The Fight for the Berry Market
Outside buyers are circling the Kennewick strawberry crop, sparking a push for growers to unite and control their own prices.
The story, cleaned up
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If there has been any doubt as to the demand for Kennewick-Richland strawberries, that doubt has been dissipated by the interest selling agencies are taking in the proposed organization of the growers. Already, before the new organization has been perfected, representatives of the largest buyers in the Northwest have been here to bid for the business. These operators want the growers to organize and adopt uniform rules for packing and picking the berries. In supporting this plan, the companies argue they already have the trade connections and facilities the association would take years to acquire. The activity of these outside companies shows unmistakably that the Kennewick-Richland strawberry is not a drug on the market. Their presence here is one of the strongest arguments in favor of the growers organizing and bringing the crop under one control. The Kennewick-Richland strawberry is an exclusive product and will market itself if the grower will only let it.
“The very minute the growers of Kennewick and Richland will act as a unit, they become the absolute masters of the situation.”
This 1916 editorial highlights the historic tension between local agricultural producers and large, outside intermediaries. Today, the Tri-Cities remains a major agricultural hub, and the struggle for growers to maintain autonomy against industrial supply chains remains a vital part of the regional identity.
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