Ag cooperatives play major role in philanthropy

Agricultural cooperatives contributed more than $10,000 to help fund the Ag Build, an annual Habitat for Humanity project at the Indiana State Fair. Along with Premier Ag, other participating co-ops were Harvest Land Co-op, Ceres Solutions. North Central Co-op, Co-Alliance and Co-Bank.

On August 9, Premier employees Matt Bense, Jay Hofmann, Drew Allen, and Shelley Hammond volunteered to help build two Habitat for Humanity homes at the Indiana State Fair. Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity has hosted a building project for eight consecutive years at the Indiana State Fair. Each year, a team of volunteers, representing Indiana’s agriculture community, builds homes from floor to roof in just 17 days. Construction on the two Habitat homes began this year on Friday, August 4, 2017—opening day of the fair—and more than 800 volunteers
participated.

“When you go back to the whole reason cooperatives were formed in the 1920’s, it was because farmers were struggling to get the things they needed,” said Harold Cooper, CEO of Premier Ag. “They couldn’t get fertilizer on time. When they did get it, it was overpriced. Feed might have feathers in it. They had trouble getting equipment. On Feb. 9, 1928, the first county co-op in Decatur County, Greensburg, Ind., was formed. The whole notion was that we couldn’t achieve on our own what was required. But if we banned together we could have greater results. We have that in common with Habitat for Humanity.”