Farmers Cooperative in Lincoln, Ark.
Manager: Richard Cooper
Location: Lincoln, Ark.
History: “Five years ago in March, Farmers Coop bought an independent store called the Farm Store in Lincoln, Ark. At that time I was working for the Coop in Siloam Springs, Ark., and the CEO of the Van Buren Coop offered me the position as the store manager at the Lincoln location. The store is one of 14 in the Van Buren group.”
Products: “When we first took over, the location was just a feed store with feed, seed and fertilizer. Now it has seed, pet supplies, lawn and garden tools, agricultural chemicals for the homeowner and farmer, and vaccines and antibiotics for livestock and pets. We also have hardware including gardening tools and farming equipment like rakes as well as tools for equipment repair. Regular maintenance supplies like oil, antifreeze and grease for farm equipment and tractors are available. We carry both permanent and temporary fencing. The temporary fencing business has broadened and is now often used with cattle for strip or rotational grazing so the pastures can be divided and the cattle eat one area of the pasture before moving on to the next section.”
Future Plans: “I think the next few years are going to be tough on farmers, but I also think they will survive. As a Coop, we will have to continue to change to meet our customers’ needs as their needs change. The original feed, seed and fertilizer store will continue to adapt to changing needs of farmers and homeowners.”
Story and Photo by Terry Ropp
