About Us
We Serve Our Members
Our company is owned and run by members of the community, which means the Monte Vista Cooperative is in business, first and foremost, to serve its members, with all of our profits going back into the community. In 1949, a group of forward-thinking farmers formed the Monte Vista Cooperative Association (MVC) to pool resources to buy in bulk. This saved the farmers money, and in turn helped to balance the market and economy in the area. Today, the MVC has more than 7,000 members and not only offers farming and ranch necessities, but also provides petroleum services and stations, a full-service fertilizer department, grain marketing services, a tire sales and service department, hay and potato equipment, and a farm and ranch retail store. MVC’s purchasing power is evident in the premium manufacturers and brands we carry.
To be sure, one of MVC’s main priorities is to keep our area farmers and ranchers in business to help keep our local economy robust and thriving. Our mission, after all, “is to provide options and information, leading-edge technology, and quality products and services to enhance profitability of the membership today and in the future.” But because of the nature of our organization, we have additional community priorities that enrich and enhance our lives as well as our livelihoods. Our owners and members are our neighbors, too, so spending time, energy and dollars on community-based pursuits is essential to, and truly defines, our cooperative.
Board of Directors
- Roger Mix – Chairman
- Moe Bond – Vice Chairman
- John Curto – Secretary
- Byron Kunugi – Director
- Dale Bartee – Director
- Justin Rogers – Director
- Tyler Mitchell – Director
- Eric Hinton – President/CEO
- Cory Iten – CFO
2023 Board of Director Nominees:
JOHN CURTO
My name is John Curto and I’m married with two children. My wife Robbie is a school counselor and partner in our family business. I’m running for my fourth term on the Board of the Monte Vista Coop.
We farm southwest of Alamosa in the Waverly area. We grow alfalfa, barley and triticale and run a cow/calf operation.
I have been farming most of my life. I came back to the farm after finishing college in 1999. I am the third generation on our farm and currently, my son has joined our farming operation. My grandfather settled here and established our farm in 1939, so our roots run deep here in the San Luis Valley.
I am a dedicated, hard-working, and honest individual. As I mentioned earlier, my family’s roots run deep in the San Luis Valley and I am committed to making it a better place by helping the people and the surrounding communities.
I would like to ask for your support and your vote for the Board of Directors so that I can continue to serve the members of the Monte Vista Coop.
STEVEN MC CULLOUGH
Hello. My name is Steven Mc Cullough. I am a fourth generation farmer that has been working on the farm since childhood and growing crops with my family in the Sargent area since 2010. We currently grow potatoes and malt barley. I spend most of my time tending to responsibilities on the farm, but also serve as Vice President of Worley & Mc Cullough, where we pack and ship potatoes year round.
I enjoy spending time with my wife Melissa, daughter Olivia, and stepsons Corbyn and Cadyn. Olivia is two years old and already loves being a farm girl. The boys are 15 and 17 and attend Sargent High School where they keep all of us busy participating in multiple sports, clubs, and activities.
Growing experience on the farm and in the warehouse has allowed me to develop greater levels of risk assessment, efficiency, technology implementation, communication, and problem solving–all of which I believe could add to the MVC as well. The Monte Vista Coop has long served as an essential operation to the San Luis Valley community, and I would be honored to be part of its continued growth and success if given the opportunity.
RYAN REINHARDT
I was born in Alamosa and raised on my family’s farm in the Carmel district north of Capulin. As I got older I learned to operate more equipment starting with the standard, raking hay. I graduated from Alamosa High School in 2011 and after that I followed my dream of going to MMI and becoming a motorcycle technician. After graduating I came back home to work full time at Peak Motorsports in Alamosa and also helped every year with hay and grain harvest. Over the years I found myself being drawn back to farming. In 2018, I started renting ground to grow my first crop of malt barley and it led to where I am now. Learning from my own operation I saw the importance of the Monte Vista COOP and how they help farmers and ranchers afford to keep doing business in this Valley. I would like to serve on the Monte Vista COOP Board to learn all the needs of our local growers and ranchers. I would like to become a strong representative and help make decisions to keep prices fair and fill the needs of our Ag community. I believe our Ag community is the most important part of our Valley. I want to see farming and ranching continue, and our knowledge and skills be passed down to future generations.