The Cocke Farmers Cooperative and Sevier Farmers Cooperative recently merged to form the Smoky Mountain Cooperative, according to the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative (TFC), LaVergne, Tenn. The co-op is now headquartered in Sevierville, and will include existing locations in Newport, Morristown, and White Pine, Tenn., as well as Waynesville, N.C.
Both co-ops have been facing the decline of the tobacco and dairy industries, with Sevier seeing higher land prices due to the growing tourist industry near the mountains. The new co-op, which is one of the owners of TFC, has annual revenues of approximately $25 million.
The new board will initially have nine members, with four from Cocke and five from Sevier. After a two-year term there will be no such restrictions. Smoky Mountain has 2,256 members, with 1,232 from Cocke and 1,204 from Sevier.