The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1945-05-18
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0t#t AAtAfN NAtt - ArN ~
aass psaa DlckreaA b ANY,
hnM he's . tuo.Eislets slea
fsnlhg ~dirt isun~T MhS- has
taken . sizcahle slab al Hlllseer>
eaRh County iand EVA naA<le lss
hlnsp through the hoop. eaiN Ike
; ga. sit up and beg. and do a
~ 81 other tricks when Il comes
~ producing grade "a vcgeta-
ille&
Whilc has ncighbors were cum
lsnf Ia spend their lives walkn
hilher and yun across the fields
lixakin' AZ the hind end Of a mule.
rzai goes IN for modern mcchan-
irai oprfatita. When he couldn't
find machinery 90 do the job. he'd
ST hinsclf SONIC tools and scrap
ifun and make IT,. He has per-
rafsaliy designed and built several
Flrnetical machines for truck farm
ulmgatinrs.
when the boom broke q few
years back and knot:.ed the bot
iasn out of Paul's real estate bust
nszs. be figured the best way TO
kcxp from starving 20 death, was
- siafl growing things, TO-, cat.
with q head on his shoulders and
sx,hssltgablc sound busi3ess ex-
lnIientk &c started IN with the
tg8sy idfs that fbrminga was, a
htsalness, bot after working at, it
fof 4 while he decided Il, was just
nlsssli IRE cfk2iest business he'd
ever ran into. A business where
yru had 20 buy everything at re-
tsll ard sell everything you pro-
dn1ed "a wholesale, take more
risks usan a parairooper behind
the eHcnay lines. After trying to
uakc both ads meet and finding
that somebody was elways NOV
lng the ends. he called in a group
III nriEhbors 10 talk things over.
DE f0ard TIA they were having
lasi ~ touch a time as he was.
That vas the Je.. aning OF the
hnsk.a Vegetable Growers Asso-
ciasion- Instead Of each individ-
unl farmer tryin' to lick the world
all BY himself. they joined forces.
borrowed money from the bank
fur co-operatives at Columbia,
established their own packing
hesise and begaa 70 get seRIpserr
they found that when p.3ihSssyy
ieught their fertilizer, crate hlar
tesial. seed and equipment as a
group. they could effect. a, real
saving. The association did the
bsying and because of the guam
fity purchased. was able to. get
Wholesale prices. They sold their
lprodnce through the association
which was able 10 find better
narksss and command bstter
fHscUs haey,,,-
lnssead Of having 10. mort age
xAeir farms and their crops, a year
I III aavafce and usually waking
.ap II the end Of the season to
find themselves In the red with
sothlng but debts to show for
their labor and effort, they began
q make money. The association
usns owned and operated by the
farmers themselves. a sort of a
hired man, that looked after the
tuYing and selling while they
nate their time and attention TO
growing more and better vege-
s4Ilses II was cooperative and
rssn-prcfii and after actual ex-
senses of. operation were taken
cart ~. each farmer member, at
tlae ena 1T the season, received his
TFU-raia share In the form OF a
refund from The organization. -.
n wasnt new idea, as farm,
81 ~ over nc country had been
forming such organizations for
seafa They found that they had
q Il they wanted TO stay in bust
fse4s Citrus growers led. fhe way
- Florida win such organiza,
tens as the Florida Citrus Ex-
ehange, Wsverly Growers Cooper.
alive. fiaines City Citrus Grow
sss Association, the Florida Cit
rua Ct-ncss ksss, :a,.on and cth-
eIn
With more and more farmers
Esftins oUt from under mortgages
ead hRtrg able 10 buy automo-
blles. u didn't set well with some
t.0s uho wanted TO keep him in
efefalls with his nose to the
endstcae. They started a cam
"a n against the cooperatives,
snaming, They don't pay any
q KeA They're un-American.'
ihey are upset ing the economic
nunlecaFt"
u ypu take the trouble 10 in
trsisgaie. you'll find that the CO.
mf efative Gays all the taxes any
otneF business organization pays
except slicegne tax and the only
fsasxn they don't pay that is be-