Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1916-05-05
Creamery Promoter
In The Field

Mr.. Farmer, study the follow
ing letter carefully fer it contains
facts which will benefit you, your
attention is called in this letter
to several plants which have been
organized before there was
enough cows in the field to sup
port plant, in addition to them
a plant at Nezperce, one at West
lake, one at Culdesac, Weippe
and one at Uniontown and Ana
tone, Wash. Some of these plants
ran three months and some of
them never turned a wheel. Is
this the kind of a creamery you
want; do you want one of these
monuments in your city? Think
first before you leap.
The letter from Mr.. Ellington,
professor of dairying, reads as
follows, and was received by by
a prominate farmer of this vi
cinity:
Dear Sir: l am in receipt of
your communication enclosing
newspaper clipping in regard to
building a creamery at Cotton
wood. On the face of this, it
sounds very much like another
promoter proposition. | have
had the same request within the
last ten days from Grangeville
and Cottonwood and evidently
some one is working that whole
territory.
/ am enclosing a list of equip
ment for a creamery which, with
building, can be duplicated in
most sections for approximately
$4,000. Not included in this and
something that should be born in
mind is the necessity of having
cold storage facilities, i. e. hav-
ing machinery for the making of
ice which will give cold storage,
which l believe is a necessary
part of a creamery equipment.
This will increase the cost ap-
proximately $1,000,
1t has been our experience,
which has been quite extensive
along these lines in the state of
Idaho, that a creamery can not
be successfully operated without
at least 600 cows. within a radius
of a few miles. Now when l
say 600 cows, l mean cows that
will milk throughout the year
and which will yield at least 200
pounds of butter fat throughout
the year.
There have been a number of
so-called cooperative creameries
established throughout Idaho.
l can point out a large number of
towns where creameries have
been promoted and have never
turned a wheel. Building and
equipment are standing idle. An
old time argument is that eff you
establish a creamery, the cows
will come" There are only
about three or four outstanding
successful small creameries in the
state of Idaho at the present time.
| can:point you to Nampa, Pay
etteIand Jerome as good exam
pies. These were not established
until the cows were first there.
Troy, Idaho and Deary, Idaho are
good examples of the promoters
creameries, which have been
failures. These cost approx
mately $4,000 to $500 to build.
Now, understand me, l am not
opposed to the establishment of
creameries where there are the
necessary cattle within a radius
of a few miles because it is our
business to help promote the
dairy interests throughout the
state, but l do feel very deeply
on this subject because 1 have
seen the dairy industry hindered
and retarded for five to ten years
because of some i'll advised
creamery being established.
A person should remember
that it will cost from $500 to
$500 a day running expenses
and in that case it would be nee
essarv to make at least 500 mounds