Dorothy M. Bell, Editor
P/II'ER, ALASKA
.
Published every v:eek at Palmer, Alaska, for the Matanuska Valley Farmers* Cooperatin,
Association for the purpose of giving ners of the Associations TTork, Problems and
Accomplishments and dissemination of information of a public character*
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$1.75 per year
Single Copy
10c'
the farmer builds co-ops
For a good many years farmers vorked as individualists
ir*g to raise his share of the rorld’s supply of food,
studied the market and tried to raise rhat vould bring
, each try
Each farmer
him the best
rice for he had a living to rake for his family too. He often uonder^ i
vhy prices rere so high rhen he had little to sell (J)
cU ts
and so lop rhen his crops •.'•ere
■Yjl
\ S°od. No matter vhich ray it turned out
^he rasn’t veil off.
■—r~-The farmer has nlrays rorked hard to aaise food to feoJthe florid—
»,///»•’
_ \
.Ho plowoo seeds * and reeds
from sunup ~T to sundom.
/ A
\\ , Vr ..j.
He harvests his crop and off to market he goes
The farmer is proud of his good crop. It rill mean
more food for the rorld as well as money to buy the
things his family needs. But—rhen he arrives at the
market he finds
and he has to take his crops homo again,
clothes for his family for the mint or.
The farmer knors that'there is some
thing radically mrong, but horn canM
he remedy the situation. That can one
farmer do? ^
This m§ans no nevr
^ A
A '
A lot of other formers began to think the same thing. Finally
meetings rere called and the farmers talked and talked. If
farmers could only vcrk together perhaps they could have some
control over the market. Eventually fanners came to the con
clusion that they could market collectively, but this took money
to sot up their om marketing associations. Many farmers had to
dig dorm into their socks. CZb Fanners soon had their ov/n marketing'1
Associations formed to C ^7 buy their local products, but this"
• $> A blom of the big market in the city.
did not solved the pro-.
Hie cooperatives themselves had to v:ork together.
H.is took years and years, and it alvrays seemed that no natter hor
much the farmer put (into the market, his share in the profits mas
alrays like this
In 1932 a real farm program -as begun. The idea ras to put people^y/
beck on their feet. In 1936 Congress passed the Commodities
.ct. Before this lar ras passes Grain Exchanges, 'V /- aiiSlv'
Exchange Act. Before this lar ras passes Grain Exchange^
rere private clubs. Earners or Co-ops rere not" allored.
This lar helped the grain farmers a great deal. fy _
Hhat is true for Grain farmers is also true for fanners
raising other commodities.’- And remember that politicians
can. rarely hear one farmer^ but they rill have no/.'
trouble nearing a mill ion V^.
—' • farmers. <
c
Farmers have learned that
vhen problems become toofcig
[ a job for one farmer, it is
A
uise to
I
TRY COOPERATION.