Transcript Bob Cropp
Welcome to 5th Annual Farmer Cooperatives Conference Restructuring for Trouble Times What do we hope to accomplish with these conferences: • Provide timely and highly relevant information for agricultural cooperatives---major trends and issues. • But, most importantly to provide an opportunity to hear about and to learn from each other as well as professionals on innovative approaches to the major issues impacting cooperatives. History of the Conferences • 1998: Minneapolis--Covered a broad overview of critical issues facing cooperatives. • 1999: Kansas City--Governance issues • 2000: Las Vegas--Capitalization and financing issues • 2001: Las Vegas--Challenges in meeting the needs of farm-member customers and food customers. • 2002: St. Louis--Innovative business structures Financial Sponsors: • University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives • Farm Foundation • CHS Cooperative Foundation • The Cooperative Foundation • Land O’Lakes, Inc. • Dorsey & Whitney LLP • Badgerland Farm Credit Services Co-sponsors • Arthur Capper Cooperative Center at Kansas State Univ. • Cornell Cooperative Enterprise Program at Cornell Univ. • Midwest Cooperative, Education, Research & Extension Consortium • Minnesota Association of Cooperatives • National Council of Farmer Cooperatives • Northeast Cooperative Council • Univ. of Missouri Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership • Univ. of Saskatchewan Centre for the Study of Cooperatives • USDA-RB-Cooperative Service • Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives Planning Committee • CHS Cooperatives Foundation & The Cooperative Foundation---William Nelson • Cornell Univ.---Bruce Anderson and Brian Henehan • Iowa State Univ.---Roger Ginder • Kansas State Univ.---David Barton • Michigan State Univ.---Chris Peterson • Univ. of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives---Bob Cropp,Ashwini Rao, Anne Reynolds, Kim Zeuli Appreciation to: • Presenters • Facilitators • You as participants We sincerely hope • You gain some new insights • You ask questions & discuss with others • Renew old acquaintances and make new friends • But, most important, you are able to take something home with you that may have value to your cooperative or your work with cooperatives.