, 1927-05-25

recognized their responsibility In as
sisting { farmers and ranchers with
their marketing problems and have
sought to be- of service when a
real problem existed. Owing to
the tact hat Wyoming has few
towns Of any Industrial Importance,
it takes but small quantities of any
product to ~saturate the market.
What to do with the surplus be-
comes a serious problem.
1t is not easy to distinguish be-
tween a real and a fancied market
ing problem. Not infrequently far
mers have insisted that they needed
help in marketing when in reality
their trouble was one of production.
A farmer OF several farmers in u
community may be producing a
small surplus of a given product
which they cannot dispose of at
all, or only at q price below the
cost of production They are like
ly to assume that the county agent
should be able to help them find
a market to criticize If he fails to
do SO. In such a cas- probably
the agents first assistance would be
in a very indirect way, to induce
other farmers to grow the same
crop in order that a sufficient guam
tity for car lot shipments might be
available or hat outside buyers
might be attracted to come in. He
would probably have to give assis-'
lance in grading so that the pro-
duct would be uniform and of good
quality. He would show how to
pack. properly, SO 1t would be at
tractive to the trade. He might,
Furthermore, have to assist the
growers in ~perfecting a suitable
marketing organization. All this
takes considerable time. To the
few producers who already have a
surplus going to waste it might
seem that the agent is ignoring
their problem altogether 1t must
be conceded that to- the individual
grower who may produce a tenn
porary surplus, the agent may be
able to give little assistance, how
ever much he may wish to do so.
Again. a good many people have
an idea of the func-
ton of the county agent in mar
keting. They have expected HIM to
be their marketing agent assuming
full responsibility for the success
full selling of their product. The
rop field of the county agent
in marketing Is educational-to
lead the farmers to see the adyan-
tages of organization, to bring to
their attention types of orsaniza-
tons that have proved successful.
to conduct surveys as to the amount
of any commodity to be marketed,
10 work for quantity production
sufficient to Justify car lot ship
ments. He may call meetings of
farmers to consider organization,
u the actual organization. the
management and conduct of tn
business must be done by them
selves. He may aelp them to get
prices. to secure bids and buyers,
teach them how to grade and sort
and properly pack. For the agent
to take orders. handle money. and.
act as an agent Is out of his ie-
climate field and contrary to the
regulations under which he is en-
ployed.
As has been previously said.
Wyoming agents have realized theif
responsibility to their farmers in
marketing the same AZ In produc-
ton. Wherever there has existed
q commodity I'm sufficient quantity
for a lot shipments and for which
there was not a home market.
agents have taken. the initiative in
trying TO devise ways and means
of marketing the same. Even in
cases where there was but q small
surplus when f. has ssez1ed thar
with greater production. and car
gshipmentss markets could be de-
veloped, agents have responded to
such needs. Their work has varied
according TO the conditions prevail
ing In the counties.
The first steps in cooperative
marketing is usually a rather loose
pooling with a committee author
lied by the members Interested to
secure prices and bids and finally
to sell without guaranteeing to de-
liver any definite quantity or
amount. Operating under this sys-
tenn for one season is usually suf-
ficent to demonstrate the advan-
tage Of cooperative selling anc viii
result In a real business market
ing association with compulsory
contract. fs>
The Big Horn Marketing Assoc
citation which now employs a man
ager and is functioning efficiently
in marketing turkeys, beans. and
nweet clover seed was started In
the manner described above four
e ago. While County Agent
took the initiative In the beginning
in heading the farmers to organize
he now confines his efforts to SO
cure nuanfify production and grad