The formation of the O'Leary Farmers Co-op Limited in 1940 was prompted by the demise of the P.E.I. Egg and Poultry Co-operative and the determination of egg producers to have a producer controlled facility in their area. Meeting in the old Egg Circle building, they formed the new Farmers Co-op in accordance with the recently passed Co-operative Associations Act. Initially, the co-op sold feed, flour and fertilizer, dealt in poultry equipment, and ran a modern chicken hatchery. Under the exemplary management of Bernard Shea, who managed the store for eighteen of its first twenty-two years, the co-op expanded quickly. Services developed included: feed-supply, a grocery store, and gas station. Presently, the co-op continues to flourish and is one of the largest co-op organizations on the Island in terms of membership and volume of business.

For more information see: Marian Bruce and Elizabeth Cran's "Working Together Two Centuries of Co-operation on Prince Edward Island", Island Studies Press, 2004