Education and Training Archives

Pets and Vets Need Co-ops Too!
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Pets and Vets Need Co-ops Too!

Pets and Vets Need Co-ops Too!

In late 2021, veterinarians at Spring Green and Mazomanie Animal Hospitals decided it was time to begin planning for retirement. Mark Baenen and John Dally founded the Spring Green Clinic 18 years prior to Ann Vetter joining them as co-owners of the additional Mazomanie Clinic in 2020. Keeping quality veterinary care in this rural region of Wisconsin was of paramount interest to each of them throughout their tenure. With retirement approaching, they were concerned about the nationwide trend of corporate conglomerates acquiring independent clinics, and the impact this has on workers, animals, [...]

By Alex Stone|2023-10-30T15:15:10-07:00October 30th, 2023|Comments Off

Ed Potter
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Ed Potter

Ed Potter

Ed is an international cooperative development practitioner with over 20 years of experience working in North American, Latin American, and Caribbean countries. He previously served as executive director of the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation’s Americas Regional Association (ICMIF/Americas), representing 67 cooperative and mutual insurers from Canada to Argentina. He co-founded the Cooperative Law and Regulation Initiative (CLARITY), which promotes cooperative legal and regulatory reform and advocacy with secondary and tertiary cooperatives in developing economies. Ed led a USAID Cooperative Development Program grant supporting ICMIF/Americas members’ capacity to develop and deliver affordable microinsurance financial [...]

By Alex Stone|2023-07-19T10:20:00-07:00July 17th, 2023|Comments Off

Margaret Bau
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Margaret Bau

Margaret Bau

USDA Cooperative Services focuses on co-op education, development, legal information, research, and farmer co-op statistics. We strive to connect co-ops with resources within USDA Rural Development and across the federal government. CW member Margaret Bau has been engaged in co-op development since 1998 across her home state of Wisconsin and nationally since 2015. Margaret has assisted in the formation of over 35 cooperatives in industries as diverse as homecare worker co-ops in long-term care, the forest products industry, distributing local foods into regional institutions, arts marketing and galleries, ownership conversions, disability services, [...]

By Samantha Foust|2023-01-06T11:51:44-08:00September 25th, 2017|Comments Off

Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation, and Rural Sustainability
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Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation, and Rural Sustainability

Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation, and Rural Sustainability

The Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability will assist rural Virginians in developing and advancing their agricultural, economic and social interests to enhance their quality of life. We provide technical assistance to new and existing rural cooperatives, mutually-owned businesses, farm and forestry associations and communities engaged in improving their economic condition for the mutual benefit of their members/owners/citizens. Technical assistance is provided organizational development and governance, strategic planning, feasibility analysis, business/enterprise/market planning, finance and grant assistance. We are a long standing USDA-funded rural cooperative development center. We assist individual farms, [...]

By Alex Stone|2022-07-20T16:38:04-07:00September 25th, 2017|Comments Off

South Carolina Center for Cooperative and Enterprise Development
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South Carolina Center for Cooperative and Enterprise Development

South Carolina Center for Cooperative and Enterprise Development

The Center for Cooperative and Enterprise Development is dedicated to enhancing and expanding local food and agricultural businesses in South Carolina. The Center and partners provide technical assistance to cooperatives, mutually-owned businesses, and other small business within multiple industries, but with a strong focus on agricultural businesses. Primary activities are cooperative formation, business planning, feasibility studies, cooperative financing, grant writing, assisting producer associations, and new business development.

By Alex Stone|2022-07-20T16:29:18-07:00September 25th, 2017|Comments Off

Rural Grocery Initiative
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Rural Grocery Initiative

Rural Grocery Initiative

The Rural Grocery Initiative, housed within K-State Research and Extension, aims to sustain locally-owned rural grocery stores to enhance community vitality and improve access to healthy foods by identifying, developing, and sharing resources that support grocers and rural communities. The Rural Grocery Initiative supports rural grocers and communities through technical assistance, research, informational resources, and events. We provide support to communities across the country, however, currently have a foothold in Kansas and the midwest. One are of expertise is in alternative ownership models. In Kansas, in particular, this has included nonprofits, public-private [...]

By Alex Stone|2023-01-04T14:14:56-08:00September 25th, 2017|Comments Off

Northwest Cooperative Development Center (NWCDC)
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Northwest Cooperative Development Center (NWCDC)

Northwest Cooperative Development Center (NWCDC)

Fostering community economic development primarily through the cooperative business model since 1979! NWCDC is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), organization devoted to assisting new and existing cooperative businesses, from daycare centers to credit unions. NWCDC primarily supports cooperatives in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho but has also supported projects as far away as Alaska and Hawai’i. Founded by cooperatives in 1979, the Center has grown into the Northwest’s leading provider of services for co-op business development. We have a long history of collaborating with communities, governments, economic development agencies and other cooperatives, sharing expertise and building cross-sector support for new [...]

By Samantha Foust|2022-12-14T10:06:13-08:00September 25th, 2017|Comments Off

North Dakota Association of RECs
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North Dakota Association of RECs

North Dakota Association of RECs

The Rural Electric and Telecommunications Development Center adds new wealth to the economy by creating, retaining, and expanding rural cooperatives and other primary sector business enterprises in North Dakota. The Center provides consultation, technical assistance and financing programs. The Rural Electric and Telecommunications Development Center has been providing federally-supported technical assistance to rural areas since 1994. Operating under the umbrella of the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) and the North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives (NDATC), the Center has come to be recognized as a major development player in [...]

By Samantha Foust|2023-01-06T16:04:50-08:00September 25th, 2017|Comments Off

Northcountry Cooperative Foundation
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Northcountry Cooperative Foundation

Northcountry Cooperative Foundation

Northcountry Cooperative Foundation helps communities take control of their futures through cooperative ownership. We specialize in the development and support of affordable housing cooperatives, providing low-income residents with technical expertise and organizational support needed to create successful cooperatives and sustain them in the long-term. Development Services: We help co-ops assess project feasibility, secure financing, and develop strong organizational and management structures. Technical Assistance: We help ensure cooperatives thrive by providing tailored technical assistance, training, continuing education, and peer to peer engagement opportunities. Advocacy: We work with co-op leaders to advocate for legislation [...]

By Alex Stone|2022-08-17T12:19:34-07:00September 25th, 2017|Comments Off

Keystone Development Center
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Keystone Development Center

Keystone Development Center

KDC’s mission is to sustain communities, economies, and resources through cooperatively owned businesses. As a provider of technical assistance (TA) to cooperatives and other agriculture-related businesses throughout the Mid-Atlantic, KDC is well positioned to provide support in the areas of technical assistance for businesses wishing to form as cooperatives. With over 20 years of cooperative development experience and a long-standing commitment to cooperatives in the agriculture and food business sector, KDC brings an extensive amount of relevant experience including technical assistance, capacity building, business planning, organizational analysis, IT assistance, education & training, [...]

By Samantha Foust|2023-01-06T11:27:45-08:00September 25th, 2017|Comments Off