Applegate Grange Hall hums with activity

BY DANIEL NEWBERRY | MAIL TRIBUNE

Nearly 100 Applegate Valley community members stopped by the Grange Hall near Ruch on a recent Sunday to socialize and feast at the Harvest Brunch.

After decades of declining membership, the Upper Applegate Grange finally closed its doors about two years ago. Today, however, the Applegate Valley Community Grange has arisen in its place with a membership that is on the upswing.

Many members of the previous Grange, says new President Paul Tipton, “were in their 80s, and a lot of them and their parents were part of the original core group that were part of the 1935 beginning of this Grange.”

In an age in which less than 2 percent of the U.S. population makes a living from farming, it’s no surprise that many Grange chapters nationwide are heading for chapters in a history book. The Grange is a fraternal organization founded by and for farmers.