Magnifying the Message

• Perhaps the crown jewel of Co-op Month activities is the NCB(National Cooperative Bank) list of America’s Top 100 Cooperatives, released each year at the start of Cooperative Month. The co-op distributes an attractive color bulletin that not only includes a fold-out list of the entire Top 100 with details about each co-op, but also a wealth of related information and charts. It provides a concise, revealing look at the nation’s various co-op sectors. The co-op bank also issues a press release to get the word out.
  
  This year’s report shows that the Top 100 co-ops generated more than $140 billion in revenues, an increase of nearly 10 percent from the previous year. Ag co-ops remain the largest co-op sector, accounting for $62.2 billion of the total, followed by grocery co-ops at $32.2 billion, energy and electric co-ops at $14.3 billion, finance co-ops at $13 billion, hardware and lumber co-ops at $10.8 billion and all others at $8.4 billion. To view the list, visit: www.ncb.coop.
  
  
• A related effort was launched this year during Co-op Month by the International Co-operative Alliance when it released the first ever Global 300 Cooperatives in Lyon, France. The list of the Top 300 co-ops in the world shows that Zen-Noh, a Japanese food and beverage co-op, is the world’s biggest co-op, with $55.5 billion in annual sales. The Global 300 shows that Switzerland’s largest employer is a co-op, as are Europe’s largest dairy business, the largest bank in France, New Zealand’s largest company and the world’s largest marketer of rice. Co-ops in 28 nations comprise the Global 300 list.
  
  The United States has the most cooperatives on the list with 62. Agriculture accounts for about a third of the co-ops on the list (virtually every one of the 28 nations represented have at least one ag co-op on it). Financial institutions (insurance, bank, credit unions and diversified financial organizations) account for about 25 percent of the Global 300. Retail and wholesale co-ops comprise another 25 percent of the list. Other areas represented include energy, health and manufacturing. See the list at: www.global300.coop.
  
  
• The Race for Cooperative Development in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Cooperative Development Foundation, raised more than $50,000 to support cooperative development efforts around the globe. In addition to sponsoring the race, the Foundation also hosted an on-line auction of cooperative art and craft items, which ran from Oct. 6 through 31. Goods auctioned included photos and prints, quilts, clothing, rugs, jewelry, pottery, carvings, vacations and other household items. Values ranged from $14 to $7,700. The auction proved to be more than a fund-raiser. CDF Executive Director Elizabeth Bailey says it also led to discussions with art and craft co-ops about dealing with demutalization issues and the need for more networking and idea sharing among art and craft co-ops.
  
  
• Many cooperatives and co-op related associations ran special feature articles in their member publications and on their websites during Cooperative Month. To cite just a couple of examples: Georgia Magazine, published by the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation, the trade association for Georgia’s 42 customer-owned electric utilities, ran articles about the impact that rural electric cooperatives have on Georgia’s economy; the October issue of Washington State Grange News contained a five-page Cooperative Month supplement that highlighted many cooperatives in the Northwest and their activities. The newspaper is distributed widely to producers in the Northwest region and to cooperative leaders around the nation.
  
  
• Rural electric cooperatives and associations promote Cooperative Month in a host of creative ways, from ads and radio spots to magazine articles and prize drawings. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association website includes a Co-op Month banner and links to information about cooperatives, as well as an interview with National Cooperative Business Association President Paul Hazen about the importance of cooperatives.
  
  
• The greater cooperative family has a long history of supporting cooperative education and funding scholarship opportunities as part of their commitment to their communities. In Kansas, for example, the Arthur Capper Cooperative Center and Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics awarded 11 cooperative scholarships to College of Agriculture students for the 2006–2007 academic year.
  
  
• Adams Electric Cooperative, Gettysburg, Pa., produced a radio ad that describes how the co-op’s line crews drove bucket trucks and supplies to Mississippi and Louisiana to help restore power to members of electric cooperatives hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Cooperatives helping cooperatives for the ultimate benefit of members was the underlying theme.
  
  
• Boone REMC, Lebanon, Ind., a rural utility cooperative that serves more than 10,000 customers in Indiana, held a Co-op Month drawing for a $150-credit on a members’ electric bill and a $100 gift card to an electronics store. To register for the drawing, customers had to complete a short survey. The cooperative has found that its Co-op Month drawing is a simple way to engage members and to remind them that the co-op works for them. The three survey questions are: Did you know that Boone REMC is a customer-owned cooperative? What is the best way to communicate with you? How can your cooperative improve customer service?
  
  
• CHS/Land O’Lakes Member Services sent a news release to its state and national associations to use in their newsletters for Cooperative Month. The release describes the availability of free on-line cooperative educational tutorials for anyone to use, at: mbrservices.com. Tutorial topics include cooperative principals and practices, financial understanding and commodity risk management.
  
  
• The Virginia Council of Farmer Cooperatives, in association with Friends of Industry of Agriculture, held its annual Cooperative Month Kick-off Breakfast, drawing more than 125 leaders from cooperatives and agricultural associations, government officials and representatives from Virginia Tech and Virginia State universities. The keynote speech was by Ed Scott, the vice president of Culpeper Farmers Cooperative, Culpeper, Va. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine signed a gubernatorial proclamation declaring October as Cooperative Month in the commonwealth, and three annual cooperative awards were presented to exceptional cooperative members at the breakfast.
  
  
• The Wisconsin Farmers Union published a special Co-op Month issue of it newsletter, which featured ads from co-ops and credit unions around the state. A record 68 co-ops and credit unions were featured this year. A portion of the ad fees collected go to support WFU’s educational co-op camp at Kamp Kenwood.
  
  
• Frontier Farm Credit, Manhattan, Kan., placed an advertisement about its business and its status as a cooperative in various regional agriculture publications. It also converted the ad into a poster which was widely displayed.
  
  
• Foremost Farms and a number of other cooperatives in Wisconsin (including Accelerated Genetics, Badgerland Farm Credit, Co-op Country Partners, Oakdale Electric Cooperative, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Westby Co-op Credit Union) jointly promoted Cooperative Month at the Harvest Days Festival in Reedsville, Wis. The co-ops used displays, exhibits and demonstrations that highlighted the many benefits cooperatives provide to members and their communities. The co-op booth offered door prizes and free food.

November/December Table of Contents