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FSC Celebrates National FFA Week!

Happy National FFA Week!

Future Farmers of America (FFA) is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education at the junior high and high school levels.

I know firsthand the benefits that FFA provides its members. During my teen years at Morro Bay High School, I was fortunate to lead the organization at the local, regional, and state levels. The relationship building, leadership growth, and industry exposure are invaluable to me still today as the leader of our cooperative. I consider it a privilege and honor to give back to this organization.

One of Farm Supply’s core values is that we are rooted in our community. We build relationships with our community because we care about those we serve. Supporting our local FFA members in their leadership journey is one of our favorite ways to give back. Our team serves on advisory boards for our local agriculture departments, volunteers to judge contests, donates to fundraisers, and participates in educational events. We sponsor the State FFA Finals at Cal Poly every May. We provide a supplies booth, organize Quiz Jam, and purchase animals at the auctions at both the Santa Barbara County and Mid-State Fairs.

If you are not familiar with FFA I encourage you to go to https://www.calaged.org/ to learn more. Better yet, do you know an FFA member? Ask them about their experience. Or reach out to me, I LOVE talking FFA.

With gratitude & appreciation,

Cara M. Wright

President/CEO

Farm Supply Company

cwright@farmsupplycompany.com

(805)540-6109

Vicki Federico – Strathmore FFA

Tom Thompson – Santa Maria FFA

Cara Wright – Morro Bay FFA

Tyler Arebalo – Templeton FFA

Vinny Flores – Righetti FFA

Samantha Farao – Nipomo FFA

Kaylee Brooks – Exeter FFA

Sydney Cusick – San Luis Obispo FFA

Sam Cusick – San Luis Obispo FFA

Mia Jess – San Luis Obispo FFA

Erin Garnsey – San Luis Obispo FFA

Allison Wahlig- Nipomo FFA

2023 Chick List

Visit a FSC store nearest you for more information about raising backyard chickens.

Chicks are sold on a first come, first served basis. No holds! Breeds and dates subject to hatchery availability and delivery schedules. No guarantee on sexed chicks. We do not accept returns on poultry.

Below you will find a list of breeds arriving weekly at each FSC location.
For any questions, please contact Farm Supply and ask to speak with one of our poultry experts.

San Luis Obispo Chick List 2023

Santa Maria Chick List 2023

17th Annual Great Pumpkin Contest

Entry Forms Now Available. Deadline to enter is Tuesday, October 18th at 5pm. Please fill out entry form and return by email to kbrooks@farmsupplycompany.com

Great Pumpkin Contest Entry Form

2022 Quiz Jam Champions!

Santa Barbara County Fair:

Mid State Fair:

A Message of Gratitude from our CEO!

As we enter the holiday season there is a universal sentiment of gratitude that reveals itself year after year. On behalf of Farm Supply, I want to express our gratitude for your continued support.
As your local farmer-owned cooperative for over 70 years, we are grateful for our members, customers, and community, 365 days of the year, not just during the holidays.
Expressing gratitude has never been more important than during the past year and a half as we have navigated a pandemic together. Gratitude has shown up in so many ways, big and small. From seeing family that you have not seen in months or a year, to kids going back to school or the ball field, to waking up each morning and not taking good health for granted.
At Farm Supply, we continue to be grateful that our mission to provide exceptional customer service and quality products has been sustainable throughout the pandemic. Our doors have remained open to assist you with your home, farm, and ranch projects.
Like many other businesses, we continue to face challenges like supply shortages, staffing, and freight rates and delays. Although we cannot control these challenges, we focus on what we can control.
We open our doors every day to meet you with a friendly face and welcoming smile. We are excited to see you, your family, your dog, friends, and neighbors. We do our best to provide you with the product and service you are looking for. We stay committed to supporting this community we love so much, specifically supporting our young leaders in agriculture in 4-H, FFA, Allan Hancock, Cuesta College, and Cal Poly. Most importantly, we remain grateful for working and living on the Central Coast, a place we are all so proud to call home!
We are thankful that you choose to shop with us. You are not just our members and customers: you are our friends. As a 25-year employee of Farm Supply, so many of you are family and I am personally so grateful for that gift. I look forward to seeing you in one of our stores soon.

Happy Holidays!

With gratitude & appreciation,
Cara M. CryePresident

CEO Farm Supply Company

ccrye@farmsupplycompany.com

(805)540-6109

Support Your Local Ag Co-op

Farm Supply is an ag co-op, owned by over 2,300 members of our local agricultural community. Are you interested in becoming a member or want to learn more about how to support your local ag co-op? October is National Co-op Month, so now is a great time!

To be eligible for membership in our cooperative, you must be an agricultural producer—more specifically, you must have income derived from an ag product or commodity. Membership applications are available at all Farm Supply locations. If your application is approved by the Farm Supply Board of Directors, you’ll become a lifelong member of our cooperative as long as you retain your agricultural production status and continue to purchase products at any of our five locations.

Farm Supply is deeply rooted in the communities that we serve, and that includes educational clinics, community events, and donations to youth and agricultural programs. And as an ag co-op, we have a unique opportunity to give back to our local agricultural community through patronage dividends. Based on Farm Supply profits, dividends are declared annually for members with annual purchases of $1,000 or more. For 2020, the member return rate was 5.81%—the highest in Farm Supply’s history! We invested a record $350,000 back into our agricultural community. After a particularly challenging year, we were honored to be able to support our members.

You don’t have to be a member or ag producer to shop at Farm Supply. From irrigation equipment to pet supplies to clothing and home décor, Farm Supply has something for the farmer in everyone! And every dollar spent at Farm Supply is an investment back into our local agricultural community. By shopping at Farm Supply, you are supporting your local farmers, ranchers, and ag producers.  

Interested in learning more? Stop by one of our stores or give us a call!

Happy National Cooperative Month!

October is National Co-op Month! Farm Supply is proud to be a local agricultural cooperative with over 2,300 members.

For the past 70 years, Farm Supply has been driven by the passion and commitment of the Central Coast agricultural community, and that continues all the way through to our business model. Being an ag cooperative means that Farm Supply is owned by its members—our family of farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers primarily located within San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.

Customers can apply for membership and, if eligible and approved by the Farm Supply Board of Directors, can become a member of Farm Supply. It’s a lifetime membership and connection to our stores, as long as the member remains in agricultural production and continues to shop at any of our five locations.

One of the most unique and beneficial aspects of a co-op is that members share in the company’s profits through patronage dividends. For Farm Supply, that means every dollar spent is an investment back into our local agricultural community. Support from our members and customers is what powers us to give back. In 2021, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, we were proudly able to return more than $350,000 in dividends to our local ag community.

Farm Supply is one of more than 40,000 cooperatives of all types throughout America, supporting jobs that provide more than $25 billion in wages. Farming cooperatives, in particular, are making huge waves in the agricultural industry, as they directly employ 187,000 Americans in more than 8,000 locations, with a record $44.4 billion in farmer-member equity. That equity is why the cooperative model is so important to us—it means our farming community, which inspires our Farm Supply team every day, plays a crucial part in driving our business forward.

From irrigation equipment to pet supplies to clothing and home décor, Farm Supply has something for the farmer in everyone! So, whether you need to pick up farm, ranch, or home supplies, stop by Farm Supply this October and celebrate National Co-op Month with us.

16th Annual Central Coast Great Pumpkin Contest

Monster Gourds and A Monster Good Time!

Join us virtually Thursday, October 21st for the 16th Annual Great Pumpkin Contest. Don’t miss out on the giant gourds, giveaways, tractors, and more! Tune in via Facebook Live on October 21st from 5:00-7:00pm and be a part of all the fun!

To enter the contest be sure to fill out our entry form by Tuesday, October 19th by 5:00 PM. Completed entry forms can be dropped off at any Farm Supply Company store near you or emailed to kbrooks@farmsupplycompany.com!

2021 California Mid-State and Santa Barbara County Fairs

Farm Supply Returned to 2021 California Mid-State and Santa Barbara County Fairs in Support and Celebration of Youth in Agriculture!

Farm Supply was thrilled to celebrate the Central Coast’s youth agriculture communities with Quiz Jam Daily at this year’s modified California Mid-State Fair, held July 21-August 1, 2021.

Quiz Jam has been a beloved staple at this annual event, running at the Mid-State Fair for 22 years and at the Santa Barbara County Fair for six years. This year’s event brought together more than 200 4-H and FFA members, parents, and leaders to compete in a series of agricultural-themed challenges. The goal of these small events was to tests the kids’ knowledge and skills, while also getting their hands dirty with real-life experiences.

“My favorite thing about the California Mid-State Fair is the sense of community between the livestock kids and the local agriculture industry,” said Bella Marden, who just finished up her 10^th and final year showing at the Fair as a member of the Future Farmers of America. “It was awesome to have Quiz Jam back and open kids’ eyes to all the things you do throughout your agriculture career.”

Attendees participated in a daily Quiz Jam event, with each day bringing unique prizes and challenges. Events included trivia with Farmer Jake, roping “steers,” pin the tail on the heifer, a tire and oil changing station with J.B Dewar Tractor Restoration Program, educational trivia about the 2019 SLO County Crop report, and more. These daily activities were possible due to partnerships with Nutrena, JB Dewar, Poor Richard’s Press, and Sunglo.

For the second year in a row, Farm Supply contributed to the James W. Brabeck Youth Legacy Fund Buyer’s Coalition to support Mid-State fair livestock exhibitors at the auction. Farm Supply also supported the Mid-State Fair’s Cattlemen’s and Farmer’s Day, which is one of the most beloved events at the fair.

Additionally, Farm Supply sponsored the Livestock Virtual Show and Auction at the 2021 Santa Barbara County Fair and supported more than 50 livestock exhibitors selling at the auction in partnership with Nutrena.

“I just celebrated over 30 years at this amazing agricultural cooperative,” said Susan Hayes, Paso Robles store manager. “One of my favorite things about Farm Supply is our support and involvement in the community, particularly the agricultural community.”

Farm Supply looks forward to returning to the fairs in 2022 in support of youth agriculture with all-new and exciting events. Farm Supply is passionate about investing in the future of agriculture and was proud to go above and beyond in showing support and providing lighthearted fun after a, particularly challenging year.

“Farm Supply is so important to the SLO agricultural community,” said Marden. “They give kids great connections and show a true sense of community. They really care.”

Farm Supply Co-Op Dividends

Farm Supply Gives Back Over $350,000 to Local Ag Community

in Gratitude for Loyal Patronage

In celebration of its dedicated customers and strong sales despite the challenges of 2020, Farm Supply Company has distributed over $350,000 in patronage dividends to its loyal members.

As an agricultural cooperative, the profits of Farm Supply are returned to its members through annual patronage dividends. Member return rate for 2020 was 5.81% — the highest in Farm Supply’s history. Farm Supply’s almost 2,500 members are all agricultural producers, most of whom live and operate right here on the Central Coast. Members include ranchers, farmers, and vintners.

In a typical year, Farm Supply pays out 30% of the patronage dividend and the remaining balance is paid out as a revolving fund in future years. For the 2020 dividend, the Farm Supply Board of Directors approved a 40% cash payout in acknowledgment of the challenges faced by our local agricultural community through the ongoing pandemic. The cash portion of the 2020 dividend is $174,000. Combined with Farm Supply’s revolving fund of $184,000, that’s more than $350,000 directly invested into the company’s members and the Central Coast’s agricultural community.

“We do not take for granted how lucky we are to be considered an essential business,” said Cara M. Crye, President, and CEO of Farm Supply. “We open our doors every day, ready to provide exceptional customer service and quality products to our members and customers. We knew we had to do something special for our members, who made our success amid a global pandemic possible. It’s our way of saying thank you, we’re thinking of you and we’re hoping for brighter days ahead.”

Farm Supply supports its members and local communities throughout the year with educational clinics and special events like the Great Pumpkin Contest. Farm Supply is also involved in programs that promote youth in agriculture and agricultural education including 4-H and FFA, as well as agriculture departments and events for local primary through collegiate schools.