Cooper Farms celebrates 85 years as a family owned and operated farm and food company in 2023. It has grown from a small turkey hatchery started in 1938 to a diversified, vertically integrated turkey, hog and egg company that has stood the test of time in an ever-changing industry. Cooper Farms prides itself on forming lasting customer relationships and producing the highest quality meat and egg products for private label retail and foodservice companies.
Our History Snapshot
1930s
The 1930s; this is where it all began for Cooper Farms. Virgil Cooper began raising about 300 turkeys with his mother. In 1939, Virgil Cooper married Virginia Rockey.
History
1940s
In the '40s, the flock had grown to 10,000 turkeys per year. Virgil & Virginia purchased their first hatchery in Oakwood, Ohio. With their increased flock size, no one hatchery was able to supply the Coopers with the number of poults they needed. Virgil’s brother, Ralph, came from being a manager of a Sears store in Indiana to partner with Virgil. Because Ralph was good at selling appliances, the two decided to expand the business. Not only was their store in Oakwood a hatchery, but they began also selling appliances, furniture and household goods. After overgrowing the original building in town, the Coopers began construction at the family farm north of Oakwood, on what was to be the first phase of a new hatchery.
History
1950s
The Coopers made the first expansion on their turkey hatchery and continued to expand it until 1969, when they built a whole new hatchery.
History
1960s
An 18,000 square foot barn for hens was built at what is now Apple Creek. This location remains in use today as a tom farm and is the origin of the barn and windmill seen in the logo. This was one of the first remote egg producing farms owned by the company. Cooper Farms also added more hatchery space in response to the need for more incubator and hatcher capacity.
History
