Plummer Co-op Creamery Association dissolved after 127 years - now Red River Ag Convenience

A major business in Plummer has decided to dissolve the cooperative after 127 years in business. But not all is lost in this small community. The next door neighbor, Red River Ag, purchased the business and took possession of the business in the beginning of 2018.

The Plummer Co-op Creamery was stared in 1890, before Plummer was even in existance. Its original orgainization formed by local farmers was called the Emardville Creamery  Association. They built a creamery building near the Gilbertson Bridge. In 1904 the building was moved to a site on Central Avenue in the new town of Plummer.

Emardville Co-op was dissolved and the Plummer Cooperative Creamery Association was formed and a new building was built.

As in all local creameries, butter was a mainstay, and history says that in 1941, the Plummer Co-op Creamery had a banner year, producing 400,000 pounds of butter. The creamery stopped producing butter in 1974.

In 1945 the Creamery began handling milk and began picking up bulk milk in 1962.   In the 1970's, trucks and feed buildings were added and a fertilizer plant was constructed  along Highway 59. 

The late 70's the association constructed a new ag service building next the the fertilizer plant and also added a petroleum department with propane added in 1982. 

By the nineties, they had added a bulk feed blending facility and began bulk feed delivery to their customers.

Other changes over the years included moving the fuel storage buildings to make way for a new gas station. But also other parts of the business were discontinued with the bulk milk hauling ending, which also brought about the last year of it's Grade B milk patrons.

Some additions in recent years included a new petroleum bulk plant built south of the ag service building and the Co-op Creamery started selling groceries when the only Plummer grocery store closed. 

The Creamery marked milk until the end of 2016, when its three remaining dairy farmers transferred to Land O'Lakes.

This past November, the shareholders voted to disolve the cooperative. 

Looking to the future of the new addition to Red River Ag is bright and they plan to continue serving the community.