Our History
 

The Grain and Feed Association of Illinois is the state-wide trade association for the grain and feed industry. The Association is made up of nearly 275 companies representing over 950 facilities in the State of Illinois and the neighboring states of Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa. Over 90% of the commercial storage space in the State of Illinois is represented by the Grain and Feed Association of Illinois. Membership consists of feed dealers, feed manufacturers, grain brokers, country and terminal grain elevators, truckers, and both corn and soybean processors. The Grain and Feed Association of Illinois is an affiliate of the National Grain and Feed Association and supports the American Feed Industry Association and the Grain Elevator and Processors Society.

With an association history dating back to the 1800's, we have consistently worked to create a business climate that will allow our members to grow and profit. Initial laws passed by the legislators which impacted the grain and feed industry included the 1867 creation of a Grain Inspection Department and an anti-discrimination law in 1871 directed toward warehousemen and railroads.

Grain and feed products are relatively bulky and have low value per unit of product. They are produced seasonally in geographically concentrated areas, but are consumed throughout the world. Consequently, transportation has been the subject of much concern to the grain and feed industry.  In the development of Illinois agriculture in the 20th century, grain movement was from the farm to the country elevator, first by wagon and later by truck.  Most of the movement from the country elevator to the processor or central storage was by railroad. 

There were no government fair trade laws in effect at the turn of the 19^th century.  The business philosophy in the late 1890s was to defend one’s position in the marketplace by any means possible. There were no trade rules and no arbitration.  Because business people did not meet often, it was difficult to know what was happening in the trade.

An 1894 letter written by an elevator operator on the eastern Illinois border reads: 

       “Dealers in the same town were often enemies, bitter rivalry existed, and apparently each one was striving to see how much of his competitor’s business he could secure.  Buyers in the neighboring towns were frequently at war and land situated near two or more markets was more valuable while the farmer who had a farm so located was considered more fortunate.

       Friendly competition was the exception and profits were practically unknown.  Elevator property was badly run down and was not an acceptable risk for insurance nor considered first-class security by money lenders.  But few dealers were acquainted with those engaged in the business in their neighboring towns, and still less had a circle of acquaintances outside of their immediate districts.

       The opportunity for the country dealers and the commission merchants and public receivers to become acquainted was slight, and many shippers were not personally known to men with whom they had been doing business for years.  The social life as related to their brothers in the trade was entirely undeveloped.

       They had but little conception of the mutual and reciprocal relations that should exist between the different branches of the trade.  The evils attached to the business were accepted as a matter of course, and each individual dealer felt himself powerless to successfully combat and overcome them.  They suffered and endured in silence, not knowing their experience was common to all or realizing the influence they would wield as an organized force.”

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