Stumbled across a 'hidden', highly illuminating essay by Lamborn Wilson (aka Hakim Bey) on the agrarian radicalism of the historical Grange Movement. A motherlode of intelligence describing deep American roots relevant to our day. Snippets below, pdf here: bit.ly/3xbzfiw
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I only want to emphasize the style of the Grange, which might justly be called agrarian-social militancy. Agrarian radicalism might be seen as a deeply conservative concept invariably resonating with ancient folkways and local myths of resistance and freedom. Where is the modern Grange that could provide both an ancient tradition of militancy along with a real appreciation of the contemporary Green position in today's terms and vocabulary? Where is the movement to embrace all independent farmers and gardeners as part of larger movement for a "sacred Earth " and economic justice? Or is this just an idle dream? I find that very few educated Americans have even heard of the Grange, much less its significance. I hope I've managed at least a brief sketch of the inspiring importance of this history for contemporary Green theory and praxis.
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After a slow start, the new organization began to experience almost unbelievable success. Within eight years, some twenty-four thousand charters had been granted, and membership was pushing a million. The Grange had hit on a magical formula: economic self-organization, cooperation, and mutual aid; no involvement in legislative electoral politics but militancy on social and economic issues; plenty of picnics, outings, celebrations, socializing and shared fun; and a really impressive but simple ritual experienced as an integral aspect of practicing their conviviality and cooperation. So many political meetings were held on Independence Day in 1873 that it was referred to as the "Farmers' Fourth of July. " In 1873, however, the gatherings took on unwonted seriousness. The accustomed spread-eagle oratory gave place to impassioned denunciation of corporations and to the solemn reading of a Farmers' Declaration of Independence.
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Brothers of the plow, The power is with you; The world in expectation waits For action prompt and true, Oppression stalks abroad, Monopolies abound; Their giant hands already clutch The tillers of the ground. (Chorus) Awake, then, awake! the great world must be fed, And heaven gives the power to the hand that holds the bread. ~ "The Hand that Holds the Bread", Grange Melodies (Philadelphia, 1905) (Chorus) Keep politics off your farm (your farm), Your crops they will certainly harm (will harm); lf you would successfully labor, Keep politics off your farm. ~ "Keep Politics Off Your Farm", Grange Melodies
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Some movement very much like the Grange will undoubtedly emerge to offer some coherence to the struggles of the new agriculture, in all its myriad forms, against the antibiosis and oppression of the megacorporations. True, the appropriation of the surplus has reached the point where five or six behemoths own and control 90 percent of the world's food. But the 6,000-year resistance is still not ended and cannot end until the last grain of wheat is dead. If a Grange-like movement is thus demanded by history then perhaps it could be … the Grange. Two different worlds would have to unite to create a new and militant Grange, but those two worlds have a great deal in common. The same forces are crushing peasants in India and the last few family farms in America. The Zapatistas and the urban gardeners of New York City's Lower East Side are ultimately on the same side as the independent farmers - the side of life, of biophilia, of love of life.