Grange Looks To Recapture Its Voice

President of the National Grange, Betsy Huber, says the organization is looking to recapture its role as the voice of rural America. During the 155^th Annual Session last month in Wichita, KS, Huber pointed out that a couple of generations ago the Grange was the premier advocacy group in D.C.

“With modern times there’s so much more there’s so much more that happens through coalitions and partnerships with many different groups that individual groups have kind of gotten lost.  But with our great legislative director Burton Eller, we’ve been able to be more recognized in the Capitol as spokesman for rural America.”

Huber noted the issues the Grange wants to address in the coming years is just as diverse as the crops grown nationwide. But at the top of that list is Health Care and rural broadband.

“Many rural hospitals have closed in the last decade and we’re very concerned about that.  Also, through the pandemic, health care has been more difficult, especially since many rural areas are not hooked up to broadband.  Broadband is key to telehealth, telemedicine, as well as education.”

She added the Grange will continue to urge Congress to pass bipartisan agriculture labor reform legislation.