The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1922-12-29
MARKETING FARM PRoDtJcTs.
By 7. F. Peck, Commissioners of Az
riculture.

By 7. F. Peck, Commissioners OF Az
riculture.
! In Tennessee our soil and climate
are so favorable that we can SUGGEST
fully grow practically everything nee
essary for our home consumption on
our farms, and it is economy and good
common sense to diversity our crops,
at least to that extent. We should
grow our own feed for cur live stock
and food for our tables, but we can
simplify our marketing problem for
our money crops if we as. communi-
ty get our heads together and make a
study Of the lists of crops we can
grow, and also make a study of mar
ket demands and shipping facilities,
and select the crop or breed of live
stock that is most promising and then
concentrate our efforts to preparing
our lands for their best yields.
If we decide on dairy products as
our best source of revenue, then we
want permanent pastures, we want le-
guminus forage, and we want grain.
We must provide good storage for our
feed, clean and comfortable housing
for our cows, and have modern dairy
equipment. We cannot afford to have
poor mixers in our dairy herds. We
must have sires from proven milk and
butter cows. Our product must be Of
high quality, and attractively prepar-
ed for the market.
If we decide to produce beef cattle,
or any other type of live stock, we
can follow the same method of pre-
pairing our soils and largely grow the
same kind of forage crops. We will
need differently arranged housing for
our live stock, and different character
of rations, but thoroughness and close
attention to detail is essential, no
matter what line of agriculture we
emphasize.
When our products are ready for
market we can, by community coop
erative effort have two essentials for
securing the best buyers and best
prices, and these essentials are QUAIL
lily and QUANTITY OF PROD
UCTS. Instead of each individual
farmer looking out for chance custom
ers, we can have fixed place of de-
livery, and our sales manager, whose
business it will be to keep in touch
with market demands and conditions
can dispose of the combined pro-
duction of the community in the same
time and at better prices than it would
be possible, for the. individual farm
ers to secure for his single lot.
Manufacturers have sales managers
to look after the sale and distribution
of their products, and it is the BUSH
ness of the sales manager to know the
condition of the market for his prod
uct, when the demand is best, and
where conditions are best for market
ing it. If there is no demand it is
part of his business to create one. For
the market of manufactured products
of the country, often demand has to
be created by the manufacturers.
We all know that developing mar
kets for farm products has had very
little attention or effort on the part
of the farmers individually. In fact,
as individuals we are at a disadvan-
tage but collectively and cooperative
ly we can provide quantity and quail
ity and our market agent can develop
a demand for our product.
As to finding person qualified for
the place Of market agent--what
about the live wires who have been
buying the products we have been
dumping on the market at whatever
price he would offer? Did it ever &C.
cur to you that you could make it
more profitable for yourself and more
satisfactory to him to employ him to
market foryou? If successful, he will
realize, when you pool your products
and grade and classify them, and sell
more direct, that he has either to work
for you or get out of business. Most
of them will have to change their jobs.
Why not retain the best one to serve
you as your marketing agent?
Leaders in every other industry
merchandise their products syste-
matically and collectively, and farm
ers can do the same thing and get
their fair share of the prices paid by
the consumers.
While the solution of the marketing
problems will not cure all the farm
ers' ills, it will put the patient in bet
ter condition to tackle and solve his
cher problems.