FEATURES

Defending their turf
Growers see co-op’s legislative action as
essential to future of nation’s sugar industry
By Dan Campbell

Co-op born of growers’ frustration with
processor’s lack of long-term outlook

USDA co-op development efforts
support commercial farming in Ghana
By John Dunn

Election and voting policies
of agricultural cooperatives
By Bruce J. Reynolds


Special Section:
Organization Serving Cooperatives Includes:

State Co-op Councils (Pg. 18);

CoBank (23);

National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (24);

National Cooperative Business Association (25);

National Milk Producers Federation (26);

National Association of Housing Cooperatives (26);

National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives (26);

Farm Credit Council(28);

Cooperative Finance Corp. (29);

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (30);

Federation of Southern Cooperatives (31);

Rural Cooperative Development Centers (32);

UW, KSU & NDSU Centers for Cooperatives (34);

 Cooperative Communicators Association (35);

Association of Cooperative Educators (36);

ACDI/VOCA (37);

Credit Union National Association (39);

National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (40);


National Cooperative Bank (41);

USDA Rural Development (42).



DEPARTMENTS

COMMENTARY
NEWSLINE
NEW USDA CO-OP PUBLICATIONS

On the Cover:
A field of Red River Valley sugarbeets greet the new morning. American
Crystal Sugar Co. members increasingly look to the co-op’s legislative office to
help “defend their turf” in trade talks. Likewise, many of the co-op organizations
featured in the special section of this magazine also tackle critical legislative
issues for their member co-ops. Photo courtesy American Crystal Sugar Co.



Ann Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture
Gilbert Gonzales, Acting Under Secretary, USDA Rural Development
John Rosso, Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Pandor Hadjy, Acting Deputy Administrator, USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Dan Campbell, Editor
Vision Integrated Marketing/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 $23 per year. Postmaster: send address change to: Rural Cooperatives, USDA/RBS, Stop 3255, Wash., DC 20250-3255.

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