Every spring brings changes to Geauga County farmers, gardeners and people who care for all kinds of animals.
Every spring brings changes to Geauga County farmers, gardeners and people who care for all kinds of animals.
For most of them, the Western Reserve Farm Cooperative stores in Chardon and Middlefield have been regular shopping destinations for many years.
This spring, WRFC customers learned their locally-owned and operated feed stores had, as of March 1, partnered up with the Town & Country Co-op to form the new Centerra Co-op, headquartered in Ashland, Ohio.
Interior signs, business cards and stationary proclaiming the new name have been the first indications there is a change afoot, for most.
There was some early warning, in the form of letters and surveys sent to the WRFC’s members asking if they thought a merger would be a good idea, said Les Ober, a farmer in Newbury Township and the agriculture and natural resources program coordinator with the Geauga branch of The Ohio State University Extension.
“That was the first time I heard about it,” he said.
Although there was very little publicity, Ober said he doesn’t feel the community will be aware of the distinction, other than a new name and logo, and grain farmers won’t know much until fall when the crops come in.
“I haven’t talked to anybody who has noticed a lot of difference,” he said, adding it is early days yet.
Overall, Ober wasn’t surprised at the coming together of two co-ops. The agriculture industry used to have 150 seed companies and now there are only four, as smaller businesses have merged or fallen by the way.
Farm equipment dealers are facing the same pressure to survive.
“It’s the way modern agriculture’s been run for the last 10 years,” Ober said, adding the reality isn’t friendly to neighborhood businesses. “Moving away from locally-owned operations doesn’t bode well when agriculture is marginal,” he said. “But that’s the way things are today.”
According to the online Ashland Source, WRFC has 635 members and T&CC has 1,591 members. When asked to vote on the merger, 84 and 85 percent of the members, respectively, were in favor, the article said.
Longtime CEO Al Holdren retired March 1 and Centerra CEO, Jean Bratton, explained the new co-op’s name is a combination of center and terra, which means Earth.
“The name reflects our purpose and our ethics. We are collaborating to better things with the customer at the center of this effort. We are focused upon the customer instead of our own needs. We are well grounded in principles and knowledge, and promote good farm practices that reflect our customers’ love of the land,” she said on Centerra’s website, centerracoop.com.
TC&C has operations in north central Ohio from Elyria to Loudonville and WRFC has facilities in northeast Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania and New York.
The board of the merged entity will be made up of nine members from Town & Country Co-op and six from Western Reserve. They are: Steve Babcock, Ashland; Ron Baumann, Amherst; Charlie Bratton, Danville; Brian Cadnum, Hinckley; Rick Eldred, Kingsville; Dale Hulit, Mansfield; Chris Kartley, Troy Township; Gary Krieg, Orwell; Ken Kuhns, North Bloomfield; Bill Simmons, Medina; Larry Springer, Jefferson; Jim Steiner, Sterling; Earl Stitzlein, Loudonville; Kevin Troyer, Waterford, Pennsylvania; and Bill Walter, Spencer.
“The 84-85 percent ‘yes’ vote from our members was a strong endorsement that they have faith in us to do what is right for the co-op and for their operations,” Bratton said. “They have given us the opportunity to make this work, and to show them that we will take care of them while we take advantage of the benefits from the merger.
“This merger will enable us to provide and expand on the products and services our customers want and need as well as stay competitive as our industry changes.”
