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Show p-1 In the market for a few Spuds to replenish the family larder, I visited the corner grocery, the other evening to make the purchase. pur-chase. All the potatoes he had lay in the bottom of a bushel basket setting in the corner of the vegetable veg-etable area. They were not at all tempting irregular in shape, mostly small sizes, and a few "green-noses." "Are these all the potatoes you have on hand?" I asked, preparing prepar-ing to walk out and try in the store across the street. "It's all I have right now," he answered, "But tomorrow I'll have a half-dozen sacks of Idaho rus sets." He then went on to say that he had purchased this bushel of potatoes from a local farmer earlier earl-ier in the day. His customers had picked them over, taking out the best of course; and leaving the "rejects" in the bottom of the basket. "It all means," said he, "That I lose money on the entire bushel; for the waste represents considerably consider-ably more than my mark-up on the whole deal. "Sure, the Idaho's cost me more money," he continued, "But I can sell the entire sack and make a little money." It's the same old story over again. The dealer doesn't make a dime until he sells the last five pounds of potatoes, onions, or apples ap-ples in the sack or box. He, of course, can stay in business only if he makes a little profit on each turn-over of his goods. With modern scientific know-how know-how most producers have little difficulty in producing abundant crops of salable farm commodities; but what the grower often forgets is that until the product is sold, and the money in the bank, he has been working for nothing. The fruits and vegetables produced pro-duced in Utah Valley's fertile fields are unexcelled for quality, appearance, and flavor. Why then, do dealers demand Idaho potatoes, and Washington apples? It's all a matter of three simple factors reliability of grading, attractive packaging,, and availability of the product. Producers in Utah Valley could well adopt the same successful grading and marketing methods employed by the growers of these two nationally known products. Buyer's confidence in commodity doesn't just happen; it must be built up and maintained by the excellence ex-cellence and uniformity of the product pro-duct sold. Central grading plants could well be established throughout the Valley, with just a little unity of effort and intelligent planning. These plants could perform two important services to guarantee guaran-tee uniformity in grading and packaging and to make the produce pro-duce available at all times and in sufficient quantities to make the service dependable. Why not make Utah Valley produce pro-duce the standard of quality in the entire Inland Empire? |