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Kia Ora!
We're on the precipice of starting our One Ring game once my current campaign wraps up in a few weeks, and I'm very exited. Got all the books, planning things out, just finished rereading the trilogy and preparing to dig into the great tales again, memorizing Tales From the Lone Lands, ran a few cutesy oneshots in the Shire to familiarize ourselves with the rules, there's just one thing I'm not really sure how to handle: the fellowship phases.
I dunno I'm just worried they'll end up... board game-y? I get the source material it's trying to emulate but it feels very at odds with my group to stop in at Rivendell, say hi, flip open to the fellowship activities page and oh my god a full month has passed well seeya Elrond we're off to the Misty Mountains.

I'm considering spending maybe a full session focused on it, like you would do exploring a town. Playing out a scene for every activity someone undertakes, scouring the libraries of Rivendell, peering over maps with Elrond, writing a song by the fireplace or something, but even then I'm wondering how such a long stretch of time could effect the pacing of a game.
Anyway I'd be interesting in hearing how others handle it. Taking Lone Lands for example (and assuming your parties going off the beaten trail into all sorts of sidequests), would you run a fellowship phase between every couple of big adventures, just twice or so through the campaign, or once at the end as the fellowship prepares themselves for the inevitable Moria supplement? Do you roleplay or board game it?

Well, the length of a Fellowship phase can vary greatly, from a few days to a full season (generally the end-of-year Fellowship phase). You can have a Fellowship phase at the completion of every Adventuring phase assuming that the player-heroes can reach a safe haven. I think C7's TOR was more specific about including role-playing elements in the Fellowship phase.

We just had our first fellowship phase. I brought roleplaying in by having them have encounters as they first arrived at the safe haven (the shire in this case), and then during the upgrading and the fellowship phase activities I tried to bring roleplay element in a bit by explaining what they were doing in these things in more narrative terms. I realize that I failed to give them encouragement to take the lead in this phase, explaining what they doing, their PCs goals, thoughts, etc. I intend to do better the next fellowship phase on that count.

We just had our first fellowship phase. I brought roleplaying in by having them have encounters as they first arrived at the safe haven (the shire in this case), and then during the upgrading and the fellowship phase activities I tried to bring roleplay element in a bit by explaining what they were doing in these things in more narrative terms. I realize that I failed to give them encouragement to take the lead in this phase, explaining what they doing, their PCs goals, thoughts, etc. I intend to do better the next fellowship phase on that count.

Yeah i kind of had the same issue.
Basically my players take the fellowship phase under a mechanical approach: "i write a song" "i browse the library to identify this item" "i study maps"
I am not a seasoned LM so i am still learning how to encourage descriptions, in our next fellowship phase i think that i will ask them their choices and also a description of a specific scene in wich they achieve the undertaking (obviously i won't punsh them, if they feel unconfortable i'll try to describe myself the situation).

To answer the OP question: my fellowship phases, for 3 players lasted about 20/30 minutes each (5/10 minutes sort of roleplay and the rest discussion on choiches about patrons/activities)

I think the game really benefits from a group spending at least an hour of a session on the fellowship phase. Especially for Yule phases, have your players come up with what they do and who they meet. This should be a chance for them to interject new NPCs that you can later use. If they are returning home they should say what they do while they return home. What has life been like. If you can get a hold of the first edition book The Adventures Companion it has a table called Weal and Woe to roll during every Yule Phase. It can give a brief rundown of the events of the year. As an LM come prepared with a few events that happen throughout the year, and if a player is of some note within a settlement they should be allowed to interject into that settlement's history. Something interesting happens at the Free Fair in Michel Delving. How does the player effect what is going on. No dice needed, just talk about it. A new mayor is being elected in Bree, maybe the Bree Man player wants to run for election, it might spark a small mini adventure. Or just let it happen.