TURNING THE PAGE

THE HISTORY AND CHANGES OF COOPERATIVE FARMING NEWS

BY TIFFANY LESTER

Working in the agriculture industry has always been a wild ride. One that requires hard work, dedication, and faith to be successful. One where the seed is planted, the rain is prayed for, and the harvest is rewarding.

It is with great pleasure that for the last 50-plus years, Alabama Farmers Cooperative’s publication, Cooperative Farming News (CFN) has gotten to tell the tales of those who provide the world with food and fiber. Those who have fought through hardships one year and came out with a bountiful crop the next. We’re proud to have shared the stories of farms that have passed from one generation to the next, still striving to achieve the same goal.

Cooperative Farming News reaches 31 different states from the Southern states of Alabama, Tennessee and Florida to as far west as California and Oregon, and into the farthest reaches of the Northeast into Maine and Massachusetts.

Throughout the last five decades, a lot has changed. If you were to turn back the pages of time to the very first issue, you’d find it resembles a newspaper. The headline: “AFC Holds Streamlined Annual Meeting” with advertisements of Miracle Co-op Rotary Cutters for the whopping price of 5’ for $350. The cost of a similar product nowadays would be roughly $1,800. As we said, a lot has changed!

Each month, CFN continued to tell tales including the ‘Co-op Month’ proclamation by Governor George Wallace, calf crops hitting an all-time high and the start of Co-op Training Programs.

But over time, we grew to keep up with the changes and in May 2011, 40 years later, CFN shifted to a full-color magazine style. “Square or Round, It’s HAY Time” the cover reads. It features Monroe County’s Bibb Mims in a section that today is called the “Co-op Corner."

Through it all, Cooperative Farming News has kept its focus on one thing: bringing readers the highest quality of Down to Earth News there is to be found in the agriculture world. From the future of agriculture that is FFA and 4-H to stories and news from our partners across the industry to recipes and even events highlighting life in the South, this publication hosts something for everyone.

As we surpass 600 issues of this beloved publication, and continue to deliver top-notch content, Cooperative Farming News is transitioning to a quarterly magazine schedule. Through this adjustment, we are ensuring you get an even more robust publication that you won't be able to put down. You can also find more Down to Earth News on our digital platforms including our website and social media accounts.

As we move forward from what once was black and white and turn the pages forward into a more digital world, we thank you for your loyal readership of Cooperative Farming News. Your support truly means everything to us and it is what drives us to keep you connected with the agricultural community.

ON THE WINTER 2024 COVER: Frances Dahlke is one of the longest-serving Co-op employees. She began as a bookeeper at Cullman Farmers Cooperative in 1961, moved on to Walker Farmers Co-op in Jasper where in 1978 she earned the E.P. Garrett Manager of the Year award.