Seeds are Sown for Revival of a Fading Farmers’ Group

By Brenda J. Buote | Boston Globe

The Grange, formally known as the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry, was conceived by Oliver H. Kelley, who worked for the US Department of Agriculture in the 1860s, as a means of educating farmers about sound agricultural practices.

In its early years, the Grange was devoted to educational events and social gatherings. The fraternal order became a political force in the 1870s, but its advocacy efforts were soon eclipsed by other groups and the organization returned to its original mission. Today, the Grange has units in 2,100 communities in 38 states, according to National Grange officials.

At its peak in the late 1950s, the group attracted 51,000 members in Massachusetts. But over the years, as farmland succumbed to the cultivation of housing developments, membership in the Grange began to wane. In the last six years, 35 Massachusetts Grange units have closed, including chapters in Byfield and Topsfield. Despite those bleak statistics, Grange officials believe they are starting to sow the seeds of change.