Cooperative Farming Learning Series

Cooperatives do business differently—they are member-owned and controlled businesses that share profits and other benefits with users based on principles like self-help and equity. The model has long been applied in agriculture.

Learn about the cooperative business model in local food and agriculture contexts in this series:

• Cooperation as a business model (October 21)—What are cooperatives? How do they compare to other businesses? How are they being used to build local food systems and farms?
• Success as a cooperative (October 28)—Co-ops are people-based businesses with members, directors, and others playing key roles in the success of a cooperative enterprise. Dive into the key stakeholders in a cooperative and what they do.
• Cooperative farming financial considerations (November 4)—Cooperatives share profits with their member-owners based on use. And members hold the equity in cooperative enterprises—key characteristics that are part of the “co-op difference.” Understand how money moves through a cooperative and key financial considerations for developing one in food and agriculture.