PAIEER, ALASKA
Dorothy M. Bell, Editor
Published every reek at Palmer, Alaska for the Matanuska Valley Faxjfjorg* Cooperating
Association for tho purpose of giving nows of the Associations Work, Problems and
Accomplishments as well a? News of general interest to tho Valley,
SUBSCRIPTION RATE $1,75 per year
-10^ per eppy
'pLfiniinG TiniE PGflin -•
Yos, it is that time of year again.
Every effort is being made by the Produce Department
and the management to get off on the right foot for this
year's crops. We know all toowell from past experience
what unplanned vegetable and potato production moans.
We either wind up in the’fall with a surplus or a short
age in a number of crops. Allowing for drought- and
insects or other calamities that befall farmers, it is
possible to judge the market better than we have in the
past. It takes the cooperation of all the farmers -'
not only in planning, but in carrying out those plans.
Your Produco Manager, your Manager and your Board of
Directors are asking you to meet with them and work out
planting ana mariceting proDiems tnis next wionaay. lr you expect your tsoara ana tne
iianagenont to make a paying nroposition of your Co-op for you—then it is up to you
to cooperate with them. They are helpless without your support. Every vegetable
grower and potato grower should be present at that meeting. Every vegetable grower
and potato grower should let the produce department know immediately-what he is plant
ing this year. Only when this is done can the Matanuska Valley Farmers’ Cooperating
Association become a BEPEKD.-3IE SOURCE of SUPPLY for the Alaska Markets.
SO you UJOULP TRy IT RGAin.
Mr. Edwin G. Arnold, Director of Territories and Insular Possessions, seems to feel
that the Matanuska Valley Colonization project was such a howling success that it
would be advisable for the government to start another such project at Kcnai,Alaska.
The reason given for such a proposed project is that such fine vegetables can be
produced in the Matanuska Valley.
In the first place—Has Mr. Arnold chocked the market demands in Alaska? Successful
farming entails more than just being able to produce fine vegetables or other agri
cultural products. Somebody must buy those products.
In the second place--HAS the Matanuska Valley Project really proven successful in as
far as a Government colonization projects is concerned? The government brought into
the Valley 200 families of which sixty are still on the farms. These sixty farmers
contribute their share of tho Valley production, but tho rest is
handled by farmers who wore hero earlier or have come since „../C
that time, ' A " (
May wo offer a few suggestions? /:' / w
It appears from our own observations that tho market is ■;
not large enough to provide a living for so very many more'-.■■ 'x '\t7
farmers than 'Alaska nor has. Wouldn’t it bo more advisable ■ \\ •; \
to let tho agricultural development grow naturally with .thcC, , :
expanding industrially development of the Territory?Encughy
people are coming to Alaska on their own to fill the need./
If government aid should bo needed, let it bo in tho form \
of loans to the farmers'through an agency like tho Farm
Security Administration. Those loans could be over long periods-'
so that farmers would have every opportunity to got a good start.
The 1935'ers would have been much happier .under a plan of this
1
type—and it would have cost the government much loss.
A
Mr. Arnold's suggestion reminds one of the farmer who plants
and plants with no thought of the harvest.
A,