CHIMACUM — When O.C. Musgrove founded the Chimacum Grange in 1918, the United States was entering a time of transition.
Where once people lived on farms and grew their own food, the population had begun to shift to the cities, where the food came to them.
As the market expanded, the farms expanded, squeezing out small growers.
Now, with high fuel prices, the tables have turned, bringing a renewed interest in local food from small farms.
With those changes comes a revival in the focal point of the farm community: the grange.
On Tuesday, Chimacum Grange celebrated its 90th birthday by inducting new members and announcing new programs, such as a Sunday Farmers Market, that are bringing food production back to its rural roots.
“With the price of food going up, I think it’s wonderful that we have a place to grow our own food,” said Judi Stewart, Grange president.
“People in the cities aren’t as fortunate. I hope we can grow enough for us and enough for them.”
