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Cromwell, CT is the place to be
November 2008 |
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By Jennifer Dugent, Editor
Come experience New England
with Grangers from across the
country at the 142nd National
Grange Convention! This year’s
Convention will be held at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cromwell,
Connecticut from November 11th
to 15th. The Northeast Region
and the National Grange have
been working hard to create an
event that can’t be missed. From
the guided tours to the educational
workshops, the talent shows to
the meal sessions and dances,
every Granger knows that New
England is the place to be this November!
Why should I go to Convention?
The Annual National Grange Convention
provides you with a once-a-year opportunity to see your
Grange friends from across the
nation and make new ones. The
schedule for the Convention allows
for plenty of time for fellowship
as well as business.
National Grange Convention
also gives you a first-hand look
at how the Grange’s legislative
agenda is determined for the year,
as well as lets you experience the
rituals of the Order.
Want to learn how to get more
members for your Grange or
increase your Grange’s visibility
to the public? The Convention
schedule is filled with lots
of workshops that will teach you
how to increase membership and
how to get more recognition for
your Grange. Want to see what
other Granges have done to get
ideas? The Idea Fair will include
success stories from Granges
across the nation and suggestions
for new programs. The Grange Store will be stocked with merchandise so you can pick up the newest Grange items and get
started on your holiday shopping.
Convention is a one-stop shop for
everything you need to help your
Grange succeed!
You will also be able to witness
how talented Grange members
are! The Evening of Excellence
will showcase the talents
of Grange members with special
presentations from Grange
Youth. The Evening of Excellence
is always guaranteed to
provide Convention attendees
with lots of laughter and plenty
of stories to take home to their
Granges. For the fourth year,
the National Grange Convention
will display the first, second,
and third place winners from the
State Lecturers, Junior Grange,
and Women’s Activities department-sponsored contests. The
Showcase of Excellence will
decoratively display an assortment
of items from crocheted
scarves to woodcarvings.
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Experience the hotel’s Sleep Advantage
Program with spacious,
relaxing guest rooms featuring
beds with “seven layers of comfort”,
a sleep amenity package,
and complimentary High-Speed
Internet access. |
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Whether you are looking for some education, entertainment, adventure, or just plain fun, the 142nd National Grange Convention will be an experience that members and their families can’t miss! |
What is there to do
in Cromwell?
Attractions
During your downtime, Convention
attendees can see all that
Cromwell has to offer. Nearby attractions
include Foxwoods Casino,
Mohegan Sun Casino, Goodspeed
Opera House, Champions
Ice Rink, and Kid City Museum.
Site Seeing
For the members that are looking
to do some site seeing, the
National Grange has arranged
for tours that will be quite memorable
—including the New England
Air Museum, The Children’s Museum,
Ekonk Turkey Farm, and
Lyman Orchards. Attendees can
also venture out on their own to
see the homes of Mark Twain and
Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Back at the Hotel
Convention Guests of the Crowne
Plaza Hotel can relax in the newly
renovated, heated solar dome
indoor pool and Jacuzzi, or enjoy
the sauna after working up a
sweat in the state-of-the-art Fitness
Facility.
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| Is Your Glass Half Empty? Or Half Full? |
Are you tired of negative news and negative people telling you what is wrong with our country, our economy, and our Grange? Forget the times we live in! We need to start living in the time we want.
A good example of this is two Grangers I know. One talks of all the great things happening at their Grange, and the other talks of the problems that they face at their Grange. One speaks of challenges, while the other complains of competition. The first views the State Grange as a resource, and the second complains about how they never help. Two completely different views, and both members belong to the same Grange. In fact, they are friends. |
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National President Ed Luttrell |
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Everyone knows that there are
many problems in the world. I
am sure that with a presidential
election going on, we will hear
about more problems than most
of us want to be aware of. Every
Grange faces challenges.
Some Granges need more
money, some need new members,
and some need positive
leadership. OK, we all need
new members, and if we got
them, we would probably solve
some of our money worries and
start developing new leadership
for our Grange.
The real challenge for every
member is to start talking about
the Grange we want, not the
Grange we don’t want. If members
approach every issue with a
“how do we do it” attitude rather
than a “we’ve never done that”
attitude, what are the possibilities?
How we talk determines
what kind of actions we will take.
A Grange that talks about what
they can do will always, over
time, try and do more things
than a Grange that talks about
the negative side of problems.
I’ve known a lot of negative
Grange members over the
years, as well as many positive
members. The biggest difference
between the two groups is
their choice of attitude. Each of
us chooses our attitude toward
life. We don’t choose to look
at the good or bad alone, but
which do we dwell on? Which
do we choose to focus our attention
on? We each have the
choice to complain about an
hour of rain or to enjoy an hour
of sunshine. Why some of us
are positive and some negative
in their views seems to be
a choice each of us makes.
I’ve heard the “half full vs. half
empty glass” argument, but I’ve
seen members who claim to
be a “half empty” people and
still approach life with a positive
attitude. Your attitude is a
personal choice that becomes a
habit over time.
As a leader in the Grange, I’ve
had to deal with closing Granges
and those who fight all change,
even change that might benefit
a local Grange. On occasion,
I’ve gotten frustrated with the
attitude of some of our negative
members. My wife, who
is full of wisdom, asked me, “If
they don’t like the Grange, why
don’t they walk away?” That is
the crux of our problem. Why
would any member choose to
stay with a sinking ship? Why
would any member want to be
part of ending a community organization, especially one with
more than 140 years of accomplishments?
I’ll be the first to
admit, even though I have my
suppositions, I don’t know.
Every person has good times
and bad. Every organization
has its ups and downs. The
Grange has been around for
so long that no person remembers
all the ups and downs that
we’ve experienced as an organization.
Some of our members
know enough history to speak of
those good times and the bad,
but our personal experience is
often colored by whether we
were actively involved during a
growth or decline period.
The first step that each member
needs to take is to start talking
about what we can do. If you
can’t do that, if you can’t see a
positive future, then walk away.
If you can see the possibility
of a bright future, then start by
talking about it and you’ll start
the process of creating it. Talk
is not cheap; it is the foundation
of our attitudes and our future.
Remember that nothing of great
value in life is easy – just try
raising children.
It is time to start living in the
future that we want for our
Grange. Share what is going
well in your Grange with others.
Let’s share successes, ask
each other for help, and trust
that there are people out there
who will be members when they
find out who we are and what
we stand for.
The past ten years have been
exciting times for me. I’ve seen
substantial numbers of Granges
undergo exciting changes
with the influx of new members.
I’ve seen many new Granges
formed, and even more inactive
Granges restored to functioning
condition. Everything that I can
measure is moving in a positive
direction.
The future that I see is bright!
Together we will create a future
that is full of growth and all its
accompanying challenges and
opportunities. Let’s live in that
time!
Ed Luttrell, National President
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Around Washington, D.C. and Beyond |
| The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 |
By Leroy Watson, Legislative Director
On May 22, 2008, Congress
overrode the President’s veto
on H.R. 2419, enacting 14 of
15 Farm Bill titles into law. The
House vote was 316-108, and
the Senate vote was 82-13.
The new Farm Bill garnered
the support of more than 1,054
farm, specialty crop, conservation,
nutrition, consumer, and
religious organizations, including
the National Grange. While
no one got everything they
wanted in this Farm Bill, the
bill meets the pressing needs
of working American families
struggling with high food prices
and supports America’s farmers
and ranchers as they continue
to provide a safe, abundant,
homegrown supply of food and
fiber while protecting our natural resources and developing new
sources of renewable energy.
The Farm Bill Home Page on
the House Agriculture Committee
website
has detailed the development
of the Farm Bill from the beginning
of the legislative process.
This page contains information
about the new law, legislative
language, fact sheets on each
title, and additional information
about how the new Farm Bill will
impact farm, nutrition, conservation,
and energy policy.
The conference report on the
Food, Conservation, and Energy
Act of 2008 (the Farm Bill)
demonstrates how this legislation
makes historic investments
in our food and farm economy.
The bill expands food security
programs, protects vital natural
resources, promotes healthier
foods and local food networks,
and reforms commodity and
biofuel programs to reflect the
priorities of the nation.
Through a clerical oversight,
the important Trade Title of the
Farm Bill was included in the
conference report passed by
Congress but was inadvertently
left out of the offi cial copy of the
Farm Bill that the President vetoed.
The House took immediate
action to correct the error,
ensuring that the entire Farm Bill
is enacted into law swiftly. Most
of the Farm Bill is now law, and
the Administration can begin
implementing the new programs
and policies immediately.
General Overview
The 2008 Farm Bill reforms several
farm programs by extending
and modernizing farm safety
net criteria with an updated
adjusted gross income means
test. Farm and conservation
program transparency was increased,
with direct attribution
of payments and the ending of
practices that result in multiple
payment eligibility. Crop insurance
programs were changed
to prevent windfall reimbursements
to crop insurance companies.
Finally, the bill budgets for
a standing disaster assistance
program for crops struck by catastrophic
natural disasters, such
as droughts and floods.
The bill increases spending by
$7.9 billion for conservation programs.
It doubles funding for the
Farm Protection Program to protect
agricultural lands from urban
and suburban development
pressure, and it increases funding
for the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQUIP)
and Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP) to enhance and
protect our natural resources.
The bill continues funding for
Grassland Reserve and Wetlands
Reserve programs and
creates an Open Fields Program
to encourage public access to
private land for hunting and fishing,
as well as a Chesapeake
Bay program to help restore and
protect the Bay watershed.
The new Farm Bill provides $1
billion to fund programs that will
help the renewable energy industry
invest in new technologies
that use a variety of sources
beyond feed grains. Corn
ethanol tax credit will be reduced
and redirected to incentives for
cellulosic ethanol. The bill also
creates a loan guarantee program
and a program to encourage
and develop production of
dedicated energy crops. Finally,
bioenergy research funding has
been increased and renewable
energy programs expanded.
The new Farm Bill provides $60
million to purchase food overseas
to feed people in need
on top of the existing Food for
Peace international aid program,
along with an evaluation
of this change and its effect on
U.S. response times. It reauthorizes
the McGovern-Dole International
Food for Education
and Child Nutrition Program for
infant, child, and school nutrition
programs in underdeveloped
countries and provides an infusion
of $84 million in additional
funding. Nutrition programs will
be increased by $10.361 billion,
with appropriate benefi t increases
indexed to the cost of living.
Additionally, vital assistance to
food banks will be increased by
$1.25 billion, and new funding
will boost organic agriculture,
fruit and vegetable programs,
and local food networks. Finally,
country-of-origin labeling
(COOL) for meat and produce
was made mandatory.
Highlights of Important Provisions
Reforming Farm Programs
- Farm program safety net extended and modernized, with an updated adjusted
gross income means test for commodity programs
- Farm and conservation
program transparency increased,
with direct attribution
of payments and the ending of practices that result in multiple payment eligibility
- Crop insurance reformed to
prevent windfall reimbursements to crop insurance companies
- Budgeted standing disaster
assistance program for
crops struck by catastrophic natural disasters, such as droughts and floods.
Protecting the Environment
- Conservation program spending increased by $7.9 billion
- Funding doubled for the Farm Protection Program to protect agricultural lands from urban and suburban
development pressure
- Increased funding for the
Environmental Quality Incentives
Program and Conservation
Stewardship Program to enhance and protect our natural resources
- Continued funding for Grassland Reserve and Wetlands Reserve programs
- Creation of an Open Fields
Program to encourage public
access to private land
for hunting and fishing, as
well as a Chesapeake Bay program to help restore and protect the Bay watershed
Strengthening International
Food Aid
- $60 million provided to purchase
food overseas to feed
people in need on top of the
existing Food for Peace
international aid program,
along with an evaluation of this change and its effect on U.S. response times
- Reauthorization of McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program for infant,
child, and school nutrition
programs in underdeveloped countries, providing an infusion of $84 million in
additional funding
Food Nutrition and Safety
- Nutrition programs increased
by $10.361 billion with appropriate benefit increases that are indexed to
the cost of living
- Vital assistance to food banks increased by $1.25 billion
- New funding boosts organic
agriculture, fruit and vegetable programs, and local food networks
- Country-of-origin labeling for meat and produce made mandatory
Energy
- $1 billion provided to fund
programs that will help the
renewable energy industry
invest in new technologies that use a variety of sources beyond feed grains
- Corn ethanol tax credit reduced and redirected to incentives for cellulosic ethanol
- Creation of a loan guarantee
program and a program
to encourage and develop production of dedicated energy crops
- Bioenergy research increased and renewable energy programs expanded
For a more detailed discussion of
the major provisions of the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008, look at the National
Grange Action
Alert #8 - The Food, Conservation,
and Energy Act of 2008. If
you would like to receive more
detailed information about legislative
issues being followed
by the National Grange (including
the 2008 Farm Bill), you can
sign up to be on our free e-mail
distribution list by sending
your e-mail contact information
to intern@nationalgrange.org.
For more stories in this issue Click here for a FREE subscription!
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| Annual Salute to Agriculture Breakfast Will Highlight Convention |
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By Leroy Watson, Legislative Director
The 142nd Annual Convention
of the National Grange, hosted
in 2008 by the Northeast Grange
States, is fast approaching. One
of the highlights of each year’s
annual Convention is the National
Grange’s “Salute to Agriculture
Breakfast”. The Salute
to Agriculture Breakfast always
features provocative and informative
speakers who focus on
one of the core issues of concern
to the National Grange for more
than 140 years: insight into the
current status of U.S. agriculture
and family farmers and ranchers.
This year, the breakfast is scheduled
to be held on Wednesday,
November 12 at 8:00 a.m. in the
Nutmeg Room of the Crowne
Plaza Hotel in Cromwell, CT, the
headquarters hotel for the 2008
Convention. The Breakfast will
feature two highly qualifi ed and
provocative speakers: Henry N.
Talmage, Executive Director of
the Connecticut Farmland Trust,
and Terry Jones, chairman of the
Connecticut Working Lands Alliance.
Mr. Jones will be addressing
one of the most diffi cult and
complicated topics faced by family
farmers and their communities:
farm land preservation.
Henry N. Talmage has served as
Executive Director of the Connecticut
Farmland Trust (CFT) since
2006. Established in 2002, the
Connecticut Farmland Trust is the
only private statewide conservation
organization dedicated to protecting
Connecticut’s working farmland.
Since his arrival in Connecticut,
Talmage has been engaged in
promoting farmland preservation
and dedicated to growing CFT into
the leading farmland preservation
land trust in the state.
Mr. Talmage is a graduate of Cornell
University and holds a degree
in Agricultural Economics. He
is a native of Long Island, New
York, and has extensive experience
in farming, agribusiness,
and real estate. Before coming
to Connecticut from Long Island,
he was Director of Operations for
Talmage Farm, a family owned
wholesale greenhouse and nursery
business with a retail farm
and garden store. He has served
as president of the Long Island
Farm Bureau, a member of the
New York Farm Bureau Farmland
Retention Committee, and
a member of the Peconic Land
Trust Agriculture Advisory Committee.
Henry has also served on
the Advisory Council of the College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences
at Cornell University.
Terry Jones, our second speaker,
is a working farmer from Shelton,
Connecticut, who currently serves
as chairman of the Connecticut
Working Lands Alliance (CWLT),
a statewide coalition dedicated to
preserving Connecticut’s diminishing
farmlands. He also serves
as Vice President of the Board
of Control at the Connecticut Agricultural
Experiment Station in
New Haven, Connecticut. Prior
to his service with CWLA, Terry
spent fi fteen years serving Shelton
on the town Conservation
Commission.
Since 1848, seven generations
of Jones family members have
been farming their land in the
White Hills of Shelton, Connecticut.
Today, four generations are
living on and actively engaged in
farm activities on their 400 acres.
They are guided by the credo established
160 years ago by Philip
James Jones – “Be good to the
land and the land will be good to
you.” Terry Jones, 61, loves the
trees, but he has developed a
special passion for strawberries,
which he considers the queen of
fruits. Terry graduated from the
University of New Hampshire in
1969 where he studied Forestry,
Plant Science, and English Literature.
After forty-fi ve years of
harvests, he may be Connecticut’s
longest continuously producing
strawberry farmer. Country
Living magazine features the
Jones Family strawberry fields in
their June 2008 edition.
Terry’s avocation is working to
preserve farm and forest lands
for the use and enjoyment of future
generations. “Partners in
Protection”, formed nearly twenty
years ago, was his fi rst major
project and led to the preservation
of the 52-acre Nichodale
Farm for the Shelton Land Conservation
Trust. That farm has
provided local scouts with an attractive
site for hiking and camping.
Terry’s work on the project
won him a national conservation
award.
Terry is also an advocate for
brownfields remediation and
serves on the Shelton Economic
Development Commission. He
believes that balanced growth
and the wisdom of combining
farmland preservation and diversified economic development are
the keys to growing a successful
community. In May of this year,
Terry, along with his father Philip,
his son Jamie, and his grandsons
Jackson and Samuel, were honored
by the Housatonic Valley
Boy Scouts as their “Good Scout
of the Year” recipients.
Grange members attending the
142nd Annual Convention this
year can purchase tickets to attend
the annual Salute to Agriculture
Breakfast on the National
Grange website and via information
contained in other parts of
this newsletter. A strong member
turnout for the National Grange’s
Salute to Agriculture Breakfast
is always one of the best ways
to demonstrate the National
Grange’s continued commitment
to family farmers and the communities
that nurture them.
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