Published cnce a. week In Falner, Alaska for the Ma.tanuskn Valley Farmers'
Cooperating Association for the purpose of giving news of the Association's
work, problems and accomplishments*
FARMERS BUILD FOR SECURITY
Host people arc Inclined tc think that their lives are typical, even though they
are almost entirely different from the average. The Alaskan Sourdough Is no ex
ception, and the farmers In the Motanuska Valley are like that toe. The people who
make up our community are different though, because their environment has been diff
erent from most other Americans, respite the absence of many of the difficulties
that our Pioneer perents went through in the development and settling of the States
we have had a lot of bad things to contend'with too. True, we didn't have to fight
hostile Indians, but we did have to steer cur way through a bunch of carpetbagglng
politicians. The weather has been pretty trying sometimes, and one year, we didn't
have enough moisture] But we made It and nest of us are proud of our modest ac
complishments.
Nowr, we are facing a new cycle that will be Just as trying, and to many of us not
as profitable, because too many of our people are trying to push ahead too fast.
Some of the citizens who had very little faith in the future of the Mntanuska Valley
a few years ago, are new thinking In terms of millions, and willing tc bet all of
their hard earned savings on prepositions that are really gambling games. "Bet a
Million'' Gates, the big grain speculator should be here now and see how our boys
are playing the game.
Host of the Valley Farmers are too busy to take any Interest In the speculators
games. They have learned by the hard schol of experience that gambling doesn't
pay sometimes, and. that usually some slick, foxy gambler gets all the dough.
The average farmer has the privilege of gambling with the things that make his liv
ing, and sometimes his prosperity. Climatic conditions sometimes foul up his effort
tc raise a crop that will support his livestock or put cash into his pocket. Some
times his best cows die, and his chickens quit laying at the most critical tines,
cr his barn turns down. But he still has his land and he can usually restock his
farm or build new buildings, Of course this means a lot of hardships and. loss of
Income, but If he is a sticker he can usua.lly get on his feet a ;aln.
une tmn~ tnrt tne average farmer learned alter world war l ana during the de
pression, was th'-t a big fat mortgage usually ate up lend and earnings during a
period of hard tine. But, unlike the multl-mllllonalre he doesn't ccnnit suicide
when he gets down to his last nllllcn. He plugs along on what little he can get to
help hln, until he gets on top again. However, his children don't always learn the
lesson, and they try the eld gamble again, sonetlnes with dire results.
i.s the writer has pointed out nany tines,‘the real prosperity of the Matanuska
Valley has been acccnpllshed by the farcers. Fifteen years a ;c, the Valley was
struggling along with a few farmers, who, though they were competent and Industrious
were unable to make very nuch progress, because It was so hard to clear land In or
der to produce crops, anr’ then It was difficult to sell his produce because he had
no sales organization and did net understand how tc prepare his produce for nerket.
It took the new farmers, who arrived from 1935 until 1940, several years tc over
come this handicap. The million dollars that the farmers set for their products In
later years has been the thing that has made the Matanuska Valley prosperous and
successful.
While the writer has great respect for the Intelligent and educated people who are
trying to help the prople of Alaska to make better hones and raise their standards
of living, It seems to us that the farmer hnd better think nore of security and. less
about getting Into a big enable that could leave the whole connunity In bad shape.
After all, the average farmer doesn’t have a Government check to guide hin over the
rough spots. When the going gets tough for him he can’t get a transfer to sone more
prosperous community at Government expense.
On the otter hand we have the person who Is out looking for quick profits and. fast
turnovers. Of course he has a fine new suit one day, and a few months later he Is
wearing patches on his pants. True sone people are happy about all of this, but we
doubt If their contribution is very great tc the ccnnunlty In comparison with the
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