Many people may not be aware that National Co-Op Month – a month dedicated to cooperatives and their unique, often hard-to- describe business models – was celebrated in October.

Some of your favorite foods and drinks are produced by cooperatives: Ocean Spray cranberry juice, Blue Diamond almonds, Land O’ Lakes butter. But what is a cooperative, and what makes it any different than a “regular business?”

Cooperatives (co-ops) are unique in that they’re businesses owned by customers. They’re formed when a group of like-minded individuals team-up, pool their resources together, and jointly own and operate a business. Rather than focusing on making money for investors like many corporations do, cooperatives’ sole focus is on making money for their members.

Members join their local co-op and can provide input on decisions that affect the cooperative. Each member gets one vote, regardless of the number of shares of stock held in the organization. A local board of directors is elected by the members to represent the local views of the members and discuss local issues that affect the business.

The cooperative represents a strong business model that greatly contributes to both the national and local economies. There are a total of 40,000 cooperative businesses in the United States that generate $514 billion in revenue and more than $25 billion in wages, according to a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. (http://reic.uwcc.wisc.edu/default.htm).

Local farm supply retailer Southern States is one of those businesses; an agricultural cooperative that began back in 1923.

“At the time, farmers in the state of Virginia were unable to buy any kind of seed that was guaranteed to grow in Virginia,” said spokesperson, Chris Carter. “So about 150 farmers met in Richmond, Virginia, and with just $11,000 dollars in capital, two employees and a used typewriter, the company that would later become Southern States Cooperative, was born.”

Today, Southern States has grown to become one of the largest agricultural cooperatives in the country, with over 200,000 farmer-members serving 1,200 retail outlets across 23 states.

Studies show that consumers want to do business with companies that share their values, making today’s environment ideal for cooperatives and their commitment to the communities in which their members live and work. Cooperatives create an opportunity for local community members to join together and build—or be a part of—a local business that benefits the local economy.

Members in cooperatives tend to share common core values with one another, making it easier for companies like Southern States to relate to its customers.

“Farmers instill very similar core values into their own farm business: a commitment to customers, high product quality and innovation, a positive work environment for employees, and responsible business practices,” said Carter. “Those shared values allow Southern States to establish trusted, dependable relationship with local farmers in the community.”

To learn more about cooperatives and Southern States, visit southernstates.com.

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Southern States Cooperative is a Richmond, Virginia-based farm supply retailer and service cooperative. As one of the nation’s largest agricultural cooperatives, it provides a wide range of farm inputs, including fertilizer, seed, livestock feed, pet food, animal health supplies, and petroleum products, as well as other items for the farm and home. Founded in 1923, the cooperative is owned by more than 200,000 farmer- members, and serves its members and non-member customers through 1,200 retail outlets in 23 states.