October is Cooperative Month. AHC represents many cooperatives in the telecom, electric, and agricultural industries. So we join with others in celebrating our cooperative clients.
In honor of Cooperative Month, the U.S.D.A. has provided and re-published the following helpful guides to cooperatives, especially farmers cooperatives.
Do Yourself a Favor Join a Cooperative (Cooperative Information Report 54). This pamphlet focuses on the unique aspects of doing business and providing services on a cooperative basis and the special benefits that cooperative members enjoy.
Co-ops 101: An Introduction to Cooperatives (Cooperative Information Report 55, en Espanol). This report provides a comprehensive summary of basic information on the cooperative way of organizing and operating a business. It covers the nature and extent of the use of cooperatives, compares cooperatives to other business structures, explains the roles various people play in a cooperative, and discusses equity accumulation and income taxation.
Co-op Essentials: What They Are and the Role of Members, Directors, Managers and Employees (Cooperative Information Report 11). This guide (a companion publication to USDA’s Co-ops 101) provides essential information about cooperatives. It explains what cooperatives are, including their business structure and principles. It examines the responsibilities and roles of cooperative members, directors, managers, and employees.
How to Start a Cooperative (Cooperative Information Report 7, en Espanol). This guide outlines the process of organizing a cooperative business and provides information on the potential steps involved and some important aspects of co-op development. It presents the 12 steps involved in most cooperative development projects. A cooperative business is also briefly described, including its structure and basic principles.
Vital Steps: A Cooperative Feasibility Study Guide (Service Report 34). This guide compliments the report, How to Start a Cooperative, by providing rural residents with greater information about cooperative development feasibility studies.
Understanding Capper-Volstead (Cooperative Information Report 35). Brief publication that covers the law that allows producers to form cooperatives to jointly market their products.
Understanding Cooperatives Pamphlet Series (CIR 45): a series of 4-page cooperative informational pamphlets are handy for cooperative development meetings. Go to the Cooperative Publications page and find them under the CIR publications.
Food Hub Series: Four Publications about Developing and Improving Food Hubs (Service Report 77 Vol. 1; Four guides (Lessons Learned From the Field; compliments the report, How to Start a Cooperative, by providing rural residents with greater information about cooperative development feasibility studies.
And other helpful informational publications can be found at the Cooperative Publications page.