Pr.lmor, Alaska
Dorothy M. BolltSdltor
Publlshod onco a wock at Palmer, Alaska,for the Mntanuska Valley Farmers* Cooperating
Association for the purposo of giving nows of the Associations* • ork, probloms and
Ac complis hment s.
SUBSCRIPTION RATE 0l.?5 per year 01.00 for six months 10$r a copy.
MARKETING METHODS IMPROVED BY COOPERATIVES
It has been estimated that Americans throw away one-fourth of all the food their faims
produce because it does not get to the eonsumer’s table in palatable condition. Wastage
in the handling of fresh vegetables has been estimated as high as 43 rer cent on green
and leafy products. In an effort to overcome this, experiments habe been conducts
in the washing, trimming and packaging in sealed cellophane wrappings of various kinds *
of vegetables, and selling from open refrigerated units in large super-markets.
The story of the success of this venture is revealed in the greatly increased sales, •
The package is made attractive. The customer is able to see what he is buying and
there is no destructive handling. A greater part of the spoilage has been eliminated
by keeping the produce under refrigoration from the time it leaves the grower until it
if placed in the consumer’s basket at the store.
Cooperatives have teen the logical agencies to takB over marketing service in this new
program of grading, cleaning and wrapping of these products. Pelatively few growers
have been able to do this as it should be dono. ’'hen frosh products have been handled
in this manner, it has been found that sales to the retailor bring higher returns ber
cause of the groat reduction in spoilage. Producers, rotailers and consumers all gain
through this improved cooperative marketing service.
It stands to reason that when services of this type can be inaugurated by local mar
keting agencies, that both producers and consunors profit. Eoth consum ers and pro
ducers therefor profit through the expansion of cooperatives. Tho Secretary of Agri
culture of Pennsylvania in 1946 said that "Cooperation is the outstanding moans pre
sently available by whieh the farmer can help himself in our present economic situa
tion. ...Farmers have boon cooperating in their buying and selling for mere than half
a century in Pennsylvania, and quite intensively in the past docado or two. It has
hot all boon a bed of roses. Nor has overy cooporativo venture boon a ;*uccoss. That
is not because of the cooperative method itself, but rather bocauso farmers for tec
long retained their so-called "rugged individualism" and strove to "go it alone."hnco
they went through the runious period of the Twenties and the continuing deprossion of
the Thirties, they found that by going shouldor to shouldor with their neighbors they
could overcome some of their handicaps."
Formers of the nation havo found that the modem housewife is quality conscious. Tho
formers* market has either grown or declined according to how well he delivered h's
products—or, how well the retailer has presented them to the consumer. The foamy, r
is not always prepared to go direct to the consumer with his products. Hu has to do
pend upon others and this is where the Farmers* Mtikcting Cooperative have come into
the picturo.
Cooperatives have been ablo to take care of unavoidable surpluses and turn them to
Cont. on page 3
PALMER
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
SPECIALIZING IN -
GAJUJl:KJ/.i vri-uir 3H ATGR & ELECTRICAL REPAIRS
MOTOR REBUILD
VALVE GRIND
7T10:TT END ALTGPId'T’
BRAKES HELBED
MOTOR TUI-TS-UP
AS AN ADDED S3HVTC3 FOR OUR CUSTOMERS
Bv CLIFF McESNZIS
tfUDY & SENDER REPAIRING
COMPLETE PAINT JOBS
RADIATOR REPAIRS
TTELDIiTG
CHi L TON FLAT
EXTI1IA.TES GLADLY GIVEN
RATE PRICES
ILL ’"OLD GUARANTEED
"YOURS FOR BETTER SETrr CE'
Ken Roberts, Pi-m