Farmer Co-ops: Providing for Agriculture
For more than 100 years, farmer owned co-ops have given individual farmers the opportunity to compete effectively in the marketplace. These businesses, spread across the United States, handle, process and market almost every type of agricultural commodity; furnish farm supplies; and provide credit and related financial services, including export financing.
Farmer Co-ops: Providing for Consumers
Co-ops also give farmers the ability to participate in the food system, all the way from the farm to your local store—in fact, some of the most recognizable brands on grocery shelves today are produced by farmer-owned co-ops. By helping to preserve thousands of family farms, co-ops help to spur competition in the marketplace, which ensures the fairest food prices possible for consumers.
Farmer Co-ops: Providing for Their Communities
Farmer co-ops are also an important part of their communities. They help to drive economic growth, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs across rural America. They are there for their neighbors, whether it’s sponsoring the local little league team, or helping their communities rebuild after natural disasters.