Farmers Union and CHS, Inc.
1844 - First Co-op Store opens in Rochdale England
1902 - Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America (Farmers Union) forms
1908 - Equity Cooperative Exchange begins
1923 - National Producers Alliance formed
1926 - Farmers Union Terminal Association formed and led to development of Farmers Union Exchange
1927 - Charles C. Talbott elected president of North Dakota Farmers Union (1927-1937)
1931 - Charles C. Talbott elected president of Farmers Union Exchange (1931-1937)
1931 - Farmers Union Exchange becomes Farmers Union Central Exchange
1935 - Co-op Tractor distributed
1938 - Farmers Union Grain Terminal Association opens
1943 - First refinery of Farmers Union Central Exchange; Laurel, Montana
1956 - Introduced Soil Service Centers
1966 - Farmers Union Central Exchange ranks fourth among the top 500 companies in the U.S. in sales per employee
1971 - Farmers Union Central Exchange sales exceed $200 million in one year
1972 - Farmers Union Central Exchange becomes CENEX
1983 - Farmers Union Grain Terminal Association and North Pacific Grain Growers merge to form Harvest States Cooperatives
1998 - Harvest States combines with CENEX to form CHS, Inc.

From the very beginning of these United States, cooperative enterprises have been an important factor in the life and livelihood of its farmers. Co-ops have helped shape the character, the economics and the social and political life of the state.

Cooperatives have been instrumental in developing leadership and leadership skills which often have been recognized and utilized by other organizations in the community, state and nation.

While cooperatives have successfully met many obstacles, new challenges are constantly before them.

With these many changes in the economic and social conditions of a given time period, the basic cooperative movement will continue as long as there is a need to be filled and co-op members are willing to work together toward reaching their objectives.

The First Cooperative
The cooperative movement began October 24, 1844, when a group of 28 laborers

The Farmers Alliance
In America, the farmers of the Midwest were also struggling to survive on the land.

The Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America
The Farmers Alliance movement spread from Texas through the Midwest,

The Equity Exchange
By 1908, Farmers Union had shifted its philosophy on becoming a more efficient cooperative supply operation

Farmers Union Terminal Association
In 1923, using an Equity concept, the National Producers Alliance was formed

Charles C. Talbott
Charles C. Talbott had now migrated from his farm in Missouri to the new land of opportunity, North Dakota.

Farmers Union Exchange
The board members of the Farmers Union Terminal Association wanted a buying organization through which Farmers Union members could serve themselves and save money.

Farmers Union Central Exchange
Due to the rapid increase of bulk stations in North Dakota, the Farmers Union Exchange separated itself from the Farmers Union Terminal Association.

Big Enough
The Farmers Union Central Exchange emerged from educating farmers about the benefits of supporting local cooperatives

CENEX Logo Created
In 1972, Farmers Union Central Exchange was faced with a difficult decision of modifying the company’s identification.

The Creation of CHS
In 1983, the Farmers Union Grain Terminal Association

The Partnership
Today, Farmers Union and CHS partner together with local cooperatives