Final answer:
Farmers can increase their bargaining power by uniting and organizing into cooperatives, forming political parties, and taking collective action, as evidenced by historical movements such as the Grange and the Farmers' Alliance, as well as more radical groups like the Farm Holiday Association.
Step-by-step explanation:
Farmers can gain more power in bargaining by organizing into groups, much like early labor unions. This collective bargaining power was evident in history during periods of agricultural distress when farmers faced downward spiraling agricultural prices, exorbitant railroad freight rates, and costly loans, leading to rising debts. To combat this, they used various tactics which included forming cooperatives, creating their political parties, organizing protests, and educating each other on financial and agricultural issues. Notably, the Grange movement aimed to help farmers pool resources to obtain better rates on agricultural inputs and shipping, and the Farmers' Alliance worked to educate on issues of interest rates and government influence on essential services, albeit with some shortcomings in its inclusivity.
Another significant effort was the Farm Holiday Association, which advocated for higher government-set agricultural prices and engaged in radical actions such as barricading roads, attacking nonmember farmers, and organizing 'penny auctions' to protest and undermine farm foreclosures. The association's actions, while sometimes violent, highlighted the lengths to which farmers would go to protect their economic interests and demand governmental intervention in their favor. These examples illustrate that when farmers unite and take collective action, they have the potential to exercise greater influence and improve their negotiating position in the face of market and government pressures.