Co-op Heritage Day declared
to mark TFC’s 60th anniversary
ennessee
Governor
Phil
Bredesen
was one of
the dignitaries on hand to
salute Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative (TFC) and its
predecessors in an eventful
60th anniversary celebration
in LaVergne Sept. 27,
which he declared as “Co-op
Heritage Day.” The
day also honored state
organizations that were
instrumental in helping
organize TFC, namely the
Tennessee Farm Bureau
Federation and University
of Tennessee Extension.
Gov. Bredesen described the federated
farm supply co-op as a “major
force in Tennessee’s agricultural economy,”
pointing to the competitive edge
it gives farmers by providing quality
products and services and the fact that
TFC is now one of the strongest federated
cooperative systems in the
nation. “Because of the foresight of its
founders, TFC has helped Tennessee’s
farm production grow and develop
into the $2.5 billion industry that it is
today,” said Bredesen. “Tennessee is a
state of long agricultural tradition, and
we owe a debt of gratitude to the men
and women of the Tennessee Farmers
Cooperative for helping to shape the
Tennessee we know and enjoy today.”
As evidence of the vital roles co-ops
play in their communities, Bredesen
acknowledged the recent efforts of
TFC and its member co-ops in gathering
donations for hurricane victims
and serving as sources for school systems
to obtain diesel for school buses
during the fuel shortage caused by
hurricane damage along the Gulf
Coast.
“Not only is the co-op important to
our economy, over the years it has
become an integral part of Tennessee’s
rural landscape as a gathering place for
farmers and a well-known landmark
for the community it serves,” Bredesen
said. “No matter where you are in
Tennessee, everyone knows where
their local co-op is.”
TFC CEO Vernon Glover said the
co-op’s formation in 1945 began “a
whole new era in Tennessee agriculture.
TFC redefined the farm-supply
business in this state by giving farmers
cooperative control over a reliable and
identifiable source of the products they
need.”
“The fact that this mill behind us is
the tallest building in LaVergne
is a symbol of our standing in
the community,” Glover continued.
“The same is true for communities
all across the state. Our
member co-ops stand tall in
their towns and are vital to the
area’s economy and the operations
of the producers they
serve.”
Tennessee Agriculture
Commissioner Ken Givens and
Rep. Stratton Bone, vice chair
of the House Agriculture
Committee, joined Bredesen
and other state officials in honoring
TFC as it reached this
milestone. “We couldn’t do what
we do without the support of
the people here today,” said
Givens, describing the audience as the
“who’s who” of Tennessee agriculture.
“It’s going to take all of us working
together to keep our competitive edge
in the changing global marketplace.
Part of that challenge goes back to
providing farm supplies and service in
a timely and economical manner,
which is exactly what the co-op does.”
Givens also referred to his membership
in Hawkins Farmers Cooperative
in Rogersville. The commissioner, a
beef cattle and hay farmer, is among
the 70,000 farmer-members who own
and control each independent TFC
member co-op. TFC provides products
and services to 63 member co-ops
across the state, which, in turn, serve
more than half a million customers
through nearly 150 retail outlets located
in 84 of Tennessee’s 95 counties, as
well as several locations in neighboring
states.
