Arizona republican., 1922-05-30
TELLS VALUE Of COOPERATIVE
MARKETING IN DAIRY INDUSTRY

Frank Reed Sanders, one of the
best known breeders of high grade
dairy cattle and at one time owner
Of the prize winning Dutch Belted
herd at the American Livestock show,
has prepared the following article
regarding the dairying industry of the
valley. His views on the matter OF
cooperative marketing are of un-
usual Importance at this time. His
article follows:
BY FRANK REED SANDERS
The farmer as a class is more near
ly independent than the town or city
dweller. This was especially true in
the early part of the nineteenth CEN
tury. when the tiller Of the soil grew
almost everything required and man.
ufactured cloth, soap, etc, so that
salt was about the only thing he had
to buy. In that situation each farmer
was not only independent of those
not engaged in farming, but he could
build up a sort of little kingdom for
himself, and this very independence
engendered an aloofness and suspi-
cion against all even those engaged
in the same method of existence.
Age Of Farm Specialization
This is the age of specialization
and the farmer has come to the point
where he is dependent on those who
live in city or country but he clings
with unwise tenacity to his old inde-
pendent spirit. while his position in
society no longer makes 1t possible.
The BUSINESS world has learned the
lesson of the value of cooperative
effort, and in the last few decades the
farmer has become stranded in his
business isolation. He has reached
the very unhealthy position OF having
nothing to say about what Is paid for
what he buys or sells. Having spe-
cialized in agriculture, he has to buy
much of the worlds goods always at
the other fellows price, and the few
commodities he raises to sell he
meekly takes, or has taken, what he
could get.
The price OF manufactured goods Is
fixed by the great law of supply and
demand. but the modern business
man has, by cooperation and clever
advertising, created demand and reg
ulated the supply. AS the farmer has
had nothing to say in the past about
what he would obtain for his saleable
commodities, he has come to an i'm
possible situation. so that his only
alternative is to use the same meth
er lines of business.
Those engaged in agriculture feed
the world and all other industries
would cease but for the food we pro-
duce, but our great problem as farm
ers is to get this food marketed at a
price commensurate with the expense
involved. You are farmers all know
if you received anything like the price
paid by the ultimate consumer Tor
Your products your margin of profit
would be more nearly what it should
be. The problem of today is it's ac-
complishment. The American farm
bureau is showing us the way. It's
CO operative societies are rapidly
putting the farmer on the map as a
business man and he alone is to
blame if it does not accomplish the
business salvation of these engaged
in agriculture. We must not expect
our marketing ills to be cured in q
day, or even a year 1t is matter
of years, but IL you as farmers will
study what little has been accom-
plished you will quickly see we are
headed in the right direction.
Opportunities Are Many
Now in the matter Of cooperative
effort in dairying this valley has
great opportunities. The present
system is ruinous in it's overhead,
| not alone in the factory but on the
farm as well. 1t is the latter | wish
! to discuss Cooperative effort must
| begin on the farm. The cows in the
| Salt River valley are making about
| q half pound of butter fat day.
! They must make a pound before
dairying will be profitable. This will
mean a well regulated supply OF feed
/ W 0tn Gc
are kept on maintenance or semi
starvation rations about one-third OF
the wear. Feed your cows or sell
them. Every herd has boarder COWS
Find them via the cow testing asso-
citation or get a Babcock tester and
use It yourself Some of our dairy
men could sell one-third of the herd
and still produce three -fourths or
more of their present output of but
| ter fat. Perhaps were this done there
would not be so many hungry cows
here, certainly there would be less
labor involved.
Get a burebred bull of known pro-
ducing ancestry. Some Of our dairy
men are still heading herds with
Hereford bulls. To such / say, II you
have no regard for your own success
as dairymen, have a heart for the
other fellow.
Breeds Are the Best
We have four great dairy breeds
all superior if wisely selected. There
is no better breed 1t Is a matter OF
the individual, but any pure bred bull
| is better than a. scrub or grade which
many are still using, damning theii
present success and demoralizins
posterity. Purebred bulls are chear
now and there is no excuse for not
| having one.
Do not try registered cows unit
you can feed and breed grades well
A registered COW, i'll fed in this valley
made a near worlds record in Cali.
fornia The best grades are not fai
behind the good registered COW
There is yet a great field for the mar