4 Winter 2012 Applegater
Upper Applegate Grange
gets a new name
by jANiS MOhR-tiptON
The new name for the Grange on
Upper Applegate Road has been officially
accepted by the National Grange—it is
being rechartered as the Applegate Valley
Community Grange (AVCG) #839. This
reflects the greater region of the Applegate
Valley that we serve in Jackson County.
The members of AVCG have been
busy over the summer with reorganizing,
cleaning, and preparing this wonderful
1950s building for meetings, rentals, and
community gatherings. We are currently
working on establishing a website for easy
access with the community. There are
many exciting goals being formulated for
building the organization and serving the
community. The membership has already
begun offering community service with a
public meeting place provided for the Fort
Complex Fire in August. Presently, AVCG
is sponsoring a “Warm Clothing Drive” for
our local neighbors in need of warm coats,
blankets, sleeping bags, scarves, hats, and
gloves. Ruch Country Store is providing
a drop-off. For more information, contact
Arlene Aron at 541-951-6707.
On November 4, the members of
AVCG had their first community-wide
Harvest Brunch fundraiser where 250
people attended a delicious breakfast
prepared with food supplied by Applegate
Valley organic farmers, ranchers, and
food artisans. The Turner Moore Band
that sprouted from the Jacksonville area
provided catchy rhythms to floor-stomping
music throughout the event. Danny
Moore, who provided guitar and vocals,
spent time growing up in the Applegate
Valley. All the rest of the members grew
up with down-to-earth ethics as well, and
combined forces to create their unique
band. They handed out free stickers with
their new website, so follow this new local
band at www.turnermooreband.com.
The “Put ’Em Up” Preservation
Contest was a real success with two simple
categories: “Savory” and “Sweet.” The
community and Grange members brought
their finest to offer: jams, salsas, canned
fruits, and herbed vinegar—anything
that was preserved for winter keeping.
The winners were Rosie Demmin for pear
Two-hundred fifty people attended the Applegate Valley Community Grange’s
first community-wide Harvest Brunch on November 4. The Turner Moore Band entertained.
(Photo by Claude Aron.)
chutney (savory), and Martha Straube for
red pepper jelly (sweet).
One Grange member organized a
“Gratitude” table where seeds, produce,
and prepared foods were offered as gifts to
those who came to the event.
The members of the AVCG invite
you to join us to continue to expand our
presence as a vibrant hub that educates,
serves, and supports our community.
Membership is open to any resident in
the Applegate Valley over the age of 13
years, 6 months. You can use your skills
for personal and community growth, or
developing new skills. You’ll meet other
members of the community, and join them
in service and fun. You can participate in
charitable fundraising and learn about
legislative work to support rural farming
and sustainability.
Come help us grow! For more
information, contact Master Melissa
Matthewson at applegategrange@gmail.
com or 541-846-6297, or Secretary Janis
Mohr-Tipton at janismohrtipton@jeffnet.
org or 541-846-7501.
Janis Mohr-Tipton • 541-846-7501
janismohrtipton@jeffnet.org
Funny cone-like things sticking out of the ground
If you’ve spent time in the woods
in southern Oregon, you’ve probably run
into these brown or purple-colored cone-
like organisms protruding from the forest
floor or a nearby road cut. Many have
wondered what these strange items are…
cones from trees? Plants?
Actually, they are plants—parasitic
plants to be exact. The California ground
cone (Boschniakia strobilacea) is a member
of the broomrape family that parasitizes
the roots of nearby madrone trees and
manzanita shrubs.
Because it’s a parasite, it doesn’t
make its own energy and thus does
not have green leaves. But it does have
flowers. These stick out from the bracts
in spring. The bracts look very similar to
cone scales from a conifer tree, hence the
name ground “cone.” There is another
ground-cone species found near the coast
and farther north that is parasitic on salal.
Ground cones do not have roots—
instead they have haustoria, root-like
organs that penetrate the roots of their
host. True and dwarf mistletoe plants
also have haustoria. To the best of my
knowledge, ground cones do not represent
a significant threat to the health of their
hosts.
Max Bennett
541-776-7371 x221
Forestry/Natural Resources Agent
Oregon Sate University
Extension Service
Jackson-Josephine Counties
max.bennett@oregonstate.edu
This article is reprinted from http://
extension.oregonstate.edu/sorec/groundcone.
Top photo: Ground cone in flowering state
(http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-
eq5XHDWTer4BisRtats8A).
Right photo: Ground cone found in
southern Oregon (http://www.redorbit.com/
education/reference_library/science_1/
plants/1112564818/bost2/).
Poetry Corner
Now Winter Nights Enlarge
by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)
Now winter nights enlarge
This number of their hours;
And clouds their storms discharge
Upon the airy towers.
Let now the chimneys blaze
And cups o’erflow with wine,
Let well-tuned words amaze
With harmony divine.
Now yellow waxen lights
Shall wait on honey love
While youthful revels, masques, and courtly sights
Sleep’s leaden spells remove.
This time doth well dispense
With lovers’ long discourse;
Much speech hath some defense,
Though beauty no remorse.
All do not all things well:
Some measures comely tread,
Some knotted riddles tell,
Some poems smoothly read.
The summer hath his joys,
And winter his delights;
Though love and all his pleasures are but toys
They shorten tedious nights.
