Crystal Valley was originally founded in 1927 as Crystal Cooperative Oil Company, one of the earliest petroleum coops in Minnesota.

Expansion into fertilizer and agronomy services took place in the 1950s.

The grain elevator was built, adding another key business unit to the cooperative.

Propane was added as another business unit.

As a result of the merger with Garden City Farm Service in 1985, the company entered into the livestock feed business.

Various acquisitions expanded the operation into nearby Vernon Center in 1989 with the purchase of Harvest States/GTA's agronomy, feed, and grain facilities.

Operations expanded again with 1990 with the purchase of Nicollet Ag Service's agronomy operations and the petroleum assets of Nicollet Co-op Oil in 1993.

Southern Valley Co-op (an agronomy and energy cooperative headquartered in Mankato) merged with Crystal Co-op, and the name was changed to Crystal Valley Cooperative.

La Salle Farmers Grain Company (a grain, feed, energy, and agronomy cooperative with its main office in La Salle) merged into Crystal Valley and combined sales then exceeded $120 million.

Crystal Valley continued to grow organically with total sales exceeding $250 million.

FCA Co-op (a grain feed, energy, and agronomy cooperative with its main office in Jackson) merged into Crystal Valley with combined annual sales approaching $350 million.

Crystal Valley relocated the home office from Lake Crystal, MN to Mankato, MN. And, in that same year, Crystal Valley acquired Shell Rock Ag in Hayward, MN.

Today Crystal Valley serves over 2700 agricultural producers with quality products, excellent facilities and equipment, superior service, and first-class professional employees from 16 locations throughout southern Minnesota.