National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

As a local cooperative owned and governed by agricultural producers, our primary focus is to serve our members. During National Cooperative Month, we celebrate our employees who work together to carry out this mission and our members who support us.

Continuing with our co-op month celebration, we want to recognize a critical part of our success - our employees! From the driers to the mills, Riceland has over 1,500 dedicated employees working tirelessly day in and day out throughout this busy harvest season.

"It Takes a Co-op" is a new podcast highlighting the value of cooperatives. In the first episode, you’ll hear from Dan Schurr, chair of the CHS Board of Directors Cooperatives are an important part of rural America and vital to the success of the farmers and ranchers who own them, he says. "I think the cooperative system provides an opportunity for a lot of farmers, or others, to be involved in something bigger. And when you get involved with that, you have the opportunity to interact with people like yourself that are passionate about agriculture, passionate about success and the future." Schurr owns and manages a family farm near LeClaire, Iowa, raising corn and soybeans. He also operates a commercial trucking business. Hear more from him about the value he sees in being part of a cooperative: https://bit.ly/3Y6NW3e.

Happy Cooperative month! October is all about celebrating the power of cooperatives and the positive impact they have on our communities. We’re proud to be part of this as we raise the voice for dairy farmers across the Midwest. https://bit.ly/4e37Ulo

Shannon Forster, a farmer and cooperative owner, joins the "It Takes a Co-op" podcast to talk about her involvement with the cooperative system and how she sees cooperatives evolving. "I don't think that evolution is going to start in the boardroom," says Forster. "I think that the future of the cooperative system is the future of the American farmer, so I think those conversations need to start at the farm." "As we say [at CHS], 'Creating connections to empower agriculture,' that's something that runs deep," she says. "I've traveled overseas. I've met with CHS partners in different countries. The biggest part is the connection to other farmers." Learn more about Forster and why she finds value in the cooperative system: https://bit.ly/3Y6NW3e.

Each year, we are immensely inspired by farmer-owners who bring in the crop and in awe of the team members who work tirelessly to safely receive every last cranberry. We often talk of this as “nature’s most beautiful harvest,” but beyond that beauty is an immeasurable amount of hard work—generations of agricultural history coming to life each season. #agriculture #cooperative #cranberry #harvest

Happy National Co-Op Month! Join us all month long as we celebrate the power of the cooperative model and how it bolsters the livelihoods of countless families across rural communities. #NationalCoOpMonth #farmers #landolakes #cooperatives #ruralvibrancy #CoOpMonth

We believe that the heart of our cooperative lies in the people who make it thrive. As we celebrate National Co-op Month, let’s remember that our cooperative is more than just a business model—it's a community built on trust, respect, and shared goals. Being a member-owner means access to new technologies and resources that may not be accessible. Check out this video to learn more ⤵️ #NationalCoopMonth

It was a pleasure to host Beth Ford, Land O'Lakes, Inc. President and CEO, this morning in central Indiana. Beth joined Keystone Farmer Director Greg Gore in the combine and discussed key priorities with Keystone CEO Kevin Still. Thank you, Beth, for taking the time to experience our operations firsthand.

Co-ops come in all shapes and sizes, but they all share a common goal: to build stronger communities together.