Micheal Clements, NAFB News Service

It’s a normal sign of the times, virtual events, but you can add GROWMARK to the list of companies holding their first. The company held a virtual annual meeting Tuesday for more than 1,000 attendees. Normally the GROWMARK Annual Meeting happens every August at the Hilton Chicago, but to comply with Illinois mitigation measures, the decision was made to hold it virtually after the fiscal year closed on August 31. Holding the meeting in December allowed for audited financial results to be presented in full, and also brings an update after the acquisition of certain Southern States Cooperative agronomy and energy assets. Despite the challenges from COVID-19, a devastating derecho storm in key Midwest markets, and energy volatility in the markets, financial performance was respectable with strong earnings from operations. GROWMARK was able to distribute nearly $66 million in patronage distributions to shareholders this year. GROWMARK is an agricultural cooperative serving almost 400,000 customers across North America, Headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois.