KEVIN YOUNG, DIRECTOR
60822 Creek Road
Niles, MI 49120
269-684-3870
kevin60822@sbcglobal.net
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 GRANGE NEWS
Worthy Master, First Lady, Delegates, Brothers and
Sisters:
Welcome to the 147th Annual Convention of
the Michigan State Grange!! It is hard to believe that it is time for yet another Michigan State Grange Session. It is going to be a different State Session that we have never experienced due to COVID 19 and needing to
keep us all safe. Time sure goes by fast and for some reason this year has gone by way too fast!! I think it is
because of the pandemic and not having normal life events to attend that it has gone by way too fast. I
hope everyone has enjoyed my articles as at times I felt like I was just rambling on but at the time I was writing
them it was what was on my mind. Agriculture in our
Great State is a very important part of life and of the
State Economy, and I feel honored to be the Director of the MSG Agriculture Department. It has been a very up and down year so far for Agriculture in our Country and it isn’t over yet. With the virus causing shutdowns at meat processing plants earlier this year, farmers are hurting because market prices have dropped pretty low, at least for hog farmers. We the Grange, need to stand strong more than ever to let everyone know that the Grange is still alive and here to help our friends in Agriculture
I hope you will look ahead at what classes you want to enter for the 148th State Session since there are no contests to be held this year for the Ag Department. It would have been too hard to do classes for just a one day session. I know the growing season this year has been very different than in past years so it might have been a blessing to not have classes to enter. I hope to continue to bring you information on this Department that has meant so much to our Great Organization when it was first founded! I hope everyone enjoys the State Session and their stay in Grayling!!!
I hope you will look ahead at what classes you want to enter for the 148th State Session since there are no contests to be held this year for the Ag Department. It would have been too hard to do classes for just a one day session. I know the growing season this year has been very different than in past years so it might have been a blessing to not have classes to enter. I hope to continue to bring you information on this Department that has meant so much to our Great Organization when it was first founded! I hope everyone enjoys the State Session and their stay in Grayling!!!
AGRICULTURE
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 GRANGE NEWS
Wow! August is almost over and another County Fair season SHOULD be in the books for my area. As it was in all other areas of the State and Country most fairs postponed or canceled due to the Pandemic. I am sure you are like me and am tired of hearing about the Pandemic. My county fair did what was called the Berrien County Showcase – Where Youth are Essential. There was a number of departments that hosted a one day show and go event for the exhibitors. We went to the goat show and it was a nice event but nowhere near as many exhibitors as what come to the fair for the week. Our departments that have Market Animals did not have auctions online for the kids so they had to find buyers on their own. We ended up sending out market goats to the auction house in Shipse. As for the 4 pigs, 3 of them will be going on Sunday the 23rd to the fairgrounds to be loaded up on a truck to be sent to a processor. Our swine committee was able to get spots secured at 5 area processors as it is very difficult to get any type of animal into a processor for your freezer right now. With the “fair week” past us, that means my chores will slow way down as I do not have goats and pigs to care for any longer. Well I will have 1 pig to care for until Sept 1st when we take it directly to our processor ourselves. The animals will surely be missed for the next few weeks, but I do have chores to do yet. Our small flock of chickens are stilling doing fairly well even though a good number of them are around 3 years old and are not giving many eggs. We will have to replace them by next spring.
The garden hasn’t done well this summer for some reason. We did get potatoes planted and should have lots of them since Mom and Dad planted their seed potatoes in the garden this year rather than at their house. With my mom having foot surgery on May 29th, they decided that it would be best of it here in the garden to be cared for while she recovers from surgery and Dad takes care of their house chores and yard.
As we move in to the harvest season, please keep in mind that we will once again be sharing the roads with very large sized farm equipment. I know we are all in a hurry to get where we are going but we need to keep in mind that those big pieces of equipment help to put food on our families’ tables.
I look forward to seeing everyone that are coming as delegates to the Michigan State Grange Convention that is being held in late October at the Grayling Ramada Inn and Conference Center. It is going to be a different Convention for sure but what hasn’t been normal this year?!!
See you at State Session!!
