Michigan Small and Emerging Co-op Conference

The Michigan Cooperative Development Program, part of the Michigan State University Product Center Food-Ag-Bio, is co-sponsoring a conference for small and emerging cooperatives at three locations in Michigan. Those locations are:

• Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center, 6686 S. Center Highway, Traverse City, Michigan on March 17
• Cabela’s, 110 Cabela Boulevard East, Dundee, Michigan on March 18
• Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center, 1791 Hillandale Road, Benton Harbor, Michigan on March 19

Other sponsors are CoBank, the Mid America Cooperative Council, and other support organizations.

The conference is for directors and members of small and recently organized cooperatives as well as anyone contemplating starting a cooperative or association. It will provide information about basic cooperative operation including types of cooperatives; the roles of directors, managers, and members, and basics for starting and sustaining a cooperative or association. Other topics will deal with financing, legal issues, and business planning. The program provides plenty of time for networking and input from the participants into issues and opportunities for cooperatives in Michigan.

For more information, registration, maps and directions to the facilities, go to the Events page of MSU Extension at www.msue.msu.edu or to http://events.anr.msu.edu/MSCC0314/ or contact Tom Kalchik at 517-256-7968 or kalchikt@msu.edu.