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The Farmers Commission Company, as of August 31, 2009, is a farmer cooperative located in Northwest Central Ohio with 10 grain and 5 agronomy locations in the following counties: Allen, Hancock, Hardin, Seneca, and Wyandot. Farmers Commission Company’s customer base resides in these and the surrounding counties.
The Farmers Commission sells the following products: Fertilizer, Chemicals, Seed, Feed, and General Farm Supplies. The company provides the following services: Grain handling and Marketing, Grain Bank and Feed Grinding and Mixing, Seed Cleaning and Treatment, Agronomy Recommendations, GPS, Ag Lime Spreading, Custom Spraying and Spreading Application, Agronomy Equipment Rental, and Agronomy Delivery.
MISSION STATEMENT –– “It is the mission of The Farmers Commission Company to provide competitive and quality products and services that protect stakeholder values”.
HISTORY:
CREATED SEPTEMBER 1996, THE FARMERS COMMISSION COMPANY –– The Farmers Commission Company was created in September of 1996 by the merger of two old established cooperatives, U. S. Commission Company established in 1919 and Ada Farmers Exchange established in 1919.
1996 - purchased the Kenton and Alger Grain Facilities, Kenton Farm Center, and the Upper Sandusky Petroleum Bulk Plant from Countrymark Co-op, Inc. Purchased the assets and business of the Cairo Elevator: the Cairo Grain Facility and Columbus Grove Agronomy Facility.
2000- purchased the Terra Agronomy Facilities of Sycamore and Harrod. And purchased the business and equipment of the Dola Terra Agronomy Facility. Purchased the Northwest Oil Hardin County Petroleum Route. Sold the Columbus Grove Agronomy Facility to Jennings-Gomer Equity.
2001- purchased the Kenton Fertilizer Terminal from Land O’ Lakes. Since creation of the company, the facility was leased.
2004 - sold the Carey Grain Facility and Carey Agronomy Facility to the Village of Carey and Carey Schools.
2007 - purchased the Dola Grain Facility from Dola Grain and Supply. The facility was being leased. Purchased the assets and business of the New Generation Cooperative with locations in Arlington and Jenera, Ohio. Created a Joint Petroleum LLC with Champaign Landmark (Cooperative Energy Company). Transferred the petroleum assets and business into the LLC.
U. S. COMMISSION COMPANY –– In the fall of 1918 a group of farmers met for the primary purpose of developing a better market for their wheat crop and securing a source for supplies needed on their farms. It was decided a farmer owned and operated cooperative by the name of U. S. Commission Company be formed. The newly formed company purchased an existing lumberyard in Upper Sandusky and the Jud Bowen & Son Elevator to create the original and current location of the Upper Sandusky’s Farmers Commission Company. During the years, the company sold coal and lumber, and wholesaled flour to bakeries. It even owned a flour mill in Upper Sandusky and a retail flour outlet in Marion.
1942 - the McCutchenville Elevator was purchased.
1968 - Carey Farmers Elevator merged into the U. S. Commission Company.
1972 - purchased the Shaffer Elevator in Vanlue.
1985 - leased Landmark Agronomy Plants at Upper Sandusky CR 108, Carey, and Kirby.
1991 - purchased Landmark Plants, Upper, Carey, and Kirby.
1992 - Vanlue Grain and Supply merged into the U. S. Commission Company.
1994 - purchased Countrymark Petroleum Route in Upper Sandusky.
1996 - sold Vanlue (Shaffer Elevator) facility and merged with Ada Farmers Exchange to form The Farmers Commission Company.
ADA FARMERS EXCHANGE –– In 1919 the Ada Farmers Exchange was created and located at it’s current location.
1980s - Lafayette Cooperative company merged into the Ada Farmers Exchange.
1986-87 - Landmark Agronomy Plant outside of Ada was purchased.
1991 - leased the Kenton Farm Center and purchased Kenton Petroleum Route from Countrymark.
1992 - purchased the Horn Agronomy Plant in Alger.
1994 - leased the Kenton Fertilizer Terminal in Kenton from Countrymark.
1995 - signed a management agreement to manage the Kenton and Alger Countrymark Grain Terminals.
1996 - leased Dola Grain and Supply in Dola, sold Lafayette Branch and merged with the U. S. Commission Company to form The Farmers Commission Company.
CHAMPAIGN LANDMARK, INC.
Champaign Landmark, Inc., as of August 31, 2009, is a member-owned cooperative founded in 1934 to serve the agricultural needs of Champaign County farmers. The main office of Champaign Landmark is located in Urbana, Ohio at 304 Bloomfield Avenue. Today, Champaign Landmark has grown to include 17 facilities and 140 employees in a 12 county area in West Central Ohio. Champaign Landmark serves not only over 1900 farmer members, but also over 2000 rural and urban customers.
We have four product and services departments: agronomy, energy, feed/farm supplies, and grain merchandising. We also have a Tire Service Center in Urbana, retail farm stores in Mechanicsburg and Delaware under the Champaign Feed and Pet Supply name, a feed drive-thru in Marysville and three fuel plazas located in Mechanicsburg, Richwood and Urbana.
MISSION STATEMENT –– It is the mission of Champaign Landmark, Inc., through the efforts of dedicated employees, to be the supplier and marketer of choice, whose goal is to assist in improving the customer’s bottom line. This is done in a manner that is profitable while being a good steward of the environment and a welcome neighbor in our communities.
1916-1932 – The Farm Bureau movement began as an outgrowth of the agricultural Extension work in America. County Farm Bureaus in Ohio banded together in 1919 to form the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. County extension agents played a very important role in the early organization of the Champaign County Farm Bureau. They helped organize many cooperatives to market livestock, grain, poultry, eggs, wool and dairy products. In the fall of 1921, local farmers began pooling their first orders for fertilizers, seed, binder twine, and other farm supplies. In November of 1923 the Champaign County Livestock Shipping Company was organized by Farm Bureau. After a jump of a few years, in 1932 the Champaign County Farm Bureau Service Company was incorporated.
1934 – Two years later, in March of 1934, Champaign County Farm Bureau Cooperative was founded. Purposes of the cooperative were to serve as a farmers’ wholesale purchasing agent, manufacturer, processor, and marketing agent. The main office was located at 665 Miami St, Urbana.
1942 – The Champaign County Farm Bureau Cooperative Association leased the filling station and bulk plant located at 215 Miami Street, Urbana.
1943 – Purchased the Chas. B. Stickel Feed Mill in Mechanicsburg–making this the first Branch facility.
1945 – On March 22 the Board signed an option on land on the north side of Urbana belonging to Mr. Dellinger as a future location under the best terms possible. In September the deed was received for 3.5 acres on Bloomfield Avenue for the Old Illinois Car Yard at the price of $ 3,000.
1946 – In February the Board authorized the construction of a grain elevator and feed mill on Bloomfield Avenue. In August construction started on the grain elevator of 14,000 bushel capacity, 50’ x 96’ warehouse, office and store building.
1948 – The Champaign County Farm Bureau Cooperative Association moved from 408 Miami Street to 304 Bloomfield Avenue, Urbana. Also in 1948 the Mingo Branch of the Farm Bureau Cooperative was purchased from the Watkins and Johnson families. Jake Watkins stayed on as the manager.
1958 – We purchased additional land from J.A. Dellinger for extension of the rail track.
1961 – Purchased four acres of land adjoining on the east side of the Urbana facility.
1962 – In July the Board approved buying the Kelly building–now the Tire Service Center located at 232 Logan Street across from the Urbana headquarters facility.
1985 – We purchased facilities in Horton, Richwood, Marysville, and Arnold from Landmark, Inc., bringing the employee total to 75.
1986 – Mt. Victory Fertilizer in Hardin County and the Royster Fertilizer Facility in Mechanicsburg were purchased.
1991 – We began supplying propane for grain dryers and home heating.
1992 – We purchased The Ohio Grain Company facilities in Kileville, Marysville, Mechanicsburg, Newport, and Milford Center. The purchase included Shur Grow Seeds which brought Champaign Landmark to 126 employees.
2000 – In a joint venture with Harvestland Cooperative of Richmond, Indiana, Champaign Landmark purchased a former Terra facility near Lena, Ohio, from Land O’Lakes. A new business was formed named Lena Ag Center, LLC. It is a full service agronomy branch located near Lena on the Miami and Champaign County border. – Also in 2000, we purchased a former Terra facility in DeGraff in Logan County. This facility handles grain and agronomy services. – 2000 saw the merger of Grove City Farmers Exchange of Grove City, with facilities in Franklin and Pickaway counties with Champaign Landmark. The Grove City lumber yard and mill were closed and sold. We now operate grain and agronomy services at the former Farmers Exchange facility at Derby, located in northwest Pickaway County.
2003 – River Valley Cooperative was purchased in a joint partnership with Southwest Landmark, Inc., Xenia, Ohio. Facilities in London, Baltimore, Lancaster and Unionville Center were included in the new company named United Landmark, LLC. Champaign Landmark leased grain elevators from United Landmark. – Also in 2003 grain elevators at Fletcher, Thackery and West Liberty were purchased from Shepard Grain Company. These three facilities brings the total grain storage capacity to 11,000,000 bushels at Champaign Landmark’s thirteen elevators.
2004 – Champaign Landmark celebrated its 70th Anniversary.
2007 – We built a one million bushel grain storage building in Mechanicsburg.
2008 – We purchased the London grain facility and one of the propane routes in the Union/Delaware county areas and the Unionville Bulk Plant from United Landmark, LLC.
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