Since 1949, the Elberta Farmers Co-op has been a valuable resource to Baldwin County farmers. But as more farms have turned into subdivisions and shopping malls, the cooperative has expanded its selection and offers something for just about everyone — hardware, home and garden supplies, fuel, tires, odds and ends — while still providing farmers with soil testing, field evaluation and other services.

“It's that co-op mentality,” says William Carlew, the Elberta Co-op's new manager. “We're here to serve our customers and supply them with all their ag needs, big or small.”

How does a cooperative work?

Cooperatives like the Elberta Farmers Co-op are member owned, but not member exclusive.

Back in the 1940s, the cooperative began with a handful of Baldwin County chicken farmers.

“These farmers wanted to pool their money and buy chicken feed one railroad car at a time, and it grew from that,” says David Bitto, who is a third generation farmer and is on the cooperative's board of directors.

After the Elberta Farmers Cooperative was incorporated in 1949, farmers still pooled their money, but they started getting a lot more than just chicken feed. The Elberta Farmers Co-op became affiliated with the Alabama Farmers Cooperative, and the network of Alabama farmers have used their bulk buying power to obtain seed, fertilizer, feed, pesticides and other items at much cheaper rates than they could individually.

“We come in here multiple times a day, and it's handy,” Bitto says. “It has a lot of the things we need on a daily basis, like hardware, bolts or whatever, but for a lot of us it's our main supply for fertilizer, seed and chemicals, and it's just a good place to do business. They offer good service and have good prices.”

In addition to saving money on the cost of farming supplies, members also receive a patronage most years — when the cooperative makes a profit after paying its employees and making improvements to the building and inventory, the extra is redistributed among its members, injecting money back into Baldwin County's economy instead of sending it to stockholders elsewhere, Bitto says.

“Every dollar you do business with in this co-op stays in Alabama,” Carlew says.

According to Bitto, the cooperative did $10 million in business last year and gave back about $100,000 to its members.

It's not just for farmers

Cooperative members aren't the only ones who are welcome at the store.

“We still cater to the farming community, but we have a garden center and a tire shop, too,” Carlew says.

The cooperative's garden section has flowers and greenery, but it also offers locally grown blueberry, blackberry and grape starter plants as well as vegetable starters and seeds.

“We can tell you anything you want to know about them, and if we don't know, we'll contact somebody who does,” says garden center manager Deena McMullen.

Many of the cooperative's 22 employees have been working there for many years, and the same customers come back again and again — it's a small-town business doing it the old-fashioned way, Carlew says.

“We believe that each employee and customer contributes directly to the co-op's growth and success,” he says. “We're still doing personal business.”

Business profile

NAME: Elberta Farmers Co-op

LOCATION: 13320 Main St., Elberta

CLAIM TO FAME: Oldest full-service farm center in Baldwin County

MORE INFO: elbertacoop.com, 251-986-8104