Bring Justice to America's Fields

White text on a blue background on the top half; red and white diagonal stripes with small superimposed illustrations of an aztec eagle and farm workers 

The summer of 1977 saw a large agricultural movement in Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Kansas, driven by low farm prices amongst farmers. Farmers were left to foot the bill for fuel, seed, and pesticide costs while struggling with “sour” prices and unwilling lenders. A farm strike was staged; the farmers wanted Congress to pass legislation raising farm prices, as low prices persisted alongside heavy debts, even after the then-recently-passed Food and Agriculture Act of 1977. By late summer, the movement had gained momentum, and twenty states had joined the cause.

Thus, farmers wanted to “bring justice to America’s fields.”

Huge tractorcades followed into 1978. By January of ’78, Oklahoma finally passed a resolution favoring “a guaranteed price for agricultural products… at 100% of parity.” The American Agricultural Movement (AAM) held a national convention in Oklahoma City on April 24th and 25th of 1978. Neighboring businesses in several communities closed shop for the two days in solidarity. While Congress did pass some helpful measures to farmers, the organization did not succeed with many of their demands and eventually faded away. According to the April 2020 census, there are only 415 remaining members.