CropLife 100 ‘Then and Now’ Photos: Here Are 22 of America’s Oldest Ag Retailers

U.S. ag retailers that have stood the test of time are deserving of special recognition. For decades upon decades, they have continually adapted to their customers’ needs to stay relevant, innovative, and competitive in an ever-changing agricultural market. It’s this sustainable longevity that is worthy of the utmost appreciation and respect.

At CropLife Magazine, we’re fortunate to be able to showcase many of these organizations in our editorial coverage throughout the year. In fact, we’ve learned that 22 companies on our latest CropLife 100 ranking – celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023 — have been helping farmers prosper by bringing them the products and services they’re seeking for more than 100 years. Now that’s some serious staying power!

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And there’s been no one formula for long-term success in ag retail, either. Whether it’s an independent, family-run business that’s been serving growers in the Northwest since the 1880s like The McGregor Company, or a farmer-owned cooperative that’s kept its customers in the Southeast in great supply for 100 years (Happy Anniversary, Southern States), we salute all 22 of these awesome companies for their many years of service in the “then and now” photo gallery above.

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Avatar for David David says:

https://www.agstate.org/about#history
HISTORY
AgState is the result of a merger between First Cooperative Association (FCA) and Ag Partners/ALCECO. As such, our combined roots date back to the earliest days of Iowa agriculture.

FCA was recognized as the oldest active grain cooperative in the nation. The Marcus grain location was incorporated on December 12, 1887. 

ALCECO has served Iowa producers for more than 100 years. And was instrumental in bringing the loading of grain shuttles to northwest Iowa.

From the early days, our cooperative was built from the ground up by people with a vision, who put countless hours into making these co-ops work. Our people continue to make us strong and financially stable and move us forward into the future.

Avatar for Matt Hopkins Matt Hopkins says:

Hi David, thanks for bringing this to our attention. We apologize for the omission. We have since added AgState into the ‘Then and Now’ photo gallery to recognize the co-op’s long history dating back to 1887!

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