olhouse near
Fairfax, c. 1940. Photo, Library of Congress.]

Perhaps of even greater benefit to the farmer's image and expertise was
the growth of local farmer's organizations and cooperatives. The largest
and most prominent nationally was the Grange, a farmer's association
initially started in Washington, D.C., in 1867. Fairfax County boasted
four chapters of this organization, formed in the late years of the
1920s. The Grange interested itself in agricultural activities and civic
matters and it was upon its recommendation that the county agent was
appointed.[164] Of more immediate concern, however, were the local
farmer's clubs, and the unofficial associations of orchardists or
dairymen who met to discuss surpluses, crop problems or the need to
advertise. The farmer's clubs were the outgrowth of community groups
which sprang up spontaneously in the county from the mid-nineteenth
century on, but which were expanded and formalized by H. B. Derr in the
mid-1920s. As he described them they were

unique in their plans in that they are composed of twelve families
and they meet once a year at each home.... They meet in time for
dinner and after dinner ... the men go over the farm and discuss
current farm problems. Then they return to the house and listen to
some speaker who has been invited for an informal talk.[165]

Broadening and sociable, the clubs became an outstanding feature of
Fairfax County farm organization.

The minutes from the meetings of Farmer's Club #1, which was based in
Herndon and was made up predominantly of members from the Floris area,
show the variety of subjects discussed. A meeting in March, 1921,
included a lecture on contagious abortion (a disease chiefly affecting
dairy cows). Road conditions were discussed in April, 1924. Problems of
milk cooling and the effectiveness of the agricultural high school were
topics in March, 1928, and the following month state legislator H. E.
Hanes addressed the club on farm issues and voting procedures in the
upcoming elections. The club members also joined together to buy seed
in quantity in order to reduce cost and effort.

Informative as the meetings were, of equal importance was the bond of
friendship and professional affiliation which the farmer's clubs
fostered. By working closely with men of similar interests, a network
was built up which increased the agriculturalists' pride and
effectiveness; not only could the farmer identi