The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry

The National Grange is the oldest agricultural organization in the United States, with units in 3,600 communities in 37 states. Grange members provide service to rural areas on a wide variety of issues, to include educational and medical support, economic development, cooperative developments, and legislation to assure a viable Rural America. 

It was formed in the years following the Civil War as a means to unite private citizens for improving the economic and social positions of the nation’s farmers. Over the past 137 years, it has evolved to include non-farm, rural families and communities.

The Grange is also a fraternal order known as the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, hence the “P of H” on the organization’s logo. The founders believed that a fraternal organization would be the best able to combine loyalty and democratic ideals to provide service to others. It was one of the first formal groups to admit women members on an equal basis. The National Grange Headquarters is a landmark building in Washington, D.C. and is the only private building in a federal block across from the White House.

Note: There currently is no National Grange representation in the state of Missouri.

Source: Extracted from the History of the National Grange at http://www.nationalgrange.org/. LPP