Built for this Moment: National Cooperative Month – Oklahoma Farm Report

Built for this Moment: National Cooperative Month  Oklahoma Farm Report

Op-Ed By USDA Rural Development Rural Business-Cooperative Services Administrator Gimmie Jo Jansonius I love October. The air is crisp and invigorating, apples and pumpkins are everywhere, and our country is as beautiful as ever. October isn’t just a pretty month. It’s also National Co-op Month and as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Rural Op-Ed By USDA Rural Development Rural Business-Cooperative Services Administrator Gimmie Jo Jansonius I love October. The air is crisp and invigorating, apples and pumpkins are everywhere, and our country is as beautiful as ever. October isn’t just a pretty month. It’s also National Co-op Month and as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Rural Business-Cooperative Services Administrator, I’m proud to shine a light on the good work cooperatives do across this great nation.

In fact, I just visited some incredible co-ops in Wisconsin and Iowa. In the small town of Westby, Wisconsin, the Westby Cooperative Creamery has been operating for over 120 years. I toured the creamery with Wisconsin State Director Andrew Iverson to see how the co-op is using a nearly $15.5 million loan provided through our Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan program along with Security Financial Bank to expand and modernize its manufacturing facility. This modernization is key to assisting the long-standing cooperative with meeting the demands of the growing cottage