Ernie Maurer talks about the history of fruit grower cooperatives in Mesa County, Colorado, including the Grand Junction Fruit Growers Association (GJFGA) and the United Fruit Growers Association (UFGA). He speaks about what he deems the unscrupulous business practices of the GJFGA, and how George Bowman formed the UFGA in the early 1920’s as a fairer cooperative for farmers. He describes the sales and shipping operations of the UFGA, which was based in Palisade. He discusses the use of migrant labor in the orchards, labor programs, and labor law. He talks about the advent of the Mesa County Peach Administrative Committee in 1939 (MCPAC), a state-sanctioned board that set up price controls and marketing guidelines to prevent infighting among local growers. He describes the MCPAC’s operations and his membership on the board. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
