The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1942-07-02
Ground Crop
Growers Organize
to Protect Policies
mo profit, no harvest"
is policy to be adopted;
to hold mass meetings

Monday evening at the Highlands
clubhouse members of the Yakima
Valley Melon and Vegetable Grow
|ers Association organized a Kenne-
wick branch with Frank Lanlpson
elected chairman and Horace Wray,
secretary treasurer.
This is the most outstanding and
successful farmers marketing organ
ization in the history of the state,
says Mr.. Lampson. In less than two
years they have sprung from small
struggling beginners to an organi-
cation of 1900 members, which in
cludes every large farmer in the
upper valley and up to SO percent in
some districts of all farmers. This is
strictly a farmers organization, run
entirely by farmers to stabilize the
market price and brings fair returns
to the producer. Their policy is sim
ply to sell to all dealers at the same
price for cash and so successful has
this method been in contrast to the
sad plight of farmers before organi-
zation that the largest Yakima bank
refuses to finance any non-anember.
To illustrate how big and strong
this organization has become their
members produce over 5000 tons
OF sugar beets and the price has
raised from Sc per ton to SO at pres
ent. The price of canning corn was
forced from $12 per ton up to S1750
and tomato prices from $3.50 to
$500. Hay dealers thought $40 per
ton was about right for hay this
year, but the growers set the price
at $1,000, and later raised to $14.O0.
Since all cut throat business is
eliminated, dealers line up 100 per
cent and are as well pleased as the
farmers, Lampson says. ii
To illustrate the dire needs Of
such an organization in Kennewick
at this writing, the Wapato dealers
are bidding $500 on early potatoes,
but Kennewick with 90 percent of
the production is selling for SIS. 90.
Last winter the government called
for a 400 percent Increase in the pro-
'duction of garden peas. Farmers
met the production, but a consign-
ing warehouse with no selling power
allowed the crop to accumulate sin
storage and after a week in stor-
age sorted out overslt5 percent and
lowered the price to clean up. In
contrast Wapato growers, with near
~ twice the tonnage kept cleaned up
for cash during the same dates with
no cllls,- at an average price of ,51a
cents. 81 ;s.3Es IL Eslz..S ..sizI ! 7''.'
The Yakima Valley Melon and
Vegetable Growers Association in
yites. complete Investigation at all
times to verify any and all of their
claims. They feel that the con-
signing method of handling the
Kennewick crops is damaging not
only to KenneWick, but to the upper
valley, and to, the state as well.
when crops don't sell for a profit,
bhe best thing to, do is to leave them
in the field" IS more Of their pol
icy. If farmers sell for cash they
know when to quit. ..s..,. $50.
There are no salaried officials ex-
cept an executive secretary, who
keeps in close. contact with markets
at all times.
There will be a mass meeting in
near future for election of permant
officers. y z3:.i - -. ~.
All farmers are asked to investi-
gate, talk it over with neighbors and
come out to next meeting, urges
,Lampson. =. = /.