|
|
|
|
"There is no substitute for a farmers elevator"
Milestones of Farmers Elevator Cooperative Company
|
February, 1903 The Rushford Elevator Co. is reorganized as a stock company under the corporation name of Farmer’s Elevator Company with the stated purpose of buying, selling, receiving and shipping of livestock. The capital stock ($20,000) is issued in shares of $10, and there are 39 individual investors. Magnus Johnson is named manager, a position he will hold until 1913.
Sept. 15, 1921 The Farmers Elevator Company is reorganized, becomes a cooperative and is now Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company The stockholders of the old company hold a meeting and vote to sell its elevator property and equipment to the new organization. Directors of the organization include George Heublein, Peter Anderson and Gunther Overland.
Aug. 21, 1930 After many years as manager of Farmers Cooperative Elevator, G.L. Rollins resigns and accepts a similar position with the elevator at Byron. Rollins is succeeded by W.B. Richards, who moves to Rushford from New York State. Richards expands warehousing, starts handling ear corn and builds the first cement, round ear corn crib in Minnesota.
June 25, 1931 A considerable amount of new equipment is installed at the Farmers Cooperative Elevator, including a 10-ton scale which will accommodate heavy trucks.
March 11, 1950 About midnight March 11, Alton Morken notices a fire in one of the large elevators belonging to the Farmers Co-op Elevator Company. The building, constructed in 1947, is a 50-foot round, wooden structure covered with iron sheet metal. The fire breaks out inside the building, rapidly engulfing it in flames. The estimated loss is $30,000.
October, 1950 By this time, a new mill is constructed and equipped with a corn sheller, a Hammermill Corn Cracker and Grader, and a two-ton mixer mill. The public is invited to attend an open house celebrating the new mill and meet the new manager, George Grover, who is named to succeed J.B. Richards. The latter retires after 21 years.
1956 The mechnical drying of corn begins. A 50,000 bushel corn storage bin is built. A new office is constructed next to the dryer and bins.
1967 Stan Jorde becomes the first assistant manager of Farmers Co-op Elevator. A fertilizer plant is built west of town, and a fertilizer business is started.
1974 Stan Jorde becomes general manager and continues in the capacity until he retires in April, 1990.
1980 Many improvements are noted of the last six years. Farmers Co-op stared handling liquid protein for livestock and added a feed warehouse. A 94-ton tower was built, three corn dryers were added, and grain storage capacity was increased by about 400,000 bushels.
1981 Farmers Co-op purchases the Lundberg Feed and Grain in Houston. Improvements added are 262,000 bushels of grain storage, a new dryer system, liquid fertilizer tanks and more. Dale Comstock is hired as branch manager.
Sept. 20, 1982 Hart Farm Service closes its doors and is sold to Cortland Humble.
October, 1984 Humble’s Tri-County Elevator becomes associated with Farmers Cooperative Elevator under a leasing agreement. The agreement increases capacity of Farmers Elevator to 1,300,000 bushels and provides five unloading sites for farmers.
Jan. 2, 1990 Farmers Co-op rents the Caledonia store from Land O’Lakes and begins a bagged feed store. Gina Schroeder is named branch manager.
April, 1990 Stan Jorde retires as general manager, and Bill Grindland is named general manager. Grindland, who started at Farmers Elevator in 1973, is the firm’s sixth general manager in the firm’s history and remains on the job in 2003.
Nov. 3, 1999 The Houston-Money Creek Cooperative is purchased, and Farmers Co-op plans to move all operations to the site. Dale Comstock retires as branch manager, and Greg Boldt promoted to manager.
Sept. 11, 2001 The Spring Grove location is purchased from Cenex Harvest States. The facility deals in sales of plant food, crop protection products, custom application and seed. Mike Patterson is named branch manager.
Sept. 2, 2003 The Farm Power building in Caledonia is purchased and Farmers Co-op plans to move from their rented location to the new site out on Highway 76.
| |
|
|
