The Old Granger Party (Grange), or Patrons of Husbandry, was the first major farm organization that emerged in the 1860s. Initially, the Grange was a social organization designed to reduce the isolation and drabness of rural life and introduce farmers to new scientific agricultural techniques. With time, the Grange focused more on economic issues.

The Granger movement urged its members to support candidates who would pass laws to curb the power of railroad companies, which charged farmers higher fees for short hauls (versus longer hauls) and more expensive rates than corporations did. Grangers also set up cooperatives for purchasing goods and selling crops, including stores, creameries, elevators, warehouses, factories, and early forms of credit unions. These cooperatives helped reduce farmers’ reliance on private corporations and banks. After 1880, the Grange gave way to regional farmers’ alliances.