Tuscarora Organic Growers (TOG) took root in 1988 when three neighboring organic fruit and vegetable farmers in South Central Pennsylvania came together to share a common problem they each had. They soon discovered that by working together, they could coordinate crop production to complement one another rather than compete. Each could grow for their markets and grow for the co-op. Each grower could focus on crops they do well and purchase produce through the co-op from the other growers. The cooperative form of business fit the farmers’ needs, allowing ownership and market access to be divided fairly and decisions to be made jointly. And through cooperation, the growers were able to serve their customers better, by providing a diversity of crops and a level of service that no one grower could provide on his own.
