Value-Added Agriculture

Succession Planning Strives to Preserve Local Jobs and Ownership

Iowa
A project of: Iowa Alliance for Cooperative Business Development
Contact:

Madeline Schultz, email

Succession planning is the process of transferring the ownership and management of an on-going business to new owners and managers. Keeping small businesses vibrant and operational is important for the longevity and prosperity of rural communities. Cooperative models of employee ownership provide unique business succession opportunities and it is helpful for business owners to be aware of the many choices for succession planning. MORE >>

La Junta Goat Milk Cooperative

La Junta, CO
A project of: Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Cooperative and Economic Development Center
Contact:

Ben Rainbolt, center-director@coops.org

The Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) Educational & Charitable Foundation Director Ben Rainbolt announced the award of a $32,500 Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) from the USDA Rural Development division to Prairie Sunshine Products of La Junta, Colorado on August 11, 2008.

The grant is for development of a goat milk dairy cooperative in Otero County. “Prairie Sunshine Products is building a creamery in La Junta,” Rainbolt said. “This RBEG money will fund a feasibility study and business plan for developing a network of milk suppliers on the co-op model. MORE >>

Ohio Farmers’ Markets

Ohio
Contact:

Tom Snyder, snyder.11@osu.edu

The popularity of farmers’ markets and locally grown food is soaring nationally. According to the Farmers’ Market Coalition, the number of farmers’ markets in the United States has increased 40 percent during the past decade. More than 3 million consumers shop at farmers’ markets, spending more than $1 billion annually.

A majority of farmers’ markets are organized as cooperatives or operate on cooperative principles.

Several efforts are underway in Ohio to help farmers’ markets and their farmer-vendors boost the marketing of fresh, local foods. MORE >>

Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative

Lancaster, PA
A project of: Keystone Development Center
Contact:

Cathy Smith, smith@kdc.coop

The Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative (LFFC) is a farmer owned cooperative in southeastern Pennsylvania. LFFC represents 40 farmer owners all located in Lancaster County. The cooperative is made up of Amish and Mennonite farmers who take great pride in building their soil to produce healthy plants, animals and people. The Keystone Development Center (KDC) supported the start-up activities of the cooperative and assisted the group in incorporation, by-law development, and board education. KDC provided a local facilitator during the start-up year (2005). MORE >>

Dakota Provisions

Producers in front of a Dakota Provisions signProducers in front of a Dakota Provisions sign
Huron, South Dakota
A project of: South Dakota Value Added Agriculture Development Center
Contact:

Cheri Rath, cherirath@yahoo.com

The cooperative of 44 turkey producers, is turning turkeys into ready-to-eat slices, ground meat and other raw meat products at its Dakota Provisions processing plant near Huron, South Dakota.

At maximum production, Dakota Provisions 500 employees currently process 3.6 million raw birds into about 500,000 pounds of ready-to-eat products a week. MORE >>

Dakota Quality Grain

Parshall, North Dakota
A project of: North Dakota Rural Electric and Telecommunications Development Center
Contact:

Lori Capouch, lcapouch@ndarec.com

With the assistance of the Rural Electric and Telecommunications Development Center and Mountrail-Williams Electric, Dakota Quality Grain, LLC in Parshall received REDLG funds to construct a 20,500-ton hub fertilizer plant. MORE >>

Grasshoppers Distribution: A Local Advantage

Kentucky
A project of: Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development
Contact:

Larry Snell, lsnell@kcard.info

Out of a shared frustration with distribution options for small farmers, a group of producers came together to create Grasshoppers Distribution, LLC to be that conduit between the farm and the consumer. MORE >>

Iowa Farm Supply and Grain Elevator Cooperatives

Ames, Iowa
A project of: Iowa Alliance for Cooperative Business Development
Contact:

Roger Ginder, ginder@iastate.edu

The Iowa Alliance for Cooperative Business Development at Iowa State University is utilizing its cooperative research and outreach programs to help farm supply and grain elevator cooperatives address major changes in retail fertilizer markets. MORE >>

Midwest Biodiesel Producers

Tanker truck filling up at the plant, 2007.Tanker truck filling up at the plant, 2007.
Alexandria, South Dakota
A project of: South Dakota Value Added Agriculture Development Center
Contact:

Cheri Rath, cherirath@yahoo.com

Midwest Biodiesel Producers loaded their first tanker of biodiesel in January 2007. Ten agricultural producers formed the Alexandria, South Dakota cooperative to add value to their oilseed crops. The facility has the capacity to produce 7 million gallons per year of biodiesel and the scope and has plans to expand the scope to include the crushing of oilseeds.

Natural Gold

Members with shovels at ground breaking for the plantMembers with shovels at ground breaking for the plant
Aberdeen, South Dakota
A project of: South Dakota Value Added Agriculture Development Center
Contact:

Cheri Rath, cherirath@yahoo.com

Natural Gold in Aberdeen, South Dakota has the capacity to crush 5 million bushels of soybeans into an environmentally friendly soy-based refined oil. The oil will be a component of Dakota Additive (an all-natural soybean-ethanol agri-biodiesel product blended with a natural additive) that improves efficiencies in over the road diesel engines. Soy meal, a co-product of the production process, is made into a livestock feed ingredient for area producers.