On March 1, a new era in servicing farmers in the White and Warren County areas began when the Co-ops supporting the area merged to become one entity. The membership of White County Farmers Cooperative in Sparta and Warren Farmers Cooperative — with two locations in McMinnville — agreed to combine their operations to better serve the farmers in their areas. The merger became effective on March 1.

“We’ve entertained thoughts about something like this since we hired Deb [Dunn] as manager back in 2011,” says White County Farmers Cooperative board president Ben Clark, noting that the cooperative was looking at the venture from the perspective of declining revenues and a shrinking number of farmers, despite continued profitability.

Those market conditions, along with intense competition from big box rural lifestyle stores, neighboring Co-ops, and online providers, have necessitated a change, Clark says.

Warren Farmers Co-op was facing similar challenges, says Rickey Magness, the cooperative’s board president.

“Our farmers would love for our Co-op to just serve Warren County, but we see that we can work better together and survive in the future by merging with White County,” he says. “The boards work well together.”

Because of the cordial relationship, Warren Farmers was at the top of the list when White County Farmers Co-op began considering possible merger partners, Ben says.

Deb Dunn and Darrin Barnes, manager of Warren Farmers Co-op, have a long history as colleagues. Deb graduated from Tennessee Technological University in 1992 with a degree in Accounting and Ag Business and joined the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC) Training Program. She worked for TFC Ag Input Financing, the forerunner of CFS, before joining White County Farmers Cooperative and was named interim manager in Dec. 2011, before being appointed manager in 2012.

Darrin has more than 30 years of experience in the Co-op system, including serving 12 years as assistant manager at DeKalb Farmers Co-op and eight years with the Customer Service Department at Tennessee Farmers Cooperative. He joined Warren Farmers Co-op in 2014 and served as manager of the Valley Seed and Fertilizer branch for five years before he was named general manager of the Co-op in 2024.

“Darrin and I have worked well together for a long time,” says Deb, who was named general manager of the new entity. “We have always helped each other out when it was needed, and I’m looking forward to working together as we bring unity to our team.”

Both Co-ops had explored other ways to squeeze out additional income before the merger. White County Farmers had built a feed facility at the location in Sparta in 2018 and opened a branch store in Monterey in December 2018, near the junction of Putnam, White, and Cumberland counties. Warren Farmers acquired Valley Seed and Fertilizer to operate as a branch store in 2019, which enhanced their service to their customers.

The robust feed business in White County adds to Warren Farmers’ agronomy focus that included impregnating DuraCor herbicide onto fertilizer and mixing ammonia nitrate notes Ben. Warren also offers bulk fuel deliveries, something White County Farmers Co-op didn’t do.

The Co-op serves similar customers. Warren has more row crops and is known for its thriving nursery business. Both counties are strong in beef production.

“Both Co-ops’ business structures and offerings complement each other, too,” says Ben, who lives in the Hickory Valley community of White County and raises beef cattle.

“We started meeting to discuss the possibilities, and the more we talked, the better it looked. It was apparent that as we discussed how we could make things work, each board was looking out for the farmers and customers.”

Despite those reasons, says Rickey, mergers always come with an element of controversy.

“People have asked why we had to do this,” he says. “‘Why can’t we sell off some stuff and keep going?’ Well, it’s a different business now. There are just not as many farmers, and you can see when you’re here at the store, there aren’t as many people coming in as there once were. Plus, there’s more competition.”

Where once farmers stayed within the general trade area of their Co-op and didn’t travel far, Rickey says, customers are now comfortable shopping between the two Co-ops and other neighboring businesses.

“They may find one item cheaper at one store or another,” he says. “But hopefully, the locations should have more standardized pricing after the merger has been in place for a while.”

Rickey points out that Warren Farmers didn’t “sell out,” but merged.

“We’re still Warren Farmers Co-op,” he says. “They are still White County Farmers Co-op. We’re here for the farmers and anyone else who wants to shop here. It’s going to be a good thing in the long run.”

The new board will come together with five directors from each of the two Co-ops. After three years, the number will drop to nine.

“By that time, we should be past this White and Warren [separation],” Rickey says. “It will just be our Co-op, and we will just do what’s best for the business.”

Ben stresses that these decisions are all based on what’s best for the Co-ops.

“We’re trying to keep an idea — the cooperative concept — so this store will remain open for my children and grandchildren who are probably going to farm and those who come after them,” he says.