Vita-Rich Company established the first alfalfa dehydrating plant in Fairfax in 1935. The next year they were acquired by W. J. Small Company, who expanded the plant’s dehydrating operations. Small purchased the factory and machinery from Vita-Rich and quickly harvested 550 acres of alfalfa grown on Union Pacific land in Fairfax the first year. By the mid 1930s, Small had expanded his dehydrating operations all through the region making a higher profit with dried alfalfa than many were making with sun dried hay.
