For any business to operate for over a century is an amazing accomplishment, given all the economic, social, cultural, and technological changes that occur over 100 years. Though century cooperatives are still fairly rare, accounting for about 6% of the USDA's entire list of agricultural co-ops, this percentage is much higher than the number of for-profit businesses reaching the 100 year milestone (approximately 0.01%). The number of cooperatives reaching the century milestone stands at over 130 and is steadily increasing. It has been said that survival is the ultimate performance measure. One possibility for the stellar performance of coops compared to other businesses may be that they form and operate according to the principles my research has identified as leading to long-term success: clear mission, unique strengths, close relationships with all business partners, and active members of their local communities.
According to the USDA, here is a list of ag co-ops celebrating at least 100 years of operation:
1887 First Cooperative Association, Cherokee, IA Grain & Oilseed
1889 Goodwine Cooperative Grain Company, Goodwine, IL Grain & Oilseed
1889 Rock Dell Cooperative Creamery Company, Byron, MN Dairy
1890 River Region Cooperative, Sleepy Eye, MN Grain & Oilseed
1891 Lawrence County Co-op Wool Growers Association, Pulaski, PA Wool
1893 Sunkist Growers Inc, Sherman Oaks, CA Fruit & Vegetable
1894 Dassel Cooperative Dairy Association, Dassel, MN Supply
1894 Nelson Creamery Association, Nelson, MN Dairy
1894 Nelson & Albin Co-op Mercantile Association, Saint James, MN Supply
1895 Stanford Grain Company, Stanford, IL Grain & Oilseed
1896 Calhoun Cooperative Creamer Company, Lansing IA Dairy
1897 Fillmore-Piru Citrus Association, Piru, CA Fruit & Vegetable
1899 Farmers' Grain & Coal Company, Mason City, IL Grain & Oilseed
1899 Nassau Farmers Elevator Company, Nassau, MN Grain & Oilseed
1899 Plainview Mild Products Cooperative, Plainview, MN Dairy
1901 Delphos Cooperative Association, Delphos, KS Supply
1902 Elba Cooperative Creamery Association, Elba, MN Dairy
1902 Southern Plains Coop, Lewis, KS Grain & Oilseed
1903 Farmers Cooperative, Dorchester, NE Grain & Oilseed
1903 Farmers Cooperative Association, Eustis, NE Grain & Oilseed
1903 Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company, Rushford, MN Supply
1903 Golden Belt Cooperative Association Inc, Ellis, KS Grain & Oilseed
1903 Grainland Cooperative, Eureka, IL Grain & Oilseed
1903 Graymont Cooperative Association, Graymont, IL Grain & Oilseed
1903 Westby Cooperative Creamery, Westby, WI Dairy
1904 Clark County Famers Elevator, Clark, SD Grain & Oilseed
1904 Danvers Farmers Elevator Company, Danvers, IL Grain & Oilseed
1904 Farmers Lumber Company, Rock Valley, IA Supply
1904 Garden Valley Cooperative, Waumandee, WI Supply
1904 Harvest Land Cooperative, Morgan, MN Grain & Oilseed
1904 Ludlow Cooperative Elevator Company, Ludlow, IL Grain & Oilseed
1905 Agfinity Inc, Eaton, CO Supply
1905 Earlville Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company, Earlville, IL Grain & Oilseed
1905 Farmers Cooperative Ag Service, Greenbush, MN Supply
1905 Farmers Elevator Company, Pelican Rapids, MN Supply
1905 Meadowland Farmers Cooperative, Lamberton, MN Grain & Oilseed
1905 Menno Lumber Company, Menno, SD Supply
1905 Rose Cooperative Creamery Association, Eagle Bend, MN Supply
1905 Rothsay farmers Cooperative, Rothsay, MN Grain & Oilseed
1905 Valley Creamery Association, Garfield, MN Dairy
1905 Wheaton-Dumont Cooperative Elevator, Wheaton, MN Grain & Oilseed
1906 Cooperative Elevator Association, Ocheyedan, IA Grain & Oilseed
1906 Cooperative Producers Inc, Hastings, NE Grain & Oilseed
1906 Hadley Farmers Elevator, Hadley, MN Grain & Oilseed
1906 River Valley Cooperative, Eldridge, IA Grain & Oilseed
1907 Archer Cooperative Grain Company, Archer, IA Grain & Oilseed
1907 Blue Star Growers Inc, Cashmere, WA Fruit & Vegetable
1907 Carrier Mill and Elevator Company, Carrier, OK Grain & Oilseed
1907 Farmers Coop Elevator Company, Kingsley, IA Grain & Oilseed
1907 Farmers Cooperative Society, Sioux Center, IA Grain & Oilseed
1907 Fosston Cooperative Association, Fosston, MN Supply
1907 Fruit Growers Supply Company, Sherman Oaks, CA Supply
1907 Minier Cooperative Grain Company, Minier, IL Grain & Oilseed
1907 North Central Cooperative, Clarion, IA Grain & Oilseed
1907 Swanville Cooperative Creamery Association, Swanville, MN Dairy
1908 Aurora Cooperative Elevator Company, Aurora, NE Grain & Oilseed
1908 Bongards Creameries, Bongards, MN Dairy
1908 Central Plains Co-op, Smith Center, KS Grain & Oilseed
1908 Chapin Farmers Elevator Company, Chapin, IL Grain & Oilseed
1908 Cissna Park Cooperative Inc, Cissna Park, IL Grain & Oilseed
1908 Donovan Farmers Co-operative Elevator, Inc, Donovan IL Grain & Oilseed
1908 Elm Dale Creamery Association, Bowlus, MN Dairy
1908 Farmers Cooperative Creamery, Forreston, MN Dairy
1908 Farmers Cooperative Creamery Association, Goodridge, MN Supply
1908 Hull Cooperative Association, Hull, IA Supply
1908 Midway Co-op Association, Osborne, KS Grain & Oilseed
1908 Northern Partners Cooperative, Mendota, IL Grain & Oilseed
1909 Burtonview Cooperative, Lincoln, IL Grain & Oilseed
1909 Davenport Union Warehouse Company, Davenport, WA Grain & Oilseed
1909 Edinburg Farmers Elevator Company, Edinburg, ND Grain & Oilseed
1909 Farmers Elevator of Fergus Falls, Fergus Falls, MN Grain & Oilseed
1909 FCA Co-op, Jackson, MN Grain & Oilseed
1909 Haines City Citrus Growers Association, Haines City, FL Fruit & Vegetable
1909 Lake Region Packing Association, Tavares, FL Supply
1909 Odessa Union Warehouse Cooperative, Odessa, WA Grain & Oilseed
1909 Osakis Creamery Association, Osakis, MS Dairy
1909 Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative Inc, Genesee, ID Grain & Oilseed
1909 Winter Haven Citrus Growers Association, Dundee, FL Fruit & Vegetable
1909 Tillamook County Creamery Association, Tillamook, OR Dairy
1910 Blue Diamond Growers, Sacramento, CA Nut
1910 Colton Farmers Elevator, Colton, SD Grain & Oilseed
1910 Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Ellsworth, WI Dairy
1910 Farmers Cooperative Company, Remsen, IA Grain & Oilseed
1910 Offerle Co-op Grain & Supply Company, Offerle, KS Grain & Oilseed
1911 Brocket Equity Elevator Company, Brocket, ND Grain & Oilseed
1911 Co-op Service Inc. of New York Mills, New York Mills, MN Supply
1911 Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company, Nickerson, KS Supply
1911 Farmers Union Mercantile & Shipping Association, Stockton, KS Grain & Oilseed
1911 Farmway Co-op Inc, Beloit, KS Supply
1911 Jewell Grain Company, Jewell, OH Grain & Oilseed
1911 Kragnes Farmers Elevator Company, Glyndon, MN Grain & Oilseed
1911 Max Farmers Elevator, Max, ND Grain & Oilseed
1911 Medford Cooperative Inc, Medford, WI Supply
1911 Milledgeville Farmers Elevator Company, Milledgeville, IL Grain & Oilseed
1911 Tremont Cooperative Grain Company, Tremont, IL Grain & Oilseed
1912 Ag Plus Inc, South Whitley, IN Grain & Oilseed
1912 Equity Elevator & Trading Company, Wood Lake, MN Grain & Oilseed
1912 Farmers Cooperative Company, Hinton, IA Supply
1912 Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company, Hanley Falls, MN Grain & Oilseed
1912 Gerald Grain Center Inc, Napoleon, OH Grain & Oilseed
1912 Farmers Elevator Grain & Supply Association, New Bavaria, OH Grain & Oilseed
1912 Fulton Farmers Elevator Company, Fulton, SD Grain & Oilseed
1912 Kasbeer Farmers Elevator Company Cooperative, Kasbeer, IL Grain & Oilseed
1912 Lakes Area Cooperative, Perham, MN Dairy
1912 Minneola Coop Inc, Minneola, KS Grain & Oilseed
1912 Newfolden Cooperative Elevator Association, Newfolden, MN Grain & Oilseed
1913 AgFirst Farmers Cooperative, Brookings, SD Grain & Oilseed
1913 Andres & Wilton Farmers Grain & Supply Co, Peotone, IL Grain & Oilseed
1913 Blue Bird Inc, Peshastin, WA Fruit
1913 Diamond Fruit Growers Inc, Odell, OR Fruit & Vegetable
1913 Farmers Exchange of Goltry, Goltry, OK Grain & Oilseed
1913 Forbes Equity Exchange, Forbes, ND Grain & Oilseed
1913 Hastings Cooperative Creamery Company, Hastings, MN Dairy
1913 Landisville Produce Cooperative Association Inc, Landisville, NJ Fruit & Vegetable
1913 McNabb Grain Company Inc, McNabb, IL Grain & Oilseed
1913 Rees Farmers Elevator, Franklin, IL Grain & Oilseed
1913 Rule Co-op Gin & Elevator Company, Rule, TX Cotton Ginning
1913 Saint Francis Mercantile Equity Exchange, Saint Francis, KS Grain & Oilseed
1913 Sobieski Cooperative Creamery Association, Little Falls, MN Dairy
1913 Thornwell Warehouse Association, Lake Arthur, LA Supply
1914 Beardsley Equity Co-op Association Inc, Atwood, KS Grain & Oilseed
1914 Butte County Rice Growers Association, Richvale, CA Supply
1914 Farmers Cooperative Company, Tallmadge, NE Grain & Oilseed
1914 Farmers Cooperative Company, Windsor, MO Supply
1914 Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company, Rosholt, SD Grain & Oilseed
1914 Farmers Cooperative Grain COmpany, Kinde, MI Supply
1914 Fowler Equity Exchange, Fowler, KS Grain & Oilseed
1914 Hardwick Farmers Cooperative Exchange, Hardwick, MA Supply
1914 Hicksville Grain Company, Hicksville, OH Grain & Oilseed
1914 MFA Incorporated, Columbia, MO Supply
1914 Scranton Equity Exchange, Scranton, ND Grain & Oilseed
1914 Waverly Growers Cooperative, Waverly, FL Fruit & Vegetable
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