To gain voting membership, producers must purchase at least $25,000 of ag-based products (ex: feed, agronomy, seed, propane for corn dryers, etc.) in a fiscal year. Voting members/producers shall mean and include people (natural or corporate) actually engaged (at risk) in the production of any one or more agricultural products, including tenants of land used for the production of any such product, and lessors of such land who received as rent, therefore part of any such product of such land, and cooperative associations (corporate or otherwise) of such producers. United Cooperative’s Board of Directors approves all voting memberships.

All members who purchase qualifying non ag-based products or services on an annual basis from United Cooperative have a non-voting membership and are classified as a non-producer. Non-voting memberships shall be an owner of equity credits to the same extent that any person is entitled to own equities in United Cooperative according to its bylaws, but a non-voting member shall not possess any voting rights in the affairs of the cooperative.

To be considered an active member, all non-voting members must purchase at least $1,000 worth of products (ex: feed, agronomy, seed, propane, convenience store purchases, etc.) in the previous calendar year. Non-active membership is considered any purchases totaling less than $1,000 in the previous calendar year.

A patronage refund is a return of the savings (profit) of a cooperative to its patrons.

We keep track of your purchases from the cooperative during the course of the year. At the end of the year (in our case, Dec. 31), any savings (profit) obtained through operations is returned to the patrons based upon the refund rate.

The refund rate is the distributable savings (profit) divided by the applicable sales. This rate is then multiplied by your purchases to obtain your refund. Patronage is also paid on grain-bushel purchases from customers, grain drying, and grain storage.

Patronage refunds are paid in two ways. You receive a check for approximately 40 percent of the refund. The other 60 percent is paid in the form of equity credits. This portion finances the cooperative’s operations. They also may be paid out through our estate program, equity revolvement program, or according to a specific age of 77 or older.

The estate of any deceased United Cooperative member must submit an application by the appointed estate’s personal representative and provide United Cooperative with that member’s death certificate in order to have their remaining equity credits paid out. Immediately upon board approval, their estate could be paid out in the form of cash. 

United Cooperative members reaching the age of 77-years-old must submit an application and provide United Cooperative with at least one form of proof of age (i.e. driver license, birth certificate) in order to have their equity credits paid back to them in the form of cash. All qualifying members wishing to cash in their equity credits must complete an application sometime after turning 77 years of age. Immediately upon board approval, their equity credits could be paid out in the form of cash.