Integrated Operations... Hamilton Farm Bureau Cooperative

Excerpts from the report: This is the third in a series of case studies by Farmer Cooperative Service on the integrated operations of cooperatives. It is the first such study, however, that deals specifically with the integration process as it has been developed by a local association. As such, it gives some indication of the ability of these organizations to adjust to the impacts of changing technology. Also, it focuses attention on the impacts of integration on production practices and marketing methods that local cooperatives must recognize and deal with if they are to serve members effectively. The Hamilton Farm Bureau Cooperative, Inc., Hamilton, Mich., (hereafter referred to as HFBC), a local cooperative organized in 1920 by 140 farmers, now has nearly 2,000 active patrons. In 1958 it reported an annual volume of nearly $6 million. Assets totaled about $1 million, with over 95 percent of these accounted for by net worth. It primarily operates within a 10-mile radius of Hamilton, Mich. It thus largely serves farmers in the eastern half of Allegan County.