Milford chronicle., 1932-11-18

The Federal Farm Board has en-
abled the co-operatives in the North
eastern States, by assistance with
men and loans, to market the prod
uct of their farmer members more
effectively. In the face of many
failures of business enterprises, it
is significant that no failures of i'm
portant co-operatives have occurred
in this area; rather cooperative
marketing has increased in men,
bership and volume of products
marketed.
The major assistance given by the
Federal Farm Board has been to as
sist in the organization of co-opera-
tive associations, to carry on re-
search work in cooperative market
ing, to study the business problems
of co-operatives and to give advice
and assistance in meeting these
problems. SiXty-three projects deal
ing with one or more of the above
problems have been carried on or
are under way in the Northeastern
States. 1t is estimated that these
projects are benefiting more than
100000 farmers in that region.
A complete survey of the cooper
atives in this area was one of the
early projects of the Farm Board.
The state colleges, including extern
sion workers, and state departments
of agriculture co-operated in this
work. Accurate information re-
garding membership, volume of
business, financial status and mar
keting methods of all of the asso-
Citations in the region was obtained.
The information thus assembled has
been exceedingly valuable to CO.
operatives in their further develop
ment. 1t has enabled them to adopt
those methods which by experience
have proved profitable and adapt
able to their conditions. This is the
only section of the country in which |
a personal visit has been made to |
every active cooperative by a rep
resentative of the Board.
Organization of the Maine Potato !
Growers Incorporated may be cited !
as an example of the Boards assist /
ance in the formation of a co-opera-
tive-and this in the most intensive
potato growing region in the world I
where 50,000,000 bushels are pro-
duced in one county. In January,
1880, at the request of the Maine
potato growers, a representative of
the board met with them in confer
ence. This was the beginning of the
work that resulted in the incorpora-
tion of the Maine Potato Growers
Incorporated, in June, 1882. For
two and one-half years, growers
built, step by step, local co-opera-
tive units for each community, and
collectively formed a regional sales
cooperative. The Board has given
assistance in preparing articles of
bylaws and contracts
for both the local and regional agen-
cies. The Board has also advised
and assisted in the development of ;
the business set-up OF the associa-
tion, it's accounting system and mar
keting methods. After the associa- {
tion was incorporated the Board n
made a small loan to enable it to !
meet preliminary operating eX- F.
lenses. :
The Board has given similar serv-
ce to co-operatives IN other North
eastern State. III proportion to
number, size and membership of
:O-operatives, farmers in the North
eastern States have received bene-
its from Board service equal to
hose extended in any other section
If the country. Membership of CO.
operatives in this area is about 10
Ter cent of the total membership in
he United States and the member
armers in the area are approXi-
nately 10 per cent of the total num-
)er of all farmers. The co-opera-
i've marketing associations in the
States were well es-
ablished organizations which had
,een functioning for a considerable
DeriOd. Even so, advances aggre-
,ating $4,7SO,019.2 have been grant
ID from the revolving fund to ii
operating entirely in
he Northeastern State during the
eriod since the passage of the Ag-
icultural Marketing Act
In addition, four national cooper
tive marketing associations hand
ing grain, livestock, wool, and fruit
nd vegetables have provided serv-
3es to farmers in the Northeastern
tates so that farmers in this ter
itory have been helped by the 72
lillion dollars which the Board has
dvanced to these national assOcia-
ons to help initiate and carry on
heir activities. A concrete example
the assistance these nationals
ave given northeastern farmers is
lie operations of the New York
tate Sheep Growers Association,
enn Yam, New York, affiliated with
lie National Wool Marketing Cor
oration at Boston, Mass. Growers
no delivered their wool to the
enn Yam local association last year
sceived an average of approximate
? four and one-half cents a pound
ore than they were offered by To-
Il dealers. On the average each
roducer profited to the extent of
1892 by selling wool through the
ational Corporation III
There are approximately 61S,000
rms in the II Northeastern States.
he membership of cooperative as
'ciations in the same area i'll 1882
tailed over 100000. If allowances
e made for duplicate membership,
ere are approximately 100000 indi-
dual farmers in these States who
e members of one or more CO.
eratives. The membership within
e Northeastern States of the asso-
atoms to which loans have been
ade nv the Board totals g2 los