Our History
In 1996 two local cooperatives, Goodhue Elevator and Farmers Elevator Company of Lake City, consolidated to form Ag Partners Coop. Unification with Farm Country Coop in 2013 and Genesis Coop in 2018 expanded the customer base and territory significantly into what it is today.
Ag Partners is a strong member-owned cooperative serving producers, communities, homeowners and businesses across Southern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.
A Unique Organization
In 2005 Ag Partners converted from an equity company to a stock company. That sets us apart from other cooperatives. Members of Ag Partners have exchanged their equities for Class A Preferred Stock, which offers:
- Liquidity: Stock may be bought or sold at the shareholder’s discretion.
- A Return on Investment: Shareholders receive dividends established annually by the company’s board of directors.
- Cash Up Front: The conversion of equity to preferred stock has allowed Ag Partners to continue paying a high percentage of its declared patronage in cash at the end of each year.
Customers continue to earn equities as they transact business annually with Ag Partners. These equities have been paid in cash within four years in recent history.
Our Partnerships
In recent years Ag Partners has aggressively sought strategic partnerships to assist us in providing services to our producers.
Our five LLC partnerships include:
- Red Wing Grain: A grain terminal and barge loading facility in Red Wing MN.
- Western WI Ag Supply: A full service agronomy business in Ellsworth WI.
- Western WI Nutrition: A full service feed business located in Ellsworth WI.
- Benson Farm Service: A full service agronomy and feed company in Lewiston MN.
- Kenyon Ag Services: A full service agronomy business in Kenyon MN.
