Tennessee Farmers Cooperative

Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC) is recognized as one of the strongest federated farm supply cooperative systems in the nation. TFC is a federated cooperative made up of 52 member cooperatives and 11 associate members throughout Tennessee and neighboring states, with over 70,000 member-owners. Co-op offers quality products in over 164 retail outlets. With feed mills in each of the state's three grand divisions, east, middle, and west, Co-op has developed facilities that allow for the production of rations for multiple species, including swine, dairy cattle, equine, poultry, beef cattle, sheep and goats, and wildlife. Through the years, the feed mills have been expanded, modified, and remodeled as customers' feed demands have changed. The feed mills once produced 75 percent bulk feed, whereas today the plants are producing a 50-50 mix of bagged and bulk feeds for customers across Tennessee and seven adjoining states. "Mills are placed strategically across the state, so we can provide product to our stores and farmer-owners within a 175-mile radius," noted TFC Feed, Home and Fleet Manager Joe Huffine. As Tennessee livestock diversity evolved, so did the TFC feed mills. Dairy, poultry and swine feeds once dominated production, but today beef and equine feeds hold the top spots. In recent years, the Co-op facilities have utilized available capacity to produce feeds for other companies to allow the feed mills to grow their footprint and to become more efficient. Huffine credits the high-quality of Co-ops feed to the research initiative it has with partners at the University of Tennessee and Cooperative Research Farms. "TFC collects data from these research trials that allow continuous improvements to its formulations" said Huffine. Co-op prides themselves on serving everyone including their member-owners for 75 years. With specialists around each corner, Co-op has a solution for every problem from cattle to row crops to backyard gardening. Co-op is for everyone.