Eastern Counties Farmers

File:ECF-LongSutton-1989.jpg

{{Short description|English agricultural co-operative}}

Eastern Counties Farmers' Cooperative Association, (ECF) was once the United Kingdom’s biggest agricultural co-operative business.{{cite news |last1=Pollitt |first1=Michael |title=John Alston: Norfolk farmer's leader was passionate about rugby and promoting food |url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-alston-norfolk-farmer-s-leader-was-passionate-about-rugby-and-promoting-food-1-1137826 |accessdate=16 February 2020 |work=Eastern Daily Press |issue=26 November 2011 |publisher=Archant Community Media Ltd |date=2011 |language=en}} It was founded in {{start date and age|1904|p=y}} with 158 members that year. By 1909 this number had grown to 889.{{cite book |last1=Pam |first1=Stephen John |title=Essex Agriculture: Landowners' and Farmers' Responses to Economic Change, 1850-1914 |date=2004 |publisher=London School of Economics |location=London |url=http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2677/1/U615626.pdf}}{{rp|267}} They were based in Ipswich, and drew most of their members from Suffolk, with additional members in Essex and Norfolk. It attracted large tenant farmers who wanted to re-organise marketing to mitigate falling profits.{{rp|267}} Unlike smaller agricultural co-operatives in East Anglia ECF catered for a broad range of farm produce and employed experts who gave advice to members and marketed their particular products.{{rp|267}}

For many years their offices were at 86 Princes Street, Ipswich. In the late 1980s, this property was sold and the companies head office was relocated to Helios House, Saxham Business Park, Saxham, Bury St Edmunds.

In 1955 the co-operative built a grain silo on Neptune Quay, between Fore Street and Coprolite Street, in Ipswich Docks.{{cite news |title=Days Gone By - Memories of the changing face of Ipswich Dock |url=https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/days-gone-by-memories-of-the-changing-face-of-ipswich-dock-1-4870752 |accessdate=16 February 2020 |work=Ipswich Star |issue=31 January 2017 |publisher=Archant media |date=2017 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Online Planning Information - 55/00323/FUL |url=https://ppc.ipswich.gov.uk/appnresults.asp?pageNumber=431&pnlAdvancedOpen=1& |website=ppc.ipswich.gov.uk |publisher=Ipswich County Borough Council |accessdate=16 February 2020 |language=en}}

In 1991/2 they had 420 employees and four subsidiary companies: Gleave & Key (Norfolk), Glisave and Key (Norfolk), ECF Fuels and (AB Handling).{{cite book |last1=Forsyth |first1=J. |title=Major Companies of Europe 1991/92: Volume 2 Major Companies of the United Kingdom |date=2013 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-94-011-3018-9 |page=96 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9HrrCAAAQBAJ&q=%22Eastern+Counties+Farmers%22+Ipswich+86+Princes+Street&pg=PA96 |language=en}}