About Us

TIME LINE OF KEY EVENTS IN PAST 50 YEARS

January 11, 1956	Charter obtained from United States Treasury Department. First Board of Directors: Stephen Brockhoff, Herbert Elliott, Willard Fairfield, Homer Jacobsen, Luther Johannes, Tom McCoy, and John Moyer
March 1, 1956	Co-op opened for business at 105 N. 5th St. in Hiawatha with two gasoline trucks owned by Lloyd McIntyre and Lester Swank, the first employees. The Co-op provided and owned the bulk gasoline tanks. Co-op sold gas at 23 ½ cents per gallon on first day of sales.
1957	Opened the farm store; it handled feed, seed, chemicals, and bag fertilizer.
1958	Purchased Powhattan Elevator from Paul Schuetz.
1959	Built more grain storage; added propane service and a feed delivery truck.
1960	Co-op provided first full year of propane service. Total sales exceeded one-half million dollars for the first time.
August 17 & 18, 1961	Grand Opening of Farm Service Center at 9th and Oregon.
October 5, 1970	Lid of a 15,000 gallon fuel tank exploded in a gigantic fireball, resulting in estimated damage of $15,000.
1974	Leon Wenger invited to speak at Farmland Annual Meeting about why Brown County Co-op is so successful.
1977	Purchased Willis Elevator.
1980	Ag producers suffered adverse effects of President Carter’s grain embargoes.
January 28, 1981	Dry fertilizer plant catches fire.
March 1, 1981	Celebrated 25 years of service to community. Board of Directors: Sam Bowen, Dale Brockhoff, Don Knudson, John Reese, Robert Reschke, Richard Rieger, H. Wayne Shirley
1983	Suffered under confusing government PIK (Payment In Kind) and farm programs.
1986	Bunkers built in Hiawatha for corn and in Powhattan for milo.
1994	Ag Dome built.
1996	Service station sold to T.O. Haas.
1997	Ampride purchased with Kansas Retail Venture Group.
July 1, 1991	Robinson Co-op merged with the Brown County Co-op.
1999	Purchased Ampride from Kansas Retail Venture Group.
2000	Purchased facility in Tarkio, Mo., and changed name to Ag Partners Cooperative, Inc.
2001	Purchased one-half interest in Topeka Terminal, LLC.
2002	Midwest Ag Services opened.
2002	Farmland Industries declared bankruptcy.
2005	Completed new storage facility at Powhattan (capacity of 560,000 bushels).
2005	Sold Ampride to Kabredelo’s.
2006	Purchased Padonia and Reserve elevators from Padonia Grain Farmers.