Charlevoix county herald., 1920-07-02
Consumers Aided
By Farm Assn's
Growers Marketing Associa-
tiOns Tend to Stabilize Food
Supply.

That the present widespread orga-
nization of Michigan farmers carries
with it future benefits for the city. con-
sumer, as well as for the agriculturist
himself, is the opinion expressed in
recent interview by r. j. Baldwin, Di-
rector of Extension Work at the Michi-
gan Agricultural College. The view
held by some business men that CO.
operation among the farmers of the
state is responsible for the threatened
food shortage and for the high price of
eatables is refuted by Mr.. Baldwin,
who points out thatgrower selling asso-
Citations reduce the cost Of marketing
and tend to stimulate and stabilize pro-
duction.
Neither the farmer nor the consul
mer has complete information in regard
to the cost Of production nor the cost
of marketing food stuffs, and conse-
quently each has misimpressions and
between them there are many mis-
understandings, says Director Bald
win. "The consumer says he is suf-
fering under high food prices. The
producer knows that the prices he
receives will scarcely assure him
profit.
"The farmer remembers that under
the individual selling system the spread
between the price he received and the
price paid by the consumer was very
great, and that neither the producer
nor the consumer had any contact with
the forces which established the ORR
ginal and final price. He has seen
prices remain low while the seasons
crop was being bought by dealers, and
rise when the bulk of the crop was in
the hands of the jobber. The lack OF
collective bargaining power has weake-
ned the farmers morale and under
minded his faith in his business, result
ting in unfavorable rural life conditions,
and exodus from the country, an un-
stable condition of agriculture, and,
consequently, decreased food pro-
duction.
"The consumer has no reason to fear
the collective power of the producers
of food, but rather should rejoice in the
growth of their organization and look
forward to the future with more con-
fidence and optimism because OF the
stimulus they will give to efficient,
standardized production. Sucn results
eau already be observed from the work
of the California Fruit Growers Ex-
change, the "East Virginia Coast Pro-
duce Exchange, and, in Michigan, the
michigan Potato Growers Exchange"
and the Michigan Fruit Growers Fe-
deration."
"All producers organizations have
included in their constitution efficient
production as one of the primary func-
tions. All of them cooperate closely
with State and Federal forces working
toward economic production OF stand
ardized articles. No organization has
yet expressed an intent to control and
limit production, except perhaps fhe
cotton producers. The controlling fac
tor remains as always ''the law Of sup
ply and demand, and the expression
of this law is ultimately the price paid
for the product.
"The future food supply is more cer-
tain when prices encourage production
than when the returns for the crop
leave the farmer too small margin to
finance further production operations.
"The chief concern of the food con-
sumers of America should not be whet-
her food prices shall decline, but whet-
her there will be sufficient food to sup
ply the needs Of the people. The only
safe insurance for the future is that
food production be made profitable
business. The creation OF marketing
organization is an effort on the part OF
the farmers themselves to insure the
future of their business, which is the