The Hop Growers' Gamble
An outspoken Auburn farmer rallies regional hop growers to challenge a buyers' monopoly, citing the success of a New York growers' association in forcing price hikes.
James Hart, the well-known hop grower of Auburn, who has been trying for a long time to induce the hop growers of the White river valley to form themselves into an association for mutual protection, has written a letter to hop growers in which he holds out encouragement to them to hold their hops, asserting that the present dullness of the market is in consequence of a combination of buyers to bear the market. He claims that growers have been discouraged into selling their crops for as little as 17 cents, while New York growers, through organization, have forced their prices up to 23 cents. Hart cites a telegram from the New York association stating their combination is a 'complete success' and urging Washington growers to hold out for better prices, arguing that the English market still has an urgent need for the Pacific Northwest crop.
“In unison there is strength. It is your duty. Your labors and the amount invested demand all that the market will pay for your product.”
This 1893 battle over commodity pricing in the White River valley mirrors the recurring struggle of small-scale farmers against centralized market control. The tension between cooperative solidarity and the 'bear' tactics of large buyers remains a foundational theme in the region's agricultural history.
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