The Strawberry Monopoly That Put Kennewick on the Map
By consolidating their harvest under one union, local growers outmaneuvered competitors and set a new standard for market dominance.
By this time next week, the local strawberry season will be practically over, and a new record in the marketing of Kennewick-Richland strawberries will have been established—a record which it is believed has forever banished the open consignment and home competition, meaning permanency for the method of marketing the berries under one control. Notwithstanding that nearly every strawberry district in the Northwest is now represented in the markets, Kennewick-Richland berries are still topping the list, and every day the local Union is forced to either cancel orders outright or turn them over to other districts. Sales Manager Blot said this morning that there has not been a day throughout the season when it was possible for the Union to fill all its orders. He is so optimistic as to venture the opinion that there is such a thing as successfully marketing Kennewick-Richland berries in California. By way of experiment, Mr. Blot sent a small shipment to San Francisco and received word that they caught the immediate attention of buyers who passed many favorable comments upon the quality of the berries and the general attractiveness of the pack.
“There is marketing territory for the Kennewick-Richland berry which as yet has never been entered.”
This early success in agricultural 'branding' and collective bargaining helped establish the economic bedrock of the Tri-Cities. Today, Kennewick's history as an agricultural hub remains a key part of its civic identity, even as the landscape shifts from berry patches to sprawling suburban development.
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