Fruit Growers of California

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Summary
Business

Fresh fruit co-operative organization
Main Location

San Jose, CA
Active

1919-

Fruit Growers of California was a co-operative fruit shipping organization[1][2], supposedly acting as a "detached auxiliary of the California Prune and Apricot Growers"[3] "It handles green fruit only and sells to canners and ships to Eastern buyers. It does for the green fruit what the dried fruit operators do for dried fruit. "

Officers in 1922 were R. P. Van Orden (president, Mountain View) and J. U. Porter (secretary), with I. O. Rhodes, C. C. Spaulding, A. C. Gordon, James Mills, H. N. Schroeder, Herman A. Clark, W. E. Moore, L. E. Walker, and E. R. Clendenning as directors. "Mr. Bone, who was the first secretary, was one of the leaders in the organization of the California Prune and Apricot Growers, Inc., and for two years was its secretary."

When California Cooperative Canneries was being vilified as a front for the Armour & Co. meat packing company, the association filed complaints against the cannery. Aaron Sapiro, lawyer for the association, filed a complaint against the company in 1919 claiming unfair competition, and demanding Armour be divorced from California Co-operative Canneries[4].

The company was handling cherries in 1922, and received complaints because of low prices being offered for the crop that year[5] R. P. Van Orden, president of the society, claimed that some non-cooperative fruit buyers had been "talking about very fancy prices" and setting inappropriate expectations to farmers.

Locations

Location Years Address Details

References

  1. Tomato and Fruit Men to Combine: May 16, 1919 San Jose Evening News
  2. New Fruit Shipping Association: June 21, 1919 Pacific Rural Press
  3. Eugene T. Sawyers, History of Santa Clara County. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1922.
  4. After California Products. August 23, 1919 Berkeley Daily Gazette.
  5. Editorial: May 24, 1920 San Jose Evening News. Complaining about the price set by the cooperative for cherries.