The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Dayton farmers now have more options for their agronomy needs.

The Walla Walla Farmers Co-Op has opened an office at 509 Cameron Street, right next door to Columbia County Transportation, on Port of Columbia property. It is its third satellite outside Walla Walla.

The business hosted a luncheon tour for members Tuesday afternoon.

The new location will have just one office employee, but field men will come to farmers out of Walla Walla like they already do, said Co- Op General Manager Mike Potter.

"We already have some growers in the Dayton area we're servicing," he said. "It's a smaller building, but we're hoping it grows."

The Dayton office joins a growing chain of co-op offices in the region including Prescott and Kennewick. The cooperative is headquartered in Walla Walla.

Potter said the Dayton branch will sell chemicals, sprayer parts, oils and other farming needs.

" The field men pretty much live out of their pickups now-a-days, with technology the way it is," he said. "But now we'll have supplies for them in Dayton rather than having them come all the way to Walla Walla to pick them up."

The Walla Walla Farmers Co-Op has been around since 1955. Before that, the group existed as the Walla Walla Grange, or Farm Supply, since 1933, Potter said.

Growers become members simply by purchasing supplies from the co-op. New customers in Dayton would join by placing an order, he said.

The co-op will offer services and products similar to those already provided by the McGregor Company and AgLink, like chemicals and fertilizer, but Potter said the co-op is different in that it's owned by the farmers themselves and also handles fuel, oils, tractors and has a machine shop.

The Dayton office's hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to start.