their total income from the association. 

 By 1960, the proportion of members 

 obtaining less than one -fourth of their 

 income from the cooperative had 

 declined to 67 percent. 



On the other hand, the proportion 

 obtaining more than three -fourths of 

 their total income from the cooperative 

 increased from 11 to 18 percent be- 

 tween the two periods. The average 

 member income in 1960 compares 

 very favorably with other income 

 opportunities in the area. 



Two factors have contributed to 

 members increasing their reliance on 

 the cooperative as a source of income — 

 the shift toward specialization in har- 

 vesting wood and the declining role of 

 tillable crops in the area. 



Since 1951, 11 members have pur- 

 chased pulpwood peeling equipment 

 which they use to peel their own wood 

 production and that of other members. 

 This has not only increased the average 

 volume marketed through the associ- 

 ation, but also has created additional 

 employment opportunities for local 

 people. 



Second, a decline in number of 

 farms and in income received from 

 tillable crops has meant that farmers 

 in the two counties have had to depend 

 more on woodland operations for a 

 livelihood. The build up in the associ- 

 ation's timber business has thus helped 

 offset the decrease in farm income — 

 a dividend not anticipated when the 

 cooperative was established. 



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