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Show n5)5Ovestoclc ArTV.Kf K.wuiniMTV, . ' -uy development of community ship-v ship-v vng association In tho San Joaquin Valley of California 1 oxpoctoJ to flva impetus to tho movement towards to-wards smnll scale livestock production produc-tion throughout tho western states. One of the largest co-operative shipping ship-ping associations has operated successfully suc-cessfully for more than a year in a dairy section in California, under auspices aus-pices of the local farm bureau organization, organ-ization, with the co-operation of the Univeity of California extension service. Tho market prices of cattle in the section where this community organization organi-zation has operated have advanced more than $1.00 per hundredweight, equivalent to $10.00 a head on tho average beef animal. Recently, farm leaders from a dozen other counties attended a demonstration and learned, just how the organization functions. j Small livestock feeders, producers and dairymen make up a shipment from this county towards the close of j each month. Each animal is "hair branded" to determine ownership upon up-on arrival at the stock yards. There the animals are sorted and graded and sold to the highest bidder under broad competitive marketing. Each owner given a complete account ac-count of sale, showing actual weights, name of buyer, price per pound and his probate share of the marketing and transportation expenses. The farm bureau retains a small amount for expenses in gathering and shipping ship-ping the stock. The effect of the community shipment is that each owner, even though he sells only onej or two animals, is given the full j benefits of the open market just as, though each man had shipped in an entire carload. In the old days, the smaller live-1 stock producers were forced to rely entirely upon making sales to the country buyer or horn town butchor at whntever prlco the I uyer wus willing: will-ing: to puy. Sutaa are, of course, still made In tho country, both to Uv-stock Uv-stock buyers and to h.cul slaughterers, slaughter-ers, but tho producer has tho benefit of knowing what his stock Is worth on the centrnl market so that if the home buyer does not offer all that the stock is worth, there remains the ! means of realizing full market values through combining with neighbors and shipping to the stock yards. Agricultural leaders, who long have realized the value of some livestock on every farm and ranch, for the benefit of maintaining soil fertility and to provide a prof i' able means of diversification, see in the successful operation of community shipping associations, as-sociations, the means of encouraging the average fruit or grain farmer to go into the livestock business on a small scale. It is generally felt that with the continued development of much of the western country along the line of small farms, that the f.iture livestock producers are those who raise and feed livestock as a side line. In some of the community shipments ship-ments arriving at the Los Angeles Union Stock Yards, there are as many as 25 to 40 owners represented in a single carlot. Expenses of such an organization are very light, as the local farm advisor's office can generally gen-erally handle most of the work, which consists mainly of advising producers when a shipment is to be made. The selling agent at the stock yards takes care of all bookkeeping, payment of freight bills, etc., and renders a complete com-plete account of the transaction. This work is supervised by a representative representa-tive of the United States Department of Agriculture whose duty is to protect pro-tect the interests of the producer. |
