“Get involved in things you can’t do alone.” William Nelson,
Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and President of CHS Foundation
challenged us Sunday as a fantastic College Conference on Cooperatives wrapped
up in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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| Guang, Catherine, and I had a great time in Minneapolis at the National Farmers Union College Conference on Cooperatives! |
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| William Nelson offered students advice and inspiration throughout the weekend. |
CHS Headquarters- Our first bus ride of the conference was
to CHS headquarters. CHS is the largest cooperative and works in 14 different
areas serving its farmer owners. I learned so many things at this stop. Did you
know Hidden Valley Ranch is 50% owned by farmers?
As a marketing enthusiast, it was really interesting to hear
from Tom Murray in CHS’s marketing communications department. I was fascinated
to learn how the national brand has transformed over the last 85 years while
encouraging the local coops to actively brand themselves in their individual
communities with tools like social media.
During our CHS visit, we also heard from Tina Dorner, the
Talent Acquisition Specialist. I was impressed to learn CHS had 225 interns
last summer. As a young professional, it was encouraging to hear a positive
outlook for ag careers from A to Z.
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| There are activities for all ages at Mill City Museum. I designed my own cereal box! |
A handful of other speakers passionately explained their
role, including William Nelson. Mr. Nelson started the College Conference on
Cooperatives several years ago. I’ll tell you more about him when we get to his
closing remarks.
Mill City Museum- After CHS, we headed back to the hotel for
a quick lunch before we were off again to explore the Mill City Museum. It was
my second trip to the museum, but I still learned new things about Minneapolis’
milling industry. It’s fascinating how the mill influenced the area along the
river for many years. If you’re ever in the Minneapolis area, I encourage you
to make it part of your trip.
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| It was so refreshing to see bright flowers and produce on a chilly February day! The fruit samples were delicious! |
Mall of America- After the museum, we were all free to enjoy
the night as we wished. After a little refreshment at the hotel, Guang,
Catherine, and I made the short trip to the Mall of America. I’ve been several
times, but it always amazes me how many stores are in one place.
Day 2:
Our second day started bright and early with a delicious hot
breakfast at the hotel. Then we loaded up the buses for co-op tours around the
metro area. Each of the three charter busses visited three different co-ops.
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| The Hub has new and used bikes for all ages along with many accessories. |
Mississippi Market Co-op- Our bus stopped at a food co-op
called Mississippi Market Co-op first. The store was filled with bright,
beautiful, local produce and interesting specialty products. We had a great
presentation from Katie Campbell about the needs the store meets in its low
income neighborhood. Because education is part of the co-op principles, the
store regularly hosts cooking classes and opportunities to meet the farmers
that supply the store.
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| Pastures A Plenty shared their story and the impact working with co-ops has had on their pork business. |
The Hub Bike Co-op- The next place we stopped was a little
different. Instead of being owned by its customers, The Hub is a worker owned
coop. This means employees have the option of buying one share, giving them one
vote at board meetings. Being an owner has several unique benefits and allows
employees who are passionate about getting people on bikes to have a say in how
the business proceeds. Some people believe worker owned coops are able to
provide better working environments because the people who set the rules are
the ones that have to live with them.
REI- Next, we made a stop at REI, an outdoor equipment and
clothing store that uses the co-op business model. They have so many cool
things it was hard not to buy up the whole store! I got out of there with just
two items. Rumor has it they just opened a location in Des Moines, so I might
have to check that out this weekend.
Gramercy Senior Housing Co-op- After our first three stops,
we were all ready for a solid lunch. That’s exactly what we got at the VFW
connected to Gramercy. After our meal, we walked over for a presentation and
tour of the senior housing co-op. I was impressed with their beautifully
decorated facilities and the enthusiasm of their residents. I hope I’m able to
live in such a vibrant community after my retirement.
After our adventures around the city, we had a great
presentation from Casey Thomas about a food co-op that will be coming to Greensboro,
South Carolina. Renaissance Community Co-op has been in the works for four
years, and they are excited to be opening within the next year. It was so
inspiring to hear how the community has come together to bring food access to
an underserved area that’s been struggling without a grocery store for 18
years.
To wrap up the evening we had great spontaneous discussion
how co-ops can serve the needs of both inner city communities and rural areas.
Then, I met up with my friends Adrienne and Evan for a wonderful dinner. I hadn’t
seen them since last summer so it was great to catch up.
Day 3-
Sunday morning we had a fantastic farmer panel, group
activities, and short presentation from ladies at the National Farmers Union.
They offer internships and many leadership opportunities for men and women in agriculture
throughout the year.
We also had an inspiring presentation from William Nelson.
Like I said earlier, he works at CHS, but started the NFU CCOC event several
years ago. His rule, “Get involved in things you can’t do alone” has really
made me think these last few days. I’ll update you soon with my ideas and would
like to challenge you to think of something you can get involved in. Let me
know what you’re doing in the comments. Thanks for reading!
