The Farmers Alliance Store

Farmers Alliance organizations have a long and storied past, forming at the end of The Civil War as a way for farmers to have greater control over their futures. 

The Alliance served several functions within the community. It provided information regarding innovative agricultural practices—a forerunner to the state’s Agricultural Extension Services. The Alliance set up businesses to sell goods to farmers at discount prices. The Farmers Alliance Co-operative Association in Siler City opened its doors in 1888. Buying seed and fertilizer in bulk allowed the stores to pass the reduced price on to farmers. At their very core, they were built on the strength of community and collaboration. The Siler City Farmers Alliance Store continually operated as a General Store until it was purchased in 2018 by Lisa Fedele.

Lisa  purchased the building because she couldn’t bear to see such an important building vacant. The Farmers Alliance had been the heart and soul of downtown and it was important that its legacy be maintained and honored.

Borrowing from the spirit of the original Farmers Alliance Store, Lisa wanted to create a space designed for the community. While she was working on the building, so many people stopped in and told stories of their childhood and the fond memories they had of the space. Buying peppermint stick candy with their grandfather, getting their first pair of boots, buying seeds to grow crops-Lisa knew that in owning this building, she had a responsibility to the past, and an obligation to the future of Siler City.

The Alliance was designed to be a hub and a safe space for everyone in our community to connect and collaborate.