Meeker Cooperative

Meeker Cooperative’s year of incorporation alone—1935—suggests it holds a storied history, which the electric co-op delivers on and continues to add to year after year.

The co-op was chosen by the Rural Electric Administration in 1936 to establish an electrified farm to showcase the many benefits of using electricity throughout the home and farm. Co-op member Charles Ness’ farm, which demonstrated 67 different electric appliances, was chosen to represent the northwest part of the country for this demonstration. More than 34,000 visitors from 37 states saw how electricity worked and how it could make their lives easier.

Ever since, the Litchfield, Minnesota-based Meeker Cooperative has continued to provide electric service to homes, farms and unique member businesses in a six-county area that includes 1,163 lakes.  The co-op averages 3.9 members per mile of line with 13% of its membership being seasonal.

Among the co-op’s most famous members? The Darwin Twine Ball Museum, home to the world’s largest ball of twine created by one man.

If you visited the Minnesota State Fair last year, you may have encountered a product from another of Meeker Cooperative’s members: Donnay Dairy’s goat cheese, a topping of the fair’s Best New Food of grilled peaches, along with honey.

The co-op provides reliable electric service to another food-based company in Sparboe, a woman-owned family business that distributes egg products to more than 4 million families every year.

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