Rural on the Rise - Past Recordings

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Past Rural Developers’ Assembly Virtual Meeting Recordings

2024

Tracy McIntyre and Nicole Borner, Montana Cooperative Development Center, introduce the concept of opportunity development cooperatives, which are proven to revitalize communities, grow local leadership, create sustainable businesses and help solve housing issues. Also known as investment cooperatives, opportunity development cooperatives provide many benefits, including the ability to pool resources, access to capital and the potential for increased community wealth building. In this presentation, you'll learn about the work being done by opportunity development cooperatives in rural communities, their current role in the economy and the potential for future community growth.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Past Rural Developers’ Assembly Virtual Meeting Recordings

2023

Rural developers learned about the work that is being done with opportunity development and investment cooperatives in rural communities, their current role in the economy and the potential for future growth. An overview was provided of the benefits of investment cooperatives, such as the ability to pool resources, access capital and increase community wealth building.

2022

John Kane, Warehouses4Good

2020

NDAREC’s cooperative development center hosted a virtual Rural Developers’ Assembly on Sept. 29, 2020, where Margaret Bau, USDA Rural Development walked participants through the idea of home care worker cooperatives.

Bau holds the distinction of organizing the country’s first rural home care workers cooperative.

Bau has been a cooperative development specialist with USDA Rural Development since 1998. She has assisted in the formation of more than 30 cooperatives across her home state of Wisconsin in industries as diverse as long-term care, local foods distribution, arts marketing and galleries, conventional groceries, housing, disability support services and conversion of existing businesses into employee owned-businesses.

Bau works for the USDA national office as a resource on cooperative development, but remains based in central Wisconsin.