USDA CO-OP GRANTS "OPEN DOORS OF RURAL OPPORTUNITY"
WASHINGTON, September 22, 1998 -- Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today awarded $1.7 million in grants to develop new member-owned rural cooperatives in 13 states.
"Whether its farmers forming new co-ops to process their crops into value-added products or rural people forming day-care co-ops and credit unions to fill a service void in their communities, cooperatives are often an ideal way for rural Americans to take care of business," Glickman said.
Recipients of the grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are cooperative development centers and universities, which in turn are helping to organize new cooperatives. The funds will be used to finance feasibility studies, business development plans, market analysis studies and product development plans for new cooperatives.
"The cooperative concept is very basic: one person alone -- both as a consumer of goods and services and as a producer of goods -- exerts little influence on the marketplace," said Jill Long Thompson, under secretary for rural development. "But when rural people unite in a cooperative, they can open doors of opportunity and conquer problems that seemed insurmountable when they stood alone."
"Agricultural co-ops also help maintain a floor for farm prices, a role which will become increasingly vital as more federal farm safety net programs are eliminated," Glickman added.
The development funding is being provided by the Rural Cooperative Development Grant program of USDA Rural Development.
In addition to the grant program, USDA Rural Development also offers a number of direct services to cooperatives, including technical assistance from experts who help organize new cooperatives and improve the operations of existing cooperatives. USDA also conducts cooperative research and produces a wide array of educational materials to increase public understanding of the cooperative form of business.
For more information on how USDA can help rural cooperatives, call (202) 720-7558.
A list of the grants to be provided follows.
Media Contact: Jim Brownlee, (202) 720-2091
jim.brownlee@usda.gov
Public Contact: Dan Campbell, (202) 720-6483
dcampbel@rurdev.usda.gov
USDA 1998 Cooperative Development Grants
Dollar
State Applicant Project Amount
AK Alaska Village Initiatives Provide existing and emerging $148,000
cooperatives with management,
marketing, finance and
operational assistance
AR Winrock International Work with the Ozark Highland $140,000
Institute for Agricultural Poultry Producers Cooperative
Development to dispose of chicken waste
CA The Regents of the Support existing center $127,000
University of California initiatives in cooperative
development, education and
research
CO Rocky Mountain Farmers Continue and expand existing $124,000
Union Education and center's efforts in cooperative
Charitable Foundation development
KS Kansas State University Develop Kansas Cooperative $100,000
Co-op Development Development Center Education
Center and Assistance Program to
focus on development
education for new-generation
cooperatives
MA Cooperative Development Provide cooperative board and $140,000
Institute, Inc. management training and
technical assistance through
Northeast Rural Energy and
Value-Added Cooperative
Development Project
MI Michigan Alliance of Develop Rural Cooperative $113,000
Co-Ops, Central Development Center to form
Michigan University working relationships between
cooperatives
MS Mississippi Association Coordinate cooperative $110,000
of Cooperatives development activities through
existing Mississippi Center for
Cooperative Development
MT Intertribal Agriculture Encourage and assist Native $135,000
Council Americans in forming
marketing and production
cooperatives through existing
Rural Indian Agriculture
Cooperative Development
Center
ND North Dakota Association Develop Dakotas Center for $128,000
of Rural Electric Co-ops Rural Cooperative Business
Development to provide
technical assistance to
developing and existing
cooperatives
NE Nebraska Community Develop Nebraska Cooperative $148,000
Foundation, Inc. Development Center to
coordinate technical assistance
OH Ohio State University Establish Center for $148,000
Cooperative Development to
foster new cooperatives and
assist existing cooperatives
WI Cooperative Development Establish Cooperative $139,000
Services Fund, Inc. Development Services Fund,
Inc., to work to improve
cooperative development
training, outreach and technical
assistance
TOTAL $1,700,000
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