The Right Noble Order of Farmers...
Symbol: a pin of a plow on a disk, often as a clasp on a tunic or cloak.
Goals: Reduced upper class taxation, increased middle class taxation, improved farming. In about that order.
The order has almost no actual farmers, as in guys who work the land. It's a prestige society for landowners who either hire farmers or have serfs... typical secret society - quite visible for their championing of best practices and actual research, but also covertly working to bring taxation down on their estates and increase it on the urban classes and freeholders.
It can work in any society where there is a form of aristocracy - either by birth or economic - and enough free time from warfare to engage on the social battles instead... Rome (republic, imperial, or byzantine), later dynastic Egypt, Renaissance Europe, modern "Western Civilization."
Rituals will include a bunch of ancient mythology about farming and the gods thereof. Secret handshakes and challenge response codes. Rituals performed in starkly plain peasant-farmer-style garments of rich materials (materials which, in medieval times, would have peasants executed as thieves)... The order claims to not be a religion, but its practices are the ancient rituals to appease the farming gods of some prior culture.
For the most part, they're neutral towards the actual farming folk - when times are hard, they're going to pester other wealthy types to donate to relief for the real farmers, and generally, that donation goes to replacing seed-stocks, building irrigation, and/or repairing/replacing housing destroyed. Often, this is also subsidizing their repairs to peasant or serf housing on their own lands... when times are good, they're going to take all the social contract allows. But they also throw some big farmer parties for the actual farm workers, which holds them in good stead with the farmers... a calculated self-interest.
In a magic-works setting, they also bless fields, as their patrons are the older deities/immortals. They do charge for it, but only enough to cover for the costs of the needed materials. (In D&D terms, the leadership spend a feat after level 3 to obtain one spell, a fertility of the fields spell. Gives a +1 to all rolls relating to running a farm for one season, requires 1gp in specific herbs and minerals per acre (64pp per sq mi)). It is customary for the working farmers to provide a dinner, as well, for the local chapter's master.
Officers: Master, Master's Mate, Warden of the Barn (supervises the meeting hall and its maintenaance), Warden of the Seed (treasurer), Warden of the Waters (membership clerk), Warden of the Ways (Recorder/secretary), Warden of the Word (chaplain/cleric), Foreman of the Fields (trustee/auditor, 3 year), Foreman of the Plows (trustee/auditor, 2 year), Foreman of the Beasts (Trustee 1 year), Guards (2), . Outside security is hired. The guards alternate being inside and being outside supervising the hired exterior security.
Minimum chapter size is 36. The Foremen are elected for 3 years, but rotate through the titles, so only one is elected per year. The Master must be a former Master's Mate, and the Master's Mate must have been a Foreman. This is exempted if no one not in higher office has the requirements. If a vacancy happens, the master gets replaced by the Mate; the mate gets replaced by a Foreman of the lowest years left. Wardens are replaced by special election, as are foremen.
Dues are not high; 12 GP per year. But not any old GP will do - at least 4 of that must be in their own coin... which is earned either for donating 50 gp to a specific event, giving a fete for a meeting, or working a full day's actual labor on a given project, or hiring 10 days of laborers at one's own expense for a project. Alternatively, donating an Acre to the Order covers a year's dues. Each chapter sends 1/12 of its received dues to the Grand Chapter. Meetings are on the third evening after the full and new moons.,
The Grand Chapter is attended by the Master, Mate, and a non-officer selected randomly from those nominated by 4 members of the local chapter.
The Grand Officers have the same titles, prefixed with Grand. The Grand officers are elected by the Grand Chapter from those present. The Grand Officers also attend; while in office, they must surrender their position at the local chapter, and attend at the Grand Barn for Grand Officer meetings on meeting nights. The Grand Chapter meeting is the 7th day after the meeting after the summer solstice. Any travelling officers may drop in on the grand officer's meetings.
If the local nation has multiple chapters, a National Master and National Warden are chosen to do administrative reporting. They attend the Grand Chapter meeting, but the rest of the year progress one meeting to another.
Needless to say, the officers need free time - too much to actually work their lands. This is the real price.
further, the Grand Chapter is rumored to be indebted to some eldritch horror. Whether this is true or not is entirely up to the GM.
