DARTMOUTH GRANGE HOLDS GRAND OPENING OF NEW COMMUNITY KITCHEN by Brian Fraga
	The local agricultural community turned out at the Dartmouth Grange in June to celebrate the completion of the Grange’s new regional shared-use community kitchen. The kitchen, housed in the circa 1837 hall, is intended to provide value-added development opportunities to the local agricultural community and support specialty food processing business that work with local farms.
It’s completion is the result of four years of raising $350,000 in grants and donations, as well as the volunteer efforts of individuals and organizations who donated materials and labor. More than 300 Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School students did the carpentry, electrical and plumbing work.
Julie Manley, the project’s chairwoman, credited farms in the immediate area and throughout Bristol County for their support since May 2002, then, local residents attending an informational meeting first expressed strong interest in the certified kitchen. “It’s a happy, exhausted, relieved feeling that’s all kind of bundled together” Mrs. Manley said of seeing the culmination of four years of planning and fundraising. Guests attending the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony toured the kitchen,  sampling pastries and listening to traditional fiddle tunes of the ‘Red Tide Ramblers’.
Several national, state and local officials attended the ceremony.   National Grange President William Steel said the determined focus of the local Grange members and community residents in making the kitchen a reality echoed the founding principles of the Grange. “Determination. It can be done,” Brother Steel said. “What started 140 years ago, I’m delighted to see is still happening.” State Master, Calvin C. Chase, Jr. and First Lady, Linda Chase, presented Darthmouth Grange with a Massachusetts State Grange Master’s Award of Excellence.