FEATURES

New kids on the block
Iowa beef co-op sees strategic partnership as best way to break into
highly competitive retail beef market
By Dan Campbell

House calls
In-home care givers form cooperative to provide vital service for
elderly, disabled in rural Wisconsin
By Margaret Bau and Dianne Harrington

Trailblazers
Leadership development programs key to more women winning
seats on co-op boards
By Kristine Rose

Co-ops increase share of farm marketings; share
of farm supply sales dips slightly

By Charles A. Kraenzle and E. Eldon Eversull

No mountain too high
Rural broadband service helping to save lives of isolated patients
By Steve Thompson

Tune-up your meetings
Periodic analysis is necessary to ensure that cooperative board
meetings are efficient, effective and productive
By Jim Wadsworth

New Co-op Publications From USDA

DEPARTMENTS

COMMENTARY
VALUE-ADDED CORNER
NEWSLINE


On the Cover:
These Iowa cattle may wind up heading for a newly retrofitted packing plant
in Tama, Iowa, owned by the Iowa Quality Beef Supply Cooperative. It’s one
of several new livestock co-ops profiled in this issue. Story on page 4. Photo
by Arthur C. Smith III, Grant Heilman Photography



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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