food items move down the supply chain, value is added to the product. • Production incudes the farms and ranches that grow the food. • Processing entails the manufacturers that turn food from the farm into consumerready options such as corn flakes or orange juice. • Retail includes the stores where shoppers purchase different food items. There are several factors that regularly influence food prices such as weather, farming production, growth in the population and trade. Sometimes there are shocks to the food supply chain that have big influences on prices, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 factors’ influence on food prices As communities quickly responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, every stage of the food supply chain saw costs increase. There are four key trends that are influencing food costs: Shift to eating at home: In a matter of two months, approximately $23 billion in consumer spending away from home was redirected toward grocery stores as restaurants were forced to close due to COVID-19, according to FMI - The Food Industry Association. Loss of foodservice demand: When
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restaurants closed, farmers and ranchers lost a key channel for their product. With fewer buyers, it is costly or impractical to harvest, preserve or store some food and beverage products. Increasing production and processing costs: During COVID-19, companies have made investments and adjustments to safeguard their products and employees. This means costs for food production are higher. Some manufacturers have been able to innovate and find new markets for their products, but these changes often entail added costs. Increasing operating costs for grocery stores: Compared to 2019, supermarket operating costs were up 7.9% in April 2020 and 6.7% in May 2020, according to USDA Economic Research Service. Grocery stores have remained open during the pandemic and have had to quickly adjust to new regulations, safety and sanitation practices and enhanced customer education - all requiring resources. In addition, some areas of the grocery store, including salad bars and hot bars, have had to shut down, meaning a loss of revenue. For additional information, visit www. FMI.org/FoodPrices101. Tips to save money at the grocery store The experts at FMI - The Food
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
Industry Association - predict food prices may remain high for a while but stress the food supply chain is resilient and is likely to normalize over time. Regardless, there are ways shoppers can save money while at the store: Plan ahead: Planning meals and snacks for the week before heading to the grocery store helps ensure you only purchase what you need. Use a shopping list or app to help stay organized. Check your store’s circular, website or app for coupons and specials ahead of time. Compare options: Consider purchasing store brands, usually priced less and with equal taste and nutrition. When possible, purchase bulk protein options for freezing extras. Compare unit prices of different brands and package sizes to save. The “unit price” is the price per ounce, pound or pint, and is typically listed on the shelf tag. Canned or frozen food options can have an extended shelf-life and help stretch your dollar. Seek out assistance programs: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants & Children nutrition program, or WIC, help families during times of need. Visit FeedingAssistance.com for more information on these federal programs and eligibility.
Food insecurity on dramatic rise during pandemic years – as these families work to recover.
By Gary Sloan Feed the Children Chief Domestic Operations Officer
At Feed the Children, a leading hunger relief organization, we believe it is urgent that we do not let our
For many families across America and around the world, 2020 has been
neighbors down when they need us the most.
the hungriest year in modern history.
The pandemic has brought new
In addition to worrying about food
challenges to food security across the
and economic insecurity brought on by
U.S.
COVID-19, many have had hardships compounded including
by
natural
tornadoes,
disasters
wildfires
and
hurricanes.
We all know access to healthy food options and nutrition are important to our physical and mental health, the growth and development for children,
This year has also brought challenges
and overall well-being.
for nonprofits and businesses alike.
Food insecurity has sky-rocketed
At the same time, it has allowed
over the course of the year and is
us
expected to continue to increase for
We have been working every day for
understanding of community and what
many households. Many children who
the past 40 years to stamp out hunger
can be accomplished when we all work
are
childcare
and we have a bold vision to create
together.
centers or in-person school have limited
a world where no child goes to bed
Earlier this year, as schools and
access to school meals - a source of
hungry. However, we realize we can’t
businesses across the nation closed
nutritious meals for millions of students
do it alone. At Feed the Children, we
during the onset of the COVID-19
across the country.
have been very fortunate that both our
to
develop
an
even
deeper
pandemic, millions of families were facing a crisis. The loss of jobs and income during this
no
longer
attending
Since food insecurity and poor
corporate and community partners have
nutrition are associated with several
been able to increase their efforts to
chronic
help meet the needs of at-risk families
illnesses
that
put
people
during these historic times.
pandemic
at higher risk for the more severe
has affected not
complications of COVID-19, the food
only the most
access crisis threatens to intensify the
increased
vulnerable, but
disparities in health for at-risk children
providing millions of pounds of food
also millions of
and families.
for families, in what was a record-
Our longtime partner, Tyson Foods, its
hunger
relief
efforts
across
Currently, it is estimated 1 in 4 children
setting year for the organization. Other
the country who
in the U.S. may be food insecure due
partners including Kraft-Heinz, Frito Lay,
have never had
to the economic effects of COVID-19.
L’Oréal and dozens more also increased
others
Before the onset of the pandemic, 1 in 7
donations to allow us to reach more
Food insecurity across the country
children were affected. This is occurring
families. But even this cannot erase the
has risen significantly since the pandemic
at a time when America’s food banks are
growing needs of food insecure children
sidelined 14 million workers in the U.S.
reporting severe shortages, with some
and families.
from February to May, according to the
spending 10 times the amount they
That’s why we work with public and
Pew Research Center. And, although
usually do to keep up with demand.
private partners to ensure everyone,
the U.S. Department of Labor reports
Others have had to close completely
everywhere, has access to the safe,
that this number has now dropped to
because
their
healthy and nutritious food they need.
11.1 million, the economic effects of the
food supplies, or they don’t have the
By working with a vast network of
pandemic will linger for months – if not
manpower to operate them.
community partners, Feed the Children
to worry about their livelihood.
N
they
have
depleted
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
15
Survey data can tell story of Grange
provides food and essentials, support for educators, and
with the materials they need to continue their education
disaster response to help children and their families achieve
during this challenging time. Our work continues this holiday
stable lives, while providing food and resources to help them
season as we plan to provide more than 1.2 million meals to
impact, may help capture grant funding
today.
people across the U.S. who are just trying to make ends meet.
You might be surprised that 80 percent of our standard
We will also be supplying hundreds of thousands of pounds
domestic work involves supplying community partners – such
of additional food and essentials to our network of community
as food pantries – with the bulk items they need to do their
partners to make sure their shelves are stocked to meet the daily By work. By utilizing thisBrozana approach,Rios we can ensure At we the are sameincoming time, need. many All other with liimted access to we affordable, Amanda Leigh of these things give me hope that can organizations that have sprung up to tackle nutritious and fresh foods. reaching the children and families who need us. Perhaps overcome challenges as long as we keep working together. oneduring issue orthis another can pull information If your Grange is planning an event, is power.lessons we’ve learned one ofKnowledge the most valuable As a volunteer at a recent event noted, what we can offer together quickly about how many members outreach or some other program related And power is important when telling pandemic is the importance of adapting to the situation the activities community is tune hope. This is asecurity, tangible way we itcan have engaged in what to the to food you maythat report if it will the story of the Grange today. in real-time. By doing so, we’ve been able to help families make a difference during a time that can sometimes feel of how many dollars and hours. occur before the end of December 2019. WIthout data, the National Grange across the country. hopeless. Our structure has hindered our ability “We know most of our Granges do falls behind our younger peers - who Since March, Feed the Children has distributed more than relymore on voluntary some work infor the of food security,” often have “checkbook donor” members to do the same, so we Now, than ever, it’s important thearea nonprofit sector, 35 million pounds of food and essentials to more than 600 anecdotes and National Grange President Betsy Huber rather than active, “boots-on-the- response to inquiries, corporations, community organizations, government officials, community partners across America. During recent months, ground” folks doing the work that needs composite sketches to try to tell potential said. “Participation by all of our Granges and food suppliers to come together to do good for those when delivery methods were not funders, available, our and the media just how in this survey will help us put that work partners to traditional be done to help their community who need us. We know that when we combine our efforts, we partners worked to develop and as innovative waysGrange of important outreach in its various already being done into perspective. - when seeking funding new as well will have a greater impact. Surveys capture what your Grange is in small-town America. partnership opporunities. getting food and essentials into the hands offorms families that The pandemic hasa brought therecently importance work following page, we have such, The manyorganizations of the programs has done relatedoftoour food security need itAsmost. we’reand working On withthehave outreach initiatives central to the Grange are survey that if a large enough sample of or food literacy, specifically within to light as many families face unexpected challenges. At the delivered food and daily household essentials in a variety of overlooked or considered less significant. responses are garnered will allow us to last 2 years. The target date for surveys ways including door-to-door, by holding drive-through events organizations like Feed the Children, we work every day to We are unable to adequately show better show the impact of the Grange in to be completed and returned is June and some even had call-in numbers for individuals to request make a difference in the lives of children and their families. how our priorities are carried out and we relation to food security and food literacy. 30, 2019. these items. During this time, we’ve also distributed thousands And, thanks to our partners, we can continue providing help, cannot relay the details of the outreach It will also show if our Granges lie Surveys should be returned to the of pounds of Granges books and additional educational supplies to hope and resources. from local - the true strength of in food deserts and how they become National Grange office at 1616 H St. NW, cancommunities learn more about our work at educators and families across the country to provide students our organization. essential resources inYou those Washington, DCfeedthechildren.org. 20006, ATTN: Survey.
How are your neighbors doing? 6.9 Million rural Americans live below the poverty line 15% OF Rural Households StrugglE with Food Security
GRANGE
values
This ad was produced by the National Grange as part of our public service announcement series. This ad may be replicated so long as the Grange Values logo appears.
16 16
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™
www.nationalgrange.org
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SafeLink is not liable for any loss, injury, claim, liability, or damage of any kind resulting in any way from Doc.com app and its services. SafeLink promotes the app but is not responsible for any content contained ™ therein or any delay or failure in performance by Doc.com app. The Doc.com app will consume data. Please check your data balance by texting 611611 before starting or use Wi-Fi. Only active and enrolled SafeLink customers are eligible for this offer. When you purchase, activate, or use a SafeLink phone or SafeLink Wireless services, you agree to comply with the latest Terms and Conditions of Service, which are subject to change without notice. Please refer always to the latest Terms and Conditions of Service at SafeLink.com. SafeLink® is a registered trademark of TracFone Wireless, Inc. ©2020 TracFone Wireless, Inc. 9700 NW www.nationalgrange.org 112th Avenue, Miami, FL 33178. All rights reserved.
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COVID-19 contributes to uptick in opioid-related deaths By Dr. Paul Christo John Hopkins Multidisciplinary Pain Fellowship Program Director Telemedicine and tele-mental health services have emerged as valuable resources for those battling addictions during our country’s expanding opioid crisis. The availability of remote healthcare services gives hope for those struggling with their addictions against a backdrop of social isolation, explains Dr. Paul Christo, an Associate Professor in the Division of Pain Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and he adds, clinicians need to advocate to their patients that online treatment options are available. Dr. Christo, who is on the frontlines working to curb the impact of the opioid crisis, also wants patients to know that critical medications for maintaining sobriety can now be prescribed by telehealth or telephone. “The number of fatalities from opioidrelated overdoses could be nearly 30 percent higher than reported due to missing information or incomplete death records,” he says. “The worst fear is that because of social isolation, people are not being
found or treated immediately.” The opioid epidemic today progressed in three phases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The first involves deaths caused by prescription opioids, the second, an increase in heroin use, and the third, a surge in the use of synthetic opioids or fentanyl. Experts say the U.S. is right in the middle of the third phase of the epidemic, due to the increasing availability of fentanyl and increasing rates of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids. According to a recent study there were 632,331 drug overdoses between 1999 and 2016. Most of these deaths (78.2 percent) were drug overdoses with known drug classification. Moreover, 21.8 percent were unclassified drug overdoses. A further investigation revealed that for unclassified drug overdoses, 71.8 percent involved opioids, translating to 99,160 additional opioid-related deaths. There were over 70,000 drug overdose
deaths in 2017, according to an estimate from the CDC. Based on findings from the new study, over half of those deaths — about 47,000 — are suspected of having involved opioids. Another study on opioid overdoses found that the number of drug overdose deaths decreased by 4 percent from 2017 to 2018. In 2018, more than 67,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Almost 70 percent of those deaths involved a prescription or illicit opioid. “COVID 19 impacted the drug supply chain by closing borders on some regions, and it led to the higher death rate,” Dr. Christo explained. He added that drugs become more challenging to get, and the potency of overdose goes up. It also impacts the price, everything goes up, and in that sense, it becomes more deadly each day, according to Dr. Christo. Dr. Paul Christo is the author of Aches and Gains, A Comprehensive Guide to Overcoming Your Pain and hosts an awardwinning, nationally syndicated SIRIUS XM radio talk show on overcoming pain called, Aches and Gains®.
National Grange hires part-time Program Assistant By Amanda Brozana Rios
within smaller, family-owned businesses.
National Grange Communication & Development Director
Maryland, with her three children, and
She currently lives in Calvert County, veteran co-parent.
In September, the National Grange
Klingman said she enjoys spending
welcomed to its staff Kelly Klingman as
time with her children and her golden
a part-time program assistant for the
retriever.
headquarters office.
She
Originally from Florida, Klingman brings a wide variety of experience in
finance,
family
and
community” and admires the Grange’s long history of community service. “I am immensely proud to have
administrative management to her new
been selected to join and learn from
role.
the National Grange and look forward has
resources,
values
and
Klingman
human
“deeply
spent
her
career
working with both large corporations and
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to supporting the National Grange’s mission,” Klingman said.
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
RALLYING TOGETHER TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES The opioid epidemic continues to sweep through communities across the country. The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) is working with The Grange to increase awareness of prescription drug misuse & connect rural communities with helpful resources to help prevent substance misuse and abuse
®
Learn more at raliusa.org GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL
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A plea on behalf of seniors: Renew and abide by safety protcols ourselves - by adding a weekly chat to
By Mark Gibbons
an older friend or relative to our call
President, RetireSafe
sheet. Consider asking for a bit of family history you’ve always wondered about,
There are approximately 50 million
talk about what places they used to
seniors, age 65 and older, living in
enjoy visiting in town when they were
the U.S. today. This population and
young or ask for a beloved recipe.
countless others that fall under the
There are so many ways you can
“mature adult” category are the most
use this time to make meaningful
at risk demographic for contracting
connections with older loved ones and
COVID-19.
provide a mental health boost to each
While stay at home ordinances may
of you.
be relaxing and stores are beginning
This rush to reopen the country and
to open, these individuals are still
abandon safe practices has left many
imprisoned in their homes or care facilities,
attempting
to
abide
aging adults feeling disposable, but
by
their needs should not be an after-
guidance from health professionals. Unfortunately, as more retail opens and groups continue to gather in larger and more frequent masses, health and social-distancing precautions continue to diminish. Yes, these are unprecedented and chaotic times. Everywhere, individuals are
grappling
thought.
for already vulnerable populations. Seniors
have
seen
a
spike
in
depression since the onset of socialdistancing and that social isolation is now being felt tenfold as they watch others reunite from behind windows. By continuing to ignore the health protocols and social guidance that
with the “new
should still be in practice, people are
normal”
and
only prolonging that loneliness and
what
that
the immense mental toll it will have on
means for their communities. But
seniors. America also seems to forget that
Quality of life is crucial to mental and physical health at every age and for seniors it’s more important than ever. Seniors want to get out too! They want to see their families and hug their grandchildren. Yet, acting on those desires comes with a cost, and for many that cost could be their life. America must recognize that we are still grappling with a massive health crisis and only through renewed precautions and ultimately the discovery of vaccine
as
these individuals are dealing with other
nation
chronic conditions and need access to
to
medications and treatment. There are,
heal and move forward, everyone must
of course, larger policies that should be
remember that there are populations
enacted to improve access during this
protocols and abide by the rules our
still waiting to get their “normal” back,
time.
nation once clung to as a necessity for
our continues
if they ever can.
Expanding
in
home
treatment
I understand there are many issues
coverage under Medicare or ensuring
to solve in our country at the moment,
rebates are passed on to patients
but I also believe that our apparent
are both ways Congress can improve
amnesia of this global pandemic’s
will this problem finally come to an end. That is why I call on our nation to renew its dedication to health and safety
the future. All of us owe it to our elders and to the nation as a whole. RetireSafe is a grassroots advocacy
access to care and lessen the economic
non-profit
disastrous effects will lead to another
burdens this pandemic has created.
1991, RetireSafe’s mission is to educate
wave of coronavirus cases.
Ultimately, though, it is on us, as fellow
and advocate on behalf of Americans
citizens, to do our part.
on issues including Social Security,
This onslaught of new cases will only compound the issues our country has yet
Each of us can help solve the
to solve and create new more dire issues
crisis of isolation for our seniors - and
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
organization.
Formed
in
Medicare, health, safe retirement, and financial wellbeing.
Snacking safely: Food delivery services in time of COVID-19 By Kellie Jackson Intern, RetireSafe Food. It nourishes our bodies and knits our communities together. Its recipes are passed down through generations. Its smell beckons us to the table and makes our mouths water with the anticipation of a delicious meal heartily enjoyed and hopefully well-shared. Whether it is hastily prepared for a potluck, thrown together for a casual dinner, or carefully crafted for a special occasion, the food we eat matters just as much as the people we share it with. Yet, with the onset of a global pandemic, we must now consider an even more pressing component of dining in – how the food makes it from market-to-mouth. Before the COVID-19 pandemic altered life as we knew it, it was easy to simply turn to our local grocery stores for all of our food needs. However, as winter sets in and COVID-19 cases ebb and flow, it is important to be aware of the food delivery services available that will not only halt your hunger but protect you and your loved ones in the process. Here are a few options that are sure to do the trick. Sun Basket Notorious for the nutritional value of their meals, Sun Basket offers its customers a wide variety of options. Classic meal kits that require preparation are available along with fresh and ready meals for those who simply want to heat and eat. Sun Basket also offers Chef’s Choice meals for those special occasions that call for a fancier feast than your average Tuesday night dinner. Sun Basket even accommodates customers who have special dietary restrictions by offering vegetarian, gluten-free, and even diabetes-friendly menus. Recently, Sun Basket has expanded their menu beyond dinner to include tasty snacks and bold breakfast options as well. For those of you who value organic produce, responsibly raised meats and poultry, and sustainably sourced seafood, Sun Basket is the ideal choice for premium food and flavor.
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Mom’s Meals These high-quality meals, created by professional chefs and registered dieticians, arrive fully-cooked and ready-to-eat. Like other food delivery services, Mom’s Meals caters to dietary restrictions. However, Mom’s Meals creates more detailed menus depending on the chronic conditions of the clients they serve. For example, Mom’s Meals offers menus that specialize in heart, diabetes, renal, and cancer health. They even offer pureed options for customers who have difficulty swallowing. Furthermore, Mom’s Meals offers specialized plans for customers with Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans, which is more inclusive and cost-aware for the assortment of customers that participate in meal delivery services. Another notable characteristic of Mom’s Meals is that they can deliver anywhere in the country, meaning that geography is not a factor in whether or not your food makes it from the back of a delivery truck to your kitchen table. Due to its extensive focus on feeding those with chronic conditions, Mom’s Meals is the prime choice for seniors. Instacart This American company offers grocery delivery and pickup services in participating stores, so that you never have to brave the long lines or the perilous parking lots of grocery stores ever again. Aside from having your groceries delivered, Instacart can also deliver pandemic commodities like toilet paper and hand soap in addition to other household items. Instacart offers same-day delivery in as little as two hours, saving you time that is often wasted on a lengthy grocery store commute. In addition to saving time, Instacart can also save you money because they offer exclusive coupons on hundreds of items. For those of you who are comfortable with cooking but wish to avoid the crowds, Instacart is a worthy choice for meeting all of your grocery needs. Regardless of the food delivery service you choose, it is important to remember that you do have options for eating well during a pandemic – all of which are meant to keep you and your family snacking safely.
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
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How dairy farmers are protecting our planet Skaneateles, New York, maximizes his operation’s resources
Courtesy of BrandPoint A gallon of milk. Cream for our coffee. A pat of butter. Whether you’re enjoying a yogurt on the go in the morning or family night at home with a cheese and veggie pizza, dairy has been an enjoyable and nutritious part of daily life for generations. Throughout that time, America’s dairy farm families have provided an essential service to nourish their communities, during good times or bad. Did you know those same dairy farmers are also taking care of our planet? America’s 34,000 dairy farm families are directly connected to the land and have a long history of care for the environment and responsible dairy production. Since 2007, the entire dairy value chain worked together to reduce the carbon footprint of each gallon of milk by 19%, using 30% less water and 21% less land, as seen in the Journal of Animal Science (2017). Now, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, established under the leadership of dairy farmers and dairy companies, set aggressive, industry-wide sustainability targets for 2050:
with a combination of climate-smart practices. He uses an anaerobic digester to make cow bedding and crop fertilizer out of cow manure, and he also partners with an environmental group to ensure the water quality of New York’s Finger Lakes meets the highest standards for his community. As a result, the water quality surrounding his dairy farm has improved both downstream and upstream. For Lloyd and Daphne Holterman, healthy cows and a healthy planet go hand in hand at Watertown, Wisconsin’s Rosy-Lane Holsteins dairy. They improved their production so cows can produce more milk per pound of feed, and the farm has not used antibiotics on its milking herd in over seven years. Oregon’s largest dairy farm, Threemile Canyon Farms in Boardman, has little to no waste, thanks to its closed-loop system. Highlights from the dairy’s system: mint harvest byproducts are included in the cows’ feed; manure is used as fertilizer; and its anaerobic digester produces renewable natural gas. It powers natural gas vehicles on the farm, which
• Become carbon neutral or better;
reduce fuel emissions by 80% compared to diesel fuel.
• Optimize water use while maximizing recycling; • Improve water quality by optimizing utilization of manure
U.S. dairy farmers recognize the challenges facing our planet require more than just individual action. That’s why the
and nutrients. Recognizing the challenges facing our planet, farmers
U.S. dairy community is building on a long-standing history
across the U.S. are adopting conservation practices, caring
of environmental stewardship and collaborating on ways to
for their cows, recycling water and some are even generating
accelerate the pace of continuous improvement to become
clean energy to help make dairy an environmental solution.
an environmental solution, ultimately laying the roadmap to
One such farmer, Dirk Young of Twin Birch Dairy in
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responsibly feed families for generations to come.
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Photos courtesy of the American Stamp Dealer Association The Oleomargarine Act of 1886 established an
annual tax on occupations concerned with the
manufacture, distribution, and retail sale of
oleomargarine. Payment of the $600 tax - a sum that
remained unchanged from 1886 until the taxation
ceased June 30, 1950 - was documented by a special
placard like this one, to be placed on display in the business.
An Grange early victory: The fight against ‘bogus butter’ By Alan Bjerga National Milk Producers Federation, VP of Communications
By Amanda Brozana Rios National Grange Communications & Development Director They called it “Butterine,” and it was the “innovation” of its times. But it was an imposter. Dairy fought its labeling chicanery, with outcomes that have benefited consumers ever since. That’s why everyone should remember – and be thankful for — the Butter Act, something the Grange heavily advocated for in its early years. Officially named the Oleomargarine Act, signed by President Grover Cleveland on August 2, 1886, it was one of the signature
The law required oleomargarine containers be marked with a form 219 label from the Department of Agriculture that clearly indicated the product, as well as the establishment number where the product was manufactured.
issues for those introducing the Grange and its potential to inform and influence legislators in the first quarter century of the Order’s existence. After heated Congressional debate, what became remembered as the Butter Act of 1886 created what to this day remains the only standard of identity for a food product set by Congress rather than regulators. It was also a precursor to the food-safety system that protects U.S. consumers to this day.
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At the time the food arena was marked by an utter absence of consumer protections from sometimes-deadly food swindles. Honest dairy farmers struggled to protect their reputations from unscrupulous makers of products like “ swill milk ” – concoctions heavily adulterated to boost profits – and pathogen-bearing raw milk that sickened families in the days before pasteurization. Enter margarine. Invented in France in 1869, mass production in the U.S. was quickly dominated by Chicago meatpackers (soon to be
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immortalized in a famous novel about their manufacturing practices — “The Jungle,” by Upton Sinclair) who saw a profitable use for previously wasted animal fat. Made cheaply and sold widely, margarine was promoted as a suitable butter substitute, even though its main similarity came from the yellow dye added as its natural coloring was similar to gray and did not resemble butter. With no restrictions on marketing claims and no legal definition of what butter was and wasn’t, animal-fat purveyors intentionally blurred the line between butter and “butterine,” sometimes attempting to pass off what dairy advocates called “ bogus butter ” as real. Dairy farmers worried that, over time, a lack of clear distinction would erode consumer confidence and create a less transparent marketplace. States began passing patchworks of laws regulating, taxing and identifying oleomargarine – sometimes by requiring it to be dyed pink. But as the patchwork proliferated, a national solution was clearly needed. The role of Granges during this time was essential in fighting the large margarine corporations that continued to fight for margarine to be on the shelves with butter. As early as 1881 the Grange was interested in discussing the “adulteration of foods” as first brought up by Michigan State Grange at the National Convention in 1881. This issue would again arise in Pennsylvania’s State Grange in 1886 when the state Grange unanimously voted to ban margarine. The Pennsylvania State Grange would go on later to bring this issue to their state legislators and lobby directly to their local politicians about this issue. Congress debated. The list of dairy’s and the Granges opponents included meatpackers; industries that didn’t think the government should regulate private economic activity, interstate commerce, agriculture or public health; and newspaper naysayers who wondered why dairy didn’t simply accept “innovation” and found butter disputes faintly ridiculous. In the end, passage was overwhelming and bipartisan with opposition only from southern states as it was viewed as
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Photo courtesy of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearems First
Laboratory
Report
Sample
number 1, dated December 29, 1886, on display at the Federa Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacoo and Firearms National
Labratory Center, concludes that the first tested sample is pure butter, not adulterated with oleomargarine.
government overreach. Dairy won. And by establishing a role for the federal government in regulating food, consumers won as well — in ways that would turn out to be much more profound than the simple differences between two products. Twenty years later, spurred on by “The Jungle” – which exposed deplorable conditions among the same meatpackers who opposed the Butter Act – Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act , the foundation of today’s food-safety regulation. Standards of identity that define what foods are and aren’t became accepted necessities for a fair marketplace. Product formulations became more transparent. And marketing claims that try to peddle one product by inappropriately implying it has the qualities of another were stifled by a federal government now empowered to protect consumers.
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As we reflect on the history of butter we cannot help but see history repeat itself. Today many companies and organizations are fighting for the proper labeling of food as they appear. We see this in things from “almond milk” to vegetarian “sausage.” This mislabeling can be considered false advertising and does not convey the true make up of these products. While the move towards a plant-based diet can have some benefits, it is important to note that fillers like soy and corn often exist in these plant-based alternatives, and you might be better off just eating corn on the cob. The history of the Grange and our role in agricultural advocacy is what has helped farmers across the country historically, and what continues to give us a mission today. National Grange Betsy Huber said, ”As long as the Grange continues, farmers and those who live in rural areas will always have an advocate on their side. The fight that the Grange and fellow dairy farmers fought created a more honest food market that helped establish regulations in the name of public safety.” Are consumers better off today knowing that butter is butter and margarine is margarine? Did the federal government, after decades of prodding, do the right thing in protecting product integrity and requiring clear labeling? Obviously, yes again. But none of it happened without sustained, sincere effort and lobbying of the Grange and fellow dairy farmers. So next time you look in your refrigerator, remember how butter helped change the world. Be thankful for the Grangers and the nineteenth-century crusaders who helped ensure it’s there for you. And remember how our responses to today’s challenges will shape tomorrow’s world. Let’s celebrate the Butter Act and insist the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continue to hold the same standards they once believed to be a necessity in regulating the food/agricultural market. Let’s continue to label things as they are made and not label them according to marketing strategies.
Braver Angels works to bridge the political divide through dialogue By Gary Abriem
the
well-being
and a peaceful transition of government
Treasurer, Sebastopol Grange #306, CA
of my neighbor.
regardless of who wins. Braver Angels
Can In the 2020 elections, tensions ran high. The conversation between both sides has taken on an alarming tone with polarization at what seems to be an alltime high. Division between family and friends on political views has strained relationships like never before. Buildings were burning across the United States, in Los Angeles my daughter lost her office. Protesters in Portland were getting run over, fired on, beaten, and picked up in unmarked vans unknown if they were with authorities or not. Citizens were arming up to take on the roles of selfappointed law enforcement (vigilantes) at the polls. Campaigns across the country were fundraising astronomical amounts and utilizing social media as their main form of communication with voters. All
find
provides online listening skills trainings
common
and debates consisting of conservatives
ground and work
and liberals that are jointly moderated.
on
some
we
issues
that
Can Americans come together to hold
trust
and
America together and prevent the cold
Can
civil war from getting hotter? Grangers
we speak civilly to
can, we have, and we will. It is what we
each other as a nation? Nobody knows
do! The circle needs to be much larger
the answer to this question better than a
though.
build
friendship?
Granger and as our 155-year history can tell you, yes we can. “Braver
Angels”
Before being an active member in Braver Angels, I had become so polarized
Better
that if I saw or heard the opposition, I
Angels) founded in 2017 right after
(formerly
would immediately change the station.
the election is an organization that
Even seeing a campaign sign of the
encourages
between
opposite party on a neighbor’s house
conflicting ideologies that exist in our
immediately created the belief that the
everyday lives. The founders created
neighbor was angry, ignorant, and did not
this organization as they recognized the
care about others. All these assumptions
political polarization gap in America was
based on one sign – and you know what
growing rapidly and wanted to help close
they say about assumptions.
dialogue
it. The goal of the organization was to
This clearly is not good. This thinking
encourage conservatives and liberals to
can make someone sick. It may not
come together to talk, safely share their
even be true, and I knew for a fact that
points of view, be listened to, respected,
unrelenting in the spheres of Facebook
it was unneighborly. But what can I do
and to find some common ground on
and Twitter.
I am just one person? So, despite my
issues they cared about with people from
initial reaction I went over to the “Trump
Amidst all this chaos the country had
across the aisle. From a place of trust
house”, and I left a note about meeting.
been burning. Living in Sonoma County in
and friendships, Braver Angels believed
The next morning, I got a call from the
Northern California I had been exhausted
this dialogue could happen. This is the
neighbor whom I left the note for and he
from the wildfires and constantly being
mission of Braver Angels.
revealed to me that his Trump banners
the while name calling whether fascist, white
supremacist,
racist,
anarchist,
anti-fa, socialist, communist had been
on alert. I did not need any more
Braver Angels’ work proactively seeks
were torn down that night. He was
inflammatory words or destruction in my
to bridge this very contentious divide by
troubled with what the country had come
life. It left me wondering what is going on
reaching out to people who have strong
to and how violence and politics had
here. Is the country coming off the rails?
opposing political beliefs. To join these
become synonymous. I was saddened
Have we, as Americans, lost our minds?
conversations takes courage as it often
too and near tears as was he about the
Whatever we are doing it is no longer
pushes us out of our comfort zone. Being
vandalism that took place. We continued
working and our democracy is on thin ice.
with people who think the same as we
to talk on the phone and found that we
With the election results can the winners
do only creates an echo chamber where
had much in common. We eventually
really have something to celebrate with
learning stops. Braver Angels knows that
made plans to get together and talk.
half the country unhappy and some
the political choir needs to get bigger,
The next morning, I had this strong
angry?
more diverse, and better behaved if we
desire to replace his Trump banner! As
are to continue political dialogue.
a Biden supporter in a highly contested
I see the need to embrace our differences and rise up to this enormous
Braver Angels seeks to unite the
campaign you can imagine the conflicted
challenge to keep the country together.
country with the statement Hold America
feelings I had, none the less I went to the
My politics needs to take a backseat for
Together and a pledge of nonviolence
local Republican office to buy one. The
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
25
volunteer asked for my name for election regulation purposes
mutual concerns for our country, differing points of view, our
and asked my party affiliation and I said Democrat and politely
lives and of course his beautifully restored 1962 Chevy pickup
declined the offer to register as a Republican.
with 800+ horsepower (yes 800 HP). We agreed to meet real
Being a staunch Biden supporter buying a Trump banner definitely got their attention and started some good conversation among the office staff and myself. We talked about our concern
soon to take a picture together. As I was driving away, I yelled out to Billy if he would take me for a ride in his Chevy. He paused and then grinned.
with the extreme polarization in the country. I eventually shared the work of Braver Angels and explained that their mission was to get both sides talking with one another, release steam in the kettle and find some common ground. It felt good to be there and for each of us to see that we did not have to demonize the other side and could be civil, respectful, and listen with an open mind. After I left the office, I immediately called Billy, my neighbor,
Braver Angels is not here to change your mind, we are here to build relationships and promote conversations. Braver Angels is currently seeking more rural and/or conservative members to join these conversations so if you are interested in joining the conversation and current dialogues go to www. braverangels.org/hat/. We also offer a non-violence pledge that we all encourage you to take as we continue to combat political
and told him I had a surprise for him and asked if I could come
violence in the United States. I have learned a lot from being a
by.
member of Braver Angels and I hope you all consider joining “Did you get me a new banner?” Billy asked.
and do the same. As Abraham Lincoln once said “We are not
I didn’t answer him since I wanted to surprise him.
enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion
We got together and sat on his porch and talked about
may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection”
A plea to the new administration: Unite younger and older Americans By Erica Baird & Karen E. Wagner
affects people 65 and under.
Luster.net co-founders
to give the people what they need.
For Vice President-Elect Harris:
4. Apply your problem-solving skills Most Americans, whoever they voted
1.
Diversity
brings
strength.
Remember that diversity includes age. 2. Pay heed to those politicians who
Now that America has voted in the
for, want the same
learned to be effective by listening to
oldest president ever in the U.S., how
things: an end to
their adversaries.
will age and decades of experience play
COVID, a good
a part in the decisions he makes for the
job, an excellent
country? And now that we have the first
education
woman ever to hold the office of vice
their children, a
president, what can the female POV
secure home and
finally bring to the equation?
three meals a day,
We would like to share six tips each for Biden and Harris to unite Americans
For President-Elect Biden: 1. Deploy the advantages of your
for
4. Channel the power of women to bring about a stronger America. 5. Break the stereotype that assertive women are “bitchy.”
not necessarily in
6. Encourage Biden to bring younger
that order.
by bringing younger and older people together:
3. Keep employing style to convey how a woman exercises power.
5.
Use
and older Americans together to serve your
gentle
diplomatic
the country.
approach to bring us together. Older people remember a “United States,”
Lustre.net is an online forum founded
and our hope is that our country can still
by Erica Baird and Karen Wagner, two
be a nation undivided.
New York City retired attorneys, who are
age. You have many decades of political
6. Call on older women. We shouldn’t
on a mission to redefine retirement for
and personal experience that allow you
be
untapped
modern career women by confronting
to think big.
demographic with huge intellectual and
outdated concepts, defying stereotypes
buying power that we typically don’t
and raising our collective voices to ensure
flaunt. We are here to enhance.
that retirement for all of us is shaped by
2. Listen to our cohort when an issue affects people 65 and over.
dismissed.
We’re
an
3. Listen to our cohort when an issue
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women, for women.
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Kelley Farm establishes Victory Garden, donates more than 9,000 pounds of produce to food bank By Elizabeth Hiner Colorado State Grange Lecturer & Publicity Director People have been finding ways to come together to support each other during this pressing time – sometimes looking to the past for inspiration. Such was the case at the Oliver Hudson Kelley Farm, owned and operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, when a victory garden was planted early on in the pandemic. Victory
Gardens
were
prevalent
during the first and second World Wars as a way to have individuals provide for themselves and help share with other members of their community. This was especially important as shortages and rationing were a way of life. – something that many feared would return as the pandemic disrupted the food chain and people rushed to find certain shelves of their local grocery store bare. In April, the Kelley Farm was closed to the public due to COVID restrictions, which caused a great challenge for the historic farm that includes animals and gardens.
Photo courtesy of the Oliver Hudson Kelley Farm Facebook Page
Anders Mayland, the Kelley Farm site manager, said it was impossible to just close the doors and come back after
French breakfast radishes were grown at the Oliver Hudson Kelley Farm in their victory garden and donated to the local food bank, Community Aide of Elk River.
quarantine was lifted because as with all farms, there is time-sensitive and daily
operational to servie the public when
opportunity to help with the ever present
work that must go on.
they opened for their limited season.
problem of food security. To this end
Husbandry needed to continue and gardens needed tending, in addition to regular maintenance of the grounds. The Kelley Farm was able to keep a
“Every member of our team played
they retooled 1.75 acres of interpretive
an important role in supporting the
gardens, one on the homestead and
Victory Gardens,” Mayland said.
the other by the visitors’ center into the
limited staff who braved the elements,
In spite of the pandemic and its
and worked long hours to keep the farm
restrictions, the Kelley Farm staff saw an
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
Victory Gardens. Between the two gardens they were
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able to donate 9,070 pounds of fresh
use their seed starting carts to produce
to support their communities in time of
seasonal produce to Community Aide of
lettuce.
need,” Mayland said, noting that their
Elk River (CAER), a local non-profit with
They
food
decision to plant the garden and donate
see
to their community was a great homage
Much of the food grown in the
as an important part of their work
to Kelley, the Grange’s key founder and
gardens, such as parsnips, is normally
towards providing food security to their
original farmstead owner.
fed to the livestock at the site.
community and raising the profile of the
a food bank serving their community.
The focus was on growing modern
plan
contributions,
to
continue
something
they
historic working farm.
In an interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune,
Kelley
Farm
program
and heirloom varieties, which included
“Food insecurity may have become
specialist Mary Challman said, “The
root vegetables. They also cultivated
more apparent this year, but it remains a
history of gardening is the history of
leafy greens, such as lettuce, along with
persistent problem in many communities
Minnesota. To be part of that legacy is
squash, tomatoes, and beans.
throughout the country,” Mayland said.
such a special thing — and using that
Their main focus was to produce
In addition to the Victory Gardens,
crops that the community would find
the staff at the Kelley Farm has also
familiar
planted cover crops to regenerate the
and
feel
confident
about
incorporating into their daily meals. “With
the
global
soil and provided additional grazing for
pandemic
the cows and sheep at the farm. They
presenting so many challenges, it has
have also taken this time to do upkeep
been truly gratifying to be able to
on the buildings and pathways along
keep gardening through the fall and
with the care and training for their draft
to support our neighbors through this
animals.
difficult time,” Mayland said. Over the winter months the farm will
“Grangers throughout the country have a strong tradition of finding ways
legacy to support our community today, it was really a no-brainer.” Overall, the Minnesota Historical Society saw a huge dip in revenue and had to lay off many staff across their various sites in the state. Nearly a fifth of all MHS revenue comes from admission fees from sites like the Kelley Farm. Not all was lost, however, for the farm which allowed visitors on limited days, once restrictions were lifted. Mayland said on the first day where visitors were welcomed back, the farm saw a 75 percent increase in traffic beecause it was one of the few sites where families could come and explore in a safe, outdoor setting. Mayland hopes that goodwill and renewed interest in agriculture and backyard gardening will lead to some donations to offset what the site lost in revenue through the pandemic. He said gifts of money and seed are welcome and appreciated, but also said Grangers could work in their own communities to raise awareness and meet the needs of their neighbors. “I would also encourage anyone hoping to make a difference to think about the challenges faced by folks
Photo courtesy of the Oliver Hudson Kelley Farm Facebook Page Cabbage was a significant crop grown at the Oliver Hudson Kelley Farm in their victory garden and donated to the local food bank, Community Aide of Elk River.
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closer to home. Consider planting your own community garden this spring and gifting some of the produce to a food pantry serving your area.”
Submitted Photo Marlys Halbeisen sitting in front of all the boxes filled with 40,000 Christmas cards to be sent to military members serving overseas from the local post office.
Colorado member organizes project to sign holiday cards, sends Grange info to a quarter of U.S. troops stationed overseas regarding the Grange and the Red Hatters.
By Elizabeth Hiner Colorado State Grange Lecturer & Publicity Director In the spirit of Christmas and this year’s theme of Cultivating Connections, the Darden Pomona Grange #1 in Colorado, along with other Granges around the state and some other groups and individuals, undertook a huge project for the USASOA (United Soldiers and Sailors of America). The Grangers, along with the Scarlett Hatters, a chapter of the Red Hat Organization, along with a canasta group of organizer Marlys Halbeisen, and many other volunteers, signed 40,000 Christmas cards with a personalized message such as “God Bless You” or “Thank You for Your Service.” Each card also contained a flyer and an insert with information
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This undertaking has been spearheaded for the past three yeasr by Halbeisen, a member of Maple Grove Grange #154, Wheatridge. Halbeisen started with 2,700 cards sent in 2018, and quickly grew the operation to 18,000 cards in 2019. Her efforts more than doubled their reach this year, with cards for about a quarter of all U.S. troops stationed oversees. That’s 40,000 cards, signed and sent - 35,000 of the cards purchased personally by Halbeisen. Marlys shopped after Christmas in 2019 at three different stores and purchased the bulk of cards, then received card donations totaling 5,000 cards including cards from as far away as Barnes and Noble in New York City.
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This incredible Christmas Card Project was noticed by Denver Channel 7 and a news outlet in Brooklyn who both reported on this effort to bring the joy of the season to our service men and women. This is a labor of love for Halbeisen, whose husband served in the military during the Korean War. “They’re not just getting a card,” Halbiesen said. “They’re getting a message from us saying ‘We care about you.’” Since starting the project, Halbiesen has turned her home into a repository for all the cards to be sent at the end of each year. The effort was almost hampered this year due to COVID-19. Highly supportive of the effort, the Colorado
State
Grange
encouraged
all Subordinate Granges to have card
Submitted Photos
signing parties throughout the year. With
ABOVE: A few of the cards signed by
meeting restrictions, these gatherings
hand by organizer Maryls Halbeisen
were canceled, but Grangers still found
are displayed before being placed in
a way. Many of the cards were done by
envelopes and boxes to be shipped to
one or two members of the Granges that
the USASOA.
participated. State
President
Cindy
Greer
LEFT: Each card included a brief letter
of
thanking the recipient for their service
Marvel Grange #479 sent more than
and introducing the Grange and Red
500 cards, more than 150 cards were sent from Margaret Crawley and other
Hat Society to them.
members of Florida Grange #306, and past National Vice President Jeannie Davies participated, along with her niece in Washington State, sending about 800 cards. “Marlys Halbeisen is an ordinary person doing extraordinary things. She has taken an ordinary project of sending Christmas cards to those in the military to an extraordinary level,” Greer said. “She’s done most of the work herself and has allowed the Grangers in Colorado to assist.”
stack-by-stack, placed into USPS flat rate
the outlay for the cards and get her
shipping boxes that were then sent to the
started for 2021.
USASOA to distribute to members of the military.
If this is something that you or your Grange would like to be involved with,
“This is a project the Colorado
please consider signing a few cards with
Granges are proud to be a part of and
a message like “God Bless You,” “Thank
plan to continue as long as there is a
you for defending our freedom” or
need to send the cards to our military
“Thank you for your service,” then send
personnel who are away from home for
the signed cards to Halbeisen at 10650
the holidays,” Greer said.
West 45th Avenue, Wheatridge, CO
Greer said she had hoped to have
When the final total of more than
other Grangers from around the region
40,000 cards were packed and ready
sign cards at the Great Plains Conference,
to ship, Denver news station Channel 7
You may also contact the USASOA
but it, too, was canceled.
80033. You may also donate your unused, unsigned cards that will be put to use.
collected donations from viewers and
directly at usasoa.org or send a monetary
The cards Greer had taken for the
added to the total, to cover the $2,200 for
donation as each year there is a need for
conference did not go to waste. She and
postage for Halbeisen to send hundreds
additional funding for postage in order to
her family signed each and sent them to
of boxes to the USASOA. An additional
ship the cards from Washington, D.C., to
Halbeisen, whose collection kept growing
$3,000 was given to Halbeisen to cover
the troops overseas.
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Goldendale Grange must have its own Cupid By Richard Lefever Vice President Goldendale Grange #49, WA Our Love Story started in the spring of 1911. Grangers from around Klickitat Valley had gathered to salvage what remained of Fort Blockhouse, a military fort from the Indian War era. Although a massive project the Granger’s planned to dismantle it, move the logs 8 miles to Goldendale and reassemble it at the Court House park. Once in its new location our Grange ladies would repurpose this rustic fort into a pioneer history museum. Prior to the Civil War, General Grant, later to become President Grant, who was based at Fort Dalles about 30 miles south, stopped with his company of soldiers at Fort Blockhouse numerous times during the early Indian hostilities. Catherine Locy, a 1905 charter member of Spring Creek Grange #162 was a staunch advocate of preserving pioneer history. She came to Klickitat County in a covered wagon as a 4-yearold child with her parents in 1864. Catherine took a leading role in this restoration project. Her 22-year old daughter Helen was assisting with meal preparation in a rustic cook shack on wheels. At some point during the project along comes Daniel Lefever, a member of No. 6 Grange #83, a 24-year-old bachelor, ready to assist. He arrives driving an impressive looking four horse team pulling an equally impressive wagon equipped for log hauling. Prior to this day he had been living a comfortable life, by himself, pursuing his passion for breeding, training and selling horses to the US Calvary. With several international conflicts brewing in the early 1910’s, he was confident there would be a lucrative future in supplying
Submitted Photo Dan Lefever and Almon Dingmon are recognized as charter members of Goldendale Grange #49 in Washington and Golden Sheaf members in 1961. horses to the government. His favorite breed, the American Saddle Bred, was the same breed used by Generals Lee, Grant, Sherman and Jackson during the Civil War. As the hungry teamsters arrived for a traditional Grange style bountiful repast, confirmed bachelor Dan Lefever spotted young, attractive Helen Locy. Our little Grange Cupid set his sights on this young couple. Following the meal, according to family legend, Catherine spots her daughter sitting on top of a load of logs next to Dan, their eyes glued on each other and obviously in love. Catherine’s brief encounter with the young couple told her; better prepare for a new sonin-law. After a short courtship, they were married and from this union came two
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boys, James Locy Lefever (my father) and Fredrick Henry Lefever. Following their marriage, they transferred their membership to Goldendale Grange #49. At Goldendale’s 50th anniversary in 1961, Dan was introduced by Washington State Grange Master, A. Lars Nelson as a Golden Sheaf Grange member and one of only three surviving charter members of Goldendale Grange. Helen had passed away a year earlier from cancer complications. They were just as in love the day Helen passed away as the day her mother spotted them sitting on a load of logs. They were in love for 49 years. The significance of this Grange project was captured in the local Goldendale Sentinel newspaper dated June 15, 1911. “At last the timbers of the Old
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Blockhouse have been moved. On Monday morning, this week a number of a prominent Grangers arrived at the corner of Grant and Court streets and all during the day the work of hauling the old timbers progressed. The first load was hauled by Jos. Stultz, others having teams and assisting with the work were: J.J. Dingmon, Will Wilkins, Dan Lefever and John Vanhoy. “The timbers now are conveniently laying prior to rebuilding on a site selected in the city park. “A fund will be secured to finance the necessary work of rebuilding the old blockhouse, when the work will immediately commence. “This move is a popular one among the Granges, early pioneers and patriotic citizens. It will preserve, for many years to come, one of the most interesting landmarks for miles around, and one that figures largely in the early history of the community. The old fort protected the settler at one time and now these people are in turn protecting the old fort. “A part of the timbers had been taken from the pile, we are told, but not
Dan and Helen Lefever celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary. enough to materially damage the reerection of the structure.” The story of our second Grange couple starts 35 years later, in 1947. James Lefever, son of Daniel and Helen, returned home from his war time job at Boeing Airplane Company in Seattle.
Jim always had a natural ability with anything related to music and in his spare time played in the band at various Grange dances. One evening while playing his banjo
At noon, the men would break for where the ladies would have a hot meal waiting. Ironically, Lucille Andersen, Jim’s “new significant other” happened to live next door to the old Grange hall. Besides being attracted to Jim, her bread. A perfect fit for a future Grange wife. Although not yet a Grange member
is an attractive recently widowed young
she joined the ladies in preparing meals.
mother with a 3-year-old daughter.
Fifty years later, she could still be found
Grange
Cupid
has
already
spotted this couple and is arming his little arrow for a second time.
in the Grange kitchen. During their Grange career, they enjoyed participating in Grange degree
During the dance, they develop a fondness for each other.
After the
dance, Jim asks if he can take her
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Grange Hall.
was introduced to Lucille Andersen. She
Our
of Goldendale Grange #49, Washington.
were building a new concrete block
other passion was cooking and baking
at a Centerville Grange #81 dance he
of marriage and many good times as part
As the relationship was evolving, Jim and other returning Grange veterans
lunch and return to the old Grange hall
He came back to run the daily single parent with two small children.
Jim and Lucille Lefever enjoyed 50 years
They were married a few short months later and to this union a new son Richard.
operation of the family farm. He was a
Submitted Photo
Submitted Photo
work at Pomona and State Grange meetings and held most offices in the local Grange.
home. Relationships progressed much
Jim’s all-time favorite Grange activity
differently in 1947 than they do today.
was acting as Santa Claus, an activity he
The couple that brought her emphatically
enjoyed for 12 years.
stated, “Jim, we brought her we’ll take her home.”
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Following the dedication of the new Grange Hall in 1948, the old hall was
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
to be sold. Lucille, had been studying
They
Yakima, Washington.
continued
their
Grange
the old Grange building and realized its
Linda Andersen, daughter of Lucille
participation as Matron and Patron of
investment potential if renovated into
and Jim, was Lady Assistant Steward, and
Goldendale Junior Grange. Under their
apartments.
Ervin Anderson was Assistant Steward.
direction the Junior Grange performed at the 1982 Washington State Grange
She and Jim purchased the building
Ervin attended Goldendale Junior
for $2,800 and together transformed
Grange since Pleasant Valley Grange
Convention in Yakima.
it into nice little apartments. There is
#146, didn’t have a Junior Grange.
girls, Lynn, Lisa, and Lori, all participated
Linda and Ervin developed a close
still a waiting list for these cozy little apartments 70 years later. Time for the little Grange Cupid to strike a third time! This relationship developed in Junior
on the state Grange degree team. This is our three generation Grange
relationship during this early Grange work. This friendly, but very competitive
Three of their
love story. Information
relationship continued throughout their
for
this
article
was
provided by family members while
time in school and in 4-H.
Grange. Goldendale Juvenile Grange
After Linda’s graduation in 1961, they
preparing the Lefever Family Grange
#51 had been asked to perform the
tied the knot and together managed
Legacy application in 2017. With my
opening flag ceremony at the 1952
Goldendale
grandkids we are starting our sixth
Washington State Grange Convention in
Equipment Company.
Hardware
and
Farm
generation in the Grange.
3 local Connecticut Grange members serve on broadband taskforce Sharon residents have taken online and which will now go out
By Jill Drew
in the mail to all other residents who have not yet completed it.
Member, Taghhannuck Grange #100, CT
The survey asks about the speed of their internet connections, It’s a widely known fact that rural areas of our country
their level of satisfaction with the service and price they pay,
like Sharon, Connecticut, are woefully underserved when it
the barriers they face to getting better service, and the quality
comes to reliable broadband internet service and cell phone
of their cell phone connections. That information will be used
connectivity.
to create a picture of current service in Sharon and will help
Advocates such as the Grange and political leaders have
its Selectmen decide about next steps to support better
been working for more than a decade to change this fact,
connectivity for residents. There is already support to add a
but it’s understandably difficult to attract big technology
broadband infrastructure project to the town’s five-year capital
companies to spend tens of millions of dollars to build cutting-
spending plan.
edge infrastructure in sparsely populated regions knowing that
In the short term, task force members are working with town
the return on their investment would be a fraction of what they
officials and local school administrators to get WiFi hotspots
could achieve in a city.
and cell phone boosters for families with students who need
Still, as more of our lives move online, especially during
better connectivity.
the pandemic when work-at-home for parents and distance
In the long term, it is exploring options for grants to raise
learning for students became necessities to protect our health,
funds for an engineering/feasibility study and business plan
the idea is growing that wiring everyone for broadband is akin
that would produce hard numbers to answer the question:
to what wiring homes for electricity was a couple of generations
what would it cost to wire all homes and businesses in Sharon
ago: a must-have for a functioning economy.
with fiber-optic cable or to use the existing cable internet
Three Taghhannuck Grange members are part of a small
structure and build out to locations that currently have to rely
task force called Sharon Connect that is gathering data to
on DSL or satellite connections? That infrastructure upgrade
help the town understand the needs of its residents for better
could transform the town’s economy, making it easy to work
connectivity and to become the basis for next steps to meet
from home, take online courses, participate in telehealth
that need. Before Covid-19 struck, the task force held its
appointments with medical specialists, manage farms more
meeting at the Grange Hall.
efficiently, and enable sophisticated home security features,
The task force has created a connectivity survey that 140
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among other benefits.
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
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CONNECTING AMERICA’S HEARTLAND “EPICTOUCH is a great place to be! As our former CEO Bob Boaldin often reminded us, “If you aren’t making dust, you’re eating others’ dust.” We are definitely making dust as we work each day to offer superior broadband connectivity in both Kansas and Louisiana regions.” – BECKY SCOTT, PRESIDENT, EPICTOUCH
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PICTOUCH President, and member of the USTelecom Leadership Committee, Becky Scott is at the helm of a family business that has provided communications services in rural Kansas for more than half a century. And for more than 20 of those years, the Elkhart, KS native has played a pivotal role in the evolution and innovation of EPICTOUCH as a best in class, community-centered, broadband provider. EPICTOUCH is represented by a family-focused team of professionals dedicated to the company’s legacy and bringing state-of-the-art broadband connections to rural areas—truly neighbors connecting neighbors. Their commitment to community is, well, epic.
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Today, the EPICTOUCH service area has grown from being a local telephone provider to a regional telecommunications provider, offering broadband connectivity to customers in parts of Kansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Thank you, Becky, and all of our nation’s broadband providers, for connecting America’s heartland to today’s opportunities and tomorrow’s dreams. Learn more at USTelecom.org
GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL
Ag education award sponsored by Foundation open to Granges, others Formerly known as the Ag Advocate Award, given annually
an awards ceremony. The approved expenses to be reimbursed
by National Ag in the Classroom and sponsored by the Grange
are only available to the award-winning group or individual and
Foundation, the Partnership in Agriculture Literacy Award is
cannot be used for family members or others traveling with the
now open to a wider variety of individuals and organization.
winner.
The award seeks to recognize a volunteer or organization that helps bring agriculture lessons to children and get them excited about all the field of agriculture has to offer and how it
Nominees are evaluated on a 100-point scale for the following: • Creation and Utilization of Agricultural Information: Developed a program or activity that effectively increased
shapes our everyday life. The Partnership in Agricultural Literacy award celebrates
agricultural literacy and taught students or teachers about the
the best in agricultural literacy efforts, recognizing individuals,
importance of agriculture. Organized groups of volunteers and
organizations, programs, and events that embody innovation
combined efforts with other groups.
and advancement in agricultural literacy for PreK-12 students.
• Impact: The number of students and/or teachers
It recognizes excellence in agricultural literacy partnerships,
impacted by this program/activity, and the number of times
innovative solutions to challenges, and outstanding programs
students and/or teachers have been impacted. • Program/Activity: The degree that this program/activity
and events that increase agricultural literacy in participants. Eligible
nominees
include
agricultural
groups
or
organizations, such as the Grange, or employee(s) of such organizations; non-classroom educators, such as Extension specialists, museum educators or school garden volunteers;
supported the AITC mission and use of AITC materials and resources. • Innovation: The level of creativity of the program/activity and the degree to which the program can be replicated.
and other individuals or groups serving in a voluntary capacity.
To qualify, an organization or individual must be nominated
Potential nominees include individuals, organizations, or
by the National Ag in the Classroom state affiliate. If you
groups who promote grades PreK-12 educational experiences
believe you, your Grange or someone in your community
in and through agriculture by addressing one or more of
should be considered for this award, you may contact Joan
the following themes of the National Agricultural Literacy
C. Smith, National Grange Foundation Board Chairwoman
Outcomes, including agriculture and the environment; plants
and Washington, D.C. State Contact for National Ag in the
and animals for food, fiber and fuel; food, health and lifestyle;
Classroom. She can provide you contact with your NAITC state
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); and culture,
affiliate and assist in making an introduction.
society, economy and geography with a focus on agriculture.
Nominations must be made by the NAITC State Affiliate
The winning group or individual will receive a $500
by no later than February 26, so get your information together
honorarium and up to $1,500 in approved expenses for a
and contact Smith as soon as possible or begin a conversation
group or individual to attend the National Agriculture in the
with her about how you, your Grange or a volunteer you know
Classroom Conference, where the award will be presented at
may be a great option as a 2022 nominee.
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
35
Grange Foundation hires new fund development director the animal health field, currently reside in
By Kennedy Gwin
Orlando, Florida, where they enjoy many
National Grange Intern
outdoor activities like bicycling, golf, and Foundation
flyfishing for trout. Together they have four
board concluded its search for a fund
children, Andrea, Jonathan, Derek, and
development director with the early-
Michael.
The
National
Grange
Joan
December hire of Donny Oleniczak.
donations should greatly enhance current
his last name (pronounced ola-knee-check)
programming of the Grange Foundation
– will be working on a part-time basis to
and allow the Foundation to better fulfill its
secure donations from corporations and
mission and support the outstanding work
providing some grant-writing in order to
of Granges across the country.
bolster programs under the Foundation.
“We are extremely pleased to be able
Oleniczak is retired, but brings many
specifically related to crop protection sales and account management with Bayer Crop Science as well as other legacy companies. He has worked with row crops, fruits, vegetables, and worked for a short time in
to work with Donny, who will be able to use “The Grange Foundation is a good fit for me both personally and professionally. I have always worked in agriculture, and I am extremely passionate about it,” Oleniczak said. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and holds a bachelors degree in Crop
the realm of cotton.
Board
development director to seek outside
O” because folks sometimes stumble over
37 years in the field of marketing,
Foundation
President, said the addition of a fund
Oleniczak – who often goes by “Danny
years of experience to the job, including
Smith,
his contacts and experience to advance the Foundation,” Smith said, calling the move the next step in a slow build to modernize the nonprofit entity. Previously,
the
Foundation
board
engaged consultant Randy Bernhardt to prepare a variety of standard fundraising documents and provide assessment of the
as
Science and a masters degree in Weed
a consultant with a crop protection
Science and Herbicide Physiology from
financial firm to assess and make changes
management company in New Haven,
Michigan State University.
to the Foundation’s investment portfolio to
Previously,
Florida.
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Oleniczak
worked
He and his wife, April, who works in
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
Foundation’s needs, and worked with a
provide greater return.
Recognition a must to keep new, active members engaged By Joe Stefenoni National Grange Membership & Leadership Development Director As another year closes, Granges all across the country are wrapping up events and planning a program of activities for the upcoming year. Part of the plan of events for your Grange’s activity over the next year should be recognizing the efforts and achievements of its members, both of
“Especially with younger generations, giving tangible recognitions is an effective way to create a culture that encourages participation and future development.”
service and longevity. As Grangers, we are accustomed to
recognizing
major
milestones
of
membership such as Silver Star (25 year)
is an effective way to create a culture that encourages participation and future development.
Part of what makes an award impactful is the way it is presented. Peer recognition is an important part of
and Golden Sheaf (50 year) awards. We
Awards do not need to be elaborate or
the presentation, and presenting awards
should also be taking the time to recognize
expensive but should be appropriate and
when friends, family and colleagues of
both smaller milestones of membership
presented with sincerity. Tangible awards
the recipient are present add a degree
(i.e. 5, 10 and 15 years) and acts of service
and recognition are the most effective
of impact. Additional impact of an
to the Grange and community, like
way to say, “thank you” or “good job.”
award can also be established by who is
200 hours of community service or 100 percent meeting attendance. Presenting tokens of recognition helps
The key to successful membership recognition is selecting the appropriate awards.
to build a sense of appreciation, a sense
When deciding what kind of award to
of community and shows others that
give, keep in mind that an appropriate
efforts and actions by Grange members
award is:
do not go unnoticed. Why is recognition important? The Grange is an organization led and driven by volunteers who dedicate their time to promote the good work of the Grange; sometimes spending early morning, late nights or weekends working for the Grange. Tangible recognitions of contribution
1. Representative
of
what
is
accomplished 2. Consistent with the purpose and image of your Grange 3. Right for the level or importance of the achievement 4. In line with your Grange’s budget Awards should also be something that members can use and/or share with
are an effective way to thank volunteers
others.
for their efforts, motivate members to
For
certain
awards/recognitions,
presenting the award and what dignitaries are present. Many
Granges
have
an
annual
evening where they recognize community members who have made contributions to the area or present awards for the teacher, firefighter and law enforcement officer of the year. These community nights are the perfect opportunity to recognize and show appreciation for the efforts and tenure of Grange members. While we are still in a state of flux in regard to in-person gatherings, these community and member recognitions easily lend themselves to a virtual format. Granges should be finding it more
higher levels of achievement, give a sense
stepping away from traditional plaques
comfortable to hold their regular meeting
of belonging to something important and
or certificates would be good, instead
virtually or with a virtual element. Hosting
establish your Grange as a valuable entity.
choosing to present branded coffee
a virtual recognition event on Facebook
The most successful organizations
mugs, travel mugs, notebooks, USB flash
or YouTube is a simple and effective way
are those that have programs in place to
drives, water bottles, etc. Our official
to continue promoting your Grange,
regularly recognize those who give to or
Grange store has a number of items that
building
work for them. Especially with younger
would be appropriate for any level of
members and attracting new people to
generations, giving tangible recognitions
recognition.
join your Grange.
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
a
community
among
your
37
Honoring THE BUILDERS OF OUR
GRANGE MILESTONES 125 YEARS CONTINUOUS SERVICE ®
L egacy
• Cuba Grange #799, New York
MEMBERSHIP ANNIVERSARIES 80 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP
50 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP
Maine • Hazel Cross, Dirigo #98
Colorado • Loeda Westphal, El Paso #480 Connecticut • Diane Godin, Beacon Valley #103 • Raine Pederson, Riverton #169 • Gail Prelli, Riverton #169
New Hampshire • Irene Lynde, Concord #322 New York • Wilma Dodge, Pierstown #793
Delaware • Sam Porches, Reliance #58 • Warren Saunders, Reliance #58 • Ray Tull, Reliance #58
Ohio • Carlos Hancher, Neelyville #299 Pennsylvania • Lynn Corl, Logan #109 • Jean Fegley, Fleetwood #1839
75 YEARS CONTINUOUS MEMBERSHIP Maine • Elizabeth Russell, East Madison #228 New Hampshire • Rodney Huntoon, Blazing Star #71 • Irene Lynde, Concord #322 • Linnia Riley, Harmony #99
Massachusetts • David Smallman, West Boxford #140 • Jacalyn Snow, Laurel #161
New York • Barbara Roe, Otisville #1020
Michigan • Dennis Flanders, Home #129
Ohio • Antoinette Bristol, Oxford #2211 • Martin Daugherty, Keene Hil #1602 • Marie McGregor, Little Muskingum #2621 • Charlotte Wagner, Waterford #231 • Ruth Waldock, Oxford #2211
Nebraska • Darlene M. Janing, Geneva Community #403 • Richard C. Janing, Geneva Community #403 New Hampshire • Dorinda Jenelle, Lower Intervale #321 • Arthur Merrill, Antrim #98 • Alesa Reynolds, Lower Intervale #321 • Nancy Scothorne, Lower Intervale #321 • Tricia J. Taylor, Blazing Star #71
Pennsylvania • Charlotte Henretty, Hayfield #800 • Gordon Hiller, Eagle #1 • Harry D. Keith, Lincoln #914 • Grace Shollenberger, Fleetwood #1839 • Glenn Wertman, Delaware #1895; Eagle #1
New York • Patricia Mohr, Lincoln #122 • William Mohr, Lincoln #122
Washington • Jennell E. Branson, Moran Prairie #161
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Maine • Priscilla Beedy, New Norland #580 • Peter Curra, Dirigo #98 • Deborah Day, Mt.Etna #147 • Leroy Day, Mt.Etna #147 • Catherine Edgerly, East Madison #228 • Beatrice M. Griffin, North Scarboro #495 • Gregory R. Johnson, Wales #40 • Janice Kent, Benton #458 • Richard Lawrence, Benton #458 • Sandra Lawrence, Benton #458 • Linda S. Sherman, Wales #40
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
Ohio • Janet Barnett, East Plymouth #1548 • Carol Christ, Jefferson #1311 • Dale Christ, Jefferson #1311 • James Dalzell, Neelyville #299 • Bernard Moore, Smith #1141 • Margaret Moore, Smith #1141 • Paul Schonauer, Keene Hill #1602 • Lorene Schonauer, Keene Hill #1602 • Joan E. Scott, Beach City #2442 • Brenda Short, Neelyville #299 • Sandra Wintz, East Plymouth #1548 Oregon • Beverly Doscher, Forest Grove #282 • David Dober, Forest Grove #282 • Michael Jenks, Central #360
Pennsylvania • David H. Brunner, Dayton #1819 • Linda Clapper, Logan #109 • William Corson, Eagle #1 • Barbara Friese, Eagle Grange #1 • Leonard J. Heim, Trexlertown #1755 • Robert Hively, Eagle #1 • Sharon Mayer, Fleetwood #1839 • Doris Messersmith, Eagle #1 • William Messersmith, Eagle #1 • Fred Murray, Eagle #1 • Jo Ann Murray, Eagle #1 • Nelda Snyder, Dayton #1819 • Sandra M. Stump, Fleetwood #1839 • Ronald Waltz, Eagle #1 • Paul Wertman, Eagle #1 • Lois Wertman, Eagle #1
Washington • Jennell L. Branson, Moran Prairie #161 • Linda Burfening, Willapa Valley #527 • John Gardner, McMillin #848 • Donna Graham, Lopez Island #1060 • Valree Gayken, Moran Prairie #161 • Ida Laurie, Okanogan #1103 • Eugene McClellan, Okanogan #1103 • Robert Merkel, Willapa Valley #527 • Dean Oldenburg, Mayview #133 • Norma Samis, Moran Prairie #161 • George Scharff, Bluestem #776 • Joy Schneider, McMillin #848 • Allen Scholz, McMillin #848 • Terese Scollard, Columbia Valley #938 • Lawrence Warrener, Centerville #81 • Clifford Whipple, Willapa Valley #527 • Delbert Workman, Willapa Valley #527
Welcome & warmest wishes to our New Charter Members EAST COUNTY #864, CA [Organized Oct. 13 by Danica James] • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Amy Merriman Monica Ferris John Ferris Lisa Ferris Marianne Merriman Daniel Merriman Cody W. Merriman Jason C. Merriman Matt Bernatz Jeni Bernatz Caleigh Bernatz Marie Hanna Todd A. Hanna Faith A. Hanna Natalie A. Hudson Natalie Larsen
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Ava E. Larsen Cherlyn Meas Salyn Meas S.A. Meas Bonnie LaChappa Kirsten Banegas Danica James Mike James William James Deanna Milton Joshua J. Milton Emilia M. Milton Kirk M. Ochalek Kate J. Ochalek Reagan Ochalek Dominic M. Ochalek
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Makayla P. Rogers Michael P. Rogers Toni M. Bagalini Rogers Cameron T. Bagalini Rogers Rupert Pedrin, Jr. Vivian Pedrin Lysandra Pedrin Erin Shea Kerin M. Shugart James A. Shugart M. Blaine Shugart Willy James Maravel James Kelcie James Ethan James Kim Wagner
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Antonio Alvarado Martinez Jose Virrey Cristal Virrey Isabella Virrey Carlos Mejia Wendy Mejia Joshua Mejia Steven Mejia Carlos Mejia Jr. Roberta Ortiz Benjamin Morales Harold Gabriel
• • •
David Wagner Karstin Wagner Kennedy Wagner
JR. 1+ CHARTER MEMBERS • Emma Billeter • Weston C. Merriman • Samantha Merriman • Sawyer J. Merriman • Emilie J. Hudson • Matthew D. Hudson • Lauren M. Larsen • James L. Milton • Morgan C. Ochalek • Madilyn Pedrin • Katie Shea
LUCERNE VALLEY #673, CA [Organized Oct. 24 by Kent Westwood and Joe Stefenoni] • • • • • • • • • • • •
Jon J. Console Dari Diaz Victoria Rodriguez Chelsea Shephard Adriano Rodriguez Gina Rodriguez Edwardo Rodriguez Edward Rodriguez III Yvette Rodriguez Octavio Ruiz Maricela Serrano Hazel Hernandez
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Michael Lawheal Alyssa Rodriguez Francis Vallejo Mary J. Barry Frank E. Barry Antonio Ramirez Patricia Rodriguez Devin William Barthold Robert St. Marie Evelyn St. Marie Joseph Rodriguez Marlenne Rodriguez
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
• • • •
Ruth Gabriel Patrick Gabriel Allissa Gabriel Buddy Gabriel
JR. 1+ CHARTER MEMBERS • Madelyne Rodriguez • Lilyanna Rodriguez • Natalie Ruiz • Alinna Rodriguez • Joseph Rodriguez Jr. • Joseph Virrey • Benjamin Virrey
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Welcome New Members to the Grange Family Abernethy #346, OR • Dean Mckay (Jr. 1+)
Brunswick #1337, NY • Deidna Wilson
Ada #570, OR • Terry Elliott
Butternut Valley #1533, NY • Jean Wargo • Mark Muller • Larisa Waghorn
Aloha #773, OR • Lax Darlame Animas Valley #194, CO • Sally Bellerue Ash Butte #802, OR • Gina Symons • Buster Stoddard • Larry Mcnamee • Brandy Mcnamee • Chris Carlgren • Melissa Carlgren • Carson Carlgren (Jr. 1+) • Kellen Carlgren (Jr. 1+) • Addy Mcnamee (Jr. 1+) • Avery Mcnamee (Jr. 1+) Bath #294, NY • James McGlynn • Karen McGlynn Bayard #1878, OH • Morgan Brown Bellview #759, OR • Megan Holmes • Obed Medina • Sharon Schmidt Bethel #404, WA • Gabriel Salter • Shannon Cuss Bethlehem #137, NY • Shirley Eck • James Frueh Big Knob #2008, PA • Noah Carney • Zachary Carney • Gregory Kline • Brock Merryman • Gianni Netherland • Jack Parrish • Denton Wright • Zachary Bundy Blue Mountain #263, VT • Sandy Beck • Matthew Troiano • Sarah Troiano • Joseph Mahr Brownsmead #822, OR • Chuck Anderson • Ned Heaucinnich
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Cedar Valley #306, WA • Kay Corbett Center #290, VT • Ginny Vieu-Weightman • Terry Weightman • Emily McFadden (Mason) • Donna Sullivan Charlotte #398, VT • Mike Walker • Carol Owen • Clay Owen • Julia Gilbert • Linda Hamilton • Michael Russell
Harry Hussey Bruce Darling Eugene Raymo
Corfu #142, NY • Aurilla Putney Corinth #823, NY • Jeane Brennan • Bill Brown • Allan Clugston Creswell #496, OR • John Freshwater Curriers #1273, NY • Molly Egloff • Nicole Kimpel Cuyler #449, NY • Joline Harlow Deer Lagoon #846, WA • Anna Peterson Dublin #1409, OH • Dakota Herran
Collinsville #2264, OH • Jerrin Scott Colonel Harper #1508, NY • Patricia Hornbeck • Thomas Hornbeck Columbia #267, OR • John Jordon • Angela Kimpo • Jonathan Mohler • Maia Price • Nina Price
Dudley #163, MA • Maureen Doyle • Gus Steeves Eagle Creek #297 • Nicole Davenport • Chris Loomis • Jane Kelley Eagle Valley #656, OR • Teena Thomas
Copake #935, NY • Diane Valden • Julie Cohen • Rita Jakubowski • Jennifer Redman • Raymond Schmidt • Jeffrey Judd • Lois Lovisolo • Susan Vaughn • Bridget Johnston • Louise Shelton • Jacqueline Fallon • Sharon Luchow • Seth Fallon • Jim Mackin • Jed Luchow • Joan Sachs • Lindsay Lebrecht • Zita Kobos • Judith Church • Cecele Kraus
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• • •
East Freetown #307, MA • Christopher Lambert Elba #783, NY • Eileen Corcoran • Andrew Corcoran • Anna Roth Enterprise #489, OR • Brenda Gordon • Rick C. Gordon
• • • • • • • • •
Stuart Knight Zachary Winkelman Kirk Van Gelder Jodi Van Gelder Tom Hanson Natcha Hanson Josiah VanGelder Hannah VanGelder Benjamin VanGelder
Fernwood #770, OR • Amy Gaffke • Carrie Jones • Ethan Jones • Nuno Louie • Austin Ruiz • Dana Speer Ferrisburg #539, VT • Inez Martel Finley #414, WA • Duane Morton • Kevin Morton • Wayne Vertz • Nellie Vertz • E.A. McColley • Randall Vertz • James Vertz Florissant #420, CO • Stacy Street Fort Colville #533, WA • Minnie Kenyon Fredonia #1, NY • Jill Wiltsie Freedom Plains #857, NY • Alice Holzmann • Jaclyn Holzmann • Richard Sassi • Rod Smith Garfield #317, OR • Diane Ward
Fairmount #252, OR • Hayley Boss
Gibson #798, PA • Earl Cottrell • Tashia Shay • Judy Sartell • Jennifer Sartell • Mary Gray • Charlotte Sidorski • Edward Sidorski • Diane Burman • Elaine Burman • Elaine Wood
Fern Prairie #866, WA • Donald Parks
Golden Gate #451, CO • Misti Hopson
Eureka #46, NY • Andrew Cooper • Brian Manktelow • Donald Vogler • Jeremiah Wigfield Evening Star #154, VT • William Collins
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
• •
Kendrick Hopson Carl Verschuler
Goldson #868, OR • Patrick Leonard Gouglersville #1743, PA • Jess Mills • Keith Reichard • Regina Reichard • Steve Jones Greenwood Park #590, WA • Juanita Curnett • Daniel Baker • Ginger Lusfor • Dennis Tennent Groton #7, MA • Andrew Scott Hanover #206, MA • Christopher Gueli Hartslog Valley #375, PA • Jacqueline Clabaugh • Ronald Clabaugh Humptulips #730, WA • Jacquelyne Brownrigg • Jean McLucas • Tessa Taft Inavale #1248, NY • Richard Hamphire • Ann Hamphire Inland #780, WA • Lloyd A. Vaughn • Heidi Vaughn Irving #377, OR • Clark Kent • Aurora Stacy • Aurora Stacy (Jr. 1+) • Dustin Stacy (Jr. 1+) Jasper #523, OR • Aida Lough Jefferson #1311, OH • Mackenzie Herrick • Makenzie Brown Junction City #744, OR • Jeromiah Igou Lacomb #907, OR • Carly Giddens • Abby Giddens Lincoln #122, NY • Kendra Jacobs Lincoln Creek #407, WA • Gayle Richied • Gary Richied
Long Branch Community #2072, PA • Budd Cook Maple Valley #450, VT • Colleen Goodridge Marble Valley #567, VT • Pam Brown Marvel #479, CO • Billy Greer Marys River #685, OR • Catherine Biscoe • Dewayne Irvin • Gwen Irvin • Penelope Irvin • Veronica Irvin • Paul Regan • John Sarna McMinnville #31, OR • Vern Park
Milton #685, NY • Charlie Schwartz • Graham Schwartz • Sander Bonvell • Cathy Hoff • Tim Hoff • Jessmyn Schwartz • Matt Schwartz • Nathan Kemmerling Mohawk-Mckenzie #747, OR • Karen Howard • Steve Howard Molson #1069, WA • Sharon Jackson Mountain Valley #79, WA • Susan Malinowski • Melvin Malinowski North Barton #45, NY • Anne Matthews • Cody Benson Norway #45, ME • Birdina Whittemore • Sylvia Grover • Scott Johnson • Jeff Stuhr • Holly Stuhr • Patricia Ingersoll • Katherine Bessey • MaryJo DiBenedetto
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Ross #305, NY • Tom Baire
Patit Valley #1039, WA • Connas Hutchens
Samish Valley #926, WA • Lea Lawrence
Penn Yan #1178, NY • Martha Mayo • Don Parker • Dale Anderson
San Juan Island #966, WA • Michaela Traynor • Marilyn Gresseth • John Gresseth • Raeleen Hunter • Pete Nelson
Perthshire #1445, NY • Rev. Donald Washburn • Daniel Mead Pierstown #793, NY • Carolyn Hopper • William Richtsmeier
Sandy Creek #127, NY • Ami Aronson Schenevus Valley #1201, NY • Carol Kenyon
Pittsfield #14, MA • Nick Langer
Siletz Valley #558, OR • Sara O’Neill
Pleasant Park #156, CO • Virginia Temmer
Silver Lake #105, WA • Sasha Olsen • Karen Stanley
Pleasant Valley #1074 PA • Bailie Rutherford
Millers Mill #581, NY • Alexis Hooker • Mitchell Hooker
Oxford #894, NY • Mary Anderson
Painter Creek #1923, OH • Alexis White
Pleasant Valley #1453, NY • Lori Hepburn • Jim Hepburn Poultney Valley #273, VT • Dakota Marshinkowski • Cynthia Cormia Quimper #720, WA • Jill Hamilton Ravena #1457, NY • Rosemary McHugh • Kimberly Sands • George McHugh Red Lion #1781, PA • Julie Yahne-Schrum Rexville #815, WA • Rick Anderson • Jane Anderson • Scott McKnight • Kelly McNight • Jon Thulen • Debbie Thulen Rhinebeck #896, NY • Marie Dynes • Julia Boomer • Kevin Curry • Suzanne Holzberg Rockford #501 OR • Fiona Larsen • Pamela Larsen • Robert Larsen • Miko Ruhlen
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South Camano #930, WA • Carol Falls • Anne Ralston Stanford #808, NY • Anthony Deyoe • Ashton Grom • Ryan Grom • Brittany Shepherd • Sarah Griffin • Alex Bass • Julian Couse • Frank Pepe • Claudia DeBellis • Eric Teves Stillaguamish #1058, WA • Igor Ribeiro Dias • Kenneth Hartsock • Kristi Hartsock Stony Point #1694, PA • Sarah Snyder • Brooklyn Bayles Sunflower #162, CO • Ghislane Griswold • Scott Hopson • Hugh Maclennan Taft Settlement #473, NY • Louise Metras • Joseph Metras • Samuel Metras • Gianna Metras Thurston #853, OR • Louellen Lambert • Richard Lambert
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Tiverton #1515, OH • Dilyn Tumblin
Veteran #1108, NY • Gloria Campbell • Scott Mcgrain
Westport #181, MA • Cynthia Jeffrey • Judy Mulrockey • Jeffrey LaValley • Sarah LaValley • Ben LaValley • Peter LaValley • Julia LaValley
Villenova #604, NY • Terri Smith • Haley Wawrzyniak
Westville #540, NY • Eric Watson • Kathy Proper
Unity #1710, PA • Brea Rutledge
Willamette #52, OR • Lilly Anderson • Bill Barlow • Karen Josephson • Kelly Mcelroy • Jan Medlock • Hal Noble • Stoel Peter • Sally Shaw • Anabelle Thompson • David Thompson • Nate Thompson • Robin Thompson • Jill Vanburen
Ware #164, MA • Richard Donati • Robyn Donati
Williams #399, OR • Sarah Gerbing Yorktown #862, NY • Matthew Manacher • James Sasso • John Bell • Elizabeth Ciffone • Patricia Murphy • James Murphy • James Sasso Jr. • Ann Marie Sasso • Kristen Mason
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! magazine using the online form found at tiny.cc/NewGranger (case sensitive) or by emailing Joe Stefenoni at membership@nationalgrange.org or calling (707) 328-0631. NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15
MEMORIAL NOTICES MARY BUFFINGTON
Past National Lecturer & National Women’s Activities Director Mary R. Buffington, National Women’s Activities director 1980-87, National Lecturer 1987-95 age 89, of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, passed away on December 7, 2020, at Somerford Place, Newark, Delaware, where they took wonderful care of her. She was the loving wife of the late William Buffington whom she married on April 18, 1951. Mary was born in Ridgway, PA. She was the daughter of the late James D. Reilly, Jr. and the late Julia O’Connor Reilly. She graduated from West Chester High School and Goldie Beacom College. Mary was a faithful member of St. Patrick Catholic Church where she attended daily mass and served as a Eucharistic Minister often. Mary was also a member of Kennett Grange for 66 years and held many offices
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at the local, county, State and National levels. Her last position held was National Program Director from 1987-95. She was the only non-delegate elected to National office. Mary was a wonderful public speaker and could make everyone feel welcome. She was never at a loss for words. Mary was a world traveler. She and Bill traveled all over the United States and to Pakistan, China, Russia and Italy. Her favorite place to visit was Ireland having traveled there many times. Mary also loved her community and was very active with Kennett Area Community Service for many, many years. Mary was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. She is survived by daughters Kathleen Shappell (Bob, who is deceased) and Virginia Ramirez (Ken). Mary also has five grandchildren, Michael Steele
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
(Lisa), Amy Vandercapellen (Butch), Brian Shappell,
Andrew
Buffington
(Kristen)
and David Buffington, and three greatgrandchildren with another one on the way. She was preceded in death by daughters Lois Steele (Jim), Susan Buffington and son Phillip Buffington (Laurie). Cards and condolences may be sent to Virginia Ramirez, 720 Norway Road, Chadds Ford, PA 19317 and Kathleen Shappell, 5 Newfield Court, West Grove, PA 19390.
DALLAS CHANEY
Past Idaho State Grange President Dallas Elmer Chaney, Past National Delegate, and longtime resident of Kuna, Idaho and Adrian, Oregon, passed away September 11, 2020 in the care of family in Wilder, Idaho at the age of 81. Dallas was born on July 17, 1939 in Nyssa, Oregon to Horace F. Chaney and Eliza Angeline “Angie” Gifford Chaney as the sixth of 11 children. He grew up on the family farm along the Snake River near Adrian where he fondly recalled childhood summers he and his brothers spent riding the family’s range right in the Owyhees and bunking each night at their cattle camp near Succor Creek. Relieved of his farm duties due to a broken arm caused by a runaway team of horses, Dallas attended church camp one summer as a child where he first accepted Christ. After graduating Adrian High School in 1957, Dallas married Ruth Bishop and bought property near the Chaney family farm where they raised cattle, sheep, and pigs. Dallas especially enjoyed his time as a 4-H leader helping the couple’s three children and others with their livestock projects. While still working on the farm, Dallas auctioneered for area livestock auctions and later took a job with the J.R. Simplot Company where he worked for years as a supervisor in their potato plants in Caldwell and Hermiston, Oregon. Dallas and Ruth later divorced. Dallas married Judith Teter in March 1980. In 1986 Dallas moved to Kuna, Idaho to work as farm manager for an area dairy. He enjoyed supporting his younger children’s interest in music and livestock including substantial time supporting his youngest’s 4-H and FFA involvement. Dallas and Judith later divorced. In January 2002 Dallas married Florence Shey Gibson in Kuna, Idaho. Beginning in 2002, Dallas served six years as president of the Idaho State Grange. Dallas and Florence enjoyed traveling the state and country fulfilling Dallas’ full-time responsibilities for the Grange. Dallas and Florence were deeply in love and modeled the kind of mutual doting, admiration, and romance to which all marriages should aspire. They dearly loved each other’s company, enjoyed life to the fullest, and became beloved fixtures in the lives of each other’s children and grandchildren. Florence passed away on April 30, 2020. Dallas is preceded in death by his wife, his parents, a brother Robert, sisters Bernice, Helen, Peggy, and Rosalie, and grandson Justin. He is survived by his children Deanna (Kris) Pobanz of Ontario, OR, Judy (Brian) Byrne of Springfield, OR, Dan (Linda) Chaney of Eagle, ID, Harriet (Mike) Rotter of Wilder, ID, and Greg (Sarah) Chaney of Caldwell, ID; his brothers David, Jim, and Sam, his sisters Shirley Jensen, Lynn Graham; 25 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and Florence’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren-all of whom became family to Dallas and whom he dearly loved. Cards and condolences can be sent to theDallas Cheney Family, C/O Harriet Chaney Rotter, 26631 Bella Vista Drive, Wilder, ID 83676.
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ALICE DOANE
Past First Lady, Nebraska State Grange Alice Doane, Past National Delegate, 92, of Waverly passed away on December 3, 2020. Born June 24, 1928 in Independence, Missouri, to Jack and Julia (Noland) Watt. She married Ted H. Doane, July 18, 1954. The couple spent many of their married years working with the University of Nebraska Animal Science Department while living in Lexington, Lincoln and Waverly, Nebraska. They also spent two years in Turkey and Afghanistan where Ted helped set up the university’s sheep departments. Alice was supportive in Ted’s job by hosting multiple lamb dinners for students and faculty members. They also hosted many international exchange students in their home. Alice owned and operated, Watt Catering and Doane Catering, she specialized in custom designed wedding cakes. Alice was a 4-H leader for more than 30 years, President of the Lancaster County Women Extension, Lancaster County Extension Board and Nebraska state director of the Make It Yourself With Wool contest for 30 years. She was also a member of the Waverly Grange, First United Methodist Church of Waverly, and president of United Methodist Women’s. Whe enjoyed serving on many committees. Alice was a loving and active grandma who rarely missed family activities and events. Alice “Sheep Grandma” will be missed dearly by her family and friends. She is survived by her daughters; Bonnie (Mark) Lemke of Clermont, Florida, Amy (Scott) Kica of Omaha; grandchildren Valerie (Adam) Hunt of Walton, Nebraska, Bryce (Katie) Lemke of Clermont, Connie (Michael) Bridges of Walton, Ashlee (Lee) Johnson and Kortnee Kica and boyfriend Serge Salazar all of Omaha; seven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of 59 years, Ted, and her brothers, John (Elaine) Watt and Gavin Watt. Cards and condolences may be sent to the family of Alice Doane, C/O Valerie Hunt, 12820 Pine Lake Road, Walton, NE 68461.
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
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Petersham #95, MA [238.46%] Long Tom #866, OR [156.52%] Liberty Hall #459, CO [150%] Blanchard #440, ID [148.57%] Pikes Peak #163, CO [131.25%] Tiverton #1515, OH [121.43%] East Madison #228, ME [113.04%] Marys River #685, OR [87.5%] Centennial #185, NH [84.21%] Garden Home #407, CO [80%] Hancock #402, MD [78.57%] Copake #935, NY [70%] Fruitdale #379, OR [68.75%] Bodega Bay #777, CA [68.42%] Simoore #857, CA [68.42%] Rocky Mountain #116, MT [66.67%] Quillisascut #372, WA [61.11%] Wicwas Lake #292, NH [60%] Barlow Gate #157, OR [53.85%] Westport #181, MA [53.85%] Silver Sage #24, NV [51.85%] Rockford #501, OR [50%] Orangevale #354, CA, [48%] Pierstown #793, NY [45.45%] Pleasant Valley #838, NY [44.44%] Silverton #506, WV [44.44%] Willamette #52, OR [43.9%] Skyline #894, OR [43.75%] Progress #96, PA [42.86%] Maple Leaf #940, MI [41.67%] Ralston #943, WA [41.67%] Jefferson #1373, PA [41.18%] Whitepine #102, MT [40%] Charlton #92, MA [37.93%]
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South Fork #520, WV [37.5%] Gouglersville #1743, PA [35.71%] New Bridge #789, OR [35.71%] Washington #313, OR [35.71%] Arlington #139, NH [33.33%] Lambert #439, CO [33.33%] Oakview #311, WA [33.33%] Redland #796, OR [33.33%] The Valley #1048, WA [33.33%] Pleasant Valley #1453, NY [31.58%] Quartz Hill #697, CA [31.25%] Central Point #698, OR [30.43%] Smith River #585, OR [30.43%] Fernwood #770, OR [29.03%] Webster #436, NY [28.57%] Enterprise #25, CO [27.78%] Big Cabin #156, OK [27.27%] Addy #603, WA [27.03%] Eureka #46, NY [26.67%] Marshall #451, CA [26.67%] Putnam Valley #841, NY [26.42%] Goldendale #49, WA [26.32%] Valley #519, WV [26.32%] Alpine #665, CA [26.09%] Kenna #516, WV [26.09%] Lewis #406, CO [26.09%] Azalea #786, OR [25%] Emmorton #363, MD [25%] Hopewell #472, NY [25%] Marcellus #464, NY [25%] Mountain View #98, WA [25%] Oxford #482, CO [25%] Stephens Mills #308, NY [25%] Thurston #853, OR [25%]
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Victory #1592, OH [25%] Fruitland #999, WA [23.81%] Sixes #856, OR [23.81%] Ono #445, CA [23.53%] Goodrich Settlement #1532, NY [22.22%] Ravena #1457, NY [22.22%] Columbia #267, OR [22.09%] Bellfonte #15, VA [21.88%] Corriher #627, NC [21.74%] Yankton #301, OR [21.43%] Fredonia #1, NY [21.05%] Portsmouth #29, RI [21.05%] Vernonia #305, OR [20.83%] Eagle #1, PA [20.69%] San Juan Island #966, WA [20.69%] Aptos #800, CA [20.63%] Central #360, OR [20.37%] Coburg West Point #535, OR [20%] South Rutland Valley #53, NY [20%] Gold Trail #452, CA [19.30%] Violet Prairie #996, WA [18.92%] Springfield #523, CA [18.33%] Danville #85, CA [18.18%] Loudon Center #2276, OH [18.18%] Cove Spring #2414, OH [17.65%] Lookingglass #927, OR [17.65%] Cumberland Valley #2104, PA [16.67%] Cuyler #449, NY [16.67%] Eagle Valley #656, OR [16.67%] Enfield Valley #295, NY [16.67%] Gratiot #1898, MI [16.67%] Jeremiah Smith #161, NH [16.67%] Sherburne #1400, NY [16.67%] Seneca #44, NY [16.33%] Phoenix #779, OR [16.22%] Coyote #412, CA [16%] Frogpond #111, OR [15.38%] Rickreall #671, OR [15.38%] Union #325, PA [15.38%] Ferguson #809, NC [14.71%] Western Yolo #423, CA [14.49%] Ammadamast #379, ME [14.29%] Ginger Hill #1549, PA [14.29%] Marion #276, WA [14.29%] Pencader #60, DE [14.29%] Sequim Prairie #1108, WA [14.29%] Upton #125, MA [14.29%] Cherry Creek #58, CO [13.64%] Goodwill #959, VA [13.64%] Searsburg #494, NY [13.64%] Green Bluff #300, WA [13.33%] Humptulips #730, WA [13.16%] Harmony #1201, PA [12.9%] Hillcrest #1674, PA [12.68%] Elba #783, NY [12.5%] Lamson #588, NT [12.5%]
Patterson #616, NC [12.5%] Little Muskingum #2621, OH [12.12%] Camas Valley #842, WA [11.84%] Stony Point #1694, PA [11.76%] Central Union #559, CA [11.43%] Silver Lake #105, WA [11.36%] Edgewood #266, WA [11.27%] Fairfax #570, CA [11.11%] Lt Mountain #601, NC [11.11%] Milton #670, WI [11.11%] Montour Valley #2005, PA [11.11%] Sauvies Island #840, OR [11.11%] Avon #125, MT [10.91%] Saco #53, ME [10.81%] Bridport #303, VT [10.53%] Cedar Valley #306, WA [10.53%] McMinnville #31, OR [10.53%] Ocean View #463, ME [10.53%] Sonora #2176, IO [10.53%] Stonyford #686, CA [10.26%] Five Corners #1000, NY [10%] Quimper #720, WA [10%] Springwater #263, OR [10%] Hickory #1285, PA [9.52%] Irving #377, OR [9.52%] Laurel #1678, OH [9.3%] North Fork #763, CA [9.3%] Enterprise #784, WA [9.26%] Lummi Island #925, WA [9.23%] Animas Valley #194, CO [9.09%] Arcadia #607, NC [9.09%] Richland #1413, PA [9.09%] South Fork #605, OR [9.09%] Tri Community #1008, WA [9.09%] Chester Valley #1496, PA [8.97%] Rochester #86, NH [8.89%] Center #290, VT [8.82%] Cannon #152, CT [8.77%] Mohawk #217, NH [8.7%] Blue Mountain #263, VT [8.33%] Royal #1972, PA [8.33%] Sewickley #1897, PA [8.33%] Stratford #238, NH [8.33%] Buell #637, OR [8%] Fort Colville #533, WA [8%] Somerset #18, ME, [8%] Trout Lake #210, WA [8%] Williamsburg #225, MA [8%] Hoosick #1127, NY [7.89%] Evans #1332, NY [7.69%] Guilford #1036, NC [7.69%] Hillstown #87, CT [7.69%] Oxford #194, CT [7.5%] Monroe-Dan Emmett #847, OH [7.41%] Park #249, NH [7.41%] Aloha #773, OR [7.14%]
Ash Butte #802, OR [7.14%] Bridge #730, OR [7.14%] East Schuyler #576, NY [7.14%] Perthshire #1445, NY [7.14%] Walton #1454, NY [7.14%] Salisbury Center #624, NY [6.98%] Kirkland #684, NY [6.9%] Fairview Community #1666, OH [6.67%] Laurel of West Newbury #161, MA [6.67%] Long Branch Community #2072, PA [6.67%] Oxford #894, NY [6.67%] Oxford Community #526, WV [6.67%] Mattole #569, CA [6.45%] Stockbridge #295, MA [6.45%] Summerfield #661, NC [6.41%] Log Cabin Unity #2110, PA [6.38%] Beaufort County #1233, NC [6.25%] Branch Mills #336, ME [6.25%] Colchester #78, CT [6.25%] Limerick #1917, OH [6.25%] Maple Grove #154, CO [6.25%] Pleasant Ridge #135, ID [6.25%] Big Thunder #1940, IL [6.19%] Terrace Heights #586, WA [6.14%] Mill Stream #574, ME [6.12%] Spruce Hill #772, PA [6.12%] Baw Faw #34, WA [6.06%] Mount Hope #902, NY [6.06%] Prairie #1832, IL [6.06%] Whallonsburg #954, NY [6.06%] Cibolo #1541, TX [6%] Haynie #169, WA [6%] Ricard #993, NY [5.88%] Upper Rogue #825, OR [5.88%] South Bay #250, WA [5.77%] Clear Creek #84, OK [5.71%] Ewing #2082, OH [5.71%] Horseheads #1118, NY [5.66%] Prescott of Pepperell #73, MA [5.63%] Beech Grove #1089, PA [5.56%] Buckhorn #1119, PA [5.56%] Clarkes #261, OR [5.56%] East Pembroke #1157, NY [5.56%] Gardenspot #278, WA [5.56%] Hope #269, OR [5.56%] Lacomb #907, OR [5.56%] New Norland #580, ME [5.56%] Oliver #1069, PA [5.56%] Pleasant View #164, CO [5.56%] Walker #786, PA [5.56%] Dows Prairie #505, CA [5.36%] Beavercreek #276, OR [5.26%] Alamo #1446, TX [5.13%] Skokomish #379, WA [5%] Stranger Creek #374, WA [5%] Brogden #967, NC [5%]
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GOOD DAY!â„¢ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
Calvert #424, MD [5%] Hopewell #1747, IL [5%] Rochester #257, MA [5%] Darrow Street #751, OH [4.94%] Molalla #310, OR [4.9%] Bee Hive #358, WA [4.88%] Garfield #317, OR [4.88%] Deer Creek #371, OR [4.76%] East Oakville #902, WA [4.76%] Russellville #353, OR [4.76%] Salmon Creek #849, WA [4.76%] South Camano #930, WA [4.76%] Swauk-Teanaway #984, WA [4.65%] Pleasant Hill #101, WA [4.61%] Beaver Homes #518, OR [4.55%] Central #1216, PA [4.55%] Enterprise #489, OR [4.55%] Oak Hill #104, ME [4.55%] The Sandy #392, OR [4.55%] Williams #399, OR [4.55%] Poteet #1576, TX [4.44%] Amesville #798, OH [4.35%] Bartonsville #481, VT [4.35%] Goshen #561, OR [4.35%] Oakdale #435, CA [4.35%] Schenevus Valley #1201, NY [4.35%] Woodland #178, WA [4.35%] Harmony #12, DE [4.17%] Lake Hubert #735, MN [4.17%] Mapleton #584, OR [4.17%] Otselic Valley #1398, NY [4.17%] Rainbow #527, WV [4.17%] The Agate #275, WA [4.08%] Roseville #1290, PA [4.08%] Beverly #306, MA [4%] Columbus #58, NJ [4%] Valley #144, ME [4%] Ferrisburg #593, VT [3.92%] Evening Star #183, ME [3.7%] Granite #192, ME [3.57%] Hampton Falls #171, NH [3.57%] Independent #470, CA [3.57%] Pine Forest #632, OR [3.57%] Lincoln Creek #407, WA [3.51%] Bomoseen #273, VT [3.45%] Hemlock #1497, NY [3.45%] Williams Valley #452, WA [3.45%] Bingham #237, ME [3.33%] Smith Valley #130, MT [3.33%] Fairfield #720, OR [3.23%] Waterford #479, ME [3.23%] Wickiup #722, OR [3.23%] Clayton #456, WA [3.13%] County Line #1751, IL [3.13%] Fort Rock #758, OR [3.13%] Williamsport #1815, OH [3.13%]
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Maryland State Grange (10) Oregon State Grange (5) Pennsylvania State Grange Washington State Grange
Burns Grange #160, MI (10) Cape Fear Grange #1296, NC (5) St. John Grange #729, NC (5) Bethlehem Grange #137, NY Creswell Grange #496, OR Central Union Grange #559, CA Dunstable Grange #31, MA Five Mile Prairie Grange #905, WA Goldendale Grange #49, WA Grantham Grange #968, NC Gratiot #1898, MI Hamburg Grange #2103, PA Harveys-Aleppo Grange #1444, PA Hookstown #1980, PA
Adna #417, WA Animas Valley #194, CO Baw Faw #34, WA Beehive #385, WA Blue Spruce #574, VT Camas Valley #842, WA Centerville #81, WA Chimacum #681, WA Columbia Valley #938, WA Cove Spring #2414, OH Cowlitz Prairie #737, WA Crescent #1123, WA Dry Creek #646, WA East Oakville #902, WA Elma #26, WA Florida #306, CO
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Humptulips Grange #730, WA Linganore Grange 410, MD Marys River Grange #685, OR Prairie Grange #1832, IL Redland Grange #796, OR Springwater Grange #263, OR Stanford Grange #808, NY Stelvideo Grange #295, OH Sterling Grange #53, MA Stony Point Grange #1694, PA Timber Run Grange #1898, OH Turkey Hill Grange #1370, IL Upton Grange #125, MA Valley Grange #1360, PA
Fruitland #999, WA Gardner #68, KS Golden Gate #451, CO Green Bluff #300, WA Harrison #1711, OH Holden #78, MA Humptulips Junior #376, WA Kuna #59, ID Lopez Island #1060, WA Moses Lake #1151, WA Mossyrock #355, WA Mount Lookout #339, CO Mountain View #98, WA Mt. Allison #308, CO North River #946, WA North Willapa Harbor #947, WA Oakview #311, WA Olympic View #774, WA Pleasant Hill #101, WA
Colorado State Grange Washington State Grange
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Frankfort Springs #1989, PA [1.85%] Concord #322, NH [1.82%] Pleasant View #354, OK [1.81%] London #937, OR [1.69%] South Union #860, WA [1.67%] Spring Hill #909, WA [1.67%] Oroville #985, WA [1.61%] Olalla #1125, WA [1.41%] Riverton #169, CT [1.41%] Shenango Twp. #2057, PA [1.37%] Fort Union #953, OR [1.06%] OU #355, OK [1.04%] Britton’s Neck #629, SC [0.71%]
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Malo #679, WA [2.44%] Union #349, OK [2.44%] Chimacum #681, WA [2.38%] Ione #681, CA [2.38%] Marvel #479, CO [2.38%] Columbia #867, OR [2.22%] Roy #702, WA [2.22%] Sharon #800, WA [2.22%] Beaver Valley #1791, IL [2.13%] Fargher Lake #853, WA [2.13%] Mifflin #1725, PA [2%] Redlands Mesa #487, CO [2%] Harrison #422, ID [1.89%]
DI ST
Santiam Valley #828, OR [3.09%] Calispel #500, WA [2.94%] Clearwater #299, ID [2.94%] Olivesburg #2641, OH [2.94%] Susquehanna Valley #1552, NY [2.86%] Reliance #58, DE [2.78%] Edgemere #355, ID [2.63%] South Coffeyville #351, OK [2.63%] Lexington #2672, OH [2.56%] Rose Hill #256, CO [2.56%] Union Harvest #591, ME [2.56%] Skagit Valley #620, WA [2.5%] Sunnyside #842, OR [2.47%]
GRANGEYOUTH
YOUTH PROGRAM
2020 Stanford #808, New York (#) denotes milestone consecutive years
Quillisascut #372, WA Ralston #943, WA Rose Valley #953, WA Sallal #955, WA Sammamish Valley #286, WA San Poil #684, WA Sequim Prairie #1108, WA Sierra Valley #466, CA Silver Lake #105, WA Skamokawa #425, WA South Camano #930, WA Sunflower #162, CO Swauk Teanaway #984, WA Terrace Heights #586, WA The Valley #1048, WA Twisp Valley #482, WA Unity #1761, OH White Trail #1143, WA
Latest Digest of Laws an important item for every Grange By Joe Stefenoni
divisions of the Order.
National Grange Membership & Leadership Development Director
items that pertain to and are common to all of the divisions of
Chapter 10 is the Code of all Granges and provides for the the Order.
The 2021 version of the National Grange Digest of Laws has recently been released with the changes adopted by the delegates to the 154th Session of the National Grange, but what is this book, and why does it matter to your Grange? The National Grange Digest of Laws (or “Digest”) is in short, the collection of laws, rules and procedures that govern our organization. Or in other words, it is the playbook that we all agree to use when we join the Grange, or are elected to serve as an officer, and helps to keep us all “between the navigational beacons.” The Digest can also be a resource to Granges and Grangers by answering any question that may arise. The Digest contains 13 chapters, which can be grouped into five sections; the Constitution, the Declaration of Purposes, the Articles of Incorporation, the By-laws and the Codes. Chapter 1 of the Digest is the Constitution of 1986. The
Chapter 11 is the Code of Ritual, Degrees and Regalia and provides for details about the ritual of the Order, including the Degrees and Regalia. Chapter 12 is the Code of Judicial Law and provides for procedures on how rulings (interpretations) are made and by whom, and the rules and regulations for Grange trials. Finally, Chapter 13 is the Code of Parliamentary Law, which provides for the parliamentary rules of the Grange. In general, the sections of this chapter cover the instances when the parliamentary rules of the Grange differ from Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. Whenever this chapter is silent on a topic or question, then Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised will apply. The governing laws of the Grange have evolved along with the organization over the last 153 years. The organization was originally governed by the Constitution adopted in 1873. The
Constitution is the guiding document that lays out the divisions
current Constitution is known as the Constitution of 1986. Over
of the Order, its organization, regulation and administration,
a period of several years prior to 1986, all of the laws of the
types of membership and other items considered necessary for
National Grange were reviewed and rewritten into a new format.
the general guidance of the Order.
This Constitution replaced the prior version. Both versions begin
Chapter 2 is the Declaration of Purposes which outlines the
with the Preamble to the Constitution, which was written by
general objectives of our Order and provides specific objectives
William Saunders, the first President of the National Grange. It
that we as an Order are seeking to obtain.
was adopted on January 9, 1873 and has never been changed.
Chapter 3 is the Articles of Incorporation of the National
At the National Grange’s 154th Annual Session only one
Grange. This chapter is the legal document that is filed with the
amendment to the Digest of Laws were adopted. The resolution
District of Columbia where the National Grange is incorporated.
added further definition to the duties and responsibilities of the
The Articles of Incorporation lay out the legal structure of
Executive Committee into the by-laws, noting that the Executive
the organization with regard to its name, period of duration,
Committee could act for the Grange “only in time of emergency.”
objects, types of members and who are voting members of the
As an organization, the Grange derives all of its laws and authority from the National Grange level. All of the Granges
corporation. Chapter 4 contains the by-laws of the National Grange and
of the various divisions of the Order must have governing
is probably the most widely applicable chapter of the 13. The
documents that guide and direct their activities and therefore
By-Laws are the laws of the Order that provide for the general
should have a current copy of their by-laws available to their
operation of the organization. There are 18 different articles
members. Each Subordinate Grange should maintain current
contained in the By-Laws which outline a variety of topics
copies of the National Grange Digest of Laws and their State
including the information to form, close or consolidate Granges,
Grange by-laws.
the dues/membership fees collected by the National Grange,
One useful way to make sure that your Grange is keeping these documents up to date and members have access to them
the duties of offices and how to amend the by-laws. Each of the remaining chapters are called the Code Chapters.
is to create a Google Drive folder. If your Grange does not have a
They provide for more details than is provided for in the By-Laws.
copy of your current by-laws, or if your by-laws are greatly out-of-
Chapters five through nine are the codes of the various
date, the National Grange has a simple fill in the blank template
divisions of the Order (i.e. Junior Granges through the National
available for your use (or check with your State Grange to see if
Grange) and provides for the organization and structure of the
one is already provided for you).
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
47
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info@keepmepostedna.org 855-896-7433
New leadership will bring opportunities, challenges for rural America to establish voice, be heard in Washington By Sean O’Neil National Grange Legislative Intern As the results of this November’s election
have
now
been
finalized,
Congress and the incoming Biden administration are currently making key leadership
and
personnel
decisions
which will have major impacts on the kinds of policies which are passed in the next few years. What follows is a brief summary of the key positions which have been selected as of this writing in mid-December.
REP. DAVID SCOTT
Leadership Fights in Congress: In early December, the traditional lengthy behind-the-scenes battles for party leadership positions in the next Congress have completed.
REP. GLENN “G.T.” THOMPSON
coming from a major farm district and
“He has been in the trenches of the
having spoken at the National Grange’s
food and agriculture battles on Capitol
150th National Convention.
Hill, has been willing to work across
National Grange President Betsy
the political aisle, and has stood firm in
Huber released a statement regarding
support of farmers, ranchers and rural
little for either party with all four party
the selection of both of this committee’s
residents,” she said.
leaders
unanimously.
leaders. In it, she said these selections
In the Senate, Republican Senator
However, many coveted committee chair
by the two parties will help to “bolster
John Boozman of Indiana will take over
positions will change hands in the next
this very important sector that is not
as committee chair, while Democratic
Congress following high level jockeying
just an economic driver but vital to our
Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
in both parties.
national security.”
continues as ranking member.
In both the House and the Senate, top level party leadership has changed being
elected
Senate
Huber has worked with Thompson on
Huber said the Grange will issue a
Agriculture committees will see new
many issues in the past, and called him a
statement when the leadership of this
leadership
Congress
personal friend, “who is very accessible;
important Senate committee is finalized.
following electoral defeat of Rep. Collin
his door is always open to constituents
Another key committee, the House
Peterson and the retirement of Senator
and ag organizations.”
Both
the in
House the
and next
Energy and Commerce committee, will
“He is a passionate supporter of all
see Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone of
In the House, Democratic Rep. David
agriculture,” Huber said. “He is familiar
New Jersey continue as chair, while
Scott of Georgia has been selected as
with the diversity of the agriculture
Republican
the next chairman of the Agriculture
industry and its workers and affiliated
Rodgers of Washington will move up to
committee and Republican Rep. Glenn
sectors thanks to his work representing
ranking member. Rep. McMorris Rodgers
‘G.T.’ Thompson of Pennsylvania as
the people of Pennsylvania, which as a
grew up on a family-owned orchard, and
ranking member. Both of these selections
state has a broad diversity of agriculture.”
has been a member of the Washington
have demonstrated a commitment to
Scott’s record of bipartisan efforts
agricultural issues, with Rep. Scott having
also makes him a great choice, Huber
grown up on a farm and Rep. Thompson
said.
Pat Roberts.
L
Rep.
Cathy
McMorris
State Grange. In the Senate, the Energy and Natural Resources committee will also see a
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
49
change of leadership with Republican
These picks and others signal that
Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming
President-elect Biden plans to return
taking over as chair while Democratic
to an Obama-era foreign policy, but is
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia
likely to place an increased emphasis
continues as ranking member.
on climate change as a natural security
By becoming chair of the Senate Energy
and
Natural
Resources
issue. As
well,
President-elect
Biden’s
Committee, Senator Barrasso will be
lengthy experience in foreign policy as
leaving his seat as chair of Senate
both a Senator and Vice President make
Environment and Public Works to be
it likely that he will spend considerable
filled by Republican Senator Shelley
time focused on foreign policy relative to
Moore Capito of West Virginia.
his predecessor.
Finally, following one of the most
In economic selections, the most
fraught battles for leadership, Democratic
significant picks President-elect Biden
Rep.
California
has made thus far have been former
will take the chair of the powerful
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen for
House
Committee.
Treasury Secretary and leader of the
SEC. TOM VILSACK
Rep. DeLauro comes from the more
Center for American Progress Neera
progressive wing of the Democratic party
Tanden for Director of the Office of
Becerra fought for the Affordable Care
which could signal changing priorities in
Management and Budget.
Rosa
DeLauro
of
Appropriations
While Yellen’s selection has signaled
future appropriations work.
a middle-of-the-road economic strategy Biden Cabinet
for the Biden administration and received
With the formal transition to a
support from both conservatives and
Biden-Harris administration now fully
progressives, Tanden is likely to face
operational, key cabinet picks have been
a tough confirmation battle due to her
announced, while rumors fly about those
inflammatory twitter presence and feuds
that remain.
she has picked with conservatives and
In
late
November
and
early
progressives alike over the years.
December, President-elect Joe Biden
On the domestic front, President-elect
announced key picks for diplomatic,
Biden has announced his Secretaries
natural security, economic, and domestic
of Housing and Urban Development,
positions.
Health and Human Services, and, most
In his diplomatic and national security selections, Biden’s most notable picks
importantly for rural Americans, Secretary of Agriculture.
were former Deputy National Security
For Housing and Urban Development,
Advisor and Deputy Secretary of State
President-elect Biden has selected Rep.
Antony Blinken for Secretary of State,
Marcia Fudge of Ohio, who is a member
former General Lloyd Austin for Secretary
of the House Agriculture committee and
of Defense, former Assistant Secretary of
was speculated as a potential Secretary
State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-
of Agriculture before being selected for
Greenfield for UN Ambassador, which
HUD.
Biden is elevating to its traditional status
For Health and Human Services,
as a cabinet-level position, and the
President-elect
addition of former Secretary of State
California
and Senator John Kerry as a special
Becerra
Presidential Envoy for Climate Change.
Previously as a member of Congress,
50
L
has
selected
current
Attorney
General
Xavier
to
lead
the
department.
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
Act, and is likely to be an important part of the Biden administration’s approach to both the pandemic and healthcare more broadly. Finally, following a lengthy behindthe-scenes battle, President-elect Biden has selected former Governor of Iowa and Obama administration Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to return to lead USDA. Vilsack’s long experience working with Agriculture, and bipartisan history is likely to make him one of Biden’s most popular cabinet picks with many prominent Republican Senators, such as Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, welcoming the pick. The Grange, too, lauded the move, saying Vilsack is a “wise choice to lead the Department at a time when farming is even more essential and food security is a serious issue for more Americans than ever.” Huber said Vilsack’s experience not only as Secretary but as a small-town mayor and two-term Iowa governor, as well as his recent private ag industry experience,
“gives
him
a
unique
NEW LEADERS, continued on Page 52
Legislative topics for Grangers to watch in 2021 By Burton Eller
party’s progressive wing.
National Grange Legislative Director
Few expect major changes in farm policy for 2021. Food policy initiatives
Makeup of Congress
and Sean O’Neil
are more likely.
Control of the Senate and House
National Grange Legislative Intern
next year will determine how many of the President’s policy initiatives see the
With every new Congress and each
light of day.
Food stamp and feeding programs at USDA might expand. Will we be able to make the temporary
food
policies
permitted
new administration, there are expected
If the Senate, House and White
priority shifts and announced priority
House are held by the same party, policy
changes that keep the National Grange
initiatives will move at warp speed. If the
encourage direct farm to consumer sales,
Legislative Department on its toes to
Senate and House are held by different
allow truckers delivery flexibility with
ensure that we are able to adequately
parties, this will serve as a check-and-
the 24-hour rule, expedite donations to
balance on policy initiatives initiated by
food banks and more. Agriculture trade
White House, the Senate or the House.
could become more of an economic and
prepare and inform our elected leaders about the rural perspective gleaned from the Grange grassroots policymaking efforts. This year will be no different, and there are many areas the Biden transition team has announced interest in that overlap with areas of significant concern to Grangers and our communities. Here are just a few areas to watch in 2021.
The new occupant of the White House will drive major public policy initiatives during 2021, the first of his four-year term. off
the
House
controlled
by
next
year
Democrats.
will
be
election
cycle,
Presidents historically tend to be most
Republicans or Democrats control the
President-elect Biden has announced
include
relaxed
rules
to
diplomatic challenge. Telecommunications
Senate depends on the outcome of the
The pandemic-caused disruptions
Georgia senatorial elections January
to daily life have done more to raise
5 - something that may have already
awareness of the rural-urban digital
happened by the time you receive this
divide than anything for a decade.
issue.
Students cannot attend classes and do homework without dependable internet. Telemedicine
These are the two elephant-in-theroom serious concerns facing everyone in the world right now.
is
useless
without
dependable internet. Telework doesn’t happen without dependable internet. Congress and the White House
How fast can new COVID-19 vaccines
responded in 2020 with levels of funding
be distributed to the world’s populations
not imagined a decade ago and that is
and will citizens choose to become
expected to continue.
immunized?
successful passing their agenda in their first year in office.
These
Whether
Coronavirus and the Economy
The White House
Fresh
The
during the pandemic more permanent?
Challenges for the Grange in 2021
Will there be enough food, and can
will be to assure these funds are used
it be distributed effectively to those in
wisely and efficiently, rights-of-way and
need?
access challenges are addressed, and
he will immediately delve into controlling
The
answers
will
help
drive
the way is cleared for mixed-technology
the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigating
Washington’s public policy initiatives in
systems to reach the “last mile” of rural
climate change.
2021.
America.
Also watch the role Vice President-
Then, once the viral infection rate
elect Harris plays in policy initiatives
subsides, what will it take to rebuild our
during 2021. The VP may become more
economy over how many years?
of a policy-driver than normal for a VP as she is representative of the Democratic
Health Healthcare will consume much of the Grange’s public policy time in 2021.
Farm and Food Policy
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COVID-19
therapy
and
vaccine
51
approvals and who gets vaccinated in
Climate Change
what order and at what cost will be both a medical and political questions. How much insurance at what price will patients be able to afford?
confirmed Americans lack consensus on
Greenhouse gas emissions control
national goals and have starkly different
and carbon sequestration necessary to
views about the future direction of the
build a “clean energy economy” and
country.
Democrats rank “improving
combat the “climate crisis” will likely
health care affordably” and “improving
Drug pricing debates will escalate.
be high on Washington’s public policy
racial
Treatments for chronic pain to move
agenda for the foreseeable future.
Republicans rank “having a strong
patients away from opioids and other addictive drugs look promising.
Many
climate
change
added immense deficits to the country’s
America first” as top national priority
economic and good management sense to farmers, ranchers and landowners.
President-elect
Biden
will
have
a broad immigration agenda quite
At least some tax policy discussions
different from President Trump’s.
will likely take place in 2021.
goals. Overall, however, more than 80 percent of Americans hold such values as free speech, equal justice under the law, and ensuring everyone has
Immigration
payments against that debt and who will be taxed to make those payments?
priorities.
and growing economy” and “putting
debt. How soon will we begin making
top
suggest agriculture could play a major direction mitigation takes must make
The COVID-19 relief packages have
as
advocates
role in climate mitigation. Whatever Taxes
injustice”
Expect Biden to secure Deferred
an opportunity to succeed as defining national values. According to Michael V. Murphy, the Committee’s initiative director to address the root causes of our growing
The direction of those tax discussions
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
will largely depend upon party control of
policy which protects illegal immigrants
the Senate.
who first entered the U.S. as minors,
poll tells us is that efforts to unite our
Be on the lookout for initiatives to
and to call for a “roadmap to citizenship
divided nation are going to have to start
roll-back the latest tax cuts, a corporate
“for nearly 11 million people in the U.S.
at the community level, where people
tax increase, an increase in the capital
illegally.
come together every day to solve hard problems and work toward the common
gains tax rate, higher taxes on the nation’s
wealthiest
individuals,
and
divisions observed, “One thing this
A Divided Nation
higher death taxes on estates.
good.”
A September poll by the Committee for
a
Responsible
Federal
Budget
Sounds like a page from the National Grange mission statement.
NEW LEADERS continued from Page 50
perspective to grapple with the upcoming challenges at
of Agriculture Karen Ross. Meanwhile, contenders for Chief of
USDA.”
Staff including climate expert and former USDA official Robert
“His ability to rise above partisanship will serve USDA well
Bonnie, dean of the College of Agriculture, Environment,
as it prioritizes efforts to connect unserved rural residents
and Nutrition Sciences at Tuskegee University Walter Hill,
with high-speed broadband for distance learning, telehealth, remote business, essential services and smart agriculture,” Huber said. Currently, a progressive vs. moderate battle is being waged
Democratic staff director of the Senate Agriculture Committee Joe Schultz, and director of food policy at Consumer Reports and former USDA official Brian Ronholm.
for the Deputy Secretary and Chief of Staff positions at the
In public statements, current nominee for Secretary
Department. Leading candidates for the number two spot
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has indicated that department
including current CEO of the Native American Agriculture fund
leadership will be diverse, but he is also likely to bring along
and former USDA official Janie Hipp, and California’s Secretary
people he knows and trusts from the Obama administration.
52
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ANALYSIS
To reduce polarization, modernize federal rural policy By Tony Pipa Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institute Center for Sustainable Development
and Natalie Geismar Project Coordinate and Research Assistant, Brookings Institute Center for Sustainable Development This story provides a summary of the report released by The Brookings Institution
in
Nov.
2020
entitled
“Reimagining rural policy: Organizing federal assistance to maximize rural prosperity,” and was originally published by the Institute.
Source: Brookings analysis of USASpending data USDA is the federal agency with the largest amount of grant funds for rural programs, however, there are several other agencies with substantial sums
related to rural projects like infrstructure, veterans affairs and education, as is documented by this chart showing FY2019 grant spending on rural-exclusive
As President-elect Joe Biden comes into office determined to unify the country, he will face a deeply divided
development programs, by agency.
access to health care that many rural
evenly distributed prosperity. from
the
communities face: Half of rural hospitals
threatens
to
operated at a loss pre-pandemic, and 17
further disrupt local economies that
have already closed this year—just one
in 2019 were still recovering from the
off an all-time annual high set in 2019—
Great Recession and adapting to 21st
maintaining the negative momentum
century shifts in the national and global
that has shuttered 176 rural hospitals
economy, demographics, and climate.
since 2005.
the
Employment and prime-age labor force
Now,
nation’s metros and small towns remains
participation in rural areas still had not
navigate
pronounced. A successful unity agenda
reached pre-recession levels before
with intermittent broadband access
will require policy responses from his
Covid-19 hit, while employment in urban
and adapt to additional shocks to
new administration that give more
areas had more than fully rebounded
manufacturing and agriculture supply
diverse places—as well as people—the
and grown by 9 percent.
chains. According to analysis from
electorate, one whose partisan divisions continue to reflect stark differences in geographic economic outcomes. Counties that experienced the least job growth over the last four years provided President Trump with his largest gains in 2020 from the 2016 election, and political
polarization
between
The Covid-19
economic
fallout
pandemic
rural a
communities
virtual
world
of
must work
The current crisis has further exposed
the Center on Rural Innovation, the
This must include rural areas. In a
rural areas’ vulnerabilities. Just recently,
four industries at highest risk of being
new policy brief, we make the case
Covid-19 prevalence in nonmetro U.S.
impacted by Covid-19 account for 56
that improved and modernized federal
areas surpassed those in metro areas
percent of jobs in rural areas, compared
policy can more effectively support
for the first time; Rural residents are
to 43 percent in metro areas.
economic and community development
now almost 2.5 times more likely than
in the rural U.S., increase equity, and
urban residents to die from the virus.
communities
build America’s resilience through more
This is compounded by the decreasing
demographically and economically—
opportunity to thrive.
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Despite
these are
challenges,
rural
diverse—both
53
and entrepreneurial. They help power, feed, and protect America at rates disproportionate to other geographies. They house 99 percent of wind power capacity and will play a key role in
national
climate
strategies
that
require investments in clean energy infrastructure. Rural
areas
employment
have
higher
rates
counterparts
and
than are
selfurban
increasingly
economically diverse, with a significant and growing proportion of service industries including education, health, trade, transportation, and hospitality. They are also demographically diverse; people of color make up 21 percent of the rural population and are responsible for 83 percent of the population growth that has occurred in rural areas between 2000
and
2010,
with
immigration
partially the source. The federal programs and tools now in place to support community and
economic
development
serve
as a reminder of the important role the
federal
government
played
in
helping rural communities thrive in the 20th century. Yet they are outdated, fragmented, and constrained, and the resulting incoherence and complexity is not producing deep enough results fast
Source: Brookings analysis of the 2019 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
enough. We find that: • Over 400 programs—spanning 13 departments, 10 independent agencies, and over 50 offices and sub-agencies (Figure 1) and with a bewildering array of development objectives —are available to assist rural communities. • A
total
of
14
legislative
specifically to rural areas are heavily
privilege
weighted toward debt financing. In
areas.
densely
populated
urban
fiscal year 2019, they administered $2.58 billion in grants—just 0.2 percent
Modernizing Federal Assistance to
of federal discretionary spending—
Maximize Rural Prosperity
versus $38 billion in loan authority.
We recommend modernizing and
committees have jurisdiction over the
• Rural communities lack access
reforming federal assistance for the 21st
authorizing legislation for rural-eligible
to flexible grant funding and are
century, to better serve the diversity
development programs, compounding
often
this complexity.
requirements,
• The
54
93
programs
targeted
by
eligibility
of rural America and improve the
capita
spending
geographic distribution of prosperity
formulas, and allocation formulas that
across the country. Improved federal
disadvantaged
L
per
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policy and practice can help these areas—and the nation as
dynamics that have historically excluded groups based on
a whole—recover stronger, more quickly, and more equitably
race and ethnicity and to promoting collaboration with a wide
than after 2008. A “development effectiveness” mindset,
range of partners and intermediaries.
inspired by successful reforms to U.S. foreign assistance
To complement the national strategy and ensure that rural
over the past two decades, can ensure that policy reforms
areas have fair access to the federal assistance that can help
increase coherence and maintain an unwavering focus on
advance their priorities, we suggest a federal rural audit—a
results. To maximize the return on federal investment, our
close examination of eligibility, funding formulas, and
recommendations include: 1.
Launch
a
domestic
development
corporation,
modernizing technical capabilities and financing tools A new corporation would competitively award large, flexible block grants that invest in local vision, accompanied by cutting-edge technical assistance, rigorous analysis and measurement of results, and support to strengthen local leadership and civic capacity. Its policies should empower local residents and community leaders, and support what they need to succeed. It would integrate and expand the breadth
spending criteria of community and economic development programs, identifying those that disadvantage or create barriers to entry for rural areas. Coherent strategy requires a rigorous focus on transparency and results. To increase transparency, we recommend an easy-to-use web tool that tracks federal funding flows to rural people and places. We also recommend a congressional commitment to mandate and provide 5 percent of program funding for evaluation.
of domestic development financing tools, bringing strategy
3. Appoint a bipartisan congressional commission to
and improved impact to the set of narrowly defined and siloed
undertake a top-to-bottom review and build bipartisan
tools that currently exist. The U.S. government has done this
momentum for improving the effectiveness of federal rural
successfully for its international development investments
policy
by creating the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the
We recommend a bipartisan, congressionally appointed
International Development Finance Corporation; it should
commission undertake a top-to-bottom review of the
apply this experience to the development challenges facing
effectiveness of federal assistance for rural community and
rural communities in the U.S.
economic development. The Office of Management and
2. Create a national rural strategy and undertake associated
Budget is also well-positioned to analyze the extent to
reforms to improve coherence, regional integration, and
which existing policies and regulations disadvantage rural
transparency
communities.
As early as the 1970s, officials in the Carter administration noted that “the federal rural development effort consisted of programs, rather than policy.” A national rural strategy will strengthen coordination by providing clear policy direction to the agencies and stakeholders involved in rural development. To ensure that strategy implementation responds to rural realities, we recommend elevating White House leadership by (1) establishing high-ranking positions responsible for rural and tribal development and (2) creating an office to facilitate interagency coordination and provide consistency and convening power across presidential administrations.
“Rural” is no longer synonymous with “agricultural,” and policy solutions must keep pace with reality to do right by the 1in 5 citizens who call rural places home. The perceived rural-urban
political
divide
masks
growing
economic
interdependencies, ignores the significant presence and unique priorities of communities of color in rural areas, and stifles opportunities to strengthen America’s social and economic health through smart regional policy. In a nation grappling with deep polarization, systemic racism,
and
recession,
President-elect
Biden
has
an
To be successful, a national rural strategy must embrace
opportunity to build bipartisan interest in a long-term equity
diverse rural perspectives while breaking down urban-rural
agenda by including solutions that address geographic
divides by incentivizing regional approaches. An analysis of
divergence. Intentional and ambitious federal leadership can
the impact, constraints, and successes of the seven regional
create the conditions for success in rural areas by embracing
commissions and authorities previously authorized would be
their diversity, knowledge, and local assets. It is time to meet
a start. Special attention should be paid to addressing power
the urgency of the moment.
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56
GRANGE ADVOCACY ADVERTORIAL
When fighting a global pandemic, Grange urges all vaccine delivery options be on the table On top of the lack of storage
By Betsy E. Huber
equipment
National Grange President
and
staffing
challenges,
distributing any vaccine to high-risk
As COVID-19 vaccines have gotten
populations across the country presents
the green light from the FDA and some of
another daunting problem. Maintaining
our most vulnerable or highly prioritized
the required temperatures and providing
are being inoculated, there is a sense of
enough doses to effectively curb the
renewed optimism that the United States
pandemic will be a massive undertaking,
will, in time, beat back this virus and
and rural populations could be some of
return to normalcy. In processes that generally take years to complete, companies around the world have developed and are continuing to develop innovative vaccines and treatments with the hope of delivering them in just a few months to millions of Americans. Unfortunately, what can be lost in this wave of positive feeling is what those living in countless disparate communities scattered across America are facing. While
urban
populations
—
and those
suburban near
easily
accessible and high-quality healthcare facilities — have reaped the benefits of their close proximity, those living in rural communities have grown increasingly more concerned about how the nation will overcome their access challenges. As early as April 2020, nearly half of rural hospitals across the country were already operating at a loss, and additional
the last to benefit. The unfortunate irony of the situation is that these rural communities should be at the top of the government’s list, with a disproportionate number of poor, elderly, and those with chronic health issues living in small towns. In addition, the latest coronavirus surge is crashing upon many of these same communities. Taken together, the holistic outlook for
“One silver bullet is not a sustainable solution for everyone across the country, especially for vulnerable populations living in remote areas.”
rural areas is the worst it has been since the start of the pandemic. Despite
these
and
many
other
hurdles which our nations’ COVID-19 effort must overcome, it was American innovation,
in
conjunction
with
a
proactive federal reaction, that has the
vaccine candidates in clinical trials that could reach all corners of the country, while saving taxpayers and hospitals precious
resources
as
the
nation
continues to battle the pandemic.
U.S. on the fastest successful vaccine
COVID-19 will likely be a part of
development in recent history. Perhaps it
the lives of countless Americans for a
is the American inventive spirit and this
long time, and the vaccine options to
same robust government response that
defeat it need to reflect that simple fact.
rural communities must look to in order
One silver bullet is not a sustainable
to solve this conundrum.
solution for everyone across the country,
Coupled with traditional injectable
hits from the pandemic only exacerbated
vaccines and the immense promise
this situation in the following months. It
they bring in terms of effectiveness,
especially for vulnerable populations living in remote areas. Moreover,
our
leaders
should
is not hard to imagine then, that these
the government should continue to
recognize
facilities already struggling to make
adopt the approach of wide-ranging
currently experiencing the worst of
ends meet would be raising concerns
investment in innovative options that are
COVID-19 as their communities become
about how they will be able to properly
already in the pipeline, such as an oral
ground zero for the virus’ spread.
store the first generation of COVID-19
vaccine, which could help alleviate some
If we are going to win the fight
vaccines or of how to vaccinate their
of the impediments that rural residents
against this deadly disease, we will need
local populations on a wide scale with a
could face.
solutions that acknowledge the difficult
lack of staff.
There are many more promising
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that
rural
Americans
are
circumstances so many Americans face.
57
As biopharmaceutical researchers keep searching for breakthrough cures they don’t have to look far for inspiration. In this new era of medicine, where breakthroughs are transforming prevention and treatment options, PhRMA is committed to fixing America’s health care system the right way.
Continued advocacy needed to support Lifeline program By Cleo Stamatos Founder, Consumer Mom “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” - that has been the Granger’s mantra when it comes to the Lifeline telephone program, which provides low income Americans with discounts for landline phones and in most cases a free wireless phone with some broadband access. Thousands of low-income veterans and seniors benefit from the federal Lifeline program that provides them with subsidized cell phone and broadband service. But that could change soon. As we go to press, the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission is looking to move forward with a change to the minimum service standards for the Lifeline program that could end free wireless offerings. The Grange has told the FCC that while we know changes need to be made to the program, making this drastic change now could leave millions without telecommunications services. The irony here is that the Lifeline program – even though it was created
under President Reagan and expanded under the second President Bush – has been tagged as the “Obama phone.” The current chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai, who has submitted his resignation from the agency as of Jan. 20, 2021, has expressed valid concerns about past problems with the program, and those have been addressed. But, now, a new broadband service change is due to go into effect – where the current payment to private Lifeline service providers of $9.25 a month will stay the same even as the amount of broadband that they will have to provide goes up sharply. That move is likely to have the effect of forcing some companies out of providing Lifeline service and requiring those that remain to impose “co-pay” fees that poor veterans and seniors simply won’t be able to afford. Some companies have filed with the FCC to let them know that if this plan goes into effect, the free program will cost customers $30 to $40 a month. Lifeline works for low-income seniors and veterans who use it to stay in touch
with doctors, the VA,
emergency
service providers and their families. Even
before
the pandemic hit and
tightened
up the economy, these folks were stretched far too thin to pay for a federal benefit they are receiving at no cost now. The Grange has argued that no changes should go into effect on minimum service standards during COVID. We are not alone in our efforts to protect Lifeline and stop the change from happening,
In November, the
Grange and AmVets were able to speak to Trump staff about Lifeline, and urged them to protect the program, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the importance of connectivity and remote learning, working, and healthcare during the pandemic, we believe that the FCC should follow past practices. In
addition
to
AmVets,
other
veterans groups asking for a pause on the minimum service standards push include: Association of the United States Navy,
Blinded
Veterans
Association,
Jewish War Veterans, Military Chaplains Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the National Association of American Veterans, Inc. Disability groups also support the Grange’s position, as do consumer groups, National Consumers League and Consumer Action. Advocates agree: The FCC should be rethinking the Lifeline program to make sure it meets this moment and truly works for those who need it. It is difficult to understand why during a pandemic, regulators would not agree to leave things as they are when Photo by Georg Arthur Pflueger
otherwise millions of people will suffer.
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EXCLUSIVE Q&A
Departing FCC Chairman reflects on tenure, Grange connection In late November, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, a 2019 recipient
influence your decisions. Why do you appreciate that rural upbringing and rural
of the National Grange Champion of Rural America award, announced he will leave the Commission on January 20. The move, typical for appointees when there is a administration change, will leave a vacuum “inside the Beltway” of a truly rural view and advocate for rural Americans, said
America so much to continue to be an advocate for it after having moved to the city? Pai Oh, great question.
National Grange President Betsy Huber after hearing the news. Huber, who worked with Pai as part of the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Board for a few years and continues service as part of the Commission’s Precision Ag Taskforce, said she has appreciated how much Pai’s rural upbringing is a part of his character and his approach to his work. “Working with Chairman Pai has been both an honor and a privilege as we have continued to build our relationship with him over the years,” National Grange President Betsy Huber said. “Chairman Pai’s representation of rural America on a national stage has positively impacted Americans around the country.” “As our country was actively fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and transitioned to remote working as well as remote learning, and telehealth, the extension of broadband had never been more important, and Chairman Pai rose to
Growing up in Kansas and knows what it is like to feel that your horizons are capped due lack of broadband. To know firsthand what this digital divide feels like and knowing that everyone deserves a chance to succeed, and something like access to internet should not stand in that way. It is because of my experience in a rural community that I see the need for programs like the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. I have a deep care for off the map places and believe that it is time that we brought them and their needs into the political light. Gwin Absolutely! Nobody’s potential should be capped because of access to broadband. What does the expansion of broadband mean for rural communities in the US? Pai
the occasion. His leadership has been a great driving force in
To me It means a tremendous amount of opportunity that
the realm of rural broadband and we wish him the best on his
has not found its way to rural America. The pandemic brought
future endeavors.”
this to light and the need for this connection will create more
Recently, National Grange intern Kennedy Gwin caught up with Pai to discuss the past several years of accomplishments
economic and education opportunities, what I like to call it is digital opportunity.
by the FCC during his tenure since 2012 as part of the
Before the pandemic, access had already been on the
Commission and since 2017 chairing it. They discussed rural
forefront of the FCCs agenda but with the pandemic it has
broadband, net neutrality and the influence growing up rural
solidified our mission and provided us the opportunity to
had on his approach to work at the FCC, to name a few. Here
continue working hard at closing the digital divide.
is the full interview:
Gwin As we discussed earlier, you had a rural upbringing, Do you
Kennedy Gwin Good afternoon Chairman Pai. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today.
think because of your connection to rural America, you have worked harder or more directly on certain issues than other commissioners may have?
Chairman Pai It’s great anytime I’m able to connect with the Grange. Thanks for taking the time to interview me.
Pai I think my group brings an extraordinarily strong interest to this issue and that any commission, regardless of what political
Gwin
party runs it, should focus on this problem.
Chairman Pai, you’ve not been shy about your rural
The continued issue of the digital divide creates almost two
upbringing. As you’ve approached your job at the FCC, you
different countries, one where people live in the 20th century
have frequently talked about how it has helped inform you and
with limited access, and one where access to internet is just a
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part of modern society.
and infrastructure has been vastly expanded. Venture capital
Moving forward I want the FCC to create nonpartisan views on access as I believe connection is not an inherently political issue.
startups set a record in 2018, and fiber optic networks set records in 2018. At the end of the day access to the internet with more regulations will not help you get on the right side of
Gwin Speaking of moving forward how have you paved new roads in your tenure as Chairman that the next administration can use
the digital divide. Gwin Why do you believe the strategy you have laid out is the
to help rural Americans?
best one to help the American people? How do you respond
Pai Part of this new path involved how the FCC does business. Every month they have a meeting and vote on many items. Previously it had long been the practice to not expose the issues
to critics who believe this strategy favors businesses and CEOs over individual consumers? Pai We must recognize that America has many densely
the council would be voting on such as sales and other business
populated areas but also many rural areas with less people and
moves the council was making. When I transitioned into the office, we decided to publish
low income. The government does not have enough money
ahead of time what would be on the agenda and allow people
to rely completely on tax dollars. We need private money and
(such as rural individuals) to comment on these issues. This allowed
business to continue to build infrastructure.
people to know what the committee is doing and provide a look
We have tried to make cases for why investing in rural is
into what their product is before it is decided on. This move was
better for companies and encourage smaller companies to
implemented the second week of my term in office.
expand, but at the end of the day it is very expensive and sees
I am also immensely proud of the nonpartisan creation of
little in profit return. We also know no matter how much we reform the system
funds that will boost innovation in telehealth and fund more
some part of the country will not see broadband expansion. This
precision agricultural projects. Another project the FCC assisted in establishing was a 9-8-
is where the government needs to step in. Government funds
8 number to help in suicide prevention and health. Congress
need to go to these areas where the divide will never close to
suggested it a few years ago and we were able to roll it out
provide access. We always want to keep in mind the small guy.
this summer. This easy to memorize number was a non-partisan
Gwin
issue that was strongly supported across the political spectrum. Gwin
What are you most proud of over your years as a commissioner and now as chairman?
One of the hot-button issues your team has worked on these last few years has been the repealing of Net Neutrality. This issue has been framed in several different ways during your time as FCC Chairman. Can you explain a bit about your concerns for net neutrality and why you think the recent moves by the FCC have been the right ones for our nation?
Pai I am most proud of how my team and I have worked hard and fast to do everything we could for the American people. Closing the divide and expanding 5G to low income/rural areas and having to do this quickly, amid a pandemic none the less! My team did not mark time, we got results for the American people. At the end of the day, I can tell my friends and family
Pai
that my team and I did everything we could to make the country The repealing of Net Neutrality has been the best decision
a better place.
for American consumers. (Done on December 14th, 2017) If you
Coming into this position with a rural American experience
look at the current market consumers and rural consumers have
and knowing that we have advocates for this issue make the
never been better.
FCC a better place.
The repealing of these regulations created strong incentives to create better networks in our competitive market. It did the
The Grange thanks Chairman Pai, a 2019 recipient of the
opposite of what people would assume would happen, which
National Grange Champion of Rural American Award, for all his
was slowing internet speeds and bogged down networks, and
work on behalf of rural Americans to expand broadband access,
instead opened the market for smaller providers.
among other things, over his time on the Commission and
With a more market-based approach speeds have doubled,
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wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
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PERSPECTIVE
I cry for the Mountains A Legacy Lost By Dave Daley Former President, Wyandotte Junior Grange, CA
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It is almost midnight. We have been
their baby calves tumbled in a ravine
cattle to the high country sometime after
pushing hard for 18 to 20 hours every day
trying to escape, burned almost beyond
he arrived in 1852 to the Oroville area
since the Bear Fire (later called the North
recognition or a fawn and small calf side
looking for gold.
Complex Fire) tore through our mountain
by side as if hoping to protect one another,
cattle range on September 8. There is so
you try not to wretch. You only pray death
noting driving cattle to our range in the
much swirling in my head I can’t sleep
was swift. Worse, in searing memory,
mountains dates back to 1882. We were
anyway.
The
earliest
family
diary
entry
cows with their hooves, udder and even
poor Irish immigrants trying to scratch a
The fire destroyed our cattle range,
legs burned off still alive who had to be
living from the land.
our cattle, and even worse our family’s
euthanized. A doe lying in the ashes with
The range is between the south and
legacy. Someone asked my daughter if I
three fawns, not all hers I bet. And you are
middle forks of the Feather River, the
had lost our family home. She told them,
glad they can stand and move, even with
drainage that fills Lake Oroville. It is 80-
“No, that would be replaceable. This is
a limp, because you really cannot imagine
inch rainfall country from October to May
not!”
any more death today. Euthanasia is not
with deep snow at the high end then, it
I would gladly sleep in my truck for the
pleasant, but sometimes it’s the only
goes completely dry.
rest of my life to have our mountains back.
option. You don’t want more suffering.
I am enveloped by overwhelming
How many horrible choices have faced us
hundreds of creeks and springs punctuate
in the past three days? Our history with the forest
the land. It is difficult country, in some
sadness and grief and then, anger. I’m angry at everyone, and no one. Grieving
Three
major
streams/rivers
and
ways more suited to sheep because of
for things lost that will never be the same. I
We have taken cattle to the Plumas
the browse, but politics and predators
wake myself weeping almost soundlessly.
National Forest since before it was
killed the sheep industry in the country
It is hard to stop.
designated such. It is steep and vast land
years ago. But the cows love the range
I cry for the forest, the trees and
of predominantly mixed conifers and a
and do well. Cool days and nights, no
streams, and the horrible deaths suffered
few stringer meadows on the western
flies, higher elevations avoiding the hot
by the wildlife and our cattle. The suffering
slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains
summers in the valleys. A great place to
was unimaginable.
straddling Butte and Plumas Counties. My
summer cattle. They actually like to go as
great, great grandfather started moving
much as we do!
When you find groups of cows and
My friends from the arid west can’t understand why it is hard to gather – “don’t you just go to the water?” Not that simple in this environment. For those who have never seen this land, this isn’t riding a horse into a meadow or open ridge where you can see cattle. This is literally “hunting” through a vast forest of deep canyons, rivers and creeks, and the high ridges in between. It is not an easy place to gather or even find cattle in the best conditions. There
are
six
generations
who
have loved this land, and my new granddaughter, Juni, is the seventh. I find myself overcome with emotion as I think of the things she will never see, but only hear in stories told to her by “grandad.” We all love the mountains. They are Submitted Photo The Daley Crew, from left, includes Sean Earley, Doyle Carter, Devin Carter, Kyle Daley, Rob Daley, Dave Daley, Kate Daley and Brian Jones.
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part of us and we are part of them. All destroyed. In one day. I am angry. As a child in the early 1960s, days
Submitted Photo LEFT: the Daley herd moving into the family’s cattle range in Plumas National Forest in the spring. RIGHT: A few surviving head on the same road following the Bear Fire. “going to the mountains” were the greatest ever for my family. It
was sometimes discouraging, but they loved it and still do. It was
was our playground and our quiet spot. Sure, we worked, but we
their sanctuary where “no matter what happens, this will always
learned so much about the world, the trees, birds and flowers.
be here.” And now it is gone. It is a death and we are still in shock
And, sometimes, in my family that may have included learning
and not sure how to move forward. What will my granddaughter
the scientific name or at least the family of the plant. There were
know of the truth and grounding that comes from nature? Will
lessons on botany, forestry, geology, archaeology. We didn’t
we gather cows in the mountains while I sing cowboy tunes off
even know we were learning but we imbibed it until it became
key and she sips hot chocolate? I am overcome.
a part of our souls.
The first day
And then my kids. For them, the mountains were the best!
When news broke of the fire in our cattle range, my son Kyle,
Rolling into a little seat behind grandma and grandpa to “go
who ranches with me, and I were sure it could not be as bad as
hunt for cows” as we gathered in the fall. Hot chocolate from
it sounded.
Grandma as soon as we got there. On cold, dusty or wet days, it
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We had close to 400 cows, most of them calving or close to
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calving in our mountain range, ready to gather and bring home
Later I got a call from San Bernardino, another fire resource
in early October. They were the heart of the herd. Old cows,
officer from the Forest Service. I asked about access. “Well,”
those with problems, bought cows and first calf heifers stayed
he said, “maybe next week and only if we provide an escort.
in the valley. Only the good cows that knew the land were there.
We have to make it safe first.” He, too, had no idea where the
That first day, we had no access and were relying on spotty
allotment was or the challenge that I faced. All the cattle would
reporting posted to local news or social media. My daughter
be dead if I waited a week. I politely told him I would figure out
Kate, a veterinarian, who practices about four hours away, “I’m
an alternative – through private timberland and common sense!
on the way.” My youngest son, Rob (named for his grandad) a
I called our county sheriff, Kory Honea, who has been a
soldier stationed in Louisiana, “I have a lot of leave and I’m on a
great friend of the cattle community. I had to wait one day, but
plane tomorrow.” All three have been unbelievable and we have
he provided two sergeants to navigate the roadblocks until I
all needed each other to navigate this heartbreak.
was in the range. Was it dangerous? Yes. Were animals dying?
At first, we couldn’t get into the range and were frantic as
Absolutely. Local solutions are always better. Thanks to Sheriff
it was completely locked down for safety. We knew cattle were
Honea, Sergeants Tavelli and Caulkins who got us access. All
dying as we waited. I received a call from a Pennsylvania number
incredible people who get it. Local.
and answered before thinking. A wonderfully nice man from the
Kyle and I make a fast trip to reconnoiter. We are unprepared
Forest Service was calling to tell me about the fire since I had
for the total destruction of everything we have always known.
a cattle allotment in the Bear Fire (North Complex Fire) area.
Nothing left and active flames on both sides burning trees and
I had to help him find it on the map! He knew less than me.
stumps. Shocking. Surreal. We make it to our Fall River corral somewhat hopeful
Frustrating.
Submitted Photo Surviving cattle of the North Complex Fire were found and rescued with major burns to their hide.
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that there would be green and water to mitigate the disaster. Everything is completely gone. We see dead cows as we start down the hill. Everywhere. This is our first step in what will be an impossible week. We go home hoping against hope that we have seen the worst. Little did we realize that it was just the beginning. ‘There is no sound … just death’ It is 3:30 in the morning now and time to start this nightmare again. To find the courage to throw some things in the truck, run with the kids to check and feed the survivors, and hit repeat. I dread it but know we must. And I work to be
Submitted Photo
optimistic because that is who I am. Not
More than 350 of the 400 cows Daley grazed on federal lands were killed by
easy.
the raging flames.
As we make a plan and split up to run 4-wheelers up and down logging
When we traditionally gathered cows,
crew said dad gathered them for us so
roads hunting life and death, I think how
they were always toward the ridge top in
we wouldn’t miss them. Maybe he did.
lucky I am. So many people have offered
the morning and down by water in the
My Dad was a cow whisperer who has
to help. I am grateful but it is difficult to
afternoon. Now, we find nothing high
been gone over four years after roaming
explain how challenging it is to gather in
up, except the occasional dead cow that
the mountains for almost 90. Maybe he is
almost 90,000 acres of incredibly difficult
wasn’t fast enough. We hunt for the deep
still helping lead us and the cattle home. I
terrain (and that’s on a flat map!). Each
holes where there was a chance for water
turn away as I feel emotion begin to rise.
canyon and ridge is dotted with logging
and life.
Again.
spur roads that could be choked with
You learn as you ride through the
For some reason, I am more emotional
down and burning trees. Much of it is
apocalyptic murk. Rob’s head goes up
when I find the live cattle than those that
unrecognizable, even to me. Only those
and I catch the scent at the same time.
died. I don’t know why. Maybe thinking of
with deep, local knowledge of these
The scent of death and charred flesh
what they went through and I wasn’t there
mountains can help.
mingled with the acrid smoke that burns
to help? And, more frightening, death has become more expected than life.
Fortunately, my family, “The Carter
your eyes. You begin looking in the draws
boys” (Devin and Doyle), Brian Jones—
hoping it is not cattle. It always is. Eight
all friends of my kids—and now friends
cows and three baby calves in a pile at
of mine, plus my best friend Sean Earley
the bottom of a ravine, rushing in terror
I completely dread taking my mom
all stepped up. They know the mountains
to escape. A sight you won’t soon forget.
to see this tragedy. She will be 90 in less
well and have helped us for years. They
But today, when we meet up, Kyle and
than a month; still loves the mountains
just showed up and said, “We’re here.
Kate had great news. They found 16 head
and gathering cows. She is tough but this
We’re going. What can we do?” So,
at our Twin Bridges corral! The largest
could break anyone. She worked these
we strap chainsaws and some alfalfa on
group to date. I had baited it with alfalfa
mountains with my Dad from 1948 when
4-wheelers and set out hoping against
last night and there were cattle standing
she was 18, he was 21, and they had just
hope to find something alive.
in the little corral of temporary panels.
married. She told me in later years she
Remarkable.
had always loved the outdoors but really
We split up. My crew takes the Lava
Dread & anger
Top and Ross Creek drainage, while the
Two of them are heifers that I gave Kyle
was “sort of afraid of cows” since she had
other half goes towards Twin Bridges
and Jordan (my daughter in-law and Juni’s
not ever been around them. She never
and Fall River. It is eerie, and as Rob said,
mom) for their wedding. Kyle branded
told Dad and learned to be one of the
“There is no sound in the Forest, just
them with my dad’s original brand just
best trackers and gatherers the mountains
death.”
to keep them straight. Someone in our
have ever seen, knowing every plant, tree
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Submitted Photo Dave Daley holds charred remains of some cow hooves.
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disasters facing our landscapes. I wonder how many of you have
and road. You can learn more from old people. They may not use PowerPoint or Zoom. They may not be elegant in politics,
walked the canyons or ridges or seen the wildlife and beauty at a secret stream?
but they have life experience. We are quickly losing that vital
Politicians stage drive by photo-ops to raise money. None of
perspective from the land before we have allowed them to teach
us really like you. We’re just forced to deal with you. Of course,
us. Far more valuable than a visiting scholar or great consultant is
there are many exceptions and you know who you are. I hate to
local knowledge and observation. I wish we would listen.
visit an office to discuss issues when the legislator is far more
I am again angry at everyone and at no one. Why did this happen? I am absolutely tired of politicians and politics, from
interested in talking than listening. It seems that nobody can be a centrist, make sense and win. There is plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the
both the left and the right. Shut up. You use tragedies to fuel agendas and raise money to feed egos. I am sick of it. And it plays out on social media and cable news with distorted and half-truths. On both sides!
aisle. And just maybe it’s both—horrible forest management and climate change. Don’t you think months of massive smoke covering the West may impact the climate, especially added to
Burned by politics
our other pollutants? Does it matter which came first? Why not
Washington, D.C., is 3,000 miles away and filled with
invest in solutions rather than using sound bites to gin up the
lobbyists, consultants and regulators who wouldn’t know a sugar
base? And locally, we know the solutions. And those investments
pine from a fir. Sacramento is 100 miles south and feels even
should be locally-conceived and locally-driven.
more distant than DC. To the regulators who write the Code of Federal Regulations,
‘Last man out’
the policies and procedures and then debate the placement of
I grew up hearing the stories from my dad and grandad
a comma, you mean well, I know. And I am sure you are good
of the “last man out” lighting the forest floor to burn the low
people. But you are useless when it comes to doing things to
undergrowth. Their generations knew to reduce the ladder fuels
help the land. And the “non-profits” (yea, right), lawyers and
that spread fire to the canopy, to open it up for the wildlife. It
academics, this is all too often a game for you to successfully
was a pact between our friends the Native Americans who had
navigate your own institution. “How do I get a grant to study
managed it this way for 13,000 years, the loggers, miners and
something that if I looked closely, generations before already
ranchers. They knew ecology and botany and wildlife. They
knew?” Nothing happens on the ground to make change. I do
worked together because they loved and knew the land.
understand that most folks truly care and start with the best
It was December in the early 1960s and snow was already on the ground of our foothill ranch. I was about 4-years-old and
intentions. For those of you on the right blaming the left and California,
holding my grandfather’s hand as he lit some piles of brush on
these are National Forest lands that are “managed” by the feds.
fire to open the landscape. It was the practice he had learned
They have failed miserably over the past 50 years. Smokey the
from generations before.
Bear was the cruelest joke ever played on the western landscape,
The CDF (now Cal Fire) crew showed up, put out the fire, and
a decades long campaign to prevent forest fires has resulted in
lectured him for burning. My grandad was the kindest, gentlest
mega-fires of a scope we’ve never seen. Thanks, Smokey.
and funniest man I have ever known. And he was mad. It was
The US Forest Service is constantly threatened with litigation from extremists who don’t want anyone to “use” the forest. It
the beginning of the end for our forest home. An end that has proceeded at an unprecedented rate.
is to be “preserved.” Great job in helping to get us where we
I am angry. Try a control burn in the winter now and watch
are. I feel bad for Forest Service personnel. Most of them are
someone cite you because it is not an approved “burn day,”
great people who work there because they love the land like
you had the wrong permit or approval and you might impact air
I do. But they are chained to desks to write reports and follow
quality. It is beyond moronic. How is the choking air quality that
edicts handed down from those who don’t know. One size fits all
has blanketed the west this past month, when people can’t go
regulations are not a solution in diverse ecosystems. The Forest
outside without a mask, a better alternative? Are you kidding
Service budget is consumed by fire suppression and litigation.
me? Bureaucrats and well-intentioned regulators who don’t
What funds are left to actually work on the land?
know they don’t know have tied our hands, and the blame is
For those of you on the left blaming it all on climate change,
shared at the both the state and federal levels.
the regulations at the state and federal level have crippled—
Lest you think I am a complete rube, I earned my PhD in
no, stopped—any progress toward changing the unmitigated
Animal Science 35 years ago at Colorado State. I loved teaching
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and ranching – so I did both. But I am
Creek, a small community of about 1,000
If I hit 41-percent meadow utilization I
a cattleman at heart. And, I have been
residents where 15 have died.
can get a letter of non-compliance since
involved in industry activities for many
Our segmented view of the landscape
40-percent is considered the maximum.
years, serving as Past President of the
has led us to tragedy after tragedy. As a
The Bear Fire did not leave 60-percent of
California
Association,
rancher on the forest, I am required, in
the meadow! I wonder if I will get a letter
current Chair of the California Cattle
the name of ecosystem health, to monitor
of non-compliance? Again, the forest for
Council, Chair of the Forest Service
meadow utilization, browse of willows and
the trees.
committee for the Public Lands Council
stream-bank alteration. Fine. I comply.
Cattlemen’s
and Chair of Federal Lands for the
It is not the Forest Service range
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. I have walked the halls of Congress, met with legislators in both Sacramento and DC. I advocate for the cattle community to anyone who will listen. I have shared meals with legislators in DC, Chicago and Sacramento at wonderful restaurants noted for fine dining. The company, food and conversation were enjoyable. I have had bologna sandwiches and beer in the mountains with ranchers and loggers. Somehow, the air seemed cleaner and the food was better with them. Something about straightforward honesty and hard work is appealing. A standing invitation I invite any legislator or regulator, state or federal, to come with me to this devastation. Leave your photographer behind, put on boots and let’s go. I will buy the bologna. We have created tragedy after tragedy across the west. We need solutions. Look at the mega-fires California has experienced in recent years. If you study them closely, almost all of them start on state or federally owned land. Fifty percent of California is owned by the feds or state, land that has unmanaged fuel loads because of the restrictions. Currently the only buffer to these disasters are private, well managed, grazed landscapes. They may still burn, but the fires are not as catastrophic and can be controlled. Butte County alone suffered through the Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise, population of 20,000 where almost a hundred people died. And now, in the Bear Fire in Berry
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Submitted Photo A bear clings to a tree burned during the North Complex wildfire.
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conservationist’s fault that I have to monitor these three factors.
internationally for decades as the odd “academic cowman.” I
It is the guidelines they were handed. They are arbitrary and
learned quickly it is insulting to make suggestions if you don’t
ineffective measures to “protect” the environment, and of no
know the land, the people and the culture. I love these canned
use against decades of unmitigated fuel growth. Can anybody
“you should do this and this” PowerPoint talks. It is frustrating.
look up and see the meadows and water disappearing? Is the
My approach has always been “this is what I do and why—it may
health of the meadow crippled by unchecked understory growth
not fit here so don’t force it.” I loved those trips not because of
that sucks the water out and allows invasion of conifers? It is
what I taught but because of what I learned from the locals. Cattle, like the wildlife, follow the season in this wild land
easier to blame the cow. Look up. Watch nature. She will talk to
we love. They start at low elevation in June and work east and
you.
higher until early October. As leaves begin to change, they
Listen to the forest, listen to the locals
start west and down. How and why would you fence this land?
I think it is as simple as not seeing the forest for the trees. And in my academic life, that was the norm. I worked with wonderful
Again, an expert from afar who wrote a text or did it in a different ecosystem thought it was a great idea. It is exhausting.
faculty, staff and students who were committed to research and teaching. However, we rarely looked at the big picture because
Rescue & Recovery: Day 4
we were encouraged to publish in our disciplines without
Yesterday was day four of the recovery effort. I now
seeking out how our work connected with others or how our
understand what first responders mean when they say, “rescue
small piece was part of a larger solution. That “siloed” thinking
to recovery.” I hold out little hope for live cattle. We have to get
plagues most bureaucracies and agencies. We only know what
to Hartman Bar ridge between the middle fork and south branch
we know. In most disciplines in academia, the faculty is several
of the Feather River. It is the furthest north, most breathtaking
generations removed from a direct connection with the land.
and the hardest to access. One road in and one road out choked
Listen to the generations before. Mega-fires are a recent
with downed and sometimes burning trees.
product of lack of use of fire, less grazing and over-regulation.
We see a burned bear cub trying to climb a tree, two miles
Mismanagement. In recent history, almost every mega-fire
further a mature bear, burnt but staying in the water trying to
has started on state or federal lands. These catastrophic fires
ease the pain. We give them both a chance because they made
contribute to climate change. Yet the guidelines followed by
it this far. We don’t euthanize even though our brains say we
the feds on National Forest and the State on State Parks lands
should. Our hearts say let them try. We have about six miles of road to make passable to get
are “one size fits all.” It is beyond dumb. It’s no one’s fault. It’s everyone’s fault. Listen to the Forest. Listen to the locals. It was estimated the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa produced more CO2 and pollutants in one week than all of the cars in
stock trailers through, but we make short work of it. Sometimes you can travel a quarter mile and sometimes a hundred feet. But chainsaws and strong hands get us there.
California in one year. We have already had six of the largest
I passed several streams today and tried to wade across one
25 fires in California history in 2020. The Bear Fire has eclipsed
looking for cattle. It strikes me as strange. All the creeks have
250,000 acres and is still burning. To me this is very personal, but
close to double the flow of last week. I see some springs running
this is a much bigger problem than my family having our cattle
that haven’t been active for years. And it hits me. We have
killed.
released the water that the brush was sucking from the land.
I get frustrated with experts and consultants who drive
The Native Americans were right again. Observe. Let nature talk.
by and “know just what to do.” For 35 years I have attended
We pulled up the grade to Hartman and Whiskey Hill, and
conferences, given presentations and listened. What I have
there were cattle tracks in the burn! Lots of them. I couldn’t
learned is solutions are local and specific. What happens in one
believe it. The fire roared up out of the middle fork so quickly
watershed in Plumas or Butte County may be entirely different
I expected nothing to be alive. I had myself prepared. But we
in the Lassen National Forest just next door. But experts of all
found cattle and some in pretty good shape. It was slow going.
kinds are glad to tell you how to do it. “Let’s prescribe graze,
Incredibly steep and rugged with lost, hungry cattle. In one
use virtual fences, change your timing, change your genetics.”
pocket we picked up 14 head with nary a scratch: Two old cows
Prescribe graze the forest and canyons? Yea. Right. They don’t
(12 plus years which is old for a cow) and a bunch of young stock.
know what they don’t know but they will take the honorarium
Those old ladies knew where to hide! Wisdom from days gone
anyway and have a great dinner on your dime. The locals and
by. After a long day, we had 32 alive and loaded. Some may not
land rarely benefit. I have traveled and given presentations nationally and
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They made it this far. More jarring, though, was to walk down
leave with overwhelming sadness and “we will help any way
the drainage by the old Mountain House Ridge corral and find
we can.” Most of the rest of our crew have to get back to their
26 dead, spread from top to bottom. That fetid smell of death
jobs, but “are a phone call away with a stock trailer” if we find
permeated the walk I used to love.
something to load beyond the two trailers we will haul ourselves.
Even with the dead cattle on Hartman Ridge that we found,
I doubt we will. Kyle and I will start the search, compulsively
why did we find over half alive here and nowhere else? If
walking creeks and canyons that we have already searched,
anything, I assumed this steep ridge gave them no chance at all.
hoping something straggles in behind. You never know and you
And I realized that there had been a much smaller fire here about
can’t quit. That is not who we are.
five years ago. The country was more open and the fire moved quickly. Less fuel and more things lived. Trees, wildlife, and cows.
We won’t quit
I observed the same phenomenon in the remnants of the
And now we go on. What will happen? This is devastating
town of Feather Falls. The cemetery still stands with green stately
emotionally and financially. And I am not sure of the next steps.
pines respecting the graves of mostly Native American veterans
I do know this: We must change our land management practices
with flags at each grave. The cemetery was maintained by family
if we expect the West to survive. It is best done locally, not from
members leaving it free of deadfall and litter. All the trees lived.
DC or Sacramento, but I have tilted at windmills before.
Day 5 begins
never have quit for 140 years and I won’t be the first. I’ll suffer
We won’t quit. We need to get tougher and stronger. We We move as fast as we can, opening roads with saws and
the bureaucratic maze and try to make incremental change. And,
running 4-wheelers down every logging spur. We hope against
as always, work with nature. I have to. Juni, my granddaughter
hope for cow tracks but there are none. Hartman Ridge is about
and the next generation, needs to see the mountains the same
10 miles long with the only narrow paved Forest Service road
way we have seen them forever, to have hot chocolate on a cold
in the mountains. Nothing new just the cow tracks we found
fall morning and gather cows. It can’t be just stories from her
yesterday. Nothing at Socrates Spring, Harry Waite’s, the Lower
granddad.
Reservoir, DeJonah, Sheep Tank Meadow, Stag Point, Steward
We found an orphan heifer calf today, about two weeks old.
Ravine — and a hundred more name places that are being lost.
Her mother didn’t make it. Kyle stumbled on her hiding in one
Nothing.
of the few living willow patches along a stream. He followed her
Up by Tamarack Flat, I run into five pick-ups belonging to
for over an hour straight up from the bottom of a canyon. We
timber reps from Sierra Pacific, the private landholder that we
caught her and she is now on a bottle getting milk replacer. That
lease from and who has private property throughout our range.
rescue was good for my heart. Juni’s first heifer I decide! They
I am walking the logging road looking and listening, as I had run
can grow up together.
out of gas a mile or so ago. Too much country to cover! They
We saw life at Fall River today. Green grass trying to sprout at
were no doubt shocked to see me in that desolation striding
a spring. Life is resilient. So are we. Next year. And the next 100.
down the road covered in ash from head to foot. I know most of them. Foresters by trade who, like me, love the land. “It is
Postscript
all gone,” they say. Almost. I told them I could show them a
It is day 12 and we still are in the same pace because we
few pockets where trees survived. But very few. We are sad and
have no choice. We are finding one or two head per day that
angry together.
have lived so it is difficult to stop, but the numbers are dwindling
By the end of a grueling day, we have seven head loaded.
so we have to shift our focus to those that lived. It is hard to do.
Five of them are cattle we had seen before and were just able to
We have put 1,200 miles on the 4-wheelers in just a few days. I
get portable panels to and load, three are badly burned and will
quit counting the number of tires we have ruined and how much
get a chance for feed and water before they will most likely die
chainsaw work we are doing. Unfortunately, today we had to
or need to be euthanized. We know of three more live cattle that
begin euthanizing some of the cattle that we brought home. But
we have seen but not loaded. That may be it. Over one hundred
they were home, fed and watered.
brought home, so far, but I will be surprised if eighty live. Just 20-percent, maybe, of the herd we drove to the mountains on
The fire is still not contained and takes runs depending on the wind. I am not sure what next year will bring.
June 1. Many of those that live will have lost their baby calves to fire. There are no words.
This article originally appeared on the Facebook of Dave
Our crew will be smaller today. Rob flies back to his duty station in the army. Kate is back working as a veterinarian. They
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Daley and was later reprinted in several publications, both print and online.
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Girl creates activities for Juniors while battling cancer Lillian Sharpe, who was featured in 2018 in Good Day! magazine, started a project in November 2020 to create monthly activity booklets for the Grange, primarily for the Junior Grange but also used occassionally by her Subordinate Grange, Ekonk Community in Connecticut. Sharpe, who was a member of Ekonk’s Junior Grange, when diagnosed at age 13 with Type B acute lymphoblastic leukemia, has remained active and in positive spirits through her 776 days of treatment, which she successfully finished on Thanksgiving day. Through it all, she remained very active and upbeat. She continued excelling in school, maintained her hobbies and found an even deeper connection with the Grange. The fourth-generation Grange member continued to make and sell her locally-known jams and jellies. She also pursued a passion for quilting, creating baby quilts and quilted bibs, along with full-size quilts as gifts for several family members. She painted and knitted and expressed her self through numerous creative outlets.
Sharpe, who at 11 had brainstormed a fundraiser for another local girl who was battling cancer prior to her own diagnosis, is a woman of many talents who refused to let anything stop her, said her grandmother Sue Gray, past First Lady of the Connecticut State Grange. Gray said this positivity was in spite of residual effects from the treatment that have changed not just her childhood but her future. Sharpe will need hip replacement surgery due to deterioriation from steroids used as part of her treatment. Never one to sit idle, even as her mobility has been hampered, Sharpe imagined a monthly activity book for Junior Granges that would reflect the season, provide some general knowledge as well as Grange information and give Juniors, parents and leaders options to extend the Junior Grange beyond just meetings. The booklet has become popular with Richmond Grange in Rhode Island as well. An activity sheet she created for all Grangers to enjoy is on the next page. Sharpe has offered to share it with any other Granges who wish to receive a
Photo courtesy of Love & support for Lilly Facebook Page Lillian Sharpe celebrates her last chemotherapy treatment after more than 25 months. copy. To do so, you may contact Sue Gray who will respond with a digital copy. Email Gray at russell_gray@sbcglobal.net with your request.
Learning about ecosystems focus of 2021 annual awareness topic In 2021, Junior Grange members across the nation are encouraged to learn about ecosystems as part of the Ag Awareness program. National Junior Grange Director Samantha Wilkins said each year the topic offered is broad for a reason. “It allows Juniors and their leaders the flexibility to find out more about something the rest of their peers are also learning about, but to do so with their own local resources or following their own passions and skill levels,” Wilkins said. Every Junior Grange member is encouraged to participate by reading about and researching ecosystems, interviewing someone who works in the field, creating a
More information about the
Ag Awareness program, 2021
contests, and other opportunities for Junior members can be found
in the newly released 2021 Junior Grange Program Book, available
at www.nationaljuniorgrange.org
or by calling Samantha Wilkins at (210) 838-7892.
and submitting details of your efforts all by September 1, 2021. The Ecosystems Passport will be included in the next issue of Good Day! magazine and available soon on the National Junior Grange website. Wilkins said this topic should excite a generation that seems very interested in helping our planet and kids who love to experience the world around them. “Kids are curious by nature, and I think
poster that can help inform others about the topic, doing a hands-on activity to build an ecosystem; write and reflect on how we can better care for our ecosystem, complete the related Junior Passport, and documenting
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the Ag Awareness Program helps fuel that curiosity in a way that really brings value to their Junior Grange experience and can have a positive impact on the rest of their lives,” Wilkins said.
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The Grange - Word Search: Fill in the blanks, then find those words in the word search. There are also 5 officer positions hidden in the word search, just for fun! 1. The Grange, or the Order of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of Husbandry, was originally created to help _ _ _ _ _ _ _. 2. The 7 founders of the Grange were: Oliver H. _ _ _ _ _ _, William Saunders, Aaron B. _ _ _ _ _, William M. _ _ _ _ _ _ _, John R. Thompson, Francis _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, and John Trimble. 3. Caroline _ _ _ _ was named the honorary 8th founder of the Grange. 4. Unlike many organizations of its time, the Grange gave voice and a full vote to _ _ _ _ _. 5. The Grange motto is, “In essentials, _ _ _ _ _; in non-essentials, _ _ _ _ _ _ _; in all things, _ _ _ _ _ _ _.”
6. In 1960, the National Grange headquarters building in Washington, D.C. was dedicated by President Dwight D. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. 7. Children under the age of 14 can join the _ _ _ _ _ _ Grange. Their motto is: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. 8. The original Oliver H. Kelley farm is still a working farm and can be visited in Elk River, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. 9. The core values of the Grange are: family values, grassroots activism, and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ service. 10. Every year in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ members from across the country gather for the National Grange Annual Convention.
* All facts came from nationalgrange.org and nationaljuniorgrange.org*
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CREATED BY LILLIAN SHARPE
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2020 Junior Grange award winners announced Sign-A-Song Best of Show Jazlynn Rodriguez, TX Public Speaking Best of Show Kimber Newman, KS Cape of Honor (Outstanding Community Service Award) Brianna Gervais, CT [108 hours of service] Ag Awarness Project Recognition Brianna Gervais, CT Digital Talent Show Best of Show - Colton Tarbell, NY 5-7 years 1st - Jacob Wilkins, PA 8-10 years 1st - Tilden Wilkins, PA 2nd - Mackenzie Fens, VA 3rd - Zachary Wilkins, PA 11-14 years 1st - Colton Tarbell, NY 2nd - Daniel Wilkins, PA Photography Best of Show - Kimber Newman, KS 5-7 years 1st - Kimber Newman, KS 2nd - Jacob Wilkins, PA 3rd - Savannah Fens, VA 8-10 years 1st - Tilden Wilkins, PA 2nd - Mackenzie Fens, VA 3rd - Zachary Wilkins, PA 11-14 years 1st - Brianna Gervais, Ct
2nd - Rheannon Fens, VA 3rd - Sydney Back, VA Creative Writing Best of Show - Brianna Gervais, CT 8-10 years 1st - Mackenzie Fens, VA 2nd - Zachary Wilkins, PA 11-14 years 1st - Brianna Gervais, CT 2nd - Daniel Wilkins, PA Handy Craft - Seed Art Best of Show - Madison Shermon, RI 5-7 years 1st - Kait McKean, ME 2nd - Savannah Fens, VA 3rd - Scarlet Gotauco, RI 8-10 years 1st - Mackenzie Fens, VA 2nd - Rayvn Morris, VA 3rd - Hayden Campbell, VA 11-14 years 1st - Madison Sherman, RI 2nd - Riley Barker, VA 3rd - Brook Houle, RI Junior at Heart (15+ years) 1st - Melinda Hankins, VA 2nd - Holly Fens, VA 3rd - Megan Babb, VA Mini-Scrapbook Best of Show - Kimber Newman, KS 5-7 years 1st - Kimber Newman, KS
2nd - Savannah Fens, VA 8-10 years 1st - Mackenzie Fens, VA 11-14 years 1st - Rheannon Fens, VA Junior at Heart (15+ years) 1st - Melinda Hankins, VA 2nd - Holly Fens, VA 3rd - Megan Babb, VA Creative Art Best of Show - Kimber Newman, KS 5-7 years 1st - Kimber Newman, KS 2nd - Savannah Fens, VA 3rd - Jacob Wilkins, PA 8-10 years 1st - Mackenzie Fens, VA 2nd - Zachary Wilkins, PA 3rd - Tilden Wilkins, PA 11-14 years 1st - Daniel Wilkins, PA 2nd - Brianna Gervais, CT 3rd - Rheannon Fens, VA Director/Leader Reports Marvel Jr. Grange (CO), Cindy Greer Oregon State Grange, Peggy Jillson East Pembroke Jr. Grange (NY), Alexandria Tarbell Ekonk Community Jr. Grange (CT), Rebecca Gervais New Hampshire State Jr. Grange, Joann Brandt
JUNIOR SUBMISSION
Ambassador, 12, shares vision of Grange of the future By Brianna Gervais National Junior Grange Ambassador Ekonk Community Jr. Grange #101, CT I think that in 20 years, technology will be far more advanced than what it is now. Over the years we have developed from using horses to self-driving cars. We have gone from computers that would fill a room to smart watches. If we keep advancing our technology as fast as we have up until now, technology
might allow us to live on the moon or visit the bottom of the ocean. I think that in 20 years technology will change the Grange, but in a good way of course. There will always be a need to help others and our community. Granges may meet in different places; maybe Grange will be online, or on a big screen from home, or even robots and machines might help Grangers meet up with other Grangers. Zoom and the internet are already helping Granges now. The things
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that we might be able to do in the future is limited only by our imaginations. Will we see cars that fly? Will we see computers that can reduce in size to fit in your pocket? Will we have cures for even the most extreme illnesses? I cannot wait to find out what happens in the future. I also hope that the Grange will do well, and that lots of families decide to join the Grange! The world would be a better place with more Grangers!
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New York high schooler selected 2021 Youth Ambassador By Kennedy Gwin National Grange Intern As of the 2020 National Grange convention we have selected a new Youth Ambassador for the year of 2021 - Britney Mercado from Stanford Grange #808 in New York. Her journey in the Grange has been whirlwind and she hasn’t looked back since she began on her path two years ago. Britney is currently a senior at Stissing Mountain High School. After graduation, Britney is interested in pursuing civil engineering as she has a deep passion for architecture and grew up working with her dad on many different construction sites. Britney spent many summers as a young child next door to the Grange, at a local recreation center, unaware of the role it would eventually play in her future. Britney said she learned about the Grange through Sanford’s many different activities and involvement in the local community. As she got older, she started visiting the Grange hall, which is known as a place for teens to hang out after school to do things like study together and socialize. Britney is the first member in her family to join the Grange, choosing to do so after her friend Sasha Secor invited her to one of the Grange dances. After the dance, Britney said Sasha continued to talk about the Grange at school and eventually Britney showed up
Photo courtesy of Britney Mercado to become a member. When she arrived to join the Grange, she said she was embraced with wide open arms and full hearts. It’s an experience she said “not many people find in life.” The Grange became like a second family to her, a home where she said she spends “time with friends and do homework, while other members are in the kitchen cooking our weekly meal. We take that time to get together to talk, catch up, and just be in community.” “I still cannot believe how far I have made it in my Grange journey in such a short amount of time and all I have accomplished,” Britney said. “It feels like I have been part of my Grange family for a lifetime, when it has only been two years.” She was selected to be one of four Grange Youth to attend training in Texas in 2019 from CADCA. The training helped
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the Grange Youth consider how to create programs and partnerships to tackle issues in their communities. Britney said she is “very fortunate to have the support of my fellow Grange members to give me life advice and continue to push me to be a better version of myself.” She sees her own personal growth in the realm of public speaking, which she said she had dreaded. “As I was about to give my speech to the Grange, I felt nothing but nerves, but was reminded of the support I had from my Grange friends Ryan, Katie, and Therese there reminding me to be myself,” Britney said. “They had faith in me and knew that the Grange would be accepting of me, awkwardness, and all. The Grange does not judge people on things like background or situations, they accept you for who you are, flaws and all. The unconditional support has been an amazing feeling that I will continue to carry with me.” Britney said being selected Ambassador is an amazing opportunity for which she has many people to thank. “I would like to thank my parents, Stanford Grange #808, New York State Grange, National Grange and the Grange Foundation for supporting me thus far on my journey and for support in my future opportunities. I can honestly say I never thought I would be at this point in my Grange life in such a short amount of time, I feel it is a huge accomplishment,” she said. “I am proud to say that I am the 2020 National Grange youth ambassador.”
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Getting flu shot is important, especially for seniors By the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Courtesy of Family Features Getting vaccinated for the flu is more important than ever. Not only will a flu shot help keep you and your family healthy, it can help reduce the strain on the healthcare system and keep hospital beds and other medical resources available for people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This is no ordinary flu season; it’s a flu season amid a pandemic. With two dangerous viruses going around at once, it’s time for people to protect their communities by getting the vaccine already available: the flu vaccine. And people with Medicare are at greater risk for serious complications from flu. A flu shot is an important preventive tool for individuals with asthma, diabetes, and heart and lung disease – chronic conditions that can increase the risk for serious flu-related health complications or even death. It’s the best protection from getting and spreading this flu virus, and it’s covered by Medicare at no cost. Medicare Part B covers one flu shot per flu season per beneficiary. You pay nothing for a flu shot if your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider accepts Medicare payment for giving the shot. A flu shot won’t protect you against COVID-19, but it has many other important benefits. Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there’s no evidence that a flu vaccination increases your risk of getting sick from a coronavirus, like the one that causes COVID-19. Those at high risk for flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people 65 years and older, and people with certain chronic health conditions. Anyone who is six months old or older should get a yearly flu vaccine. The CDC recommends getting vaccinated in September or October, but a flu shot anytime during the flu season can help protect you. Flu season in North America rarely begins before early October and usually lasts from
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Photo courtesy of Getty Images December to March. In the past two years, the peak activity has occurred around midto-late February. Your body needs two weeks after a shot to develop a protective response to the influenza virus, so your best bet is to get vaccinated before the flu rate begins to climb. Workplaces and other settings that usually provide flu shots may not do so this season because of the challenges of maintaining social distancing. For more information on where you can get a flu vaccine, visit www.vaccinefinder.org. When going to get a flu shot, please practice everyday preventive actions and follow the CDC’s recommendations for running essential errands. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, or health department if they are following CDC’s vaccination pandemic guidance. Any vaccination location following CDC’s guidance should be a safe place for you to get a flu vaccine. If you have a child over six months old who qualifies for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), you may also qualify for a flu vaccination at no cost to you. What’s the difference between flu and CO VID-19? Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they’re caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is
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caused by infection with a new coronavirus (called SARS-CoV2) and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses. Because some symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis. It is possible to have flu and COVID-19 at the same time. Health experts are still studying how common this can be. While it’s not possible to say with certainty what will happen in the fall and winter, the CDC believes it’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both be spreading. The CDC has developed a test that will check for A- and B-type seasonal flu viruses and SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This test will be used by U.S. public health laboratories. Testing for these viruses at the same time will give public health officials important information about how flu and COVID-19 are spreading and what preventive steps should be taken. So please protect yourself, your family, and your community by getting a flu shot. Visit the doctor, pharmacy, or other local providers to get a flu shot today. Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
We are in the business of breakthroughs—the kind that transform patients’ lives. Dedicated to our mission of discovering, developing and delivering life-saving innovations that help patients prevail over serious diseases, we’ll never give up our search for more hope, for more people, around the world.
Visit bms.com to see how we’re bringing a human touch to everything we do. © 2020 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. All rights reserved.
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National Lecturer announces 2020 contest winners Virtual Photo Contest
Quilt Block Contest
Publicity Item Contest
Animals
Group I – Age 14+
In House
1st: Ashley Mohn, Marion #1853, PA
1st: Patricia Hall, not-yet-member, ME
1st: North Carolina State Grange
2nd: June Playfair, Lemhi Community
2nd: Cathy Stark, Stanford #808, NY
2nd: High Desert #22, NV
#404, ID
3rd: Alice Hartman, Kimberton #1304, PA
3rd: Sierra Valley #466, CA
3rd: Abigail Evans, Elmer #29, NJ People
1st: Max Swenson, Sunbeam #2, MN
4th: Marble Valley #567, VT Professional:
1st: Alice Coakley, Oakview #311, WA
2nd: Jerzey Jette, Avon #125, MT
1st: Virginville #1832, PA
2nd: Shelley Fayewicz, Virginville #1832, PA
3rd: Arianna Watts, Sunflower #162, CO
2nd: Five Mile Prairie #905, WA
3rd: Maria Woje, Moravian #187, NJ Scenery
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Group II – Age 13 and under
Group III – Men, Age 14+ 1st: Duane Hamp, Five Mile Prairie #905,
1st: Kathryn Hsu-Bishop, Home #129, MI
WA
2nd: Jim (Bud) Snyder, Valley #1360, PA
2nd: Roger Bostwick, Pleasant View
3rd: Roger Bostwick, Pleasant View
#1459, KS
#1459, KS
3rd: Scott Mitson, Bellgrove #229, ID
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3rd: North Carolina State Grange 4th: Marble Valley #567, VT
NOTES FROM A SMALL TOWN
Me & the Sea
Column and photo by Christopher Dean Massachusetts Grange Member
Since I moved back to Rockport about five years ago, one thing I’ve got into the habit of is my morning coffee ritual. Almost every day I walk down to the Brothers Brew coffee shop and get a cup of take-out coffee, then go to the nearby beach and sit on a rock to drink it while I watch the ocean waves. It’s a simple ritual but very meditative in its way. Herman Melville says in MobyDick, “As everyone knows, water and meditation are wedded forever.” And he’s right. When I sit and contemplate the ocean, it’s the most deliberately meditative thing I do. I can feel the effects happening almost as soon as I find a nice spot, and I have several
preferred spots that I use depending on how far down the beach I feel like going and how high the tide. I see several people there that are familiar. In the summer, there’s a beach-yoga group that meets early in the morning, before the tourists take over with their beach chairs and their umbrellas. In the winter it’s usually the same people walking their dogs, or the same people with the same idea that I have. The sound of the waves is by far the most relaxing thing I know of, the rhythm is timeless, it’s been on this planet for as long as there have been oceans. probably billions of years. Before there was life, there were the
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seas and waves. I just sit and watch the waves, that’s really all there is to it, and eventually I feel that they’re telling me to slow down. Once that message gets through, I can feel the tension easing out of me. The uneven pattern is perfect for making me feel that the world is a better place, at least for a while, time enough for me to center myself and my day. After big storms, the waves can be huge and ferocious, they come one after the other, relentless; on normal days, those sunny and delicious summer ones, the waves are small and lazy. Winter storm waves are my favorites; they’re wild, there’s wind and cold, lots of drama.
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The sea and shore around here are about as beautiful as anything I know. Especially on a raw windy day, the beauty is stark and fresh, every storm is different, this is sea-coast New England at its most beautiful. Recently, during a storm, I watched a metal dory slide back and forth across the rocks that ring the shore, sliding and scraping and filling and tipping up and emptying, each clunk of the boat was like the ringing of a desperate bell, it was hypnotic and strange: a man-made thing and the insensate power of nature, an inanimate object and the entire planet’s life force. I sat there entranced, wholly invested in what I was watching, though when I got home, I called the police to let them know about the boat and checked the Police Log in the newspaper a few days later to see if my call had been recorded. It had. Rockport is on the sea, it has a small fishing community, mostly lobstermen and some commercial fishing captains who take groups of paying tourists to fish and look at the town from the water. The lobstermen are held in some esteem by the locals who grew up here, a low-key sort of awe. Rockport itself is more of a granite quarrying town than a fishing town, granite made up the largest part of the town’s prosperity, men who quarried the granite came from all over New England and northern Europe. The Europeans created the Vasa Order, a Swedish and Finnish organization in Rockport, across the street from the building where I went to elementary school, which is built of local granite. Locally quarried granite is in the Custom House Tower in Boston and in the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City and as sidewalk edging all over the country, and all are sources of local pride. But it’s Gloucester and its fishermen who get the lion’s share of the attention on Cape Ann, and their tale is a memorably dramatic one. When I was young, the Rockport schools actually taught us to revere the men who wrest their living from
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the ocean. In the second grade my classmates and I were taught to recite that part of the 107th Psalm (23-30), you know the one: “They that go down to the sea in ships and do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble…” There’s more, of course; it’s pure and powerful poetry. Though, in truth, at the time I was so young I didn’t know what any of it meant, but I was young enough for the quotation to stick permanently in my mind, coloring and underpinning what I think of when I think of Gloucester. It’s also written on the base of the famous Fisherman’s Memorial statue on Stacy Boulevard in Gloucester, overlooking the sea and Gloucester harbor; it’s always sobering to go there. No matter how beautiful the day is, one is always reminded of how much sudden death is part of the lives of the people who lived on Cape Ann, never a stranger, accepted stoically. There are a half dozen bronze plaques that surround the bronze statue on its
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locally cut granite base, listing the name of every Gloucesterman who died at sea and whose name is known, in order of his date of death. There’s a section for the year 1879 which lists 279 names, over the length of three columns and part of a fourth, mostly from a single storm. The statue was designed by an English sculptor named Edward Craske for Gloucester’s 300th birthday celebration, in 1925. It’s the center point of the annual fisherman’s memorial ceremony and plays a part in the last scene in the 1937 classic movie version of Captains Courageous starring Freddie Bartholomew and Spencer Tracy. While I was in the second grade all the children in my school were herded into the gymnasium and sat on hard metal folding chairs to watch that movie. Even today I can’t watch it without getting at least a little choked up. And here’s how it is: the sea is beautiful and powerful and deadly, mysterious, exciting, calming. It’s the cradle of all life on earth, everything we see around us comes from it. It encompasses the reality of life on Cape Ann, up in the northeastern corner of Massachusetts. It’s a permanent part of my life, I’ve never lived more than five miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The associations I have with it, with my childhood, with my life now, are as much a part of me as anything I can think of. I like to think sometimes, when I’m feeling melodramatic, that I’m a child of the sea but, really, I only lived near it, grew up near it, plundered its shallows for souvenir shells and little sea creatures to marvel at. I’ve only a few times felt the rocking of a wooden deck on a wooden ship under my feet, I’ve never been more than a tourist on the ocean, but I’ve always known that it was a wonder-filled place to live and standing next to it, watching its moods and patterns is a grand way to spend some of the time that slowly passes away from all of us.
Submissions WANTED
Let’s hear your story
Indeed, being a Grange member is one of the most rewarding experiences. For many, the story of how they came to join the Grange does not capture the essence of how they came to be a Granger and what that means in their lives. We want to hear from you! What is your #Grangestory that tells how you became a Granger? Did you see application of degree lessons to your daily life and relate them to friends and coworkers? Did you find yourself embracing new ideas and finding ways to overcome differences? Submit your story of no more than 650 words and a photo, if applicable, to Amanda at communications@nationalgrange.org by February 28 for potential inclusion in a future issue of Good Day! or use on our social media.
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The girl, the mouse and the neighbor Granger
(a true country fable) By Toby Martin Member, Valley Grange #144, ME Once, not very long ago, there was a little girl who lived with her family. She was old enough to go to school and wanted to, but a mysterious, dangerous and invisible disease had come into the world, so the schools had to be closed, and the doors locked tight to keep all the children and their teachers safe. Even so, that mysterious, dangerous, and invisible danger lurked in other places besides the schools that had been closed and locked. So all people everywhere were told to wear masks, to wash their hands often and thoroughly, and keep at least six feet away from other people.
walking on the road then, noticed the girl heading toward her and smiled, because they saw one another often and were good friends. The woman understood little girls from her own children
One day, the little girl saw a mouse. It was a grey, wild country mouse, just like so many mice in stories just like this one, but often those stories also have a town mouse in them, or just country mice and no town mice, or just town mice and no country mice. The mouse didn’t have a name, at least not that the little girl knew. When the little girl saw the grey country mouse, for such it was, because the mouse and the girl both lived close to each other in the country, she felt a surge of kindness and love for nature and wild things come over her, as it often did. The little girl knew exactly what she had to do. It didn’t bother her a bit that she had never done this before. She certainly wasn’t a zookeeper or a veterinarian, though maybe the idea of being one or the other had entered her mind at some point and made her do what she did, which is this. She found a pot with a cover that fit, then quietly, carefully,
and grandchildren and was naturally interested and curious about the pot and what might be in it, perhaps soup, because it was being held so carefully. But It wasn’t long before the true contents were revealed, and the mouse was discovered, right after the little girl lifted the pot’s cover and showed the woman what it was. Just then, the little girl turned and went over to the side of the road where there was a hayfield, close by where she and the woman lived. She walked a little way into it, bent down, and set the little creature free. Then both the little girl and the woman smiled at each other in the way that only people who know and understand things like what had just happened. They talked a little, and then both the little girl and the woman returned to their homes, connected by the country road where they both lived and what they had shared.
so as not to frighten the furry, grey creature, captured the
And the mouse?
mouse in the pot and covered it up with its lid.
Who can say?
The little girl picked up the pot very carefully, held it
That story is a mystery.
tightly to keep the mouse safe, and then they went for a ride on her electrically-powered skateboard. Smoothly and
Toby Martin works with nonprofit organizations whose
quietly, the little girl and the grey mouse went down the
missions inspire community involvement in Maine and New
country road where the girl and her family lived.
England. He lives in Islesboro, where he represents groups
Very soon, a woman and a Granger who also lived on the road and knew the little girl, and just happened to be
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involved in energy, the environment, the library, arts and culture.
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Edible
Sunshine
The charm of citrus fruits may have
By Ann Olson Bercher President, Minnesota State Grange Certified Culinary Specialist
had its beginning in Europe with the
treats and gifts, sometimes expensive, sometimes too big to fit inside!
legend of St. Nicholas who was said to
But perhaps it’s time to resurrect the
have tossed three gold balls into a poor
tradition of giving our loved ones some
Minnesota welcomed a shocking
man’s house to provide dowries for his
edible sunshine in their stockings.
record-breaking snowfall last October. I
three daughters so they might be more
While the in-peak season for citrus
rather enjoy all the snow. I make good
eligible for marriage. The tale describes
fruits in North America is December
use of it through skiing, sledding, and
the orbs falling into stockings that were
through April, you have time to bring
hiking. I know there are others who
hung near the hearth to dry.
some sunshine into your New Year’s Day,
would prefer it never show up and the
Later in history, to honor the saint and
Ground Hog’s Day, Valentine’s Day, St.
with the emergence of the Christmas
Patrick’s Day and Welcome Back Spring
The arrival of snow, or at least colder
stocking, oranges replaced the gold ball
celebrations!
temperatures also signals a change in
found in the toe of a stocking. By the end
Citrus fruits grew on trees in southern
the kind of foods that are appealing to
of the 19th century in Europe, when the
China, northern India and Southeast Asia
cook and eat.
custom of gift giving at Christmas had
and spread through the subtropics and
means
spread, the orange became a rare and
mild temperate regions of the world.
soup, stews, slowly roasting meats and
expensive fruit and for many families,
Traders brought the fruits to Asia and
vegetables. But it is also the height
a luxury obtained from Spain or Italy.
the middle east before 500 BC. From
of citrus fruit season and that can help
These precious fruits were reserved for
there medieval crusaders brought them
remind us of the tropics and warmer
their children’s Christmas stockings.
to Europe, and Spanish explorers carried
lakes never froze over.
Snow
and
cold
typically
climates!
The same held true for families in
them with them to the Americas.
There is truly a cornucopia of citrus
America, especially the Midwest, were
fruits readily available in the grocery
citrus fruits were a rarity in the winter.
stores through the winter months that
Finding an orange in the toe of one’s
The delights of citrus fruits of course
include dainty kumquats, zesty limes and
stocking and eating it was an exotic and
include the juice, but the aromatic oils
lemons, juicy oranges and grapefruits,
celebratory treat.
within their peels, and the variety of
and my new favorite, Buddha’s Hand. In fact, you might consider citrus fruits Mother’s Nature’s gift of edible sunshine for us northerners in the winter.
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The tradition continued through the Great Depression and oranges became once again, quite the luxury. Today,
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stockings
are
Today, Brazil and the United States produce most of the world’s oranges.
flavors, colors, textures and shapes are remarkable. Oranges such as Navel and Valencia
filled
with
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are juicy sweet and easily eaten out of
hand. And of course, as Grangers, we have a special affinity for
heavy in the hand, with no soft spots or bruises. If you plan on
the Navel Orange variety, cultivated in the U.S. by first National
using the rind for zesting or candying, be sure the rinds are
Grange President William Saunders.
blemish free. Bright color can be a good indicator of taste, but
The sweet and tartness of Meyer lemons are perfect for cakes, pies and tarts. The sourness of grapefruit contrasts
certain varieties (such as Key limes) may have a naturally paler skin.
with spice and protein, and juicy lemons and limes provide delightful acidity to almost any dish. The peels, or zest, of many citrus fruits provide aromatic perfume to many dishes, especially that of the Budda’s Hand and Kifir Limes. Try pairing different citrus fruits in salads, with roasted meats, or in crusty tarts. There are many health benefits from eating citrus fruits which are rich in vitamins, minerals and plant compounds. They are a good source of fiber and low in calories. While most of the Western world begins the day with a
Citrus fruits may be stored at room temperature for three to five days. Keeping them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator may extend their shelf life for two to four weeks, but their flavors may fade. When you are ready to use your fruits, scrub the rind well, making sure to remove any wax if present. When zesting fruits, avoid the white pith between the rind and fruit as it is quite bitter. When peeling the fruits, be sure to remove all the white pith with the peel. Fruits can be divided into segments or sliced into disks.
glass of orange juice, there are more healthful ways to reap
Some specific varieties you might look for:
those nutritional benefits.
• Sweet oranges: Valencia, navel, blood orange, cara cara
Eating whole fruits provides more fiber. Citrus juice contains
• Mandarins: Satsuma, clementine, tangor, tangelo
a high level of sugar (fructose). When eating whole fruits, you
• Limes: Persian, key lime, kaffir
get less sugar and more fiber which buffers the amount of
• Grapefruit: White, pink, ruby red, oro blanco
fructose in your bloodstream.
• Lemons: Eureka, Meyer
Sadly, some citrus fruits interact with certain medications
• Other kinds: Citron, sudachi, yuzu, pomelos, Kumquat,
that may reduce the ability for your body to absorb the medication properly. The biggest culprit is grapefruit, but
Budda’s hand • Kumquats
tangelos and Seville oranges used to make marmalade may
Here are some ways to use citrus fruits that you may not
also be problematic When purchasing citrus fruits, select fruits that feel firm and
have thought of before.
Orange Slaw
Pork Tacos with
3 navel oranges 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons) 8 cloves garlic, smashed 4 ½ tsps. kosher salt, divided ¾ c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves, divided 1 ¼ tsps. freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 3-lb. boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 4 pieces ½ small head green cabbage, shredded 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 Tbsps. olive oil 2 Tbsps. white wine vinegar 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and warmed 12 6-in. corn tortillas, warmed
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1. Squeeze juice from one orange to equal ¼ cup; add to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in lemon juice, garlic, 4 tsp. salt, ½ c. cilantro, and 1 tsp. pepper. Add pork, turning to coat. Cover and cook on low until pork is fork-tender, 6 to 8 hours. 2. Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Shred pork with forks and spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet (reserve ½ c. cooking liquid). Broil until pork is browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Season with remaining ½ tsp. salt and transfer to a serving platter. 3. Cut away peel and pith of remaining two oranges while pork broils. Working over a medium bowl, cut out orange segments and squeeze membranes to extract juice. Stir in cabbage, onion, oil, vinegar, and remaining ¼ c. cilantro and ¼ tsp. pepper; toss gently to combine. 4. Skim off fat from reserved cooking liquid; stir into beans. Serve pork with tortillas, slaw, and beans.
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Roasted
beets
with grapefruit
6 baby beets, peeled and quartered (3/4 pound) 2 Tbsp. water 2 Tbsp. plus 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar ½ c. plus 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ¼ tsp. salt ½ c. flat leaf parsley, chopped ¼ c. fresh mint, chopped 1 Tbsp. drained capers Salt and pepper to taste 3 small grapefruits, peeled and sliced into rounds
Salmon
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. In an 8-inch baking dish, combine beets with water and 2 Tbsp. of water. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast until tender, about 50 minutes. 3. While beets are roasting, in a small bowl mix parsley, mint, capers, 1 ½ tsp. vinegar, ½ c. oil and ¼ tsp. salt. Add salt and pepper to taste 4. Place grapefruit slices on a platter. Top with roasted beets and drizzle with the sauce mixture. 5. Serve at room temperature.
Kumquat
4 oranges 3 limes 1 (3-lb.) skin-on salmon fillet, pin bones removed 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided ¾ tsp. black pepper, divided 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed ¼ c. chopped fresh dill, divided
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice 1 orange and 1 lime into 1/4inch thick rounds. 2. Place salmon, skin side down, on a parchment-lined rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Brush salmon with melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. of the salt and 1/2 tsp. of the pepper. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Roast in preheated oven 25 minutes. Uncover and arrange citrus slices over salmon in an artful pattern. Return salmon to oven, and roast at 400°F until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, juice remaining oranges and limes (making 1 1/4 c. juice). Strain juice into a stainless-steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until reduced to about 2/3 c., about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cubed butter, 2 Tbsp. of the dill, and remaining salt and pepper. 4. Place salmon on a platter; sprinkle with remaining dill. Serve with sauce.
vinagerette
15 whole kumquats, washed, scrubbed and towel dried ¼ c. champagne vinegar ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper 1 Tbsp. honey ½ c. extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. poppyseeds
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with orange & lime
1. Combine the kumquats, vinegar, salt, pepper and honey in a blender or food processor. Process low until the kumquats are completely pulverized and the mix is pale orange in color. 2. Remove small opening in the lid of the processor or blender and slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to process on low.
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3. Once the oil is incorporated, continue to process for about 30 more seconds. 4. Stir in the poppyseeds with a spatula, then pour into a container with an airtight lid. 5. Store in the refrigerator up to one month. Shake well before using. 6. Use on salads or drizzled over roasted, steamed or sautéed vegetables. Makes about 1 cup.
Cranberry with fresh citrus
salad
1. For Cranberry Topper, in food processor cover and pulse cranberries 5 times to coarsely chop (or coarsely chop by hand). Transfer to bowl. 2. Cut peel from oranges. Section oranges over bowl to catch juice. Add sections and juice to cranberries. Stir in celery, onion, sugar, lemon juice, and ginger. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. 3. Toss arugula with mint and oil. Top with cranberry mixture. Serves 8.
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed 4 oranges 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup) ½ small red onion, finely chopped (1/3 cup) ¼ cup sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 5-ounce package baby arugula ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons walnut oil or olive oil
Master Recipes
Favorite recipes shared by President Betsy E. Huber
Lemon Squares 1 c. flour
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
½ c. butter
Blend
¼ c. confectioners sugar
confectioners sugar thoroughly,
2 eggs
press on bottom of 8 x 8 x 2”
1 c. sugar
pan. Bake 20 minutes.
½ tsp.baking powder
flour,
Beat
other
butter,
and
ingredients,
¼ tsp. salt
pour over crust and bake 20-
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
25 minutes till set. Do not overbake.
Gelatin Delight Salad This is my favoriate salad that my mom would make for Christmas. 1
envelope
unflavored
gelatin
1 apple, cubed Add
gelatin
to
orange
¾ cup orange juice
juice and stir. Add sugar, salt,
½ cup sugar
and boiling water; stir until
¼ teaspoon salt
dissolved. Add lemon juice,
¾ cup boiling water
stir, then chill.
2 teaspoons lemon juice 2 oranges, sectioned 1 grapefruit, sectioned
When thick, add fruit, pour into 8 x 11” glass dish and chill. Serves 8-10.
2 bananas, sliced
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THE LAST
Word
By Walter Boomsma
Maine State Grange Communications Director Is It About Social Distancing or Hope and Perseverance?
and simplifying. Perhaps sitting next to an
is that we learn the importance of
oil lamp and listening to the woodstove
managing our own perspective with
snap and crackle contributes.
nature’s help. Instead of fighting with her, we should learn from her.
Thanks to an early December winter
Those sounds are less distracting than
storm, we were without power for several
the beeping and buzzing of a smartphone
Current circumstances may force us
days. The internet was unavailable. We felt
or the laptop. Heck, I don’t even need
to remember one of the lessons of the
quite “socially distanced” in nearly every
to walk to the mailbox at the end of the
First Degree. It is especially fitting that the
sense of the words since snow piles and
driveway since it’s not accessible.
Overseer uses the language of yesteryear.
bent birches were blocking our driveway.
Nature prevails.
“Courage then, and patience, when gloom
We couldn’t get out. Not much is getting in.
Sometimes that creates inconvenience,
broods over your pathway. Weeping may
In a perhaps odd way, we do not
but it’s also a comforting truth.
endure for a night, but joy cometh in the
Spring follows winter, just as summer
morning. To the upright there ariseth light
the
follows spring. Sun follows rain. Life
in darkness, and the path of the righteous
pandemic, this seems like merely “more
begins and ends and sometimes takes a
shineth brighter and brighter, unto the
of the same.”
different shape.
perfect day. Then shall the crooked be
feel trapped. Possibly because of the limitations
already
imposed
by
made straight, and the rough places plain,
For the past nine months, life seems to
Growing up in New England, I
have been about what we cannot do. It’s
learned a long time ago that “fighting”
been easy to forget that we should know
nature is not the way to go. As a child,
In the language of today, please be
better than to get trapped into thinking
big snowstorms meant no school —
patient. We will answer all emails in time,
that way.
something we couldn’t do. But we were
and we hope to return to our regular website posting schedule soon.
So as I sit “sheltering in place” in
more focused on what we could do —
forced darkness, I find an opportunity to
sleep in, go out sliding, and building snow
remember that many of the lessons of the
forts and people.
and knowledge be revealed.”
When contacted, the power company suggested we may have power restored
“There is no such thing as bad weather,
within hours. I was a little disappointed
We are resilient and remember the
only inappropriate clothing,” is a mantra
they didn’t tell us to “Hope and
words of the Fifth Degree, encouraging
often repeated by Scandinavian parents
persevere.”
us to “hope and persevere.” Since many
who insist their children spend some time
Grangers tend to be traditionalists, we find
outdoors every day.
Grange help us maintain perspective.
returning to oil lamps and the woodstove somewhat comforting and simplifying. Admittedly, it’s a journey we’d prefer to make by choice. But in a similar way, returning to the teachings of the Grange can be comforting
We’re still planning to fill the lamps, trim the wicks, and reload the woodbox.
As schools in the United States have
We fill and trim because, without
learned to shift to remote learning, some
action, there is no hope. Without action,
districts announced there would be no
hope is just a way to pass the time until
more snow days. I’m not sure that’s a
we’re done living. We can do more than
good thing from my childlike perspective
sit in the dark and hope for the power
One of the benefits of being Grangers
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GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org
company to arrive.
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In the Second Degree, the Master provides a visual lesson with
do this time of year is to stroll during a snowstorm, particularly
a few corn kernels. “There is no object in which, to appearance,
at night. It’s oddly comforting to experience the quiet as the
life and death border so closely together as in the grains of seed
accumulating snow deadens sound other than this gentle hiss of
buried in the earth; but when life seems extinct a fuller and richer
the falling snow. It’s as if nature is painting the landscape, bathing
existence begins anew.”
it in white and covering everything so there are less distractions.
For me, this was the most powerful and memorable lesson of my first experience with the Degrees. I remember so well watching the Master stir those hardened kernels in his hand and realizing that what we often view as an end is transformation.
There is less to see and hear while walking in a snowstorm, but so much to think and feel. An occasional animal track in the snow suggests that there are unseen fellow travelers who are… what? Are they in search of shelter or food? Or are they simply
Life finds a way.
traveling because they can?
Days end, days begin.
The snow is not their enemy nor is it ours.
Light follows darkness. We are granted the extraordinary privilege of observing, participating, and serving as stewards of the abundance of nature. “From this little seed we have, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. So with the mind, when duly nourished with Faith and Hope.”
Like all of nature, the snow — if we choose to see it as such — gives us reason to hope and persevere. Boomsma is the author of a regular column called “Exploring Traditions,” that appears on the Maine State Grange website.
Look around, even in the darkness. Find some seeds — if not
Several of those were collected and published in 2018 in the
for your garden in the spring, then for your mind during these
book “Exploring Traditions: Celebrating the Grange Way of Life,”
days that seem dark.
which may be purchased through smile.amazon.com. Make sure
Even prior to the pandemic, one of my favorite things to
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to set the Grange Foundation as your beneficiary charity.
GOOD DAY!™ MAGAZINE www.nationalgrange.org