At Sunrise Cooperative, the main goal is to ensure its member-owners are successful and profitable. Every decision made is based on the customers’ needs.
“We’re here to help the grower day in and day out. That really separates us from all other competitors,” said Jeff Goodbar, vice president of company culture at Sunrise Cooperative. “All of our divisions work together. Every agronomy solution adviser, every energy solution adviser, every grain solution adviser that we have — all focus on making sure the grower is successful.”
Concentrated in central Ohio, Sunrise Cooperative has key locations from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Goodbar grew up on a small farm near the South Charleston location before attending Ohio State University, initially to be an engineer.
“At that time, no one encouraged anybody to come back into agriculture,” Goodbar said. “But I changed my direction my junior year because I just had a passion for agriculture. When you’re in the community, when it’s in your blood, it’s just something you’re passionate about.”
The team at Sunrise Cooperative lives by the rule that it isn’t successful unless the member-owners are successful. The team strives for long-term success because, as Goodbar said, farming is an infinite game that is carried through generations.
“It goes well past me; it goes well past our customers now. So true success for us is making sure that it is long-term success for the grower,” Goodbar said. “It’s not just about inputs, but how do they market their grain? What risk management tools do we have that can help? It’s about playing the long game.”
Margins and Mother Nature
Goodbar noted two concerns for the cooperative’s member-owners are tight margins and Mother Nature.
“Profitability is going to be challenging. I think that most of our farmers would say that’s their biggest concern going into this year,” Goodbar said. “Mother Nature can always throw a wrench into things. What does spring look like? That’s probably second on their mind.”
Much happens before it happens
The team at Sunrise Cooperative helps growers plan ahead by looking at what weed issues growers may have. Making early applications of residuals targeted to the weed spectrum is important, and then layering residuals in postemergence applications strengthens a grower’s weed control program. Goodbar noted it’s best also to have a marketing plan in place and to be proactive. That forward-looking principle is showcased in one of the cooperative’s 24 anchor statements: Much happens before it happens.
“Spring will come. It always comes. But we needed to make sure that much happened before then, and so we planned,” Goodbar said. “That started at prepay when we determined what the grower’s crop nutrient and chemical needs might be. All that planning was done probably at the end of December, beginning of January.”
Goodbar explained the cooperative’s team and the growers map out how they plan to go from field to field if everything goes ideally for them. They know they may have to pivot due to weather and other circumstances, but the initial plan has been made so when it’s time to be in the field, they can be as efficient as possible to get across every acre in a timely manner.
“Our customers are why we exist,” Goodbar said. “We offer team-based solutions across multiple divisions, including agronomy, grain and energy. Our divisions work together as a team with each grower. Because we work so well together, we can listen better to our customers, answering more of their needs.”
Sunrise Cooperative also has a nationally recognized precision ag department. In addition to its own crop protection offerings through progressive crop technology or PCT | Sunrise, the cooperative has a long-standing relationship with Corteva Agriscience that helps Sunrise Cooperative prepare for what its member-owners may need throughout the season. With crop protection solutions, including Resicore® REV and Enlist One® herbicides, Corteva provides weed control options customers need to control tough broadleaf and grass weeds. Goodbar said the cooperative also uses N-Serve® nitrogen stabilizer with many of its anhydrous applications.
“We know that this is a people business, and we want to make sure we have good people on our staff to take care of our customers,” Goodbar said. “We’ve always felt like Corteva has really good people to help take care of us, which in turn takes care of our growers.”
To hear more of the story about Sunrise Cooperative and Corteva Agriscience, visit Corteva.us/TurnrowTalk.
LEGALS:
™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Enlist One® and Enlist Duo® herbicides are not registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your area. Enlist One herbicide is the only 2,4-D product authorized for use in Enlist crops. Enlist One is not registered in all states or counties. Resicore® REV is not registered for sale or use in all states. Resicore REV is not available for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties in the state of New York. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Do not fall-apply anhydrous ammonia south of Highway 16 in the state of Illinois. Always read and follow label directions. ©2026 Corteva. 035976 BR (04/26) CAAG26CPRO01285
