| JULY / AUGUST 2010 -- As I write, the weather indicates Spring has come and Summer is just around the corner, which is nice. In this article you can find out about the Ag projects for 2010 and also I will thank those who assisted at Ag Day in Hartford in March.
The Sunflower seeds have now been distributed to the ten Pomona Ag Chairmen. Included in their packets along with seeds for each Grange are applications for the four awards offered by our Committee: Young Farmer of the Year, Outstanding Farmer of the Year, Outstanding Production Award, and Outstanding Professional Award. This can be fun and interesting and I ask all the Granges to please submit at least one application for us to select from by October 1. Refer to the Blue Book.
And now, to clarify a question some may have about just who is eligible to be nominated for these awards: any person, Grange member or not. Just last year it was a Granger who received one of these awards so please try to think of someone deserving even if they come right from your own Grange.
We strive to be an interesting committee and to have fun educational projects for all so please do participate. You might want to plant your sunflower seeds by the middle to end of June and if you can time it right cut them just before State Grange in October; but remember they will first need to be judged at your Pomonas. For Juniors, there is no Pomona judging we would like all their sunflowers to go directly to State Grange for judging.
On March 18 CT Ag Day took place and the Grange was represented with a bright informative booth right in the capitol building. The following people deserve thanks and recognition for their contributions: Cindy Legg, Frances Brockett, Lois Evankow, Mary Medberry, Joan Toomey, Polly Leonard and even myself baked Hartford Election Cake samples. Mrs. Barbara Roberts, Nancy Weissmuller and Jon Hermonot generously made cookies for the event. Dick and Dot Wingate from Studio Farms kindly donated samples of homemade jams and jellies which filled out our Grange display in the ‘local farm products' section. Ron Purinton, Bob Brockett, Ernie Finch, myself and Ray and Cindy Legg manned the booth all day and talked ourselves hoarse answering questions about who and what the Grange is, and directing people how to find a Grange near them to visit.
I also want to thank Gino Piacentini and Karen Macdonald who stayed after the event and were helpful by packing up the display with us. Also a special thanks to Gordon Gibson for his support and to Sister Terri Fassio out there in California for designing the tags for our cake samples and all the ongoing technical support with the State Grange website.
We have plenty of extra seeds and they are available; just talk to Ernie Finch (860) 354-4659 or me (860) 434-1086 or any member of the Ag Committee.
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