GreenStar Cooperative, Inc. is a company that has evolved from the vision of many apple and peach growers in the Salem, Ohio area in the early 20th century. Growers in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, and other adjacent counties needed a place to store their apples long term. They were also looking for a way to pool their resources to buy fertilizer and other products to grow their crops more economically then they had been individually. After much discussion, in 1937 they formed a cooperative, and called it Salem Fruit Growers Cooperative Association.
That vision of buying cooperatively, and operating a commercial storage facility to supply apples to the local communities, still lives today. And along with fruit growers, the needs of vegetable growers in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania have been served for over 84 years.
In 1996 we purchased Farm Markets of Ohio from the Ohio Farm Bureau. Now called the Farm Markets division of GreenStar, we wholesale quality food products such as preserves and fruit butters, baking mixes, old fashioned candies, snacks, and sodas to farm markets and country stores.
Our Turf division works with schools, baseball and softball associations, parks and recreation departments, golf courses and lawn care specialists, providing them with the tools, chemicals, and fertilizers they need.
On December 1, 2007 the members of the cooperative voted to change our name to GreenStar Cooperative, Inc. so that our name would more accurately reflect the diversification that has occurred over the years.
We invite you to explore the rest of our site to learn more about who we are and what we do.