The development of the website and many of the educational materials were funded from a grant from the Farmers Educational Foundation through North Dakota Farmers Union.

Agricultural Economics/Business 374 Class-Cooperatives

          The course objectives are:

• What is the economic rationale for establishing a cooperative? 

• What business principles are used to operate cooperatives and how did they develop? 

• How can economic models be used to demonstrate pricing strategies used by cooperatives? 

• How does the management of a cooperative differ from a typical cooperation?

• How does the financing of a cooperative differ from a typical cooperation?

• What difference does the cooperative business model make to the decisions made with respect to the products cooperative supply or market, and the methods used to obtain these products?

• What is involved in starting a cooperative?

Case Studies:

• American Crystal Sugar

• Cass Clay Creamery

• United Spring Wheat Processors

Unnarrated Version Downloadable Below

The Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives is offering a curriculum unit to aid instructors in teaching a content on cooperative businesses.  These lessons are authored by seven North Dakota high school agricultural educators, one high school social studies educator, and Drs. Gregory McKee and Stacy  Duffield from North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota. The lessons include learning objectives, resources, activities, and a lesson outline. 

Link to lessons at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/qbcc/private 

Further information about the lessons can be obtained by writing to:    

Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives
Dept 7610, P.O. Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108  
or by e-mail to gregory.mckee@ndsu.edu.

• Module 1

          These modules offer a short course in cooperative business structures.  They are made possible through a grant from the North Dakota Farmers Union and Farmers Education Foundation.  The first describes what a co-op is: including examples, why and how other farmers and other co-op members benefit, and how they are rewarded financially.

• Module 2

          New Generation Cooperatives (N.G.C.) have added value to crops and livestock produced by farmers and ranchers, especially in Minnesota and the Dakotas.  This module explains how the N.G.C. differs from the traditional co-op, the history of the movement that began with American Crystal Sugar in the Red River Valley, and how the concept has spawned other new generation co-ops that produce pasta, bison meat, par-baked bread, eggs, and other products.

• Module 3

          How to start a New Generation Cooperative explains the steps Bill Patrie, Dakota Cooperative Development Director says are needed to successfully form a N.G.C.  The search for champion(s), advisors(s), exploratory meetings, location, feasibility study, legal aspects, equity drive, and more, are outlined. 

• Module 4

          Non-Ag Co-ops highlights the many services and products provided by cooperatives in the world.  For instance, 48,000 co-ops generated 150 billion dollars in 1999, serving one third of all Americans.  Examples of co-op businesses include: grocery, hardware, finance, housing, utilities, software, childcare, recreation, media news organizations, and medical.

More information about cooperatives can be found at the following websites:

The USDA Rural Development has a RBS Library of information such as Cooperative Information Reports, Service Reports, Research Reports (graduate level), miscellaneous reports, a link to Rural Cooperatives Magazine, and other websites.  Or go to the USDA-Rural Development websites.

Last updated: 01/05/04