Success Stories

DAKOTAS COOPERATIVE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Cloverdale Growers’ Alliance

The 32 members of this co-op, formed to deliver a consistent hog market to Cloverdale Foods Co., expect to deliver 74,000 hogs in 2004. Cloverdale is a major food processor that does more than $50 million in annual sales. By banding together, members were able to negotiate more favorable contracts that allow them to be paid carlot prices, retaining ownership of the product until the boxed pork is sold to Cloverdale for processing. The Co-op is also working on a plan to finance hoop barns to increase hog production numbers in North Dakota by an additional 100,000 head.

For more information contact Bill Patrie at the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives 701-663-6501 or bpatrie@ndarec.com
Website: www.ndarec.com

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KENTUCKY CENTER FOR COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Lexington Farmers’ Market

When the 29-year-old Lexington Farmers’ Market realized it was in jeopardy of dissolving and losing a lucrative downtown market for 70 grower-members, it called the Center in to help reinvent itself. It has worked hard to reconstruct its bylaws and operating agreements, as well as learning to conduct effective meetings and improve communications. The Center is also working to improve internal managerial control systems. Says the Market: “This has truly been a rediscovery of what working cooperatively can do to improve optimism and enthusiasm in a cooperative business.”

For information, contact Larry Snell at the Kentucky Center for Cooperative Development 270-763-8258 or lsnell@kccd.info
Website: www.kccd.org/

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NORTHWEST COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Our Wind Co-op

The center helped on the start-up of this co-op, which recently incorporated, and will serve as technical assistance partner in its immediate development. Our Wind has already installed five small wind turbines, with another five to be installed this spring. The co-op was created in order to sell environmental attributes. or “green tags,” that represent electricity generated by small-scale, locally owned wind turbines. The pilot project seeks to determine the feasibility of such a system to offset farm electricity needs. A few turbines will be cited near cell towers for similar study.

For information, contact Diane Gasaway at the Northwest Cooperative Development Center 360-943-4241 or nwcdc@qwest.net
Website: www.nwcdc.coop