NO. 5
iVIATANUSjv A VALLA/ fAKiVJ?KS GAIN GROUND
Tho doliyqd meeting of the Mata
nuska Co- p was finally held onTues,
Feb-. ], starting before noon and
coijtinui p until about five-thirty
in the evening. The reports of the
Board of lirectors, 0iven by Mr.
Brix, See ’y-Treasurer, former Mana
ger Clairs Stock, who was in chrrjo
during the period c-vc.rc’, an* Mr7
Mullaney, the Chief Accountant of
the Co-on,were <_iven and various
operatic'' and policies explained
to‘the me hers {resent.
The records•show that the Co-op
had total sales for the past year
of j>l C35,0C0, or an increase of
nearly- 20 over the previous years’
statements. Nearly every depart
ment she ed substantial increases
in businco s volume and returns to
the Co-oo as a whole, and to the
individual members of the Assoc!a
tlcn. Inventories arc larger, while
some arid? tional expense was incurr
ed duo t• difficulties in securing
t^oods an-1 services, the cost of dc
inc- business was not any larger then
the previous ;,Tear, considering the
increased sales.
One of the outstanding features
cf the year's operations was the
fa^ct that the farmers received over
double the anount from the Co-op's
Marketing Soles then in previous
year. The potato pool will not be
closed for some tine :ret, and a
larje additional sun will be re
ceived fro— the Formers on that
project.
According to the report of the
Field P’orce, there were 4,586in acres
production last year. On 130 farms
in the Valley, the Co^op has 116
voting members. Twenty ci^ht new
members wore taken in during the
year, and will become votin<_ members
as soon ns the yeur's probation ex
pires. They were participating
members this year, rmr1 will receive
all benefits that accrue to them
by ,their participation in the busi
ness .
Twenty throe members were sus
pended durin0 the year by the Board
of Directors for various reasons,
principally because they had ceased
to bo producers. Sixty six membtrs
hold membership privileges that en
title then to receive purchase -
saving dividends, but they con n -t
vote.
Five now members were elected to
fill expired terms and pieces from
which the former members had re
signed. Matt Johansen, a promi
nent Valley farmer, was elect .d to
fill the place formerly held bv I r.
C. C. Brix. Mr. Johansen is 'an Old
Settler in the. Valley and has but.n
en^.aced in diversified fnrmint h< re
over a number of years. 1 He was re
cently appointed on the Board of
Directors of the Alaska Rural Reha
bilitation Corporation as a repre
sentative for the Valley Farmers.
Max Sherrod was next elected to
fill the place formerly hold by E.
J. LcLuc. Mr. Sherrod first came
to Palmer durint the early daye of
the project, and was employed in
the Hospital, Later he took cher0e
; f the Colony Hatchery. Then when
the Co-op was turned over to the
people, ho decided to en^o^e in
farming on a tract that he had pur
chased from the A.R.R.C. He has
been successful in the production
of vegetables and in the poultry
business.
:Clarence Hoffman was next elected
to fill’ the place formerly held by