Southern States Cooperative

Southern States Cooperative is one of the largest farm supply retail and service cooperatives in the United States. The cooperative serves over 1,200 retail outlets across 21 states, providing a wide range of farm inputs including fertilizer, seed, livestock feed, pet food, animal health supplies, and petroleum products, as well as other items for the farm and home. The cooperative was founded in 1923 as Virginia Seed Service (VSS) when Virginia farmers were unable to buy seed guaranteed to grow in the Commonwealth. About 150 farmers started the company with just $11,000 in capital, two employees and a second-hand typewriter. Today, Southern States has grown to become a multi-billion-dollar agribusiness with over 200,000 farmer-members.