Farmers Cooperative Association

What Farmers Cooperative Association does

Farmers Cooperative Association, Inc. is a privately-held agricultural cooperative founded in 1923 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland. The company operates four core divisions—Feed, Fertilizer, Petroleum, and Bedding—serving livestock owners, crop farmers, residential fuel customers, and hobby-farm owners across a six-state Mid-Atlantic region (Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey) via approximately 30 dealer-stores, direct retail at its Frederick headquarters, and petroleum delivery routes servicing over 1,000 retail customers.

The Feed Division is the operational core, manufacturing in-house animal feeds using a proprietary 'locked-formula' production method that maintains consistent ingredient formulations regardless of weekly commodity price fluctuations—a deliberate contrast to competitors' least-cost formulation approaches. The division produces specialized feeds across 14+ species categories (horse, dairy, beef, swine, sheep, goat, poultry, rabbit, alpaca, emu, game bird, deer/elk, pets) and distributes ADM Animal Nutrition branded lines including GROSTRONG, Forage First, ShowTec, and Pen Pals. Underlying capabilities include custom feed formulation (meal, textured, pelleted forms), forage analysis testing, soil sampling, and on-farm nutrition consultation. The Fertilizer Division sells NPK blends, lime products, grass and crop seeds (via Hubner Seed dealership), and ice melt; the Petroleum Division delivers heating oil, kerosene, gasoline, and diesel with automatic delivery and 24-hour emergency service; ancillary lines include bedding, wild bird seed, wood pellet fuel, a grain exchange, live chick sales, and youth livestock programs supporting 4-H/FFA exhibitors.

Revenue is generated through unit-based product sales at quote-determined pricing with volume, cash, senior, military, and first-responder discounts; a subscription-style monthly Show Feed Allowance Club exists for youth livestock projects. The cooperative is member-owned with no outside equity, no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding history, and no public revenue figures. General Manager Richard A. O'Hara has led the organization since 2013, and the company maintains community-engagement programming (EQUI-PALOOZA, Chick Chat seminars, Co-op Days celebrations) that functions as both marketing and customer-development infrastructure.

Name

Farmers Cooperative Association

Legal name

Farmers Cooperative Association, Inc.

Website

https://farmerscoop.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Farmers Cooperative Association is a 103-year-old Mid-Atlantic agricultural cooperative based in Frederick, Maryland, manufacturing and distributing animal feed, fertilizer, petroleum, and related farm supplies through approximately 30 dealer-stores and direct delivery across six states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Supplies

NAICS

Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Livestock Merchant Wholesalers (42452)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Agricultural Services (700), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Livestock Complete Feed Milling & Blending (Cattle/Swine/Poultry) (AFADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Livestock & Pasture Supply Retail (Feed Supplements, Animal Health Inputs) (AFABAJAJ), Grain Processing for Feed (Cracking, Rolling, Grinding) (AFADAIAF), Animal Nutrition & Feeding Support Services (On-Farm Feeding, Feed Management) (AFAEALAJ)

Keywords

• Animal feed manufacturing
• Livestock nutrition products
• Agricultural fertilizer supplies
• Home heating oil delivery
• Grain exchange services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Animal Feed Sales: Primary revenue stream from manufacturing and selling animal feed products including horse, cattle, poultry, swine, sheep, goat, rabbit, pet, game bird, alpaca, emu, and deer feeds. Products sold in bagged and bulk quantities through dealer network and direct retail.
2. Fertilizer Division: Sales of fertilizers (various NPK formulations), lime products, grass seeds, baler twine, crop seeds, and ice melt products to agricultural customers.
3. Petroleum Products: Sales and delivery of heating oil, kerosene, gasoline, and diesel fuels to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers in Frederick and surrounding counties.
4. Grain Exchange: Buys, sells, and stores grain commodities including corn, barley. Sets quality standards and accepts/rejects grain based on moisture, test weight, and contamination levels.
5. Wood Pellet Fuel: Sales of EasyBlaze Super Premium Softwood Pellet Fuel compliant with PFI Premium grade standard.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Farmers Cooperative Association manufactures and sells animal feeds for more than a dozen livestock species, distributes fertilizer, lime, grass seed and crop inputs, and delivers heating oil, kerosene, gasoline and diesel fuel. It also operates a grain exchange for buying, selling and storing commodities such as corn and barley, and runs seasonal chick sales, all through its Frederick, MD retail store and a network of approximately 30 dealer-stores across six Mid-Atlantic states.

Product overview

Farmers Cooperative Association is an agricultural cooperative offering a comprehensive portfolio of farm supplies through four core divisions: Feed, Fertilizer, Petroleum, and Bedding. The Feed Division provides an extensive range of animal nutrition products spanning horse feeds (FCA Formulated and ADM Forage First/GROSTRONG lines), beef feeds, dairy feeds, swine feeds (including MoorMan's ShowTec and Catalyst show feeds), sheep feeds, goat feeds (Goat Power and ShowTec lines), poultry feeds (Pen Pals brand), rabbit feeds, game bird feeds (Flight Ready), deer/elk feeds (Rack Plus), alpaca feeds, and pet foods (SPORTMiX and Ultimates brands). The Fertilizer Division offers various fertilizer blends, lime products, grass seeds, baler twine, crop seeds, and ice melt. The Petroleum Division supplies heating oil, kerosene, gasoline, and diesel fuels. Additional offerings include bedding products, wild bird seed, wood pellet fuel, grain exchange services, chick sales, and youth programs supporting 4-H and FFA exhibitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Feed Division Complete line of animal feeds for horse, beef, dairy, swine, sheep, goat, poultry, rabbit, emu, game bird, alpaca, deer, and pets, combining FCA-manufactured feeds with ADM Animal Nutrition brands including GROSTRONG, Forage First, ShowTec, and Pen Pals.
• Fertilizer Division Sales of bagged and bulk fertilizers in multiple NPK formulations, lime products, grass and crop seeds, baler twine, and ice melt for farms, lawns and pastures.
• Petroleum Division Delivery of heating oil, kerosene, gasoline and diesel fuels to residential, farm, and commercial customers, with automatic delivery and 24-hour emergency service.
• FCA Formulated Horse Feeds FCA-manufactured horse feeds in textured, pelleted and specialty forms including Premium Pleasure, Premium Perform, Senior Advantage, Hay Extender, and Racing Blend with Gastric Support, with custom formulation available.
• Grain Exchange Buying, selling and storage of grain commodities including corn, barley and soybeans, with grading based on moisture, test weight, and contamination levels.
• Chick Days Seasonal live chick pre-order and sales program offering various pullet breeds vaccinated for Marek's disease.
• Wood Pellet Fuel EasyBlaze Super Premium Softwood Pellet Fuel made from Southern Yellow Pine and compliant with the PFI Premium grade standard.
• Wild Bird Seed Individual and mixed wild bird seeds including safflower, white millet, sunflower chips, shelled peanuts, black oil sunflower, striped sunflower and specialty mixes.
• Bedding Products Pine shavings, wood pelleted bedding and Koop Clean odor-neutralizing chicken coop bedding for livestock and poultry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves over 1000 retail customers across six-state area
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments14 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ADM Animal NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADM Animal Nutrition is a key strategic partner providing branded feed products including GROSTRONG, Forage First, ShowTec, and Pen Pals lines. FCA also partners with ADM for ShowTec Livestock Awards Program supporting youth exhibitors.
• Hubner Seed CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFCA has been a Hubner Seed Dealer since 2006. Hubner is a family-owned seed company and the ninth largest seed company in the United States, providing technologically advanced corn, silage, soybean, wheat, and alfalfa seeds to customers in 15 states.
• Lucerne FarmsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLucerne Farms provides bagged forage products for horses including Hi Fiber, Hi Fiber Gold, Alfa Supreme, Totally Timothy, and Timothy Plus Alfalfa.
• Suncoast BeddingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSuncoast Bedding supplies pine shavings for animal bedding.
• SemicanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSemican provides alfalfa cubes and 50/50 Alfalfa/Timothy cubes for horse forage.
• Redmond EquineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRedmond Equine supplies salt and electrolyte products for horses.
• FertrellminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFertrell provides organic and natural fertilizer products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southern States Cooperative: Large regional farmer-owned cooperative operating across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, offering feed, fertilizer, seed, and petroleum through member dealers. Closest structural and product analog to FCA with overlapping Maryland/Virginia footprint.
• MFA Incorporated: Midwest farmer-owned cooperative offering livestock feed, crop inputs, and farm supplies through a dealer and retail network. Structurally and operationally similar to FCA as a regional feed-focused cooperative.
• Co-Alliance Cooperative: Indiana-based agricultural cooperative providing feed, agronomy, energy, and grain services. Comparable member-owned structure and multi-division product approach serving crop and livestock producers.
• Blue Seal Feeds: Regional animal feed brand (now part of Kent Nutrition Group) offering equine, livestock, and specialty feeds in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Direct competitor in the equine/livestock feed category FCA serves.

Broad incumbents

• GROWMARK: Major U.S. agricultural cooperative providing feed, grain, agronomy, energy, and retail farm supply across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Comparable cooperative governance model and product mix, though significantly larger in scale.
• CHS Inc. One of the largest U.S. agricultural cooperatives, with feed, agronomy, energy, and grain operations nationally. A broad incumbent that competes in many of FCA's product categories at much greater scale.
• Tractor Supply Company: National retail chain selling feed, fertilizer, and farm supplies including pet food, equine, and poultry. Competes with FCA in end-customer feed sales but with a much broader and more digital-first retail footprint.

Regional players

• Orscheln Farm & Home: Midwestern farm and home retail chain offering feed, animal health, hardware, and farm supplies. Similar product mix to FCA's retail/dealer stores but operating primarily in the Midwest, not the Mid-Atlantic.

Others

• Hubner Seed: Family-owned seed company and FCA's crop seed partner since 2006. Comparable in the cooperative distribution model for agricultural inputs and could expand in similar dealer channels.
• ADM Animal Nutrition: Strategic partner and major supplier of FCA's branded feed lines. Both an upstream supplier and a potential channel/competitive threat if ADM vertically integrates distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FarmersCoop.MD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farmers-cooperative-association-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Farmers Cooperative Association