NEWSLINE

Ocean Spray marks 75th with
integrated marketing campaign
Ocean Spray is marking its 75th anniversary by re-introducing the cranberry to America through an integrated marketing campaign called “straight from the cranberry bog.” Ocean Spray kicked off the effort by giving New York City its first-ever cranberry harvest in Rockefeller Center, bringing together cranberry researchers from around the world for a special cranberry health summit, and launching a new advertising campaign Oct. 17.

Ocean Spray flooded Rockefeller Center Channel Gardens with its bright crimson berries for the Big Apple Bog Oct. 4–7, bringing the breathtaking beauty of a cranberry harvest to consumers. Most consumers are not aware of how cranberries are grown and harvested, the rich history of the fruit, or the health benefits the little berry offers every family member. At the same time, Ocean Spray is continuing its focus on health by bringing together research scientists to share the latest in cranberry health research and make public findings on how the nutrients in cranberries (called PACs) may play a role in total body health. Ocean Spray partnered with the Cranberry Institute for the Cranberry Health Symposium at New York Academy of Sciences on Oct 5.

Ocean Spray is going back to its roots with the “Straight from the Bog” ad campaign that celebrates its rich heritage as an agricultural cooperative. Created by Arnold Worldwide, the campaign features “cranberry growers” who tell the cranberry story as only growers can. The series of ads feature two growers humorously touting the many taste and health attributes of Ocean Spray products, while hip-deep harvesting cranberries.

Ocean Spray is owned by more than 650 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and other parts of Canada as well as more than 100 Florida grapefruit growers.

Sales, member payments
up sharply for Dairylea
Dairylea, Syracuse, N.Y., and its subsidiaries reported sales of $1.12 billion in 2005, a 16.8 percent increase from 2004, members were told at the co-op’s annual meeting in Liverpool, N.Y. Dairylea General Manager Greg Wickham reported that the co-op also returned more to members in 2005, $955.8 million, up 12.9 percent from the previous year. “There is only opportunity,” was the theme for Dairylea’s 98th annual meeting, which attracted more than 800 members, as well as employees and industry guests.

Dairylea President Clyde Rutherford stressed that the co-op is working in many ways to help improve the profitability of its dairy farmers, and discussed Dairylea’s participating in Dairy Marketing Services (DMS), along with Dairy Farmers of America, St. Albans and Land O’Lakes. In addition, Rutherford recognized the many customer relationships that the cooperative has established and continues to cultivate in the Northeast and beyond.

The co-op has more than 2,500 members throughout the Northeast. Dairylea provides them with resources such as insurance coverage, loan programs, milk price risk-management services, business planning, livestock marketing and investment and retirement planning through its holding company, Agri-Services LLC.

Cabot on leading edge of
cottage cheese technology
Cabot Creamery Cooperative (owned and operated by Agri-Mark Inc.) is collaborating with CPS Scherping, Winsted, Minn., to develop prototype cottage cheese-making technology using CPS’ horizontal cottage cheese vat (HCCV). The HCCV replaces traditional open-vat cheese-making with an enclosed system that automates every step of the process. Lloyd Metzger of the University of Minnesota helped develop and test the closed-vat system in a pilot program sponsored by Dairy Management Inc. (which is funded by dairy farmers).

By automating the entire process within an enclosed system, the HCCV technology minimizes operator intervention, fluctuations in temperature, and exposures to the surrounding atmosphere. The result is an extremely consistent and high-quality product every time. The HCCV also automates the cleaning process between batches. The technology also allows greater capacity and could add to the popularity of a traditional dairy product and make it easier to meet demand. The cooperative installed two HCCV machines in a new room dedicated to cottage cheese production in 2004.

Tree Top grower returns soar
Tree Top Inc. returned $13.62 per ton profit to its grower-owners for the 2004 crop of processing fruit, a 78-percent increase over the $7.65 returned for the 2003 crop. The co-op set a processing volume record for the 2004 crop. The Selah, Wash.based cooperative marked its 13th consecutive profitable year in 2004.

“This was a challenging year for us in a number of ways,” Tom Stokes, Tree Top CEO said. “We processed an enormous volume of fruit, while making process and equipment changes in a number of our facilities. At the same time, employees continued to develop and implement cost-saving and operational efficiency measures into their daily work. Finally, the rising cost of fuel had a significant impact on this year’s bottom line.”

Large crops in 2004 allowed the co-op to run plants at or near capacity, resulting in operating efficiencies company-wide, Tree Top said. The co-op posted sales of $258.1 million for the fiscal year, with net proceeds of $29.9 million on a record-high volume of 535,000 tons of apples and pears. Tree Top has 1,460 members in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, more than 1,140 employees and a payroll of $42 million. The co-op owns and operates five production plants in Washington, one in Milton-Freewater, Ore., and one in Rialto, Calif.

ACE honors outstanding cooperators
Six individuals and organizations received awards from the Association of Cooperative Educators (ACE) for outstanding contributions to cooperative education at ACE’s Annual Institute, held in Alexandria, Va., in August. The “Outstanding Contribution to Cooperative Education and Training” award went to Bill Patrie, rural development director for the North Dakota Association of Electric Cooperatives, Mandan, N.D. He was honored for influence on cooperative development throughout the United States and Canada.

Dixie Watts Reaves, associate professor, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, received the “Professional Contribution by an ACE Member” award for her work with cooperative education for youth. The “William Hlushko Award for Young Cooperative Educators” was awarded to Leslie Schuler, communications specialist, CHS Foundation and CHS-Land O’Lakes Member Services.

The “Education Program Award” went to the Ontario Cooperative Association for its Cooperative Internship Program for cooperative employees. The “Outstanding Contribution to ACE by an Organization Award” was presented to the Ralph K. Morris Foundation for its financial support that has helped numerous students and cooperators attend the ACE Institute. Louis Doering, vice president of human resources and training/staff development, Twin City Co-ops Federal Credit Union, received the “Reginald J. Cressman Award” for his outstanding commitment to staff development.

The ACE Institute attracted more than 80 educators from the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It included a pre-conference workshop, which was entitled “updating the cooperative educator’s toolbox.” The theme was: “Cooperative Education: Understanding Cooperation as a Strategic Business Asset.” Speakers included a diverse contingent of professional cooperative educators. Conference presentations can be found on the ACE Website: http://www.wisc.edu/uwcc/ace/05/pd.html. The 2006 ACE Institute will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 2–5.

Duran to lead new global
soybean exporting program
Almost every other row of U.S. soybeans is exported, so the newly created U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) will play a key role in expanding international markets for U.S. farmers. Leading the charge for USSEC will be Dan Duran, the newly hired chief executive officer. “Dan brings to the table a unique combination of proven excellence in building export markets with a commitment to de-commoditizing commodities,” said Mark Pietz, USSEC interim co-chairman and a soybean farmer from Lakefield, Minn. “Considering how unbelievably competitive the global market is, building brand preference for U.S. soybeans and soybean products is the only way we are going to remain number one.”

Duran joins USSEC from Galahad International, a sales and marketing company based in Baton Rouge, La., that specializes in building global dairy markets. Prior to Galahad, Duran spent 16 years with Wells Dairy, the largest family owned and operated dairy processor in the United States. During his tenure with Wells, he initiated the first sales to Mexico, eventually growing the dairy’s international customer base to more than 30 countries, the majority in developing markets.

USSEC was jointly created by the United Soybean Board (USB) and American Soybean Association (ASA) earlier this year to implement international marketing and competitiveness activities on behalf of the soybean checkoff and USDA-FAS. In addition to farmer-leaders from ASA and USB, USSEC will be governed by a board of exporters and allied industry partners.

USSEC will focus on a three-pronged approach to international marketing of U.S. soybeans: building preference for U.S. soybeans, building demand by targeting specific markets and addressing market-access issues. Duran will lead a team of professionals based in St. Louis and throughout the world, all representing U.S. soybean farmers.

USDA provides $9 million
for broadband grants
USDA Rural Development is providing $9 million in broadband community connect grants to 19 communities in 14 states and Puerto Rico. The funds will connect essential community facilities in rural towns and communities where no broadband services currently exist.

One grant for $325,400 will be awarded to the community of Glendora, Miss., for installation of wireless technology to connect a library, clinic and public safety facilities. The village of Hughes, Alaska, will receive $278,871 to cover the entire community with overlapping wireless “hot spots.” A Web site will be designed to enable community businesses to sell items over the Internet. Local residents will also earn income by providing data processing services and will use video-conferencing to deliver educational classes to homes and the community center. Timber Lake, S.D., will receive a $393,300 grant to create a community center that provides public access points, free broadband, distance learning and an e-commerce incubator for small businesses and residents of the community.

USDA received 111 community connect grant applications. Of the 19 communities selected for funding, 16 will employ wireless technologies and the other three will provide service over fiber optic cable. Communities selected do not have access to broadband technology for such essential services as police protection, fire service, hospitals, libraries and schools.

Since its inception four years ago, the Community Connect Broadband Grant program has provided 109 grants and invested over $39 million to provide service to local communities. Each community is required to make at least 10 computers available to members of the public. The Community Connect program supplements USDA Rural Development’s standard, high-speed telecommunications loan program. A complete list of the grants is available on the USDA Web site: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.

CDF grants reflect
needs of rural seniors
Reflecting a new focus on cooperative development initiatives that will enhance the quality of life of seniors living in rural America, the Mutual Service Cooperative (MSC) Fund of the Cooperative Development Foundation has awarded $92,000 in grants for initiatives to improve seniors’ access to affordable housing, home care and health care services in rural communities. “The new focus for the fund is based on an assessment that the needs of the elderly will be one of the greatest challenges facing rural communities over the next several decades,” said Gap Kovach, chairman of the MSC Fund trustees.

The five technical assistance projects include an innovative rural cooperative housing initiative, expansion of several existing educational programs for seniors in rural cooperative housing, a training program for a rural home care cooperative, and an innovative cooperative approach to meeting the health care needs in a small rural community. Recipients include: Foundation for Rural Housing Inc., Madison, Wis. ($20,000); Minnesota Association of Cooperatives Education Foundation, St. Paul, Minn. ($14,205); Senior Cooperative Foundation, St. Paul, Minn. ($4,600); Cooperative Care, Wautoma, Wis. ($11,977); Peace United Methodist Church, Pipestone, Minn. ($20,000).

The MSC Fund has awarded more than $1 million in grants to the cooperative community over the past three decades. The Cooperative Development Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promoting community, economic and social development through cooperative enterprises.

CWT program includes
75 percent of milk supply
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT), the dairy industry’s self-funded market balancing program, has now enrolled cooperatives and producers representing 75 percent of the nation’s milk supply. Under the industry self-help program, now in its third year, producers pay assessments used to compensate other producers to reduce their herd sizes. Nearly 50 dairy cooperatives of all sizes and more than 300 independent farmers are paying five cents her hundredweight of their milk production to fund the program, according to Jerry Kozak, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, which administers the CWT program.

The goal this year is to remove up to 70,000 cows, more than double the number retired in 2003, and 20,000 higher than last year’s program. Kozak said he hopes the remaining co-ops and independent producers will join CWT to make it even more effective. The program has been credited with playing a major role in helping to solidify producer milk prices the past two years. Deadline for submitting bids was Sept. 16.

Breeding co-op marks
passing of greatest sire
Accelerated Genetics and perhaps even his own highly extended family, are marking the passing of the co-op’s greatest sire: Barbee-M Juror ITO, at the age of 10 years and 2 months. ITO’s impact on the next generation of dairy cattle around the world will be felt for many years to come through his daughters and sons, the co-op said in a press release. The Baraboo, Wisc. based cooperative says ITO’s daughters are known for their beautiful udders, quiet disposition, fast milk-out and calving ease. ITO’s influence will also live on through his sons, which are currently enrolled in the co-op’s young sire program and other A.I. programs.

ITO is currently the all-time leading sire of semen produced and sold from Accelerated Genetics. And while he may be gone, ITO left a little something behind: his semen will be available from the co-op as long as remaining supplies last. Accelerated Genetics will forever remember ITO with a special marker that is being placed at the co-op’s production facility in Westby, Wisc.

Hazen elected to international
co-op association board
Paul Hazen, president and CEO of the National Cooperative Business Association, was elected to the board of the International Co-operative Alliance Sept. 23 at a meeting of the organization’s general assembly in Cartagena, Colombia. Hazen will be the only U.S. representative on the 15-member ICA board.

The International Co-operative Alliance represents cooperatives and cooperative organizations worldwide. Headquartered in Geneva, it has more than 225 members from at least 90 countries. Together, these organizations represent more than 800 million people. U.S. members, in addition to NCBA, are the National Cooperative Bank, Credit Union National Association, CUNA Mutual, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Nationwide Insurance, ACDI/VOCA and Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Eighty-seven countries were represented at the meeting, attended by approximately 1,000 delegates.

“We know that cooperatives can change peoples’ lives and that, by working together in co-ops, families can achieve their dreams,” Hazen said. “Food, shelter, healthcare and education through cooperatives will do more to fight terrorism and promote peace than any war we will ever fight.”

Bonnie Raitt hits the road
on cleaner-burning biodiesel
Blues singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt’s current tour is being fueled by biodiesel, which her road crew is using in her two diesel-powered buses and two semi trucks. Raitt’s year–long tour kicked off Oct. 5 in Tulsa, Okla.

Raitt has endorsed cleaner burning, environmentally friendly biodiesel (B20). “I believe we should do everything we can to minimize our impact on the planet, and using biodiesel is a simple step that goes a long way,” says Raitt. “By using B20 on my Souls Alike Tour, we are reducing pollution and putting a dent in imported petroleum. Biodiesel has come so far in the last few years. It’s wonderful to see it gaining momentum — we can all benefit from more biodiesel use.”

By using biodiesel fuel and promoting its benefits during her tours, Raitt has helped to increase the visibility of biodiesel, said Joe Jobe, chief executive officer of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). “Today, more than 500 major fleets use biodiesel commercially, and 600 retail filling stations make it available to the public.” Raitt said she also supports biodiesel because it contributes to the family farm. Soybean farmers, through the soybean checkoff, have led the way in developing the U.S. biodiesel industry for more than 15 years.



NCFC testifies on
hurricane recovery goals

Jean-Mari Peltier, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC), told the Senate Finance committee in October that “farmer cooperatives, their employees, and their nearly 2 million farmer members are committed to working with Congress and the Bush Administration to provide needed hurricane recovery assistance and to encourage redevelopment of affected areas.” The hearing was called to get agriculture’s perspective on the community rebuilding needs after Hurricane Katrina, and on the effectiveness of past proposals. The hearing examined how tax relief and incentives can be used to promote the recovery effort, and the effectiveness of similar efforts made after past natural disasters.

As part of a nationwide campaign, NCFC has urged its members to join together as part of a cooperative effort to help provide relief to those impacted by the hurricanes. At the time of the hearing, farmer cooperatives, their employees and farmer members had already directly contributed over $1.2 million in hurricane relief. In addition, many farmer cooperatives have donated food, livestock feed, generators, fuel supplies, transportation and other items.

“Given the scale of devastation,” Peltier said, “we believe what is needed is a combination of assistance that provides tax relief and other incentives to encourage rebuilding efforts, which would be in addition to traditional disaster assistance for agriculture through USDA.”

NCFC outlined several recommendations, including:












November/December Table of Contents