Farmers Unite! Planting a Protest for Fair Prices
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15
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Average rating4
In the late 1970s, grain prices had tanked, farm auction notices filled newspapers, and people had forgotten that food didn't grow in grocery stores. So, on February 5, 1979, thousands of tractors from all parts of the US flooded Washington, DC, in protest. Author Lindsay H. Metcalf, a journalist who grew up on a family farm, shares this rarely told story of grassroots perseverance and economic justice. In 1979, US farmers traveled to Washington, DC to protest unfair prices for their products. Farmers wanted fair prices for their products and demanded action from Congress. After police corralled the tractors on the National Mall, the farmers and their tractors stayed through a snowstorm and dug out the city. Americans were now convinced they needed farmers, but the law took longer. Boldly told and highlighted with stunning archival images, this is the story of the struggle and triumph of the American farmer that still resonates today.
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Grain prices dropped in the late 1970s, and in 1979, thousands of tractors from all over the US traveled to Washington DC to protest. Many gatherings were planned with lawmakers, but little was accomplished until the farmers' problems came to the attention of singer Willie Nelson who organized a popular Farm Aid concert. Legislation to help the farmers was finally enacted in 1987.
Farmers Unite is a book with clear text and helpful photos for young readers.
