Your talent and
skills can help communities flourish. Whether you're creative,
analytical, good with your hands, or simply believe in working with
others towards common ends, there are countless ways you can contribute
to the rich history of cooperatives here in Minnesota by helping write
a new chapter.
In these hard economic times, and in the shaky times of the past,
co-ops emerged as a distinctly American solution to meeting the needs
of our communities. But what exactly
is a co-op? |
| A cooperative is a
jointly-owned business organized around the concept of mutual benefit.
Patrons and/or workers often own and organize the business, adhering to
cooperative principles such as democratic control, the distribution of
patronage dividends, autonomy and independence, and concern for other
cooperatives.
Agricultural and utility co-ops have long been part of the fabric of
rural life in Minnesota. Today, cooperative grocers, housing, banking,
and countless other creative forms are emerging from Silver Bay to
Saint Paul. |
