Rural Cooperatives back issues from May 2009:
California's 30-year drought.(Commentary)
May 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] California water officials have proclaimed 2007-2009 as California's worst drought in 150 years, bringing back memories of the "dust bowl" conditions of the 1930s. While there's good reason for concern among the state's grower-owned cooperatives--which ...
Co-op economic footprint: multi-sector analysis estimates total co-op economic impact at $653 billion.
May 01, 2009; ... Cooperatives occupy a unique niche in the economy of the United States. Co-ops are engaged in a broad range of businesses: electricity distribution to rural farms and homeowners, bargaining and marketing services for agricultural producers, and delivery of home healthcare services for the ...
A place at the table: NFU delegates carry family farmer concerns to Capitol Hill, White House.
May 01, 2009; ... Standing at the speakers' podium of the National Farmers Union (NFU) annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in March, Wes Niederman was helping to herd a blizzard of NFU policy positions toward resolution. It was a day-long example of democracy in action as 600 members (142 of them voting ...
Tri-State to build largest co-op solar power plant.(Utility Co-op Connection)
May 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If all goes according to plan, by the end of next year one of the largest solar projects in the world will begin generating enough electric power to meet the needs of 9,000 homes in New Mexico. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, based near ...
Waste not: large and small Minnesota dairy farms use manure digesters to produce methane gas.
May 01, 2009; ... In the heart of Minnesota's dairy country, two dairy co-op members are looking to a future in which farm waste will be used to supplement America's supply of electric power. Both are using technology that reduces pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and, hopefully, farm operation costs. ...
Co-op directors must adhere to high standards of conduct.(Legal Corner)
May 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Transparency in corporate business activity is o longer an option. The line in the sand drawn by Main Street dictates that Wall Street provide complete accountability for financial actions. Cooperatives are not immune from this level of ...
A legacy of cooperation: Plunkett Foundation still follows founder's vision of co-ops as force for sustainable rural development.
May 01, 2009; ... "By George, that's it! I'll megaphone it to the world!" These were the words of President Theodore Roosevelt when he read Sir Horace Plunkett's plans for sustainable rural development in the United States and beyond. Anglo-Irishman Plunkett, the pioneer of farmer ...
Co-op development action: Greenhouse grows more than plants--co-op teaches youth about nutrition, community involvement.
May 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Attala County Self-Help Cooperative (ACSHC) is helping to expand and strengthen community involvement in Attala County, Miss. ACSHC was formed in 2005 to save rural resources in central Mississippi through the use of educational outreach programs that ...
Green thumbs up: interest in community gardens sprouting all across America.
May 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] First Lady Michelle Obama and about two dozen local students from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington, D.C., made national headlines in March when they broke ground for an 1,100-square-foot organic "kitchen garden" on the south lawn of the White ...
Wind power: key to reducing costs for isolated Alaska villages.
May 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The expansive utility infrastructure that exists for most Americans in the lower 48 states is a luxury that simply isn't available for Alaskans living in the remote, rural areas of the state. The majority of these small communities aren't even accessible ...
AGP marks 25th year with record cash returns.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Despite extraordinary economic volatility in 2008, AGP posted record earnings of almost $144 million on sale of about $4.3 billion. The co-op returned a record $75.8 million in cash to members, bringing total cash returns for the past five years to more ...
Maine fishing co-op opens certified processing facility.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... After months of hard work and preparation, the Midcoast Fishermen's Cooperative received final approval in March from the Maine Department of Agriculture to begin operating a new, certified seafood processing facility in Port Clyde, Maine. The co-op began picking Maine shrimp at the ...
AgStar buys six VeraSun plants; hopes to re-sell to farmer co-ops.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... AgStar, a Farm Credit System bank based in Mankato, Minn., in March purchased six ethanol plants formerly belonging to bankrupt VeraSun. The bank's credit bid was for $324 million. The six plants were to remain in idle mode for about 60 days while buyers are found. According to ...
Record revenue at DFA in '08; plunging milk price sparks effort.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... Dairy Farmers of America had record revenue of $11.7 billion and net income of $61.7 million in 2008. The cooperative marketed 61.2 billion pounds of milk and directed more than S7 billion dollars in milk payments to 18,000 farmer-members. "Although 2008 was a record year for ...
Humboldt Creamery files Chapter 11.
May 01, 2009 ... Humboldt Creamery filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection April 21 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Santa Rosa, Calif. By filing for Chapter 11, the co-op has indicated its desire to continue to operate. The co-op is looking for possible partners or buyers. Len Mayer, appointed as ...
Record milk volume, sales growth at AMPI.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) reported record milk volume and sales growth for 2008. "A record 5.8 billion pounds of milk [up 6 percent], combined with strong dairy product markets and AMPI sales, resulted in $1.7 billion of revenue," AMPI President and CEO Ed Welch told 400 annual ...
CHS notches fifth year of record returns.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... Record earnings in 2008 are enabling CHS Inc. to disburse up to $343 million to its owners in 48 states. This marks the fifth consecutive year of record returns to owners by CHS and is the largest ever made by a U.S. cooperative. Of that amount, $231 million is being distributed ...
Agri-Mark earns $11.8 million.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... Agri-Mark, Methuen, Mass., earned an after-tax profit of $11.8 million for 2008, the second best year ever for the cooperative's 1,300 Northeast dairy farm families. Agri-Mark sales of member-farm milk and manufactured dairy products for 2008 generated $881 million in revenue. ...
NCFC meeting explores impact of climate change laws on ag.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) hosted a meeting in Washington, D.C., in April that attracted a broad range of agricultural organizations to discuss the real-world costs that climate legislation will impose on farms, cooperatives and rural households across America. Bob ...
Record sales, member payments for LO'L.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... Land O'Lakes, a Minneapolis, Minn-based dairy foods and farm supply co-op, had record net sales of $12 billion in 2008, up 35 percent from $8.9 billion in 2007. The co-op also returned a record $98 million to its members. Net earnings of $159.6 million were just slightly off from 2007's ...
Two-thirds of milk supply enrolled in CWT program.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has reached its goal of signing up a "super-majority" of the nation's milk supply for two years, which will enable the self-help program to "focus on reducing the current devastating imbalance in milk supply and demand," according to CWT officials. About ...
Hog co-op files for bankruptcy.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... Meadowbrook Farms, an Illinois hog cooperative that opened in 2002, announced plans in March to file for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. It said its assets will be liquidated, including a processing plant in Rantoul, Ill. The co-op once had 200 members, but was down to less than half that ...
N. Y. Times includes special co-op section.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... The April 6 issue of the New York Times included a special advertorial (paid editorial and advertising content) section that focused on the advantages of cooperative businesses. The advertorial on cooperatives featured a four-page section of ads and editorial copy. The purpose ...
USDA accepting applications for co-op development grants.(Newsline: Co-op developments, coast to coast)
May 01, 2009 ... USDA is accepting applications for grants to fund cooperative development centers that work to improve economic conditions in rural areas. Applications are due by the close of business on June 29, 2009. "These cooperative development centers provide rural Americans with stronger ...
Organic Valley sales top $528 million.
May 01, 2009 ... Organic Valley, the nation's largest cooperative of organic family farmers and one of the nation's leading organic brands, had record sales of $528 million in 2008, a 22-percent increase over 2007. This follows a 29-percent rise in sales from 2006 to 2007. The co-op's sales have grown ...