Sebastopol Grange gets new life
by Shepherd Bliss
Last month, more than 100 people from toddlers to adults in their 80s ate a tasty meal together at the Sebastopol Grange’s breakfast at the Grange Hall on Highway 12 east of Sebastool. As I looked around a pleasant memory arose — being a child in Iowa in the 1950s running around a Grange Hall like the playful kids in our semi-rural community here.
I remember my uncle Dale’s farm and helping stack hay. Then we looked at our neat stacks, smiling, though our backs itched from escaped hay. We usually woke up before dawn and headed for chores in the huge barn. Breakfast came later — large pancakes and cinnamon rolls.
Founded in 1867, today’s Grange is experiencing a national “Renaissance,” according to its California master Bob McFarland. He defines Renaissance as “the activity, spirit, or time of the great revival.” He adds, “Change is in the air.”
Sebastopol’s kitchen was abuzz with farmers and cooks. Scott Mathieson of Laguna Farm brought collards. Someone else donated 70 pounds of fresh local potatoes, which became home fries. The syrup was real maple syrup. Sebastopol’s master Joseph Stephenoni was among the dozen or so smiling faces cooking and serving us, transforming a cold morning into warm hospitality.
When I saw the small, thin pancakes, I was disappointed. They were not like my aunt Elva’s, each filling a plate and weighing a ton. Then I tasted them, and had to go back for more. “The cook must have added some beer,” one breakfaster joked.
Gary Abreim sent out an invitation to the breakfast, noting, “The Grange has a rich 140-year-old history that goes back to when farms formed collectives to create healthier, resilient communities and give local farmers an economic voice against powerful corporations (railroads). Sound somewhat familiar with our current times?”
Abreim adds,
“The Sebastopol Grange is having a renaissance with economic localization, food security, emergency preparedness, and community connection being some of our focus to creating resilience. We have members from the Transition Sebastopol community, local farmers, climate protection campaign activists, Community Emergency Response Team members (CERT), long time Grange members (some fifth generation), Spiral Foods (local food coop organizers), businesspeople, permaculturalists (OAEC), musicians and more.”
Last year, I kept hearing about the growth of both the Hessel and Sebastopol Granges. Lawrence Jaffe, an attorney, was talking up the Grange and the news was spreading. So I wandered over there one evening to hear Richard Heinberg, one of Sonoma County’s best-known and well-loved authors. He spoke about the convergence of climate destabilization, energy, and economic contraction.
Two things struck me upon arriving inside — the large number of people there and the natural beauty of the inside. The “curb appeal” of the outside did not suggest the energy that I felt inside. I decided to join. I liked both the history of what the Grange has stood for and its current commitment to continuing to serve farming communities and beyond.
The word “Grange” comes from old English farms that connected to form a community, which were called Granges. We could use more community in our fast-moving, technological America. I don’t remember feeling isolated while visiting our family farm in Iowa, staying over-night, and working the fields. At times here in the 21st century, I do feel isolated. Inside the Grange Hall, I felt connected. It was easy to meet new people and see friends.
“In its simplest form the Grange is a family,” McFarland writes. “We need to be there for each other.”
I kept hearing music that morning, which seemed live, in the kitchen. We eventually coaxed the three musicians into the hall itself, to which they donated their sweet sounds. Agri-culture, after all, is the basis of culture. The Grange supports the arts, which includes sponsoring groups such as El Teatro Campesino, daylong festivals with a dozen bands, film series, and the new Grange Performing Arts Center to house Sacramento City College’s Drama Department.
Every time I go to a Grange meeting I learn more about Sonoma County’s rich agrarian tradition. Marsha Stefenoni, last year’s master is a wealth of history and quite articulate about community matters.
Grange activities during the 19th century included being instrumental in passing legislation to regulate railroads and developing one of the U.S.’s first water policies.
Current Grange activities include Brock Dolman of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center bringing a group of permaculture students to develop a design for its 2 and ½ acres. Among the Grange’s services are the Grange Credit Union, a youth program with a Summer Camp, and the Grange Insurance Group.
The next Sebastopol gathering is Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 6:30 p.m. for the potluck and 7:30 p.m. for the meeting. All are welcome.
The California Grange website is www.californiagrange.org.
Shepherd Bliss has run an organic farm in Sebastopol since 1992, currently teaches at Sonoma State University, and can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Reposted from HERE.
