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Turnrow Talk: Relationships grow results at Sunrise Cooperative
Turnrow Talk: Serving member-owners is its purpose
Travel with us to South Charleston, Ohio, where Jeff Goodbar explains how Sunrise Cooperative: puts growers first; aligns four divisions around farmer success; and builds long-term partnerships, including this member-owned cooperative’s relationship with Corteva Agriscience.
Turnrow Talk: Serving member-owners is its purpose
Travel with us to South Charleston, Ohio, where Jeff Goodbar explains how Sunrise Cooperative: puts growers first; aligns four divisions around farmer success; and builds long-term partnerships, including this member-owned cooperative’s relationship with Corteva Agriscience.
“Sunrise is a member‑owned cooperative serving farmers across central Ohio. It exists solely to support growers who are both our customers and owners of the cooperative,” says Jeff Goodbar, vice president of company culture, Sunrise Cooperative. “Farming is a long game, and we are here to help our customers win the game.”
That distinction shapes how the organization operates, plans and invests in its people. Every recommendation, service and decision begins with an understanding that when the farmer wins, the cooperative wins.
Three divisions unite with a singular approach
That mindset is reflected in how Sunrise Cooperative’s three divisions — agronomy, grain and energy — work together. Rather than functioning as four separate divisions, the cooperative relies on a highly connected, team‑based approach.
“At Sunrise, planning for the growing season is one of the best examples of how relationships translate into success for our member growers,” Goodbar said. “We work to have early conversations with growers — way before spring fieldwork begins — to map out nutrient needs, crop protection programs, weed control strategies and application timing.
“And crop input planning doesn’t happen in isolation. We work together to consider how the grower markets grain. How can we help them manage risk? What products do we offer that can lower costs by helping utilize the nutrients already in the soil? Because our advisors from each area work together as a team with the farmer, we’re better in tune with their needs across their operation. Together, we’re better able to meet those needs.”
By planning early and identifying weed spectrums ahead of time, the agronomy teams build layered residual programs and plan postemergence applications well before equipment rolls. That proactive approach helps the cooperative and growers stay efficient during narrow planting and spraying windows and planning reduces pressure when weather inevitably disrupts those plans.
Internally, those same relationships drive coordination.
“Our agronomy advisers communicate continuously with applicators, energy teams and grain specialists, so operations run smoothly once the season begins. Everyone understands their role in supporting the grower, and everyone understands why it matters,” Goodbar said.
Building a team that knows why relationships matter
Sunrise Cooperative’s long-view philosophy of helping farmer‑owners succeed is also paramount to its approach when investing in people and developing its team.
A wave of upcoming retirements and a shortage of skilled talent prompted the cooperative to intentionally invest in its future. It began recruiting and developing young people who share the organization’s values, offering career paths aligned with their interests and strengths.
A cornerstone of that strategy is the RISE (Recruiting Innovative Sunrise Employees) FFA Career Program that launched in 2020 through a partnership with the Ohio chapter of the National FFA Organization. The program brings motivated high school graduates directly into full‑time roles at Sunrise Cooperative, placing them on a four‑year path designed to develop both technical skills and leadership ability. Participants rotate through multiple divisions of the cooperative, gaining firsthand experience in agronomy, grain and energy.
Just as important as what they learn is how they learn it. From Day 1, RISE participants are immersed in the cooperative’s culture.
“The reason we exist is to take care of our member-owners. That goal is the foundation of our culture,” Goodbar explained. “We want everyone within the organization, from CEO to the person delivering fertilizer, to understand that everything we do leads to the success of that member-owner.”
By understanding the “why” behind decisions — not just the tasks themselves — participants develop a deeper commitment to the organization and its mission.
As the program progresses, participants transition into roles that align with both their interests and Sunrise Cooperative’s long‑term needs. The result is a pipeline of employees who not only understand the technical aspects of agriculture but also appreciate the responsibility that comes with serving farmer‑owners. Many of these individuals are poised to become future leaders, ensuring continuity of culture and values as the cooperative evolves.
Supplier relationships strengthen farmer support
The relationships Sunrise Cooperative advisors have with growers are made stronger through the cooperative’s long‑standing partnerships with trusted suppliers, including Corteva Agriscience.
Through that partnership, Sunrise Cooperative gains early insight into new crop protection technologies, agronomic tools and stewardship practices that help growers be ready for the season and pivot with changing conditions.
“At the end of the day, this is a people‑driven business, so having the right team really matters,” Goodbar said. “We’ve always felt like Corteva has great people who take care of us, and that helps us better take care of our growers. When our growers win, we win.”
To hear more about the teamwork of Sunrise Cooperative and Corteva Agriscience, visit Corteva.us/TurnrowTalk.
Turnrow Talk: Sunrise Cooperative
Jeff Goodbar, vice president of company culture, Sunrise Cooperative, explains the organization’s focus on grower success.