Farmer Cooperatives Conference Ending after 26 years
After careful consideration and in consultation with our national planning committee, the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives has made the difficult decision to end the Farmer Cooperatives Conference.
Launched during a time of turbulence in the agricultural cooperative community, the Farmer Cooperatives Conference has served as a forum for professionals and leaders to connect and discuss the issues and trends impacting farmer-led cooperatives since 1998. Over the decades, there have been shifts in the agricultural landscape including consolidation, growth, and increased competition. As the agriculture industry has changed, so have the needs of its cooperatives. Our goal has always been to provide valuable educational and networking experiences to the sector, and we feel as though we’ve accomplished that over the 26-year lifespan of this conference.
As we sunset the Farmer Cooperatives Conference, we want to thank the many people and organizations that contributed to its success. It has been a privilege to steward this program in partnership with the industry leaders, professionals, and academics who have attended and presented at the conference, sponsored the program, and provided guidance through membership on the planning committee.
The UW Center for Cooperatives will continue to serve cooperatives in rural America through our research, education, and development activities; and we look forward to finding new opportunities for collaboration in service of farmer cooperatives.
Training and education of cooperative directors and managers is as vital as ever, and there are many organizations providing high-quality education and training programs to the agricultural cooperative sector. We’ve provided a list of some of these programs below.
- Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership
- FCC Services
- Arthur Capper Center for Cooperatives director training
- National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Annual Meeting
- Iowa Institute of Cooperatives
- Quentin Burdick Center for Cooperatives
- CoBank Customer Meetings and Events
- Nebraska Cooperative Council
