The Price War Destroying Kennewick’s Strawberry Growers
A local agricultural association leader blames independent growers for undermining the market by selling out to commission men.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There is only one good reason why Kennewick-Richland strawberries are not bringing $2.50 a crate, and that is that there are growers who are willing to sell to the man who will give them the most money to enable that man to fix the market price. The market is strong and would take all our berries at that price or better if home competition was eliminated. The Association cannot maintain prices where they should be while the independent grower is supplying berries in quantity wherewith to bear the market. This wanton recklessness has cost the farmer thousands of dollars in the last few days and has taken thousands of dollars out of our business channels. We hear much bitter criticism of the commission men, but the blame should be placed squarely upon the shoulder of the independent grower. It is he who is supplying the ammunition to carry on the war which will destroy him and his fellow growers.
“As long as they can get the berries to fill their orders at whatever price they see fit to name, the slaughter will continue and the grower will hold the sack.”
This 1914 editorial highlights a classic struggle in Kennewick’s agricultural history: the tension between independent farmers and collective bargaining power. Today, this resonates with how local growers continue to navigate volatile global markets and the power dynamics of corporate distribution chains.
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