BROWNSBURG, Ind. – More farmers purchasing supplies online will be able to pick up products more quickly thanks to a partnership between CommoditAg, a leading online marketplace of agriculture products and Superior Ag to extend their reach to farmers in southern regions of Indiana, Illinois and the western half of Kentucky.

Purchases on the CommoditAg website will be available for pick-up at a Superior Ag warehouse in Evansville.

CommoditAg outside Indianapolis has over 50 warehouses mostly in the Midwest for its online marketplace customers to receive their orders as an option instead of delivery and paying the cost of shipping. 

The latest warehouse provides the same choice to marketplace customers within roughly a 60 to 80 mile radius of the facility.

“It’s about convenience,” said John Demerly, Chief Executive Officer of CommoditAg.

Superior Ag is a Huntingburg, Ind., based member-owned and controlled cooperative offering agriculture products and services to farmers in the same region.

The partnership also gives Superior Ag the ability to offer their farm products on the CommoditAg website.

“We are excited to partner with CommoditAg in order to explore new avenues to grow our business and serve growers,” said P.J. Peter, Agronomy Division Manager at Superior Ag. 

Founded in 2017, CommoditAg offers farm products online in areas like seed, crop protection and machine lubricants from various retailers and suppliers.

The company partners with over a dozen retailers and cooperatives to provide warehouses for customers opting for pick up in states from Colorado to Ohio and from Texas to Minnesota.

Demerly said more fulfillment centers are in the process of being established in the northeast, southeast and into Montana.

Eventually, the goal is to have a warehouse within a relatively short reach of every customer wanting pick-up over delivery. 

“We want to get to a point where a farmer doesn’t have to drive more than one hour to pick up product,” he said. 

One of its existing partners, Premiere Ag, provides fulfillment centers in Indiana at Shelbyville and Salem.

Demerly said CommoditAg will also be growing the amount of products offered on its website in the near future.

For example, he said the company is teaming up with a retailer to provide tarp systems and other equipment.

“We just continue to expand the number of categories that we’re offering for sale online,” Demerly said.

Demerly said Commodit Ag reaches out to suppliers and retailers to provide more online exposure for their products.

He said farmers also benefit from the ability to find what they’re looking for on a single website instead of searching the online pages of each individual provider.

“We’re trying to build a one stop shop,” he said.

Demerly said purchases on the website are following the trend of growing online sales for other consumer products.

He said one factor in first time customers returning is the assistance provided in navigating the website for users not very skilled yet at surfing the internet or familiar with shopping online.

Help is also extended for customers who want to know exactly what they’re buying.

“It takes time to build their trust.  Typically, once a farmer buys from us, they’re very willing to come back because they have a great experience,” Demerly said.