FARMERS' EDUCATIONAL AND CO-OPERA TIVE UNION OF AMERICA, commonly known simply as the Farmers' Union, a society of farmers founded in 1902 by Newt Gresham of Emory, Texas. It was at first confined to Rains county, Texas. Its success there in collective bargaining in connection with cotton led to rapid expansion, especially in the South, the Middle West and the Far West. It later reached New England and the Middle States. Many of the local unions were formed from still existing community branches of the defunct Farmers' Alliance, which had wielded considerable political and other power from 1879 to 1892. Co-operative enterprises of great number and variety were started. Many of these soon disap peared, but others were and still are successful.
The Union is strongest in the wheat-growing States, where also in general its co-operative program is most effectively carried out. The Union advocates liberal political and economic policies, in cluding direct election of the president and of Federal judges, occupational representation in Congress, opposition to militarism and prohibition of speculation in farm products. It has co-operated to some extent with organized labour. The organization is demo cratic, endeavouring to reach chiefly the mass of farmers rather than the leaders.
The national side of the Union's work was moulded largely by C. S. Barrett (1866-1935), a Georgia farmer and former teacher, who was president of the society from 1906 to 1928.
See Charles S. Barrett, Mission, History and Times of the Farmers' Union (1909) ; C. B. Fisher, The Farmers' Union (1920) .
(N. A. C.)