United Farmers Co-op is a farmer owned cooperative that was formed in 1915 in the town of Lafayette Minnesota. At that time it was formed as the “Cooperative Creamery Association” of Lafayette. Over the next 85 years the cooperative would undergo many changes as the needs of the members that it served evolved to keep pace with the changing world. Some of the highlights over the decades were as follows:

1915 Cooperative was organized into Cooperative Creamery Association

1920 Produce department was added

1940 Locker plant and butcher shop was added

1960s Ongoing construction with the addition of fertilizer blending equipment and bagging equipment for fertilizer products

1966 First grain elevator purchased in Lafayette

1968 Purchased and merged in the Klossner elevator facilities

1969 The two Elevator operations and the Farm Supply operations merged into a single operation. The creamery division was sold to Mid America Dairies.

1971 The name of the organization was changed to The Farmers Cooperative of Lafayette.

1972 Winthrop Farm Services and Elevator purchased

1986 Purchased the Norseland location from the dissolved Tri Ag.Co-op organization

1995 The Klossner Coop Oil Association was merged into the operation and the Name of the organization was changed to the current “United Farmers Cooperative”

1995 The new Livestock Service Center Opens - greatly expanding the feed operations

1998 LeSueur Farmers Elevator was merged into the operation

2000 United Farmers Cooperative purchased a liquid Fertilizer Business from Ankers Inc in Gibbon Minnesota. Also purchased the assets from Tri-County builders of Gaylord to expand their building and construction business.

The organization started in 1915 with two employees and sales of just over $35,000.00. Today United Farmers Cooperative has grown into an operation with 110 full time employees with annual sales in excess of $50 million dollars. From one location in the small town of Lafayette the organization has grown to include multi locations in seven communities. The service area stretches out to serve members across several counties in central Minnesota.