MPR: The Future of Small Towns: Idea Generator: Idea detail and comments

Categories : People : Economic opportunity : Human services : Telecommunications : Transportation : Social/cultural opportunities : Education : Government & policy : Other

Idea for: Economic opportunity

Create local cooperatives
Create local cooperatives for various homegrown and/or organic produce and livestock which would be sold for competetive prices to Twin Cities restaurants and supermarkets.

From Jennifer Willey of Brooklyn Center, MN on 05/16/05

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How about going beyond retail grocery coops? In one very small ND town folks take turns running the cafe so it could stay open. Hardware stores, day care, commodity processing and packaging, small manufacturing all can be worker, customer or investor owned cooperative business. If ownership is kept local the money stays local longer, too.

From Myles Alexander of Chewlah, WA on 01/29/08

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I love co-ops. You know you are saving jobs and gas when you shop at one. If it is an organic co-op then you know the quality of life for the animals was better and you know that you're protecting your local water supply (lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes) from added nitrogen and phosphorous which can slowly kill the pond and the fish in it. Thus it hurts the waterfowl that eat the fish and a beautiful area is ruined, etc.
At co-ops the growers listen to what you want because they need you, too!

From Lisa Cary of Duluth, MN on 06/10/05

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The closest one to us is almost 50 miles away. We are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that our community will support one in the future.

From Steve Tripp of Waseca, MN on 05/27/05

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We are doing this in west central Minnesota. Pride of the Prairie is an organization sponsored by the Land Stewardship. One component of it is a farmers group working collaboratively to market vegetables and meats. Last winter we had a very successful value-added experiment marketing dinner baskets as holiday gifts. A basket included all the ingredients for a 4-person meal, including spices. All locally raised. This is just one small example of our cooperative potential.

From Carol Ford of Milan, MN on 05/18/05

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From VIctoria Ford of Saint Paul, MN on 05/17/05

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From VIctoria Ford of Saint Paul, MN on 05/16/05

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