Grange History

"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, also simply styled the Grange, is a fraternal organization for American farmers that encourages farm families to band together for their common economic and political well-being. Founded in 1867 after the Civil War it is the oldest surviving agricultural organization in America. It is interesting to note that its original mission statement included the words "support sustainable agriculture." In addition to serving as a center for many farming communities, the Grange was an effective advocacy group for farmers and their agendas, including fighting railroad monopolies and advocating rural mail deliveries. There are local Granges established in 4000 communities in 37 states.

In the following pages, we present the histories of the National Grange, CA State Grange, and Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange #503.