Mt. Angel, OR, Apr. 19, 2021 – Wilco was happy to be part of the limited attendance audience at the Northwest Junior Livestock Show and Sale on April 18, in Puyallup, WA. While bidding also took place online, the livestock gathering was the first sale in 2021 that Wilco staff was able to be on-site and actively participate in-person. 

“One of Wilco’s core values is to be part of the community, and we’re thrilled to see youth events happening again, so we can continue to support the agricultural community and its youth,” said Jake Wilson, Wilco Director of Marketing and eCommerce. “We look forward to being part of many more youth activities this year, all of which help strengthen agriculture and rural lifestyles” he added. 

Wilco bid on several animals at the Northwest Junior Livestock Show and Sale and handed-out buckets to all of the kids participating in the event. Wilco also purchased seven youth project animals, including a steer, the grand champion FFA lamb, the grand champion FFA hog and four other hogs. 

At the end of the week Wilco is also supporting the Oregon Drive Thru Ag Fest event, where they are a ticket outlet for discounted ticket purchases and provide plant boxes to each vehicle as part of the take home items to encourage planting gardens, trees and flowers at home. They also donated animal shelters and a chicken coop to support the new drive-thru format, aimed at helping families experience life on the farm from the comforts of their car. 

“For 34 years Oregon Ag Fest has been educating and showcasing the benefits of agriculture and the important role it plays in our rural communities,” Wilson said. Oregon Ag Fest is taking place at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds and Event Center, April 23-25, and is open to the public from 11am-5pm daily over the three-day festival. 

“Yesterday’s youth livestock auction and this weekend’s Ag Fest event are just the first of two community ag activities we look forward to this spring and summer. It is an exciting time,” says Wilson. 

Wilco is a farmer-owned cooperative, headquartered in Mt. Angel, Oregon, with roots that go back to the 1930’s. Since then, Wilco has evolved into one of the Northwest’s largest agricultural cooperatives, and today serves the unique needs of over 500,000 customers with a farmer-owner base of over 3,000 strong. Wilco’s mission is to strengthen agriculture and rural lifestyles.