Nortana Grain Co. To Take Part in Co-op Day At The Fair

Thursday, Aug. 4, is Co-op Day at the Richland County Fair and Rodeo. A single day dedicated to the co-ops in the area.

Not only will banners be hanging across the promenade, but there will also be treats and fellowship. Seven co-ops will participate this year. They are Mid-Rivers, Horizon Resources, LYREC, Northwest Farm Credit Services, Richland Federal Credit Union, Western Choice Cooperative, and Nortana Grain Co. There will be a tent between the Boy Scouts and the Rangers Hockey booth with representatives from each of the co-ops. They will be serving popsicles from noon until gone and then root beer floats from 4-6 p.m. or gone, whichever comes first. The representatives will be there throughout the day to get word of their co-ops out there, make contact with members, and the community in general. The seven co-ops split the cost of the ice cream and root beer. The treats will be offered for free to the public. Jami Propp, LYREC member service manager, said "We are looking forward to seeing the community members, smiling faces while they enjoy their refreshing treats compliments of their local co-ops!"

Nortana Grain Co. is just one of the co-ops. They have been in business for 83 years, serving the farmers and ranchers of Richland County since 1939. Nortana Grain Co. has been part of Co-op days for around 20 years after someone from the fair office contacted them. They have four stores, two of them in Sidney, one in Lambert, and the other in Culbertson. This is a busy time of year for them, with harvest beginning for some crops and just around the corner for others. They have seed, fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides for farmers. For ranchers, there are several different products for use with cattle, horses, swine, sheep, and poultry. Shane Keller said of the fair booth, "It is a nice thing to do for the community, visit with customers, and good advertising."