AEE 501 Foundations of Agricultural and Extension Education
  National Farmers Union
Farm Bureau Logo 		Agricultural Organizations and Their Relationship to Agricultural and Extension Education
  • The Grange
  • Farmers' Alliance 
  • Agricultural Wheel
  • Farmers' Union
  • Farm Bureau
  • Farmers' Holiday
  • NFO
Introduction: Many people are not aware of the relationship between agricultural and extension education and farm organizations. The Grange, Farm Bureau and other organizations have been avid promoters of agricultural and extension education, especially in the early days. In this lesson we will learn more about these organizations and their relationship to agricultural and extension education. 

 
Lesson Objectives:
At the completion of the lesson you should be able to:
Describe programs conducted by the major farm organizations.
Describe the historical development of the major farm organizations.
Describe the relationships beween farm organizations and agricultural and extension education.

 
Learning Activities:
Take the Agricultural Organizations  pre-test to see how much you need to learn.
The Grange, established in 1867 is one of the oldest agricultural organizations.Visit the National Grange web site to learn more of the organization and history of the Grange. The Oregon Grange site has a much better explaination of the Grange and its history. Also visit the NC Grange.
The National Farmers Union was established in 1902. It is active in 25 states in the west and midwest. Be and sure to click on the about us button to learn more about the organization. The http://www.nfu.org/join/membership-benefits/ link shows where the NFU is located. Be and sure to click on the Minnesota and Iowa sites to get a feel for what NFU is all about.
Explore the American Farm Bureau web site to learn more about what this organization does. At one time the Farm Bureau and the Extension Service were one and the same in many states. The San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau site does an excellent job of explaining this relationship. Be and sure to scroll down to the Farm Bureau History link. The NC Farm Bureau also has a web site.
During the early 1970s members of the National Farmers Organization were dumping milk and killing hogs in an effort to raise prices. What is the NFO about today? When did they come into being?
The paper "The Disappearance from Georgia of the Farm Union" by Carole E. Scott and Richard D. Guynn provides  good background reading for the rise and fall of farm organizations.
View a PowerPoint Presentation on Agricultural Organizations or download the file.

 
Assignments:
Complete Worksheet 11
 

Return to the AEE 501 Home Page