National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

11/03/2026

Last week, NCFC staff headed to the bogs in Massachusetts for a tour of the Ocean Spray cranberry harvest.

We met with Ocean Spray staff at the co-op’s headquarters in Lakeville, then walked the bogs with a farmer-owner who showed us how cranberries are grown year-round and how they are harvested. We finished at the receiving station in South Carver, where trucks of freshly picked berries were being delivered.

“Specialty crop co-ops face challenges that differ from row crop operations, and the best way to represent them in Washington is to see their work firsthand,” said NCFC President and CEO Duane Simpson. “Spending time in the bogs with Ocean Spray’s farmer-owners and hearing how they run their operations helps us advocate for the policies that keep their cooperative strong.”

Hearing directly from Ocean Spray’s government affairs team and farmer-owners gives us the input we need to carry the priorities of specialty crop co-ops to Capitol Hill. Thank you to our member Ocean Spray for the warm welcome and for showing us what farmer-owned looks like from the bog to the processing line.

10/30/2026

“PCCA has always been there for us. They’re a foundation for us in our operation.”

That is how Keith Harrison describes his relationship with our member, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, the farmer-owned cooperative that markets his family’s cotton.

Keith started farming in Meadow, Texas, in 1997 on 40 acres, and today he farms alongside his sons, Tyler and Trenton, while his wife, Angie, manages the books. He also serves as board president of Meadow Farmers Co-op, so cooperation runs through every level of their operation.

Before National Co-op Month comes to a close, we want to recognize PCCA and the difference a farmer-owned marketing cooperative makes for families like the Harrisons.

All month long, we have been celebrating NCFC’s members and the farmers they serve, and we are grateful to every one of them for the work they do for rural America.

Read their story: https://pcca.com/article/together-is-all-we-know-the-harrison-family/

10/27/2026

Last week, NCFC’s Legal, Tax & Accounting Committee brought together subcommittee chairs and vice chairs in Nashville for three days of substantive discussion on the issues shaping farmer cooperatives today.

The agenda covered a wide range of topics critical to cooperative businesses, including antitrust, environmental regulations, cooperative structures and mergers, tax accounting, employment and benefits law, financial reporting, and an overview of new tax legislation and implementation.

Our Vice President and Head of Government Affairs, RJ Karney, also delivered a Washington update on the policy developments affecting cooperative employers and members.

Joey Caldwell, CEO of Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, kicked off the meeting as a guest speaker, and breakout forums gave attendees dedicated time to dig deeper into legal and tax and accounting issues specific to the cooperative community.

Thank you to our speakers, subcommittee chairs, and vice chairs for making this such a valuable gathering. We appreciate everyone who traveled to Nashville and contributed to the conversation!

10/16/2026

Over the last 10 years, Tennessee farmer Alex Forsbach has seen organic matter in his soil rise significantly, and he credits no-till and cover crops.

That work earned him the American Soybean Association's 2026 National Conservation Legacy Award, presented at Commodity Classic in San Antonio. Forsbach farms in Hardin County and is a member of First Farmers Co-op. "Conservation has a significant role in creating and carrying out my farming legacy," he said.

Cooperatives are made up of individual farmers like Alex. Tennessee Farmers Cooperatives featured his work for fellow members in its magazine, The Cooperator, and this National Co-op Month, we are proud to do the same!

Read more:

Tennessee soybean grower  says that land stewardship and conservation practices are making a positive difference in his operation. He’s witnessed firsthand a significant increase in organic matter alone over the last 10 years and attributes that directly to his use of no-till and cover crops.

10/14/2026

Shipping from the Southern Plains to mills overseas once meant trucking it to Fort Worth before it ever reached a train.

Plains Cotton Cooperative Association changed that with a grower-owned rail loading facility at its warehouse in Altus, Oklahoma. Trains now load at Altus and run straight to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Each train carries nearly 20,000 bales and removes more than 88,000 truck miles.

No single cotton farmer could build a rail facility. Together, PCCA's grower-owners did, and the savings in time and cost add value to the cotton they market. That is the cooperative advantage we are celebrating this National Co-op Month!

Read more here:

After three seasons of PCCA’s Innovative Rail Project, PCCA recognized the need to enhance the efficiencies surrounding train operations.

10/13/2026

How do we keep American agriculture competitive, resilient, and secure for decades to come?

From technological change and global competition to workforce pressures and supply-chain vulnerabilities, agriculture is changing faster than ever.

Tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET, our President and CEO, Duane Simpson, and fellow panelists will discuss the capabilities producers need to stay competitive and keep our food system strong as part of The Future of American Agriculture leadership dialogue series hosted by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST).

Register here: https://streamyard.com/watch/7G2Ht3Nctqa7

10/12/2026

Today is .

Every meal on every table starts with a farmer. National Farmers Day is a chance to recognize the men and women who plant, tend, and harvest the crops and livestock that feed the country, often across generations of the same family and the same land.

It is also a chance to recognize the farmer cooperatives that stand beside them, providing the credit, the supplies, the storage, and the market access that let a farm stay a farm. Farmer-owners built these organizations because they understood a simple truth: farmers are stronger together than alone.

To every farmer and rancher reading this: thank you. America's ability to feed itself starts with you.

10/07/2026

Risk management for farmer cooperatives goes well beyond an insurance policy.

In the latest episode of Cooperative Voice, Fritz Waldorf, Senior Vice President and Producer at Lockton, joins Duane to talk through how cooperatives can navigate a shifting risk landscape. They cover understanding your cooperative's risk profile, using technology to manage exposure, and addressing growing litigation concerns, all with an eye toward protecting members and building long-term resilience.

If you lead a cooperative, this is one you will want to hear.

Listen now:

How can farmer cooperatives navigate the shifting landscape of risk management in agriculture? Join Duane Simpson and Fritz Waldorf as they explore strategies that go beyond traditional insurance, examining the unique challenges faced by cooperatives in a dynamic market. From understanding risk...

10/05/2026

Congratulations to GROWMARK, Inc. on breaking ground on a new agricultural biologicals manufacturing plant in St. Louis! Producing biostimulants, biopesticides, and biofertilizers here in the United States gives growers more tools to build healthier soils and stronger crops.

GROWMARK is owned by the local cooperatives it serves, so an investment like this puts new solutions in the hands of the farmers who own the system. That is farmer-owned innovation at work, and a great way to celebrate .

10/01/2026

Happy National Co-op Month to our members and the farmer-owners who make cooperatives work!

All October long, we are celebrating the farmer-owned cooperatives that handle, process, and market America's agricultural commodities, and the farmer-owners who lead them. Throughout the month, we will highlight major wins from the farmer cooperative community over the past year.

Farmer cooperatives exist because farmers came together to build the infrastructure, market access, and financial tools no single operation could build alone. That cooperative spirit still powers today, and we cannot wait to share how.

Swipe to meet the farmer cooperatives we are proud to represent. 👉