Final answer:
The farmers in Morgan County have formed a cooperative to pool resources and gain better pricing on both inputs like seeds and outputs such as their crops. These efforts hark back to historical movements by farmers to protect and better their economic interests through unity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The seventy farmers in Morgan County who have joined together have formed a cooperative. This is an entity where farmers pool resources and work collectively to obtain better prices on seeds, fertilizer, and other farming necessities, as well as better rates when distributing and selling their crops. It's a model similar to one proposed by Oliver Hudson Kelly with the Patrons of Husbandry, commonly known as the Grange, and echoes the efforts of the Farmers Alliance.
Though the Farmers Alliance faced challenges due to exclusionary practices, cooperatives have historically served as a means for farmers to gain strength in numbers. By collaborating, these farmers hope to alleviate the fundamental vulnerabilities associated with their profession, such as fluctuating market prices and high overhead costs for necessary materials.
Strong cooperatives can provide a measure of security against such economic pressures and help to maintain family farming as a viable livelihood. This model of cooperation among farmers is designed not only for purchasing and distribution advantages but also as a protective measure against monopolistic practices of banks and other powerful entities.