Farmer-Owned Co-Ops & Agribusiness

Farmers across America have never shied away from working together to achieve success. Rural Americans have relied on the cooperative business model for more than a century. Farm Credit proudly supports more than 1,600 farmer-owned cooperatives and agribusinesses.

You can see some of those names, like Ocean Spray, Land O’Lakes and Blue Diamond, on grocery store shelves and in pantries across the country. You likely drive by many others every day. Grain elevators and farm supply co-ops provide inputs and expertise to farmers across the country.

The economic impact agricultural co-ops have is significant, especially in rural communities. They provide more than 250,000 jobs with a total payroll exceeding $8 billion.

Just like Farm Credit institutions and other cooperatives, these organizations are owned by their respective members and return earnings in the form of patronage dividends.

Beyond farmer-owned cooperatives, Farm Credit also supports a wide variety of other agribusinesses that provide inputs and on-farm services for farmers.

Many family farms have vertically integrated into agribusinesses as more generations have returned home and wanted to work on the farm. Farm Credit has worked with them to develop business plans and find markets for their products.