Case Law Index
Cooperatives

January 1, 2002 - March 1, 2011

This index provides a comprehensive though not necessarily exhaustive compilation of reported and unreported federal and state court decisions involving cooperatives that were decided on or after January 1, 2002. For those cases that have been summarized by the National Agricultural Law Center, a link is provided to the summary. The index will be regularly updated to reflect new judicial developments. The cases are listed in reverse chronological order.

The "Text" link goes to the freely available Google Scholar text of the opinion; the "Summary" link goes to a summary of the opinion written by the National Agricultural Law Center staff.

FIRST CIRCUIT

Sleeper Farms v. Agway, Inc., 506 F.3d 98 (1st Cir. 2007) (confirming arbitration award of damages against cooperative)  Text    |    Summary

Northland Cranberries, Inc. v. Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., 382 F.Supp.2d 221 (D. Mass. 2004) (applicability of the Capper-Volstead Act)      |    Summary

SECOND CIRCUIT

Ice Cream Liquidation, Inc., v. Land O'Lakes, Inc., 253 F.Supp.2d 262 (D. Conn. 2003) (standing)  Text    |    Summary

Ice Cream Liquidation, Inc. v. Land O'Lakes, Inc., 253 F.Supp.2d 262 (D. Conn. 2003) ("filed rate doctrine")  Text    |    Summary

THIRD CIRCUIT

In re Mushroom Direct Purchaser Antitrust Litig., 621 F.Supp.2d 274, 2009 WL838490 (E.D. Pa. 2009) (antitrust violations by cooperative and members)  Text

In re Mushroom Direct Purchaser Antitrust Litig., 514 F.Supp.2d 683 (E.D. Pa. 2007) (antitrust litigation against cooperative and members)  Text

In re Mushroom Direct Purchaser Antitrust Litig., No. 06-CV-0620, 2008 WL 583906 (E.D. Pa. March 3, 2008) (motion to dismiss)  Text

Cloverland-Green Spring Dairies, Inc. v. Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Bd., 462 F.3d 249 (3d Cir. 2006) (over-order premium and dairy farms)  Text    |    Summary

Cochran v. Veneman, 359 F.3d 263 (3d Cir. 2004) (independent producers constitutional rights)  Text    |    Summary

FOURTH CIRCUIT

Maryland And Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Ass'n, Inc. v. Crowell Farms, Inc., 102 Fed.Appx. 267 (4th Cir. 2004) (breach of the marketing agreement)

FIFTH CIRCUIT

Am. Rice, Inc. v. Producer Rice Mill, Inc., 518 F.3d 321 (5th Cir. 2008) (trademark infringement by cooperative)  Text    |    Summary

Lone Star Milk Producers, Inc. v. Litzler, 370 B.R. 671 (B.A.P. 5th Cir. 2007) (express trust for diary farmer)  Text    |    Summary

Nutrasep, LLC v. TOPC Texas LLC, 2006 WL 3063432 (W.D. Tex. 2006) ("know-how" and technology)  Text

SIXTH CIRCUIT

In re Southeastern Milk Antitrust Litigation, No. 2:08-MD-1000, 2010 WL 3083806 (E.D. Tenn. Aug. 4, 2010) (Sherman Act antitrust action against milk cooperative)  Text

Lay v. Burley Stabilization Corp., No. 3:09-CV-252, 2010 WL 2639931 (E.D. Tenn. June 28, 2010) (disgorgement of funds owed by cooperative)  Text

Lay v. Burley Stabilization Corp., No. 07-6419, 2009 WL 361412 (6th Cir. Feb. 12, 2009) (disgorgement of funds owed by cooperative)

In re Se. Milk Antitrust Litg., 555 F.Supp.2d 934 (E.D. Tenn. 2008) (antitrust violations)  Text

United States ex. rel. Fellhoelter v. Valley Milk Products, L.L.C., 617 F.Supp.2d 723 (E.D. Tenn. Jan. 24, 2008) (False Claims Act)  Text

Lay v. Burley Stabilization Corp., No. 3:07-CV-259, 2007 WL 3120800 (E.D. Tenn. Oct. 23, 2007) (dismissing claim for accounting and disbursement of tobacco cooperative)

Rutherford Farmers Coop. v. MTD Consumer Group, Inc., 124 Fed. Appx. 918 (6th Cir. 2005) (inventory repurchase upon the contract's termination)   Summary

United States v. Dairy Farmers of Am., Inc., 426 F.3d 850 (6th Cir. 2005) (violation of Clayton Act)  Text    |    Summary

SEVENTH CIRCUIT

White Eagle Coop Ass'n v. Conner, 553 F.3d 467 (7th Cir. 2009) (challenging federal milk marketing order)  Text

White Eagle Co-op Ass'n v. Johanns, 508 F.Supp.2d 664 (N.D. Ind. 2007) (dismissing review of milk marketing order)  Text

Farmers Bank of Hamburg, Ark. v. U.S. Dep't of Agric., 495 F.3d 559 (8th Cir. 2007) (review of denial of claims by the Rural Business-Cooperative Service)  Text    |    Summary

In re StarLink Corn Products Liability Litigation, 2005 WL 327020 (N.D. Ill. 2005) (non-genetically modified corn)  Text

White Eagle Co-op. Ass'n v. Johanns, 396 F.Supp.2d 954 (N.D. Ind. 2005) (price of milk on an "emergency" basis)  Text

EIGHTH CIRCUIT

Schwartz v. Bayer CropScience, 718 F.Supp.2d 950 (E.D. Ark. 2010) (action by farmers against farming cooperative regarding genetically modified rice)  Text

Farmers Coop. Co. v. Senske & Son Transfer Co., 572 F.3d 492 (8th Cir. 2009) (cooperative's action against truck dealer for violations of Federal Odometer Act)  Text

Corn Plus Coop. v. Cont'l Cas. Co., 516 F.3d 674 (8th Cir. 2008) (negligent welding at a ethanol coop)  Text

Willman v. Riceland Foods, Inc., 630 F.Supp.2d 999 (E.D. Ark. 2007) (co-op member's negligence claim against co-op)  Text

In re Wright, 353 B.R. 627 (B.A.P. 8th Cir. 2006) (preferential and fraudulent transfers)   Text

Scherbart v. Comm'r, 453 F.3d 987 (8th Cir. 2006) (deferring of value-added payments)  Text    |    Summary

In re Corn-Pro Nonstock Coop., Inc., 318 B.R. 153 (B.A.P. 8th Cir. 2004) (nonstock cooperative qualified as "farmer")  Text    |    Summary

In re DLC, Ltd., 295 B.R. 593 (B.A.P. 8th Cir. 2003) (rights to the transferred property)  Text

S.D. Farm Bureau, Inc. v. Hazeltine, 340 F.3d 583 (8th Cir. 2003) (land use for farming restrictions)   Text

Smithfield Foods, Inc. v. Miller, 241 F.Supp.2d 978 (S.D. Iowa 2003) (violation of commerce clause)  Text

Top of Iowa Coop. v. Schewe, 324 F.3d 627 (8th Cir. 2003) (hedge-to-arrive contracts)  Text

Bot v. Comm'r, 353 F.3d 595 (8th Cir. 2003) (self-employment tax on value-added payments)  Text    |    Summary

Asa-Brandt, Inc. v. ADM Investor Servs., Inc., 344 F.3d 738 (8th Cir. 2003) (hedge-to-arrive contracts)  Text

Racicky v. Farmland Indus., Inc., 328 F.3d 389 (8th Cir. 2003) (feed injured the dairy cows)  Text

NINTH CIRCUIT

Bybee Farms, LLC v. Snake River Sugar Co., No. CV-06-5007, 2008 WL 2873364 (E.D. Wash. July 21, 2008) (breach of growers' agreement)

Bybee Farms, LLC v. Snake River Sugar Co., 563 F.Supp.2d 1184 (E.D. Wash. 2008) (breach of oral agreement to buyout member shares)  Text

Lopes v. Viera, 543 F.Supp.2d 1149 (E.D. Cal. 2008) (motion to dismiss)  Text

Bybee Farms, LLC v. Snake River Sugar Co., 625 F.Supp.2d 1073 (E.D. Wash. 2007) (breach of fiduciary duty by cooperative officer)  Text

Andrews Farms v. Calcot, Ltd., 527 F.Supp.2d 1239 (E.D. Cal. 2007) (motion to dismiss fraud claims)  Text

College of the Sequoias Farm v. White Gold Assoc., Inc., 2007 WL 2022040 (E.D. Cal. July 09, 2007) (conspiracy and fraud in marketing and sale of cotton)

Andrews Farms v. Calcot, Ltd., 2007 WL 1701915 (E.D. Cal. June 08, 2007) (RICO and fraud claims, fiduciary duty, accounting)

Lopes v. Vieira, 488 F.Supp.2d 1000 (E.D. Cal. May 30, 2007) ("milk for equity" interest)  Text

United Dairymen of Ariz. v. Veneman, 279 F.3d 1160 (9th Cir. 2002) (producer-handler exemption)  Text

TENTH CIRCUIT

In re Bergman, No. 07-40285, 2007 WL 2693641 (Bankr. D. Kan. Sept. 10, 2007) (co-op not entitled to relief from automatic stay)

Gregory v. Fort Bridger Rendezvous Ass'n, 448 F.3d 1195 (10th Cir. 2006) (antitrust liability exemption)  Text

CoBank, ACB v. Reorganized Farmers Coop. Ass'n, 334 F.Supp.2d 1273 (D. Kan. 2004) (default of loan agreement)  Text

Bell v. Fur Breeders Agric. Coop., 348 F.3d 1224 (10th Cir. 2003) (antitrust protections)  Text    |    Summary

ELEVENTH CIRCUIT

Golden Gem Growers, Inc. v. Ferguson (In re Golden Gem Growers, Inc.), Bankr. No. 6:01-bk-09028-ABB, Adv. No. 6:07-ap-00095-ABB, 2010 WL 745476 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. Mar. 2, 2010) (breach of contract against members of cooperative)  Text

Rigby v. Flue-Cured Tobacco Co-op Stabilization Corp., No. 7:07-CV-85-HL, 2007 WL 3285599 (M.D. Ga. Nov. 6, 2007) (remanding to state court a cause against cooperative for accounting and distribution of member interest)

Swain v. Flue-Cured Tobacco Co-op Stabilization Corp., No. 7:07-CV-86-HL, 2007 WL3285707 (M.D. Ga. Nov. 6, 2007) (remanding to state court a cause against cooperative for accounting and distribution of member interest)  Text

Griffis v. Flue-Cured Tobacco Co-op Stabilization Corp., No. 7:07-CV-84-HL, 2007 WL3285749 (M.D. Ga. Nov. 6, 2007) (remanding to state court a cause against cooperative for accounting and distribution of member interest)

Lee v. Flue-Cured Tobacco Co-op Stabilization Corp., No. 7:07-CV-82-HL, 2007 WL 3286397 (M.D. Ga. Nov. 6, 2007) (remanding to state court a cause against cooperative for accounting and distribution of member interest)  Text

Altman v. Flue-Cured Tobacco Co-op Stabilization Corp., No. 7:07-CV-83-HL, 2007 WL 3286413 (M.D. Ga. Nov. 6, 2007) (remanding to state court a cause against cooperative for accounting and distribution of member interest)

Sariol v. Fla. Crystals Corp., 490 F.3d 1277 (11th Cir. 2007) (agricultural exemption from overtime-pay rules)  Text    |    Summary

Rigby v. Flue-Cured Tobacco Coop. Stablization Corp., 2006 WL 1312412 (M.D. Ga. 2006) (distribution of the cooperative's equity)

UNITED STATES TAX COURT

Affiliated Foods, Inc. v. Comm'r, 128 T.C. 62 (2007) (redetermination of income tax deficiencies and "trade discounts")

Scherbart v. Comm'r, No. 3345-00, 2004 WL 1354120 (2004) (deferring of value-added payments)    Summary

ARIZONA

United Dairymen of Ariz. v. Rawlings, 177 P.3d 334 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2008) (enforcement of liquidated damages clause against member)  Text

United Dairymen of Arizona v. Schugg, 212 Ariz. 133 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2006) (implied covenant)  Text

CALIFORNIA

W. Hills Farms, Inc. v. RCO Ag Credit, Inc., No. F054539, 2008 WL 5341350 (Cal. Ct. App. Dec. 23, 2008) (failure to make demand on board of directors)  Text    |    Summary

Nunes v. Downey Brand LLP, 2006 WL 2147613 (Ct. App. 2006) (cooperative's failure to make payments)

GEORGIA

Gold Kist, Inc. v. Moody, 575 S.E.2d 509 (Ga. Ct. App. 2002) (valuation of equity accounts)  Text    |    Summary

Rushing v. Gold Kist Inc., 2002 WL 1363976 (Ga. Ct. App. June 25, 2002) (arbitration)  Text    |    Summary

INDIANA

Farmers Elevator Co. of Oakville, Inc. v. Hamilton, 926 N.E.2d 68 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010) (breach of fiduciary duty claim)  Text

KANSAS

In re Nat'l Coop. Refinery Ass'n, 273 Kan. 500 (Kan. 2002) (combined report method of allocating income)  Text

Ihrig v. Frontier Equity Exch. Ass'n, 35 Kan. App. 2d 123 (Kan. Ct. App. 2006) (inspection of documents request)  Text

Hall v. Kan. Farm Bureau, 50 P.3d 495 (Kan. 2002) (termination of officer)  Text    |    Summary

MONTANA

Farmers Union Ass'n v. Paquin, 217 P.3d 74 (Mont. 2009) (tort claims and breach of contract claims against former manager of coop)  Text

NEW YORK

Cornhusker Farms, Inc. v. Hunts Point Coop. Mkt., Inc., 769 N.Y.S.2d 228 (N.Y. App. Div. 2003) (merger clause, no-oral modification clause, constructional budget)  Text

NORTH CAROLINA

Bailey v. Flue Cured Tobacco Coop. Stabilization Corp., 581 S.E.2d 811 (N.C. Ct. App. 2003) (exemption from antitrust laws)  Text

Bailey v. Flue-Cured Tobacco Coop. Stabilization Corp., 2002 WL 31003721 (N.C. Super. Ct. 2002) (exemption from antitrust laws)

NORTH DAKOTA

Dixon v. McKenzie County Grazing Ass'n, 675 N.W.2d 414 (N.D. 2004) (change the rancher's headquarters)  Text

OHIO

Meyer v. Minster Farmers Coop. Exch. Co., NO. 17-09-06, 2009 WL 29866971, 2009 -Ohio- 4933 (Ohio Ct. App. Sept. 21, 2009) (dismissal of counterclaim against elevator)  Text

Dairy Farmers of Am., Inc. v. Wilkins, 101 Ohio St.3d 100 (Ohio 2004) (subsidiary company and use taxes)  Text

SOUTH CAROLINA

McMillan v. Gold Kist, Inc., 577 S.E.2d 482 (S.C. Ct. App. 2003) (arbitration clause)  Text    |    Summary

SOUTH DAKOTA

Coop. Agronomy Servs. v. S.D. Dep't of Revenue, 668 N.W.2d 718 (S.D. 2003) (sales tax assessment)  Text    |    Summary

WASHINGTON

Nakata v. Blue Bird, Inc., No. 26434-3-III, 2008 WL 2623970 (Wash. Ct. App. July 3, 2008) (failure to distribute equity; right to inspect records; attorneys' fees)  Text

WISCONSIN

Leach Farms, Inc. v. Valley Bakers Coop. Ass'n, No. 2007AP997, 2008 WL 2185438 (Wis. Ct. App. May 28, 2008) (insurance policy coverage of cooperative's leased premises)  Text

Shea v. Foremost Farms USA Co-op., 739 N.W.2d 491 (Wis. Ct. App. 2007) (dismissal of breach of contract suit)  Text