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Rural
Cooperatives Center
Department
of Agricultural and Resource Economics
University of California,
Davis
http://www.cooperatives.ucdavis.edu
| ruralcoops@ucdavis.edu |
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Rural Cooperatives Review - September
2006
This is the first issue of a quarterly email newsletter from
the Rural Cooperatives Center. It includes commentary from the Center's
Director, summaries of articles and news stories relevant to California's
rural cooperatives.
To unsubscribe, please email
us with "unsubscribe" as the subject. Some links to media may require free
registration. |
Director’s Commentary: Alternative
State Co-op Laws Broaden Investment Capital Sources
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Articles |
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Celebrating
CHS’ 75th AnniversaryThe
CEO and Board Chairman of CHS, the country’s largest agricultural
cooperative, were interviewed for the May/June 2006 issue of the USDA
publication, Rural Cooperatives. From its roots as three cooperatives
engaged in grain handling and farm supplies, this 75-year old
cooperative has diversified into value-added foods through joint
ventures. Its farm supply product lines have expanded significantly, and
renewable fuels are key focus for the cooperative currently. The article
includes a candid discussion by John Johnson regarding his biggest
successes and disappointments as CHS’ CEO. Chairman Toelle shares tips
on how to ensure board member involvement. To read the complete story,
go to: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/may06/may06.pdf
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Purchasing
Cooperatives enhance bargaining power and lower
costsThe benefits
of purchasing cooperatives caused a doubling in their numbers over the
last decade. As big box stores threaten the futures of many main street
businesses, small store owners have banded together to enhance their
purchasing power and lower their costs by forming purchasing
cooperatives. Prominent purchasing co-ops include Ace Hardware, Carpet
One and Independent Purchasing Cooperative (the members are Subway
sandwich shop owners).
An added benefit of the collaboration is the free
flow of information among members; a member of a bicycle part purchasing
cooperative commented: “You could offer me the best prices in the world,
and it wouldn’t be as important as what we learn from each
other.”
Purchasing cooperatives are the topic in “Saving
America’s Main Street”, an article in the May/June, 2006 issue of
Cooperative Business Journal (a publication of the National Cooperative
Business Association). This article is available at http://cooperatives.ucdavis.edu/news/CBJ purchasing co-op
story.pdf |
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News Items
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