NAOMI FLETCHER, LECTURER
14685 25.75 Road
Rapid River, MI 49878
Tel: 906-399-2815
Naomi.fletcher54@gmail.com
MARCH/APRIL 2026 GRANGE NEWS
April – Environment, Conservation & Stewardship Project Sustenance Alignment: Sustainability & Stewardship • National Grange Month activities highlighting stewardship • Soil health, water conservation, and sustainable farming practices • Pollinators, habitats, and long term food production • Earth Day as a moment to connect conservation with food security -Connection: Sustainable environmental practices ensure long-term agricultural productivity and resilient communities.
As I write this, it is a balmy 18 degrees, with a windchill sitting at about 3. That means the wind speed is approximately 15 miles per hour. So the snow is blowing like a banshee, drifting across roads causing hazardous driving conditions. We’ve been getting snow and ice on and off now since early November. Way too early for this region. If you’ve seen pictures of trees heavily laden with snow, that’s
what my front yard looks like. Cold, blowing, freezing snow. The good part about it is the snow mobilers are having a great time, boosting the local economy, which is a great thing. Hope your winter isn’t as wicked as ours has been.
On to programming. The National Grange “Lecturer’s Department is intentionally returning to its educational roots. While contests and awards have played a role in the department’s history, the emphasis moving forward is on participation, engagement, and impact, rather than competition. Education may take many forms, such as guest speakers, workshops, demonstrations, discussions, hands-on activities, cultural programs, or collaborative learning experiences. All are equally valuable when they create opportunities for growth and understanding.” (From the National Grange website). In my articles, I will encourage you all to adopt the programs the National Grange is providing, and encourage your Grange
members to enter the MSG contests set forth in the Program Handbook.
My thinking is how best to recognize our efforts than exhibiting them at our Convention, much like we do in our local communities at county and state fairs. How best do we recognize excellence than through exhibition and competition? “May the best person win” probably shouldn’t be the slogan, but possibly “May the best exhibit teach others.” Sharing our knowledge and skills to others could be a form of competition. Doing our best to educate our community about who we are, what we do, and why we do “it”, whatever “it” looks like.
With that, here are the National Grange’s prompts to educate, include and promote not only Grange, but what the Grange supports. I hope you will share these with your membership throughout this next year.
March – Agricultural Literacy & Education Project Sustenance Alignment: Education & Awareness • Telling agriculture’s story as the foundation of food security • Ag Literacy Week activities tied to community education • Connecting agriculture to everyday life, nutrition, and sustainability • Helping the public understand where food comes from—and why it matters- Connection: Agricultural literacy builds informed communities capable of sustaining themselves.
April – Environment, Conservation & Stewardship Project Sustenance Alignment: Sustainability & Stewardship • National Grange Month activities highlighting stewardship • Soil health, water conservation, and sustainable farming practices • Pollinators, habitats, and long term food production • Earth Day as a moment to connect conservation with food security -Connection: Sustainable environmental practices ensure long-term agricultural productivity and resilient communities.
MAY/JUNE 2026 GRANGE NEWS
The winter of 2026 will be one to go down in history with the excessive snow events, flooding, continued rain and ice storms. But more than that, it’s the way we feel confined to our own space that leads me to this article. Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) is a real mental health issue to those who live in isolated winter environments. Being closed up, the sun only shining maybe 8 hours in a day, overcast. No Vitamin D or UV rays to brighten up our spirits because the sun doesn’t shine long enough for us to enjoy it. And if it does, it’s so cold we don’t want to bundle up and go out.
Mental health resolution takes a village. Ask. Ask for help. Offer assistance. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t feel right” and not just in a physical way. Build a circle of like-minded individuals where you can freely discuss your mental health without judgement. Don’t let SAD get you down. All the vitamins and sunshine in the world may not be enough. But a few like-minded friends might.
On that note: Take a look back at the Michigan State Grange Handbook for 2026. Find something there to occupy your winter and early spring that you can enter in the MSG Contests in October. Grow something, write something, make something. Keep your mind occupied by keeping your hands busy doing something you like to do. Until next time.
The winter of 2026 will be one to go down in history with the excessive snow events, flooding, continued rain and ice storms. But more than that, it’s the way we feel confined to our own space that leads me to this article. Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) is a real mental health issue to those who live in isolated winter environments. Being closed up, the sun only shining maybe 8 hours in a day, overcast. No Vitamin D or UV rays to brighten up our spirits because the sun doesn’t shine long enough for us to enjoy it. And if it does, it’s so cold we don’t want to bundle up and go out.
When we lived in California, we didn’t have extreme weather like we’ve had here in Michigan, but we did have incessant fog. Tule fog, it was called. It just laid in the valley like a furry blanket for the better part of two months. But we could escape, even if only for a little while, by driving into the foothills and having a day in the sun. Just above the fog level. Here in Michigan, we can’t just drive to a better spot
unless we drive further south. And I mean a lot further south than just Kalamazoo or Detroit. I think that’s why we have so many snow -birds escaping Michigan Winters by going south or even to the southwest-Arizona, New Mexico and the like.
Mental health does deteriorate in the winter for all these reasons. The National Grange has taken on the Rural Life Initiative these last few years to address this very topic. The Rural Life Initiative supports locally driven projects that strengthen rural communities, enhance quality of life, and build long-term resilience. Through community events, educational programming, and wellness resources, the Initiative helps communities address local needs, reduce disparities, and sustain a strong rural identity. Stop by the National Grange’s website to see how your Grange can bring Rural Life and Health to your community by visiting https://www.nationalgrange.org/ rural-life-initiative-program/.
Mental health resolution takes a village. Ask. Ask for help. Offer assistance. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t feel right” and not just in a physical way. Build a circle of like-minded individuals where you can freely discuss your mental health without judgement. Don’t let SAD get you down. All the vitamins and sunshine in the world may not be enough. But a few like-minded friends might.
On that note: Take a look back at the Michigan State Grange Handbook for 2026. Find something there to occupy your winter and early spring that you can enter in the MSG Contests in October. Grow something, write something, make something. Keep your mind occupied by keeping your hands busy doing something you like to do. Until next time.
