Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-08-17
Five Hundred Ohio Farmers Find More
Profit and Stable Demand For Their
Crops AS Result of Using Modern
Marketing Methods.

It pays growers of fruits and vege-
tables to consider the consumer first,
In grading, packing and marketing
plans.
The 500 odd members Of the Mari
Truck Growers Association are
oushly sold to this idea and point
sixteen years successful opera
IS proof OF its soundness.
ne story of the Marietta associa-
80 is one Of never ending effort to
sssove quality, to raise grading
dards higher and to better their
Is These standards, coupled with
icieat distributing service that is
le enough to meet the widest
.,..>..-ations in production, has result
ed in making the Ohio association
ne of the foremost in the country as
49, as successful sales are concerned.
Back in 1907 a few dozen growers
Of corn, cabbage, tomatoes and Gu
cumbers around Marietta decided to
SC < together in an effort to put up
form grads of vegetables that
command a better price.
zty-Sve Of them banded together
- Marietta Truck Growers Asso-
On They did not attempt to mar
1'lectively the first few years but
sva " effort toward improving
psck
low1y but surely the association
mbers began to win respect for
+ peck and as its reliability be-
known their output found favor
II BUYERS.
81 1910 the association was so sol
.lIv organized that the membership
iacided to attempt to sell collectively.
Trey had been gathering data on mar
keting agencies during 1909 and as a
result Of their investigations they re-
suested the firm of Crutchfeld &
v-oolfoik, With headquarters in Pitts
,urgh to present a marketing PROPOSE
N.
The Crutchfeld & voolfolk com
pany. which later was expanded with
other organizations into the American
Fruit Growers Incorporated, was -ac-
tive even in those early days as an
exponent of better grading and pack
ing. 1t was well equipped to dis
tribute for such a group as the Mari
eta Truck Growers and early in 1910
the association decided to sell its
entire output through the Crutchfeld
& Voolfolk sales organization.
Advertising was one Of the first
steps taken by the marketing organ
ization. A campaign was conducted
in the Packer exploiting the Marietta
vegetables and through the Crutch
field C Voolfolk organization they
we're quoted on the various markets
Wide publicity was given the associa
ton pack and the results were so graf
flying that the distributing organiza
ton has continued the trade pape
publicity every season.
The new selling arrangement was
success from the start and the men
bership and acreage grew rapidly
Membership rose from IS in 1910 t.
SOC in 1922 and the sales receipts ros'
from $4,000 In 1910 to 1916, 620.25 il
1922. The association when organizes
handled only 20 per cent OF the pre-
duce from the district-now it handle
30 per cent.
In 1911 the association handled 4
12e crates Of cabbage and 44.S41 ba
kets of tomatoes. In 1922 it shippe
5000 crates of cabbage. and 27O,42
baskets Of tomatoes.
From the very beginning the asst
citation has been eager to adapt it
methods to suit the requirements
consumers and the trade. With tn
cooperation OF its distributing organ
ization it keeps in close touch wit
tastes of buyers In the market and
quick to effect improvements to met
thar needs.
st the Kingsway theater. owing to
the absence of one of the company, a
recent matinee performance had to be
abandoned and the audience were in
formed that their money would be re-
turned. To the amazement of the
Hebe In the bar, one of her patrons ap-
peared and calmly asked for the re-
fund Of ninepenee which he had ex-
pended on a lemonade. But" gasped
the astonished girl, you can't expect
your money back-you've had the
lemonade" "Ah,' said the optimistic
one, ''but I shouldn't have spent the
money IL ! hadn't come to this matt
nee i"-London Opinion.