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Milk 



ucers 



Sell Direct to Consumers 



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By J. B. Countiss 



FOR several years there had been 

 general dissatisfaction among milk 

 producers supplying the Danville 

 market about surplus milk, variations in 

 weights and tests and the low net 

 weighted price. For fluid milk repre- 

 senting 40 to 50 percent of the supply, 

 the dealers had been 

 paying |1.75 per cwt. 

 (3.8c per qt.) for 

 4% or 44c per lb. 

 butterfat. They 

 charged the con- 

 sumer 10c per qt. 

 The remaining 50 to 

 60% was bought at 

 flat butterfat prices 

 or approximately 

 80c per 100 lbs. (1.7c 

 per qt.) This was at 

 the rate of about 

 20c per lb. butter- 

 fat and even lower. 

 Thus the weighted 

 price received by 

 producers was 32c 

 per lb. butterfat or |1.12 per 100 lbs. 

 for 3.5% milk. After deducting hauling 

 •charges of approximately 25c per cwt. 

 ihe producers had left approximately 87c 

 per 100 lbs., or about butterfat prices. 



B. B. BKOOKWAL. 

 T £ B, president o f 

 DanTillle Pro- 

 duoeri Dairy and a 

 local attorney. Mr. 

 Brookwalter is eom- 

 monly called the 

 "Courthouse Dairy- 

 man" by hit friendly 

 enemies. He has a 

 herd of 76 purebr«4 

 Oneraseyt, 



ducers on their own weights and tests, 

 grade and price, the dealers apparently 

 resented the producers organizing and 

 inquiring as to why they should not have 

 a reasonable share of the 10c per quart 

 ($4.60 per cwt.) the consumer paid; why 

 farmers should not have the privilege of 

 selling on their own weights and tests 

 as the grocer and butcher does; why they 

 should not check the use that is made 

 of their milk since it was bought on a 

 base and surplus plan. 



Although the distributors stubbornly 

 refused to recognize or deal with our 

 organization, they did, however, recog- 

 nize R. R. Brookwalter, president of the 

 milk producers; Judge Allen, another 

 producer; President Lenhardt of the Ver- 

 milion County Farm Bureau, and 27 

 others who were leaders in the organiza- 

 tion of the co-operative. These pro- 

 ducers were dropped immediately from 

 the market, left without an outlet for 

 their milk. 



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Why Organized 



To change this situation, the Dan- 

 ville Milk Producers Association was or- 

 ganized with the help of the Illinois Ag- 

 ricultural Association and the Vermilion 

 County Farm Bureau to: 



1. Bargain with distributors for a 

 .: fair price. 



Check weights, tests and grades. 



Control surplus milk. 



Sell milk to distributors on a 



classified plan. 



Improve quality through field work 



among members. 



Promote milk consumption through 



joint dealer-producer advertising. 

 Two hundred and twenty-two pro- 

 ducers joined the Association. They rep- 

 resented about 85 percent of the farmers 

 supplying the market. Negotiations with 

 the dealers to improve the market for 

 producers were immediately launched but 

 all were unsuccessful. In most cases 

 the dealers refused to meet with the pro- 

 ducers or even consider any kind of a 

 proposition offered. Neither would they 

 propose anything. Accustomed to buying 

 milk from individual unorganized pro- 



2. 

 8; 



4. 



8. 



6. 



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to Sell Milk 



' The Danville Producers Dairy was then 

 organized on a capital stock basis and 

 stock sold to producers. The purpose of 

 the dairy is <iot to bargain for a price 

 but to sell milk to consumers, to make 

 a market for members thrown off by the 



E. 0. KERBY, MANAOER OF ONE OF THE CAgH 

 and carry dairy stations, and Mrs. Kerby shown 

 inside of their station. 



dealers, and let other members continue 

 to sell to the distributors. 



Frank Botts was employed as manager 

 and the Blue Banner Dairy was leased 

 including building and equipment. Oper- 

 ations started March 10th. Milk is 

 pasteurized and bottled in gallon jugs, 

 one-half gallon bottles and quart bottles 

 and sold along with Prairie Farms But- 

 ter, cottage cheese, cream and eggs thru 

 a caah and carry system of milk de- 

 pots. The price of milk is 7c per quart 

 or 23c per gallon. Some of these depots 

 are selling 80 tp 100 gsllpns of fresh^ 

 pasteurized milk per day which is equa! 

 to a good retail route. Seven milk de- 

 pots are now in successful operation 

 selling a complete line of dairy products. 



The dealers are now paying a flat 

 price for milk and NO SURPLUS, but 



ONE OF THE SANITAEY, CASH AND CARRY STATIONS MAINTAINED BY THE DANVILLE PRODUC- 

 en Dairy Co. Notice the price schedule in front and the trim, business-Uke appearance of the building. Seven 

 of these cash and carry stations are now operatini: in Danville selling a full line of Producers Dairy 

 products. ... - . . . ,, 



I 



SEPTEMBER. 1934 



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