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Click on the year below to view events
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- FFR Cooperative joins forces with Limagrain Genetics and Land-O’Lakes Cooperative to form SOYGENETICS, LLC, a new soybean research company. As a result, Co-op customers in Tennessee can choose from broader-based soybean varieties that offer such desirable traits as improved yield standability and increased disease resistance.
- A pilot program to offer Co-op Crop Insurance begins. The program continues today, with TFC agents acting as underwriters for Rain & Hail Crop Insurance Company to assist producers with risk management by writing crop insurance policies to meet their needs.
- “Co-op Country” sale catalogs are introduced.
- CropServe, TFC’s agronomy certification program begins.
- Allied Seed, LLC, forms with TFC as a part-owner to enhance Co-op’s ability to provide forages and legumes to Tennessee farmers. TFC is an equal partner with two other regional farm supply cooperatives and n employee management group in the ownership of Allied Seed, which has processing facilities in Nampa, Idaho, and Tangent, Ore. Allied processes and distributes turfgrasses, forages, and legumes tit is members and other companies worldwide.
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- The commemorative 4-H/FFA Case knife series debuts, created to recognize the Co-op’s long-standing support of 4-H and FFA in Tennessee and to provide a creative and meaningful way to supply these organizations with some additional funds. Profits from the sales of the knife are split equally and donated to the state 4-H and FFA organizations. By 2005, sales if these knives have enabled Co-op to donate more than $70,000 to these worthwhile organizations.
- TFC introduces the “Beef Advantage” program to help farmers produce and market preconditioned feeder cattle.
- Ag Equipment USA begins operations as a new department formed by combining TFC’s Material Handling Department with the farm equipment area of the Hardware Department. Ag Equipment ells farm implements and large spray and fertilizer equipment, offering domestic items as well as products imported from several countries. The group is involved in precision farming and sells products in 32 states. Formerly part of the Hardware Department’s operations, Ag Equipment became its own entity in fiscal year 2005.
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- A new Farm Plan program is put into place. A subsidiary of John Deere Credit, this revolving charge card account system is now offered by most Co-ops in lieu of their accounts receivable.
- The Certified Pet Professional program is implemented. To earn certification, member Co-op employees attend in-depth training sessions on sun areas as pet nutrition and care, animal health needs, and customer service.
- TFC opens a tire distribution warehouse in LaVergne to improve order turnaround times and customer service.
- First Pinnacle awards are presented to recognize outstanding member Co-ops.
- Kenneth Hammontree becomes first Tennessee Farmers Cooperative 50-year employee.
- Pro-Pet program is relaunched with new products, packaging, marketing strategy, and formulas.
- Work is completed on feed mills at the Tenco complex and LaVergne. The most extensive facility renovation project ever undertaken by TFC has boosted efficiency in the production of quality products for Co-op members and customers.
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- Tennessee FFA Association celebrates its 75 th anniversary and Tennessee 4-H Foundation celebrates its 50 th year.
- Biodiesel is introduced through several West Tennessee cooperatives in the spring. By 2005, 14 member Co-ops are selling the soy diesel blend.
- The implementation of automated bagged operations is completed at TFC’s LaVergne Feed Mill.
- An online ordering program fir member Co-ops is launched, and development continues on Co-op’s Personal Sales Assistant, an online electronic product catalog.
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- Co-op begins a successful partnership with Carhartt, Inc., and becomes largest outlet of Carhartt apparel in Tennessee. More than 80 locations now offer Carhartt.
- First Tennessee Governor’s School for Agricultural Sciences is hosted at UT Martin.
- For the first time in the history of Co-op in Tennessee, county lines were erased as four financially strong Co-ops – Crockett, Hardeman, Fayette, Haywood, Madison Farmers Cooperatives – joined together to form Mid-South Farmers Cooperative.
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- A new regional accounting service begins in earnest. Though a drastic departure from the way Co-op bookkeeping has been dome in the past, including accounts payable work, payroll, reconciliation of bank account and credit card statements, filing of monthly financial statements requested by management.
- The one-billionth acre of biotech crops is planted as Roundup Ready technology celebrates its 10 th anniversary. In Tennessee today, more than 90 percent of al cotton and soybean acres are planted with genetically modified seed. Roundup Ready corn acreage was estimated at 25 percent in 2005 and is expected to increase to approximately 45 percent in 2006. Even with the negative impact that biotechnology has in Crop Protection sales, there are areas of growth that provide benefits to growers. As an example, 17 member Co-ops now provide growers with professional seed treatments. Looking to the future, biotechnology has created the potential drawback of encouraging glyphosate-resistant weeds. Tennessee growers have already experienced a resistance problem with marestail. Even though glyphosate dominates Crop Protection sales, the department will continue to make available to growers more economical generic products.
- The Animal Health Department completes its first year offering veterinary expertise to its members through Dr. Kevin Cox, who worked with farmers across the state and helped design animal health protocols for specific needs. Another highlight for the year included working with the University of Tennessee in the Master Beef Program. Some of the department employees have completed this training while others were asked to help in teaching the animal health module of the program.
- The fertilizer industry has been defined in recent years by record fertilizer costs. U.S. manufacturers face rising natural gas prices, stiff competition by overseas producers, and a stressed domestic transportation system. Through all of that TFC’s Fertilizer Department works with major suppliers to assure a reliable supply of competitively priced products to Tennessee producers. Communication with member Co-ops on demand forecast and market intelligence has been the key to overcoming many f the challenges facing our industry. Our dedicated, highly qualified application professionals utilize the latest in GPS guidance systems, rate controllers, and precision ag systems to assure accurate and efficient use of plant food. TFC offers yearly training to these professional applicators in the latest electronic technology, applicator calibration, and safety. Combined with soil – testing programs by qualified agronomists, growers can be assured of receiving accurate application of plant food that is both accurate and economical.
- This past year the Hardware Department implemented the Best Quality Program, designed to inform customers which products were the best quality for their money.
- Retail Development works with Monroe Farmers Cooperative in converting an old K-Mart store into a new kind of Co-op store for the Sweetwater area. With a strategic retail location, the Co-op offers extended hours and a merchandise selection that combines the majority of the Co-op’s product offering in one location.
- The HLS Department recorded the most profitable year in its history as net operating margins improved $500,000 from 2004. Profitability in the TBA/Fuel Department also improved by approximately $100,000 through efforts to buy fuel product in the pipeline and take ownership of inventory at the terminal. This also proved valuable when supplies tightened as a result of the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes.
- The number of workers compensation claims continues to drop at a double-digit pace while severity (cost of claims) continues to stay even to a small increase. This improvement is a result of C0-op’s Safety Activities Program, an intensive focus on safe working practices that brings safety to the forefront of the business. Since the safety program began, the staunch support from TFC’s management and earnest participation from the member Co-ops have increased awareness of safety and produced dramatic results. Not only does that decrease represent safer, healthier employees, but it also translates into big savings for the Co-op system.
- In the spring, the Farm Seed Department introduced small package forage seed to service a niche market at the local Co-op level, with varieties like Cinnamon Plus Red Clover, Evermore Alfalfa, Will Ladino, and many more of the most dominate forage varieties on the market today. Farm Seed also introduced one of the first Roundup Ready alfalfa varieties, FSG 425RR, in the fall of 2005. The variety was developed by FFR Cooperative and grown, marketed and distributed by Allied Seed LLC.
- The Feed Department manufactured 5 percent or 19,410 additional tons as compared to previous fiscal year. New products brought to the marketplace were All Weather Technology Cattle Bloacks, Victory Lane Dairy Feeds with RAC++, Winner’s Circle Beef Show Feeds, and Action Ration Complete I, II, and III.
- A successful Beef Supplementation Program is implemented, based on body condition scoring of producer’s cow herd and preferred feeding style. Continued focus is placed on on preconditioning opportunities for beef producers.
- Feed and Animal Health Departments enter into a long-term relationship between West Tennessee member managers and UT Martin for feed and animal health products, scholarships, internships, recruitment of management trainees, product development, and more.
- Livestock producers in Tennessee can now conveniently register their premises for the National Animal Identification System just by visiting their local Co-ops. Effective Sept. 1, Co-ops across the state joined this voluntary program, which is being promoted by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture as a critical first step in setting up a system to trace and control animal diseases that could affect the state’s billion-dollar livestock industry.
- CF Industries’ rich history as a cooperative ended Aug. 11 with its initial offering (IPO) of stock. With the IPO came the formation of CF Industries Holdings, Inc., also headquartered at Long Grove and now the holding company for the operations of CF Industries, Inc. Net proceeds from the sales of the company’s common stock went to CF’s former member-owners, including TFC. Today, CF is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of nitrogen and phosphate products in North America and will continue to the major source of fertilizer for Co-op customers in Tennessee.
- Merchant, a new point-of-sale operating system piloted last year, is installed at 40 percent of member Co-ops by December, and TFC is one-third completed in its new conversion, the remainder of stores is expected to be on the system by December 2006.
- TFC celebrates its 60 th anniversary, culminating in “Co-op Heritage Day” on the official charter date of Sept. 27. An outdoor ceremony at LaVergne complex was highlighted by a visit from Gov. Phi Bredesen, who proclaimed it “Co-op Day” in Tennessee. The event gathered the “who’s who” of agriculture, including Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens and other leaders of the leaders of the Department of Agriculture, TFC, Farm Bureau, UT Extension, and the state legislature.
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