The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-12-21
Agriculturalist's Annual Report
Lee Lampson Gives Outline of His Office During the Year.
Marketing Has Been Factor we'll Better Farming
Marketing

a marketing
The Observation-Disclosures strawber
ry crop averaged the growers SITE
per crate in 1914. Fifty per cent OF
the berries went out thru one organi
cation; 5000 thru two others and the
remaining 2096 We're shipped out by
individuals.
In 1915, the berry crop averaged
only SLIGO per crate to the growers
Seventy per cent of the crop was
handled by four agencies and the re.
naming 5000 by individuals.
In 1916, the sgriculturalisi. and some
of the business men assisted the grow
ers in perfecting an organization
whereby $50 of the berry crop vas
sent out thru one agency, selected by
the growers. 1t is generally stated
that this was possible only because the
agricultural Office was absolutely dis
interested in any factions previously
created under chaotic marketing con-
ditions. With no price cutting by diff
fers:lt factions ard BY saving in cost
of distribution, it was possible to net
the grower $2.43 per crate for the 1916
crop. 41,469 crates were shipped by
this one organization at SO cents more
than the growers received last year,
and GO cents more than in 1914. The
two districts produced at least this
quantity of berries each of the three
years. This means that the farmers
received s34,419.27 more for the 1916
crop than they did for the 1915 crop
and $2s,19s.92 more than they re-
ceived for their crop in 1914.
With such success in marketing as
a demonstration, the growers of early
potatoes, assisted by the agricultur-
alist, soon assembled 90eo of that
crop. 1t was handled by the same d.
rectors and marketed under the same
plan as the strawberry crop. The
growers received approximately &c.
900 more for the early potatoes than
for a like amount in previous years.
As soon as the books were closed
up on the strawberry and early potato
accounts the agriculturalist called two
mass meetings at which the farmers
approved articles of Incorporation and
constitution and bylaws, recommend
ed by their directors, for a permanent
marketing organization. This is CO.
operative marketing organization
known as the Ken,lewick Richland
Marketing Union. 1t is now incor-
porated and the work Of signing up
next years crops is under way.
received a number of inquiries fol
hay direct from dairymen in other Sec
lions. Most Of these were received
thru other county agriculturalists. The
hay growers were call ID together and
an attempt was made to organize
them. Tho attempt failed because the
selling season was already open and
the buyers were bidding high for hay
These direct inquiries were turned
over, however, to n number of indiv-
dual growers who sold direct to dairy
men at enc to two dollars per tor
above the local price.
Local Exchanges and Sales
carry in my field book few pages
in which / list miscellaneous things
that the farmers want to buy or sell
Many farmers who wanted to buy OF
sell have been put in touch with each
other. / have by chance learned Of
$500 worth of stuff that has been
exchanged or sold as result of put
ting these farmers in touch with the
persons who desired the thing they
wanted to dispose of. Only a very
small pc. cont of the deals started in
this way have been followed up, Sc
there is reason to believe that the ex-
changes OF sales as a result of this
work has amounted to several thous-