FEATURES

Living with Sprawl
As farms give way to subdivisions and traffic lights, America’s
rural cooperatives struggle to adjust
By Catherine Merlo

USDA plays active role in farmland protection

Merrills first Northeast dairy family to win
national land conservation prize

U.S. Premium Beef offers to buy Farmland
share in processing business

Waving the red flag
Survey examines correlation between ethical environment
and fraud in co-ops
 By Tommie Singleton, Frank Messina and Richard Turpen

More than a power source
Brunswick Electric typifies commitment of cooperatives
to support rural communities
By Steve Thompson

Talking with pictures
Photo experts offer tips on how to better tell your co-op story
with strong photos
By Dan Campbell

NMPF scales back CWT milk supply-balancing
plan
By Patrick Duffey

New Co-op Publications From USDA


DEPARTMENTS

COMMENTARY
VALUE-ADDED CORNER
NEWSLINE


On the Cover:
On the cover: Urban sprawl is posing major challenges for cooperatives in many parts of the nation. While some co-ops have had to fold when farm fields were replaced by subdivisions and strip malls, others have survived by adjusting their marketing strategy. Story on page 4. USDA photo by Bob Nichols




Ann Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture
Randall Torgerson, Deputy Administrator, USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Dan Campbell, Managing Editor
Vision 2000/KOTA, Design

Have a cooperative-related question?
Call (202) 720-6483, or
Fax (202) 720-4641, Information Director


RURAL COOPERATIVES (1088-8845) is published bimonthly by Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Stop 0705, Washington, DC. 20250-0705 The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that publication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of public business required by law of the Department. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC. and additional mailing offices. Copies may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 20402, at $3.50 domestic, $4.38 foreign; or by annual subscription at $15.00 domestic, $18.75 foreign. Postmaster: send address change to: Rural Cooperatives, USDA/RBS, Stop 3255, Wash., DC 20250-3255. order form

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