Julie Bartling
Executive Director:Ext. 115
Bonnie Geyer
Education Director:Ext. 125
P.O. Box 1388,
Huron, SD 57350
1-888-734-8136
Our Sponsors
National Farmers Union Foundation Hosts 2008 College Conference on Cooperatives
ST. PAUL - Nearly 70 students from eleven states came together recently to learn about cooperatives from experts in the Twin Cities. The students were participants in the College Conference on Cooperatives, sponsored by the CHS Foundation and hosted by the National Farmers Union (NFU) Foundation.The February 14-17 event included participants from Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Montana, Washington, Ohio and Colorado.
"This is an opportunity for Farmers Union and the cooperative community of the Upper Midwest to teach young people about cooperatives, to show them that there are great careers in the field, and to teach them the history and philosophy of cooperatives in our communities," said Bonnie Geyer, Education Director for the South Dakota Farmers Union Foundation. "We are fortunate to have cooperative education grant funding from CHS Foundation to make this event possible."
To make cooperative education come alive for the participants, students visited CHS headquarters, heard cooperative leaders, farmers, and government experts explain current challenges facing co-ops, and saw co-ops in action through tours of local cooperatives.
Presenters included members, directors, employees and managers from traditional and value-added agricultural cooperatives, as well as perspectives from electric co-ops, housing co-ops, worker co-ops, and consumer co-ops such as credit unions, REI and natural food co-ops. Representatives from USDA Rural Development and the Peace Corps provided perspectives on cooperative development here and abroad.
"Farmers Union's activities involve cooperation, education, and civic activism, so it is valuable to have events like this one to help bring those topics together," said Geyer. "Our own history is so closely tied with the cooperative movement. Farmers Union has a strong commitment to providing cooperative education not only to our own members, but also to the general public, and especially to young people."
Those attending from South Dakota were: left to right: Cole O'Daniel, Zell, SD; Derek Zastrow, Miller, SD; David Dutenhoffer, Ipswich, SD; Samantha Swanson, Watertown, SD; Nathan Thyen, Waverly, SD; Wade Eischens, Minneota, MN; Brian Olson, Watertown, SD; Eric Summerville, Platte, SD; Corey Engelstad, Astoria, SD; Shaina Winnett, Henry, SD; Jordan Haar, Freeman, SD; Dawn Forseth, Hendricks, MN
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