Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1915-11-05

THE COUNTY AGENT
Timely Topics Discussed
How the Comfy Farmer Should Market
His Products

Now that the harvest is over, Mr..
| Nindham County Farmer, what have
! YOU to market, and how and where are
you going to market itF Are you well
pleased with market conditions rs you
| have found them in the past? Have
YOU received every cent possible Tor
your crops, or do you feel that larger
share of thel "Consumer's Dollar"
should have found its way into your
pocket?
The reason larger share of the con-
sumer's dollar does not go into the
farmers pocket is because the farmer
doesn't earn it. Ii is true he works
more hours than men in other occupa-
lions, but he only partly does his job
He Just raises things. He does not
prepare them for his market That is
why he doesn't get more for what he
markets. Suppose the farmer goes TO
town to buy nails for instance. sup
pose in his key Of nails he gets an as.
sortment oil s, 10, 6, 4 penny nails,
few spikes and some screws, and about
half the keg rusty and unfit to use!
just suppose he should Yet when
this same farmer sells barrel of APP
pies he gives his customer just about
such mess as that key OF nails would
be, big apples, little apples, green APP
pies, ripe apples, red apples, yellow
green, sickly looking apples, and about
half the barrel wormy and unfit to use!
When the farmer calls forIs.penny
nails he wants just that kind. When
the housewife or city dweller wants
barrel of No Baldwins he wants No.
| Baldwins. Business is so organized
that the farmer who buys aails pays
for having that mixed. up mess sorted,
SO that he gets what he calls for The
farming industry is so unorganized
that, although the consumer pays Tor
having his barrel of apples sorted, IL Is
the man who does the sorting that gets
the money, not the farmer, who raised
them. The nails IRE serted at the Tao
tory, and the owner gets paid for doing
it. Why not sort farm produce on The
farm and get paid for il!
Did you ever stop to consider that
any consumer does his first consum-
ing with his eyes? If the thing looks
good, IL stimulates a desire. On The
impulse stimulated by that desire the
thing is bought, the need ,of it is con-
sidered later. If il does not quite fill
need, the memory of its fine appear
auce will go long way toward max
ing one forget any possible dis appoint
ment in quality.
That is little of the psychology oil
selling, something il will pay The Tar
mer well to learn and to keep in mind.
The Windham County Farm Bureau
realizes the need of improvement IN
market conditions. Plans are being
completed for having those interested
pack farm produce according to speci-
ficstions furnished by the Farm Blu.
rs.u. Such produce may be labelled,
with labels furnished by the Farm Bn-
reau Packed under supervision OF the
Windham County Farmers Associa-
tion.n or similar wording. This seems
the simplest and most practical way
of starting the standardizing of Wind
ham County farm produce.
The local merchants hesitate to buy
from local farmers because their prod
uce is not of the same standard ss the
produce their customers are In the hao-
il of asking for. They would gladly
save transportation charges by buying
locally. 1t is one of the functions OF
the Farm Bureau TO help the farming
Industry, and incidentally any indus
try connected with or affected by II.
County Agent Kennedy will be glad to
get in touch With any interested In es-
tablishing standard for Windham
County farm produce, and In enabling
the Winduam County farmer to real
ize the most from his crops. The local
market is usually the most profitable.
The county is fortunate in its local
market possibilities. They are worth
developing. Farmers, finish your job,
put your produce on the market ready
for the consumer, cooperate with one
another, with the Farm Bureau, and
with YOUR local merchant.