Especially as it seems in this case the customers are all local farmer who probably know each other. They would save the 30% profit the company apparently makes

Especially as it seems in this case the customers are all local farmer who probably know each other. They would save the 30% profit the company apparently makes. However if the current owner really works 15 hours a day and sleeps in the office to keep the place running he might have to be replaced by two employees, and with the 500k debt the whole thing may not even be worth it as a co-op.