Employees of the Washington Cooperative Farmers Association carefully monitor the pouring of bulk feed into the storage units at Ken Bergman's Poultry farm on May 13, 1953. Using Diamond T and other large trucks, the Farmers Association was able to make home deliveries of bulk feed, petroleum and gasoline to its members. Here the lid on one plywood unit is opened and feed is being siphoned from the truck's storage tank directly into the farm's silo. Photograph ordered by Tom Sias, Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Storage tanks; Shipping; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

The Washington Co-op farm supply display. On display are items such as milking machines and equipment, egg incubators, tires and freezers. The room is crowded with things that are needed on a family farm.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Agricultural industries;

Interior of the Washington Coop warehouse. The forklift driver to the right pauses in his movement of boxes to discuss things with a man with a clipboard. The man to the left of the picture is using a manually operated fork lift.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Warehouses--1950-1960; Hoisting machinery;

Students work as farm laborers in Puyallup fields. Nine women harvest rhubarb in an open field.

Agricultural laborers; World War, 1939-1945--Students--Tacoma; Croplands--Puyallup Valley;

General Mills plant. Exterior view of the hay, grain, feed and seed retail business outlet for General Mills. Trucks and an automobile are parked along side. TPL-6518

Agricultural industries--Tacoma; World War, 1939-1945--Economic & industrial aspects--Tacoma; General Mills, Inc., Farm Service Division (Tacoma);

Douglas Fir Plywood Association. A farmer leans against his new plywood silo standing next to his barn. A conveyor belt loader leans against the top of the silo.

Farmers--Puyallup; Silos--Puyallup; Plywood;

Younglove Fruit & Produce Co. was founded by E. A. Younglove in 1907. They moved in 1935 to a larger better equipped building that allowed them access to rail and water transport systems. Their new location made them one of the most complete and efficient wholesale food distributing centers on the Pacific Coast. View of produce, photo ordered by Robert Baker, manager of Younglove Fruit and Produce Co.

Farm produce--Tacoma; Agriculture--Tacoma; Fruit industry--Tacoma; Younglove Grocery Co. (Tacoma);

Marine Iron Works designed and manufactured small tractors known as the"Mighty Man" tractors. The "Mighty Man's" were designed by a top aviation engineer, B. A. Winter, specifically for small suburban farming. The "Mighty Man" tractors had an automatic 5 jaw clutch, 4 cycle air coded Wisconsin engine, which was built in the plant, and could pull up to an 8,000 pound load on a 2% grade. View of 8 blade disc tractor, used for plowing small farms. TPL-9136

Agricultural machinery & implements--Tacoma; Machinery; Equipment; Tractors--Tacoma; Marine Iron Works, Inc. (Tacoma);

Exposure of construction on Taylor Way, Washington Cooperative Farmers Association. The Washington Coop had built a large grain elevator at this site and was making additions to the plant.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma);

Exposure of Washington Cooperative Farmers Association's grain elevator and feed mill, 1801 Taylor Way, on the Hylebos Waterway. Railroad tracks run beside the building facilitating product delivery.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Grain elevators--Tacoma; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A view of Washington Cooperative Farmers Association with the feed mill on left. Two trucks loaded with wood crates are parked in front of the mill. A line of automobiles is parked on left side of railroad tracks. The grain elevators are in the left background.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Grain elevators--Tacoma; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Thirty year old WW II veteran Donald Dunn surrounded by reporters on his receiving a free 80 acre farm built in one day by the community of Moses Lake. The boosters of Moses Lake conceived "Farm in a Day" to promote the irrigation possibilities of the new Grand Coulee Dam. The VFW was asked to search for a worthy veteran recipient for the farm. Their search yielded Donald Dun, a decorated GI and top notch farmer who had been flooded out by the Cottonwood River in Kansas. Despite the farming skills of Dunn, the boosters had underestimated the amount of acreage needed for profit and the Dunn family returned to the Midwest after three years, unable to make ends meet. (Popular Mechanics "They Built Him a Farm in a Day" Dec. 1952, pg 118-22 +)

Agriculture--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Reclamation of land--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Irrigation--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Farms--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Dunn, Don;

Living room of the home built during the "Farm in a Day" project at Moses Lake, Wa. For Hal Hughes & Assoc. During a 22 hour period on May 29, 1952, 300 volunteers built a complete $75,000 farm- including seven room house, barns, livestock areas and planted fields- and gifted it to deserving WWII vet and farmer Donald Dunn. The house was designed with the farmer in mind. One of its main innovations was to place the fireplace in the dining room, so that the farmer could relax in the evening without changing clothes. The living room could then be kept in pristine condition for entertaining guests.Exposed beams and cedar walls gave a rustic but comfortable touch to the living room.All the furnishings and appliances for the house were provided, down to the food on cupboard shelves. (Popular Mechanics "They Built Him a Farm in a Day" Dec. 1952, pg. 118-22+)

Agriculture--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Reclamation of land--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Irrigation--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Houses--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Living Rooms--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Farms--Moses Lake--1950-1960;

Two of Don Dunn's daughters enjoy two piglets housed in the new pig house that was included in the "Farm-in-a-Day" at Moses Lake given to Donald Dun, a decorated GI and top notch farmer who had been flooded out by the Cottonwood River in Kansas. Ordered by the Douglas Fir Plywood Association. (Popular Mechanics "They Built Him a Farm in a Day" Dec. 1952, pg. 118-22+)

Farms--Moses Lake--1950-1960; Barns--Moses Lake; Dunn, Don--Homes & haunts; Families--Moses Lake; Swine; Girls--Moses Lake;

Spraying hop fields. Man seated in tractor on dirt road through hop fields. Tractor and spray equiment are parked along road. Boy on bicycle in background. Meek, manager and former owner.

Agriculture - Grain Farms - Hop FarmsChemicals - Pesticides - Spraying

Doris Lee appears to be comfortable as she sits in the basket on the front of Bobby Seeber's bicycle on August 21, 1936. The pair were enjoying ice cream cones at the 9th annual area farmers' picnic in Sumner. A day off was declared by Pierce County farmers as they and their families and friends attended the gathering sponsored by area agricultural organizations and the County Agent's office. (T. Times 8/22/1936 p. 1)

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Lee, Doris; Seeber, Bobby; Picnics--Sumner--1930-1940; Children riding bicycles & tricycles--Sumner--1930-1940; Ice cream & ices; Children eating & drinking--1930-1940; Vehicles - Bicycles

Exterior views of some Washington Co-op Farmers Association buildings were taken on February 1, 1956. The brick Farm Service Store was open Mondays-Fridays from 8 am to 4pm for the convenience of its members. A truck and passenger car are parked at the store's loading dock. A Great Northern boxcar is located close to the truck. Photograph ordered by Washington Cooperative Farmers Association.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Railroad freight cars--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Wilson, ordered by the Washington Coop. He holds pruning shears and she holds what appears to be a Washington state business license. They are perhaps starting their own orchard or berry business.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Wilson, Carl; Pruning; Scissors & shears;

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association refrigerated delivery truck. The truck is painted with the logo for the Lynden brand, one of the co-op's brands. Lynden sold eggs, chicken and turkey. Washington farmers banded together and sold under the co-op's brands in order to get better prices for their goods. The grain elevators can be seen on the left.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Grain elevators--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

As the holidays approached in 1953, the Washington Co-operative Farmers Association stood ready with their refrigerated delivery trucks. This truck was painted with the logo for the Lynden brand, one of the Co-op's brands, and their most popular holiday product - turkey. Lynden sold eggs and chicken, as well as the holiday gobbler. The truck was posed at the Co-op's Mill and grain elevators, located at 1801 Taylor Way, on the tideflats. The Co-op was formed of Washington farmers who banded together and sold under the Co-op's brands in order to get better prices for their goods.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Grain elevators--Tacoma; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Richards stock footage, rural farm with Mount Rainier in the distance.

Farms--Pierce County--1950-1960; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);

Members of the Washington Cooperative Farmers Association display Lynden Broadbreast Turkeys during their luncheon at the Masonic Temple's Fellowship Hall on December 8, 1954. The Lynden firm is part of the Cooperative and provided ready to roast turkeys. This group is standing in front of a large poster demonstrating how the Co-op's eggs "go to market"; egg production was just one of the many enterprises they supported. 1600 Co-op members from District #6 attended the annual meeting and dined on turkey. At the meeting, Roy McChord was congratulated as the new manager of the Tacoma Station, replacing Dale Smith, who assumed management duties at the Co-op's credit division in Seattle. (TNT 12-12-54, F-8)

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Turkeys; Posters;

Exterior of mill and bulk feed station. The Washington Co-op Farmers Association built a modern, efficient feed mill in the late 1940's at a cost of $1,000,000+. Located on the Tideflats at the Hylebos waterway, the Co-op had immediate access to transcontinental railroads and sound or ocean going vessels which made transport of their feeds and grain extremely efficient. Bulk feed could be poured into the Co-op's Diamond-T trucks for delivery to waiting customers from the Bulk Feed Service area. Photograph ordered by Washington Cooperative Farmers Association. TPL-10077

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Grain elevators--Tacoma; Mills--Tacoma; Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad freight cars--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Hundreds fill the Masonic Temple's Fellowship Hall on December 8, 1954, at the Washington Cooperative Farmers Association's luncheon and meeting. The group had begun decades ago as an egg and poultry cooperative but had expanded into the feed and grain business. Farmers found that they were able to get better prices and new markets for their products if they participated in a cooperative.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Masonic Temple (Tacoma);

A Diamond T truck with two storage tanks of Bulk Feed from Washington Co-op Farmers Association pulls up to Ken Bergman's Poultry Farm on May 13, 1953. The driver and customer, presumably Mr. Bergman, examine paperwork in preparation to fill large plywood bins full of chicken feed. The Washington Co-op Farmers Association had built a $1,000,000 feed mill at the Hylebos waterway in the late 1940's. Besides having convenient transport facilities to ship feed throughout the nation, the feed mill would also make delivery of bulk feed much easier to its local members. Photograph ordered by Tom Sias, Douglas Fir Plywood Association.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Diamond T trucks; Chicken industry; Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

A new Diamond-T petroleum truck is parked near the Washington Cooperative Farmers Association's feed mill in April, 1954. The Co-op continually upgraded their equipment; this new truck would be used to deliver gasoline, lube and heating oils to Co-op customers. No passengers would be permitted on board and smoking was strictly prohibited.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Diamond T trucks; Signs (Notices);

Exterior shot taken in the country of a feed truck unloading into a bulk feed bin, ordered by the Washington Cooperative Farmers Association. The photograph was shot for a periodical cover illustration. Client wanted to show the new feed truck with its automatic conveyor unloading into the bulk feed bin. Photograph taken by a photographer who climbed to the top of another bulk bin with an 8 x 10 camera.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma;

Students working as farm laborers in Puyallup. What appear to be high school students working along side women employees on a conveyor in a packing house during the summer of 1943.

Agricultural laborers; World War, 1939-1945--Students--Puyallup; Students--Puyallup--1940-1950;

Douglas Fir Plywood Association. A young farm hand forks silage onto a conveyor belt system to move the material around in the interior of the silo. Silage is cut up material grown for feed. It is allowed to ferment in the silo and is then fed to livestock.

Farmers--Puyallup; Silos--Puyallup; Conveying systems--Puyallup; Plywood; Lumber industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Valley Sales Pavilion was an animal and items auction center, located between Fife and Firwood on the Fife-Puyallup Road. People traveled throughout the state to buy their animals and other household goods at the auction. Interior view of lunch room at Valley Sales Pavilion and view of Mrs. J. W. Flood, Mrs. Lyle Foreman, Mrs. Phil Hartman, all of Auburn, and Caroline Deering of Tacoma, feeding the hungry farmers and animal buyers (T. Times, 12/26/48, p. 6).

Farm life--Tacoma; Employee eating facilities--Tacoma; Animal auctions--Tacoma; Dining rooms; Sandwich boards; Restaurant workers--Tacoma; Valley Sales Pavilion (Tacoma);