Cooperative Farmers Elevator

What Cooperative Farmers Elevator does

Cooperative Farmers Elevator (CFE) is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative operating across four integrated divisions: grain marketing and storage, agronomy, feed, and lumber. The cooperative serves approximately 4,975 farmer-members across 27 locations in northwest Iowa, southwest Minnesota, and southeast South Dakota, with 19 grain facilities providing 38 million bushels of combined storage capacity. CFE employs 300+ people, and its members hold equal voice and vote in cooperative governance while receiving annual patronage-based dividends.

The cooperative generates revenue through multiple streams: grain marketing and storage (transaction fees, hedging, licensed commodity brokerage), agronomy products and services (variable rate fertilizer application, aerial application, seed and chemical sales, drone application via CFE Air), FDA- and HACCP-certified feed manufacturing and ration formulation, and lumber and building materials including custom built homes. Member-facing programs include the Bushel Bounty seed credit program, CFE Carbon (partnerships with Indigo, Arva, and Truterra for carbon offset enrollment), the CORE young farmer leadership program, and the CFE Solar renewable energy project at Ocheyedan.

CFE operates a member-centric go-to-market model combining physical retail locations, on-farm service (grain pickup, aerial and ground application), digital channels (CFE Connect grower portal, SmartOrder feed platform, daily grain bid SMS), and community engagement (Women in Ag event, scholarships, harvest meals). Its technology stack includes DocuSign for credit applications, Barchart and DTN for market data, and computer vision-enabled drone services under the CFE Air sub-brand launched in 2024.

Name

Cooperative Farmers Elevator

Legal name

Cooperative Farmers Elevator

Website

https://coopfe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cooperative Farmers Elevator is a farmer-owned cooperative serving approximately 4,975 members across 27 locations in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota with grain marketing and storage, agronomy, feed, and lumber services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Cooperative Services

NAICS

Farm Product Warehousing and Storage (493130), Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42491)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030)

akta.pro primary industry

Country & Inland Grain Elevators (Receiving/Shipping) (AFAOAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Custom Equipment Operation & Rental with Operator (Tractors, Implements) (AFACAAAH)

Keywords

• Agricultural cooperative services
• Grain marketing storage
• Agronomy crop services
• Livestock feed products
• Farm building supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Ocheyedan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grain Marketing and Storage: Year-round grain purchasing, on-farm pickup, and storage services with combined capacity of 38 million bushels across 19 locations. Licensed commodity brokers help with contracts and hedging.
2. Agronomy Products and Services: Full-service agronomy retailer providing variable rate application of anhydrous ammonia, dry and liquid fertilizer, aerial application, farm delivery of seed and chemical, and self-propelled row crop sprayer application services
3. Feed Products and Services: FDA and HACCP certified feed blends, grain bank, contract feeding, feed and forage sampling, ration formulation, and livestock management services including cattle tracking, feed tracking, and barn management
4. Lumber and Building Materials: Building materials including lumber, siding, windows, shingles, drywall, countertops, kitchens, baths, flooring, custom built homes, design services, and delivery
5. Member Dividends: As a cooperative, members receive earnings through annual percentage-based dividends based on their patronage of cooperative services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cooperative Farmers Elevator is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative serving approximately 4,975 farmer-members across northwest Iowa, southwest Minnesota, and southeast South Dakota through four business lines: grain marketing and storage (38 million bushels across 19 locations), full-service agronomy (crop nutrients, crop protection, seed, and application including drone spraying), feed manufacturing and delivery, and lumber/building materials with custom home construction. Member governance and patronage dividends return a share of profits to farmer-owners who also serve as primary customers.

Product overview

Cooperative Farmers Elevator (CFE) is a farmer-owned cooperative offering a diversified portfolio of agricultural products and services across four core divisions: Grain, Agronomy, Feed, and Lumber. The Grain division provides marketing, storage (38 million bushels across 19 locations), and hedging services with various contract options. Agronomy offers variable rate application, aerial application, and CFE Air drone services for crop health monitoring and spraying. Feed services include grain banking, ration formulation, and HACCP-certified feed production. Lumber provides building materials, custom home construction, and design services. Supporting programs include the CFE Carbon program for carbon market navigation, CFE Solar for renewable energy, Bushel Bounty for grain-to-seed savings, and CORE for young farmer leadership development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CFE Air: Drone-powered aerial application service launched in 2024, offering crop health imagery, thermal imagery, and drone spraying for pre-emergent herbicides, fungicide, insecticide, and pastures.
• CFE Carbon
• CFE Connect
• CORE

Products and services

• Grain Marketing and Storage Year-round grain origination, licensed storage (38 million bushels across 19 locations), hedging, and marketing services for corn, soybeans, and other commodities, executed by licensed commodity brokers for farmer-members and other producers.
• Agronomy Products and Services Full-service agronomy offering including crop nutrients, crop protection products, seed, and variable-rate, aerial, and ground application services for row crop farmers across CFE's tri-state territory.
• CFE Air Drone Application Precision aerial spraying service using unmanned aerial drones, staffed by trained and licensed CFE applicators, offered to farmer-members as an alternative or complement to traditional ground and aerial application.
• Feed Products and Services Manufactured feed products produced at CFE's FDA/HACCP-certified feed mill, with bulk delivery and on-farm service for livestock and poultry producers across the cooperative's territory.
• Lumber and Building Materials Retail lumber and building materials sold through CFE's lumber yards to rural property owners, farmers, and contractors in the cooperative's service territory.
• Custom Built Homes Custom home design and construction services bundled with the lumber business line, targeted at rural residents, farmers, and acreage buyers in CFE's tri-state territory.
• CFE Carbon Program Carbon credit aggregation program that enables farmer-members to participate in carbon markets, providing a new revenue stream tied to on-farm practice changes and sustainability outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 38 million bushels combined storage capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Artisun SolarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar development partner for CFE Solar project at Ocheyedan location. Artisun Solar specializes in solar installations with strong background in agriculture and rural projects, spanning projects in over 20 states. Partnered with Alliant Energy to integrate solar generation into local energy infrastructure.
• Alliant EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtility partner working with Artisun Solar and CFE to integrate CFE Solar into local energy infrastructure. Ensures solar project efficiency and grid integration.
• ISU (Iowa State University) Extension and OutreachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoil Moisture Network and Soil Temps data provider. Offers educational resources and agronomic expertise to CFE members.
• Purina (Land O'Lakes)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeed partner providing Purina beef feed products, liquid feed options, and Rx3 cattle health supplements. CFE offers Purina tub promotions and financing programs.
• WinField UnitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsor of Women in Ag event, providing agricultural products and services.
• Corteva AgriscienceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsor of Women in Ag event, agricultural technology and crop protection company.
• BayerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsor of Women in Ag event, agricultural chemical and seed company.
• NutrienminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsor of Women in Ag event, agricultural inputs company.
• Iowa State University Extension and OutreachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Women in Ag event, agricultural education and extension services.
• Indigo AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon program partner offering carbon offset payments for regenerative agriculture practices. CFE serves as enrollment partner for 2026 program.
• ArvacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon program partner requiring soil samples and tillage data. CFE assists with enrollment and data collection for Carbon Intensity Score tracking.
• TruterracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon program partner for sustainability and carbon offset programs. Available for CFE members who participated in 2023-2025.
• Milwaukee ToolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTool partner offering Milwaukee tools, equipment, and accessories at CFE lumberyards.
• Andersen WindowsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWindow product partner for lumber operations.
• Gerkin WindowsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWindow product partner, specifically Gerkin vinyl casement windows for custom built homes.
• Countryside CabinetsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCabinetry partner for kitchen and bathroom products.
• CambriaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCountertop partner for kitchen and bathroom products.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CHS Inc. Largest US farmer-owned cooperative, providing grain, agronomy, energy, and feed services. Closest comparable to CFE in structure (cooperative), multi-division model, and Midwest operating footprint.
• Heartland Co-op: Iowa-based agricultural cooperative providing grain, agronomy, and feed services. Direct peer given overlapping Iowa geography, cooperative structure, and service portfolio.
• Growmark: Midwest-based agricultural cooperative offering grain, agronomy, energy, and feed. Highly comparable service mix and cooperative member-owned structure to CFE.
• NEW Cooperative: Iowa-based grain and agronomy cooperative serving farmers in a similar Northwest Iowa geography. Highly comparable in size, service mix, and member-owned structure.
• MaxYield Cooperative: Iowa-based farmer-owned cooperative offering grain, agronomy, and feed services. Direct competitor in the same regional market with similar member-owned model.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Global agribusiness giant involved in grain trading and crop inputs. Broadly incumbent in CFE's value chain rather than a direct retail competitor, but relevant for grain pricing and contract counterparties.
• Nutrien Ag Solutions: Largest crop input retailer in North America offering fertilizer, crop protection, and seed. Direct competitor in CFE's agronomy division but operates as a public corporate, not cooperative.
• ADM: Global agribusiness with grain origination, processing, and agricultural services. Acts as a buyer and competitor to grain marketing cooperatives like CFE, especially in corn and soybean handling.
• Land O'Lakes: Major farmer-owned cooperative with agronomy (WinField United) and livestock feed (Purina) divisions. Larger and more diversified than CFE, with overlapping feed and agronomy offerings.

Emerging players

• Indigo Agriculture: Ag-tech company operating in carbon credit markets, biologicals, and digital agronomy. Strategic partner to CFE through the carbon program, representing the emerging tech-enabled competitor and channel partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CooperativeFE
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7yzMjsY95wqxkojQ7ZU_jw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CooperativeFE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooperative-farmers-elevator
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfecoop

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Cooperative Farmers Elevator