This here was a ticket that you’d give a grower, then you would keep a copy. The buyer would keep a copy and give the farmer a copy, and then they would know what stall to take his stuff to, and it would have the price of how much it was. He would recognize who would grow good fruit, and he would recognize how many of them would cheat on their fruit. If the inspector did not catch you, you could find good strawberries on the top and rotten ones on the bottom. That’s the way it went. Eugene Peters
Years ago, a group of fruit growers got together and made an agreement to put up a packing house and hire a salesperson to sell their fruit collectively. Each one of the growers put a certain amount of money in, and they started these fruit exchanges. A lot of these organizations went one step further. Instead of just packing fruit, they became a supplier for the fruit grower. They would buy the chemicals and tractors and pruning shears and hardware that the farmer used. The stockholders in the company enjoyed the privilege of getting the chemicals and the fertilizers and the hose and all the equipment on credit. They would sign an affidavit saying they had gotten this and then at the end of the season, after they take their fruit in and it was sold, they would tally up and see how much you had coming or how much you owed. That is what they called the Fruit Exchange. My father was instrumental, a charter member of the organization. One of the top fruit exchanges was in
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