Ford County Leads In 



Co-op. Livestock Gain 



^^ -ORE Illinois livestock han- 

 "^^yj died through co-operative 

 C ^ ■^f/ channels last year is evi- 

 dence that more stockmen and feeders 

 are aware of the advantages to be 

 gained through co-operative sales. In 

 1936, one fourth of the state's livestock 

 was sold the co-op way. 



In order to set up a goal for county 

 livestock marketing committees to 

 strive for during the year, the Illinois 

 Livestock Marketing Association con- 

 ducted a "performance test" among 

 the counties. In the test, the perform- 



prize. The average increase for the 

 ten winning counties was 5.8 per cent 

 as compared to Ford's 11 point in- 

 crease. 



Experiences of the Ford county com- 

 mittee, under the leadership of John 

 Gallahue, were typical among the prize- 

 winning counties. They all found the 

 key to success lay in appointing a 

 committee which planned a program 

 and got started early in the year. In 

 that way the committee-men had more 

 time in which to contact feeders and 

 producers, tell them of the advantages 



FORD COUNTY LIVESTOCK COMMITTEEMEN 

 "Th«y'r» Top Notcheri — II Per Cent Gain." 



ance of each county was compared to its 

 achievements in 1935. 



The state was divided into ten dis- 

 tricts and for each district a $25 prize 

 was offered the county which could show 

 the greatest increase in percentage of 

 livestock marketed co-operatively. In ad- 

 dition, a grand prize of $100 was offered 

 the county which showed the greatest in- 

 crease of any county in the state. 



Ford county increased the percentage 

 of livestock sold co-operatively from 

 25 to 36 per cent and won the grand 



they might expect from co-operative 

 marketing and make efforts to divert 

 more stock into co-operative channels 

 before it could be sold otherwise. 



Each of the winning counties had 

 committees made up of co-operatively 

 minded stockmen headed by aggressive 

 chairmen. These men sized up the 

 conditions as they found them and 

 interpreted them accurately in the form 

 of definite programs for their counties. 



The essential points in the programs 

 arranged by these successful counties 



were as follows: (1), specific dates for 

 each of the activities included in the 

 program; (2), development of leader- 

 ship; (3), encouragement of local dis- 

 cussion groups; (4), increased local 

 publicity; (5), more frequent meetings 

 of the committees; and (6), closer con- 

 tact between the livestock marketing 

 committees and the Farm Bureau boards 

 of directors. 



A sur\ey of the county reports on 

 livestock marketing reveals that the 

 marketing committees spent much of 

 their time in educational work. Tours 

 to nearby stock yards, visits to feed 

 lots in the counties, grading and judg- 

 ing demonstrations, community dis- 

 cussion groups, county outlook meet- 

 ings and other forms of instruction 

 were used. 



The need for this type of work is 

 quite apparent in most- counties, the 

 survey shows. "Too many livestock 

 producers don't know the kind of stock 

 the market demands," said one county 

 chairman. 



In summing up the year's marketing 

 work in this county, one Farm Bureau 

 president said: 



"One of the principal commodities 

 shipped from our county is veal. Farm- 

 ers do not realize sometimes that a large 

 overgrown calf that has been fed on 

 skimmilk alone may not carry the thick- 

 ness of loin to bring a top price." 



The value in the performance test 

 cannot be overrated. It offers each coun- 

 ty a means of checking the results of its 

 livestock marketing activities. In com- 

 parison, the prize money offered in the 

 test is an incidental amount when put up 

 beside the additional money producers get 

 through selling their animals the co-op 

 way. 



Ray E. Miller, director of the Illinois 

 Livestock Marketing Association, urges 

 all counties to lay their plans and start 

 now to make greater use of co-operative 

 marketing during 1937. The only way to 

 get all the good from a marketing pro- 

 gram. Miller points out, is to enter into 

 the activities it provides. 



The farmer can have electricity do 



more than 200 jobs for him. Some 

 reduce labor while others increase pro- 

 duction or improve the quality of pro- 

 duce. In either case, electricity saves 

 money. 



Soybean prices may take a tumble 



next fall and soybean meal prices might 

 fall to $20 a ton, the Bureau of Agri- 

 cultural Economics reports. The price, 

 of course, depends on the acreage har- 

 vested for beans and the yield per acre. 



County agricultural agents from 41 

 states will meet in Washington, D. C, 

 beginning June 7, 1937. 



12 



L A. A. RECORD 



