Content area
Full text
Overview: Ursa Farmers Cooperative (UFC) was formed in 1920 by farmers in west- central Illinois who were seeking to gain the advantages of volume grain merchandising. This same concept holds true today for the co-op's 2,200 members, who own facilities at six locations located in west-central Illinois, which annually handle a combined total of more than 20 million bushels of grain and has sales of $60 million. Services have expanded to include sale of livestock feed and seed for corn, soybeans and wheat. The coop also sells crop insurance through inhouse licensed insurance broker Peggy Duesterhaus. With yearly sales exceeding $65 million and over 82 years of experience, Ursa Farmers continues to challenge itself to be a leader in the field of agriculture opportunities.
Philosophy: Ursa Farmers Cooperative does not believe you can wait to see what the future may bring. "Our cooperative must be aggressive in recognizing the needs of its member-owners and constantly be vigilant to provide solutions or alternatives to keep its members successful," says Board Chairman Victor Kerr.
One Major Challenge: UFC merchandises its grain into the export market using two river terminals on the mid-Mississippi River. Nearby competitors include corn and soybean...