Grainnet

Written by Barb Selyem. Photos by Bruce Selyem

At 112 feet tall, the grain elevator at Central Point is the tallest building in the Rogue River Valley of southwest Oregon. As part of a feed manufacturing operation, it seems a little out of place in the commercial center of a growing urban community. That was not the case, however, in 1947, when the Grange Cooperative Supply Co. built it.

Former Farm Community
According to Tim Higinbotham, feed operations manager, Central Point used to be an agricultural community. Area farmers needing to secure a reliable source of petroleum products founded the cooperative in 1934. The addition of the grain elevator and feed mill 13 years later gave them a stable market for their grain.

In the fall of 1961, a fire destroyed the elevator, but the cooperative rebuilt it in time for the 1962 harvest. The tounge-in-groove work floor is original, but the cribbed tower and all the equipment including bucket elevator, manlift, and feed manufacturing machinery were replaced.

“We regard the rebuilding of the elevator as a symbol of the Grange Coop’s commitment to Oregon’s agriculture,” Higinbotham says.

He continues: “The elevator has 35 commodity bins within the tower that hold about 2,000 tons of various feed products. We have additional storage in other areas of the plant. All feed production including receiving, cleaning, grinding, mixing, pelleting, and rolling occurs on the main floor.

“We continually upgrade our equipment to keep up with demand and quality goals. For example, our steam flaker and pellet mill are CPM units, and our grinder is a Bliss. We still do use the old Clipper cleaner.”

People no longer move to the Rogue River Valley for agriculture. The climate is desirable, and many move there to retire.

With less and less grain grown locally, 95% of the mill’s product comes in by truck or rail. After manufacture, 30% of the feed is sold in bags, while 70% is delivered in bulk throughout western Oregon and northern California by a fleet of company trucks.

“You name it, and we feed it,” says Duane Fields, elevator manager. “We make feed for poultry, hogs, horses, sheep, goats, rabbits, cattle, pets, and even emus. Dairy farmers are some of our biggest customers.”

Influenced by demands from the dairy industry, the company decided five years ago to offer organic products. Since then, its feed business has doubled, and now organic accounts for at least 40% of the total.

Keys to Success
Why has the Grange Coop been so successful, when other competitive businesses have failed?

Higinbotham says: “Our company was built by farmers for the benefit of everyone. It has adapted to community changes and takes pride in good service and knowledgeable, long-tenure employees. We have six modern retail stores that offer our Rogue feeds as well as complimentary products suitable to the surrounding area such as flowers, fertilizer, and lawn and garden supplies.

“We keep the old elevator looking great and in good operating condition, as well. It may not be in the most desirable location, now that city development is squeezing in around it. But we think of it as part of the history of this community, and we’ll be manufacturing feed there for many years to come.”

Barbara and Bruce Selyem are directors of the Country Grain Elevator Historical Society. For more information, contact the society at 406-388-9282; e-mail: bselyem@country-grain-elevator-historical-society.org.

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