Representatives from Jewish farming communities throughout Connecticut held their annual meeting here yesterday at the hall of the Middletown B’nai Brith Lodge.
A hopeful note was sounded at the afternoon session by Gabriel Davidson, General Manager of the Jewish Agricultural Society, whose address dealt with the utilization of agricultural credit from governmental sources. Mr. Davidson explained the workings of these agencies and urged the farmers to give early consideration to the possibilities of getting agricultural credit from the regional credit corporations now being set up by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Accordingly, a decision was adopted to instruct a standing committee on agricultural credit to confer at once with the officials of these institutions and to take the necessary measures to enable the Jewish farmers in the state to take full advantage of them.
From the reports presented at the meeting by J. Yavener, chairman of the state executive, who operates his own farm in addition to supervising the work at a state agricultural experiment station, by chairmen of various standing committees, and by the delegates from the various sections, it appeared that despite the abnormal times, considerable progress has been made in the field of cooperation. Mr. Yavener reported that the state executive had virtually completed all the necessary arrangements for the establishment of an agricultural credit corporation that would have enabled the farmers to obtain five times the amount they would have to invest. Whereas it was not possible to actually form the organization, something worth while has been achieved in so far as the farmers are now practically ready to complete the project on a short notice.
Some progress has been made also, Mr. Yavener reported, in clearing the way for cooperative buying of feed on a larger scale than has heretofore been possible. The reports from delegates showed that successful mutual credit organizations have been established during the year in some sections, regular cooperative feed buying resulting in savings of $40 a week to some farmers have been established in other sections and still others reported that they have been able to maintain a splendid system of Hebrew teaching. Encouraging reports of this nature came especially from the sections around Bridgeport, around New Haven and from the Ellington tobacco district.
Solomon Liebman, representing the large Colchester district, reported on the unsatisfactory fire insurance condition that existed in most farming districts. He emphasized the need of immediate action to relieve the situation and urged that a committee be established to investigate the possibilities of forming a cooperative fire insurance company similar to the large and powerful cooperative insurance companies operated by Jewish farmers in the Catskill Mountains or by those in the Albany district.
The advisability of establishing cooperative egg auctions was presented by the Jewish Agricultural Society’s extension agent, Milton Simons, of Hartford. Such auctions would enable the farmers to sell their eggs under government label directly to the retailer, without having to pay a commission to middlemen. The idea met with obvious enthusiasm and a decision was adopted to instruct a marketing committee to prepare a detailed plan for the establishment of cooperative egg auctions at the most favorable points in the state.
In conjunction with the annual meeting, the Jewish Agricultural Society arranged an exhibit of the newest farm equipment, supplies and devices.
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