Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-05-04
MARKETING FARM PRODUCTS
Cooperative Selling VIII Give Grower
Large Share Of Consumers
Dollar.

Clemson College, May 2.-In mar
keting farm products, comparatively
or otherwise, certain things must be
done. Most Of these necessary steps
are included in the following.
(1l The commodity must be assem-
bled or concentrated.
(2) 1t must be graded and standar
died
CD Part Of the crop must be ware
housed or processed.
(4) The marketing opera tion must
he financed.
(5) Cheap transportation must be
provided.
(6) Expert sales,nanship must be
brought into play.
co The commodity must be retailed
'or distributed to consumers.
The above mentioned steps coming
between the growing and the consum.
ing Of crop are at present largely
conducted by the so-called middlemen.
BY looking over the list 1t is seen that
the "middlemen" includes the rail
roads, bankers, jobbers, retailers,
warehousemen, and in the case OF
some commodities the manufacturers,
in addition to spectators.
Cooperative marketing by the grow
ers, if it accomplishcs its object, will
effect saving in these steps between
the growing and consuming of a COM
modify where loss or unnecessary
waste now occurs. I'm other words. a
cooperative marketing association Of
growers will do those things ncccs-
sary which are not now being done
efficiently and will leave alone those
things which are hcin" dCne property
Tho following principles of co-opera-
tive marketing haze been put into
practice by the California associations
and elsewhere ami clearly apply to
the cooperative marketing OF any
commodity.
% Organization by commodity or
crop.
(2) Membership limited to growers
and to landlords who receive part
OF the crop as rental.
(3) Binding crop contracts between
growers and associa ton.
(4) Grading Of the crop or commod-
;ity and pooling according to grade.
(5) The business of the association
to be handled by experts.
(6) Organization without capital
stock and therefore "a non-dividend
paying association. All profits are
paid to growers, thus making the as.
sociation purely cooperative.
Organization by :Commodity.
It seems we'll established that Or
ganization OF a farmers association
by commodity rather than by locality
is essential for success, An organiza-
ton set up for tho purpose OF market.
ing peanuts efficiently mighS be utter.
ly unable to cope With the problems
involved in marketing cotton or tobpc-
co. 1t would not be advisable to try
to combine the marketing Of cotton
and peanuts but ii would be entirely
feasible to market several kinds OF
truck crops through the same organ.
ization because Of the similarity OF
the problems involved.
Limited Membership.
E.nco there is no stock and hence no
dividends in 4 purely cooperative as
soCiatiOn there is no inducement Tor
anyone to join except those having
the association might represent pr.
marily the interests OF growers, mem
bership is limited to actual growers
and landlords who receive part Of the
crop as rental.
The Crop Contract.
The crop contract Is essential for
The reason that 1t gives the association
title to tho commodity for purposes Of
marketing Without such contract tho
association could not market the COM
modify because 1t would have no con-
troll over it. The crop contracts create
4 basis upon which che association
can more readily borrow money for
making advances to growers as first
payments.
Grading and Pooling.
Whom a member Of an association
delivers his crop 1t Is Immediately
graded and he is given receipt for
tho amount Of each grade delivered.
His product Is then mixed in with
that OF other members and lots OF each
grade are made up. These lots are
called pools Ills interest in each
pool is represented by the proportion
which the product delivered by him to
the pool bears to the total amount In
that pool In this way every man re-
ceives the same price for the same
article.
Trained and Expert Management.
Farmers are too busy with produc-
tion ever to become expert and eff
cient ut handling these seven steps in