The Oregon State Grange is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, and the milestone comes as Granges are experiencing a bit of a resurgence.

“The last six years, we’ve had about 3% growth overall,” said Jay Sexton of Philomath, Oregon State Grange president.

Membership now stands at 4,620, though that’s a far cry from the peak of 32,069 in 1948.

National Grange membership also saw an increase for the first time since 1956 this year, Sexton said.

He thought the rebound was happening because people want to interact in person with their neighbors and be together in places.

Granges are also nonpartisan and nonsectarian, which can provide a break from the divisions of popular culture.

“It’s a rule that you’re not supposed to discuss religion or politics inside a Grange hall,” Sexton said. “That allows people who might disagree on some things to get together and cooperate and help their community.”

Though the makeup of Oregon’s Granges has changed throughout the decades — they’re no longer strictly for farmers, and today only a small portion of Grangers are farmers — members remain dedicated to serving their rural communities and promoting local food.

Most Granges also serve as community centers, holding events such as weddings and memorial services .

The Oregon State Grange is an overarching organization that supports the 163 Granges scattered throughout the state by providing membership pamphlets and monitoring the nonprofit status of local groups .

When someone becomes a member of a local Grange, they are automatically a member of the State Grange.

The demographics of local Granges vary greatly, and service efforts differ due to area needs and membership interests. “The individual Granges are very unique,” Sexton said.

Still, members come together to advocate and develop policy recommendations, such as developing rural broadband internet and promoting efforts to broaden direct sales by farmers.

Sexton was installed as president in 2022, and his term expires in June 2024. His Grange career started in 2010 when he and his wife, Toni Hoyman, joined the Marys River Grange.

That Grange was in danger of closing until a farmer recruited 40 new members, including Sexton and Hoyman.

Sexton currently serves as the president of the Willamette Grange south of Corvallis and is helping lead renovations there.

A banquet celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Oregon State Grange was held on Sept. 24 at the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem.

A book on Grange history is set to be published this fall. “Oregon State Grange: Serving Communities for 150 Years,” will be available in Kindle, paperback and hardcover formats from Amazon.

Author Marilyn Reiher is the president of the Winona Grange in Washington County, Ore. She’s volunteering to write the book and won’t receive any royalties.

For more information, go to www.orgrange.org.

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