MORGAN — Two southwest Minnesota agriculture cooperatives announced last week plans to join together.

Representatives of Farmward Cooperative and Ag Plus Cooperative said Friday that the two co-ops intend to unify, following approval from both organizations’ boards.

The unified cooperative will operate under the Farmward name, a news release said.

“This unification is about creating long-term benefits for the people and communities we serve,” said Farmward Cooperative Board President Dave Kadlec. “Farmward and Ag Plus share deeply rooted values – putting customers first, supporting employees, and keeping our rural communities strong.”

Ag Plus Cooperative Board President Eddie De Langhe also said the partnership was about doing what was best for co-op members. “Farmward aligns with Ag Plus in values and geography, while also bringing meaningful financial strength,” De Langhe said in a news release. “Unifying gives our patrons more stability, more opportunity and more value for their equity. It’s a smart step forward for our cooperative.”

Farmward Cooperative was created in 2017, with the merger of Harvest Land and Co-op Country Farmers Elevator. Equity Elevator and Trading Co. joined Farmward in 2018, according to the cooperative’s website. Headquartered in Morgan, Farmward has offices, grain elevators, and other sites in communities in Redwood, Yellow Medicine, Renville and Kandiyohi Counties.

Farmward offers products and services like grain handling, agronomy services, feed, and bulk energy products like propane and refined fuels. The cooperative also has subsidiary companies, AgQuest Financial Services and Northland Capital.

Ag Plus Cooperative was formed in 2019, through a merger of Farmers Cooperative Association, Lyon County Farm Service and Prairie Pride Cooperative. Ag Plus is headquartered in Marshall, and offers products and services like agronomy services, bulk fuels and automotive repair, the Ag Plus website said. Ag Plus has locations in Lincoln, Lyon, Yellow Medicine and Murray Counties. The cooperative also has convenience stores in Canby, Ghent, Marshall, Minneota and Slayton.

In Friday’s news release, Farmward spokespeople said unifying with Ag Plus would focus on enhancing services and product offerings, instead of making major operational changes.

Additional details of the unification, including roundtable meeting dates for producers and voting instructions, will be shared as soon as they are finalized, Friday’s news release said. More information is available online at farmward.net and agpluscoop.com.