NEW Cooperative celebrates 50 farmer-focused years

Fifty years is a long time for any organization to remain viable, especially in today’s agriculture. It’s possible two Webster County local co-op boards had an inkling in 1973 of the changes ahead. The cooperative in Vincent was one of Iowa’s first to ship dedicated unit-trains. The Badger cooperative, who’d recently lost their rail access, could supply the additional grain needed to ship those trains. It made sense to connect. Not surprisingly, the newly created merger immediately attracted Duncombe co-op members, creating a three-location operation — a sizeable cooperative for its time. Read more.