Time to celebrate Tennessee Farmers Cooperative turns 80 this year

I’ve been spending quite a bit of time over the last few months looking through the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative archives in preparation for TFC’s 80th Anniversary this year. We have interesting projects planned to commemorate this milestone that we believe our Co-op community will enjoy.

I have been asked, “Why an 80th Anniversary?” It’s not one of the milestone years like a 25th, 50th, 75th, or 100th. And that’s true, but 80 years is a significant achievement. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that only 12% of businesses are more than 26 years old. And there’s a theory that only .05 percent make it to 100 years, so it’s likely that 80-year-old businesses are significantly rare as well.

In 2020, we were planning for a 75th Anniversary blowout for the TFC Annual Meeting, what then TFC Board Chairman Mark Thompson, referred to a “hootenanny.” Our plans were altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. And instead of an anniversary celebration, we were forced to adjust and staged the cooperative’s first virtual annual meeting since we couldn’t gather face to face.

That challenging year is just another chapter in Co-op’s ongoing tale of resilience and determination despite obstacles and a demonstration of the Driven to Serve nature of our purpose. We’ll share that story and others in a Co-op history book to be released this fall.

We will have a special celebration on September 9 at TFC’s LaVergne headquarters — TFC's actual birthday is September 27, 1945. We will also have numerous special touches and displays at the TFC Annual Meeting on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

This 80th Celebration will coincide with the 25th year of Co-op’s popular Commemorative 4-H/FFA Knife Program which, has allowed our system to donate $753,720 for these two outstanding youth organizations over the duration of the program. The details on the 2025 knife can be found on page 28.

On page 32 of this issue, you will find information on how you can donate items for the 2025 Co-op Auction Barn. Instituted in 2017, the auction is now virtual and can be accessed by anyone. Since 2017, the event has raised $413,507 for 4-H and FFA. We hope to have some special Co-op historical items for the auction. If you have any vintage promotional or advertising items you would like to donate, or any other donations, please contact Tennessee Farmers Cooperative Foundation Executive Director Claire Hill at chill@ourcoop.com.

We look forward to celebrating this milestone with the Co-op Community.

Story by Glen Liford,

Contact gliford@ourcoop.com