Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-09-24
Egg and Poultry
Societies Thrive
Cooperative Marketing Has
Rapidly Developed in
Past Few Years.

prepared by the United States Department
of Agriculture.)
Cooperative marketing of eggs and
poultry in the United States has I'M
dergOne great development in the last
10 years. One hundred and eighty
three farmers business organizations
report handling eggs or poultry or both
during 1924. They sold more than TO-
100000 dozens of eggs for approx
mately $22,OOO,OOO. Although only 81
of the 1873 organizations were Of the
truly cooperative type, these 81 ham
died 80 per cent of the egg business.
Formerly practically all poultry
products were sold on a flat price ba-
sis. Eggs brought the same price re-
gardless of quality. Poultry, which
was usually sold alive, was paid for
on the pound basis with little regard
to its age or condition This method,
besides offering no inducement to pro-
ducers to improve the quality of their
poultry and eggs, brought about sea-
sonal gluts and shortages.
Improvement Made.
Great Improvement was made when
poultry producers in various parts of
the country adopted cooperative meth
DDS Of marketing eggs and poultry.
These efforts, at first local and primi-
tive, eventually became quite wide
spread and complex. Large-scale poul-
try and egg co-operatives have been
successfully conducted for a number
of years in the Pacific Coast states.
Egg and poultry marketing has been
organized comparatively in many
states. Considerable attention has
been given in the last two or three
years to the cooperative method Of
marketing poultry in Maine, New
Hampshire, Connecticut, New York,
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Mis-
souri,. Utah, Texas, New Mexico,
Idaho, Alabama, Kentucky and vir-
ginia. In Minnesota local associations
are federated for selling purposes.
Elsewhere most of the recently formed
associations are of the centralized,
nonstock, nonprofit type.
A survey in 1924 showed 81 egg and
poultry marketing associations in pro-
ducing regions, and at terminal mar
kets. Twenty-Five of them handled
both eggs and poultry. Eight handled
only eggs, and one handled only poul.
try. Missouri, with nine associations,
was the state with the largest num-
Der; Minnesota was second, with six !;
California third, with four, and Texas
fourth. with three. Five of 20 asso-
Citations that gave the department in
formation as to when they began OPP
erations. were organized before 1920,
and the remainder since the begin
ming Of that year.
Cooperative egg marketing was first
developed by the present method on
the Pacific coast. An association was
formed in 1913 in Tulare county, Cali
fornia. with about 100 members. In
Its first year its sales exceeded $685.
O00 Last year its sales were nearly
100000. Poultry producers of cen
trail California formed an organization
in 1915, and this concern last year had
100000 hens covered by its contracts.
Its eggs are carefully graded and ham
died and are in good demand in East
ern markets. The Poultry Producers
of Southern California, Inc, a coop
erative organization formed in 1917,
handled 1883 cases of eggs in its first
year. Last year it handled 10000
cases. In 1917 the Washington Coop
Eyoo ~. 4 ~,
was formed with headquarters at
Seattle. This association now handles
about 100000 cases of eggs a year, and
it's net worth has increased from about
$1,000 to 100000.
Records Of Progress.
Similar records of progress in coop
Grafton are cited by the United States
Department of Agriculture from infor-
nation furnished by cooperative egg
and poultry associations in most of the
other states mentioned. Poultry pro-
ducers in New Jersey, faced with COM
petition from Pacific coast poultrymen
in Eastern markets, formed an asso-
citation in 1921 with 438 members.
After some unfortunate experiences
this concern was reorganized in 1923,
and last year it handled approximate
ly 10000 cases of eggs.
Poultry and eggs have been mar
keted comparatively in the last ten
years through cooperative creameries
in Minnesota. This plan is considered
ideal for assembling eggs, although it
has its limitations in merchandising.
So as to develop better selling or
ganization, Minnesota poultry and egg
producers put plan in operation in
1923 which provided for district organ
izations federated in state associa-
ton. THIS association, on December
81 last, was selling products from a.
600 members.