As the land was cleared, farms were needed to feed the growing population working in the forest and the sawmills. When the lumber ran out, farmers took advantage of cheap land with rich soils and the railroads were put in place to ship lumber. Farmers started growing fruits, vegetables, and grains, and raising livestock to process and ship to the growing cities in Michigan. By 1884, Fremont was the agricultural center of Newaygo County.

A rapidly growing town with a stave mill, a handle factory, a heading mill, three shingle mills, the Darling-Milling company, and the tannery of D Gerber and sons. In November of 1900, C. H. Marafield and H. T. Babbot organized the Fremont Canning Company with Joseph Gerber on the board of directors. The need for local production of fruits and vegetables increased as the cannery grew. In 1912, the Fremont Co-op was formed to meet the growing needs of area farmers.

After building a warehouse for $7000, the Co-op opened their doors charging 2 cents a bushel to store potatoes. The Co-op would see many changes over the next 85 years. The name would become the Fremont Co-operative Produce Co. in 1917, when marketing apples and potatoes was the main business. In 1930, the basement would become the Elhart Hatchery. In 1947, Michigan Farm Bureau Services would assume management of the Co-op.

The 50s saw hard times and John McLaufflin was brought in as manager. He sold off the machinery business, expanded the fertilizer sales, started offering custom application and bought the first bulk feeding truck. The 60s brought DeKalb seed corn and expansion of the facility. Under the direction of Howard Boerman, the Co-op flourished through the 70s, switching to Pioneer seed, expanding the grain handling capabilities and joining the Countrymark Co-operative in 1985.

Today the Fremont Co-op has hundreds of members, a Hart office and offers Croplan seed, bulk fertilizer, custom chemical application, farm supplies, grain marketing and bulk feed delivery to livestock operations in 3 counties. For 94 years the Fremont Co-op has changed with the needs of area farmers and is proud to be a part of the agricultural community. It is our desire to facilitate agricultural progress in our communities by offering the best services and products at competitive prices.

The Co-op spirit keeps you face to face with professionals who understand your needs and offers the resources that aid in your production. Also, residential customers will find our selection of garden and pet products a welcome part of our farm stores. Be sure to visit Fremont Co-op soon, or if you live in the Hart area, stop in at Hart Co-op.