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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
�1 PHONE (970) 356-4000, EXT.4200
FAX: (970) 352-0242
' P.O. BOX 758
GREELEY, COLORADO 80632
C.
COLORADO
November 24, 1998
LeRoy Cruz, Director
Community and Business Programs
USDA-RDA
655 Parfet Street, Room e-100
Lakewood, Colorado 80215
Dear Mr. Cruz:
On behalf of Weld County, I wish to inform you that the Cooperative Development Grant
awarded to the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Cooperative Development Center appears to be
consistent with the agricultural goals and policies of the County.
If you have any questions, please contact Monica Daniels-Mika, Director of Planning Services, at
(970)353-6100.
Sincerely,
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Constance L. Harbert, Chair
cc: Monica Daniels-Mika
Robert Mailander
982456
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\` LD COUNTY
November 17, 1998
Ms.-Connie Harbert
''73 ' '' 19 "1i 9: 27
Weld County Chair-Board of County Commissioners CLERK
P.O. Box758 TO THE B0f7D
t (oil 12. , 1 1\ l Greeley, CO 80632
Dear Commissioner Harbert:
I OsO+I Thank you for Weld County's support for our application for a 1999 USDA
4,i )" °"` Rural Cooperative Development Grant. We are pleased to again have been
It,
"` ` I) Slltl) chosen as a funding recipient. As part of the paperwork,the USDA has asked
for a statement from the county in which the grant funds are to be utilized
,;i);, f,7-;xm) - 4,,,, , asserting that the intended use of the grants funds are not inconsistent with
any development plans of the county. I have enclosed the specific language
(30-3i 7S2-58 ill - t ,v from Mr. Leroy Cruz' letter.
The Cooperative Development Center is working with three cooperatives in
""" `" Weld County. Mountain View Harvest Cooperative is baking bread with
members locally grown wheat. Rocky Mountain Natural Pork Cooperative in
Ault is opening up markets for high quality, natural pork products. Rocky
Mountain Meat Goat Association is working at developing better markets for
their Boer goats and to add net income to their producer/members. I do not
believe that any of their activities would be counter to the best interests of
Weld County or to any development plans of the county. If you have
questions or need further information, please call me at (303)-752-5800.
I have enclosed a draft letter to USDA-RDA that addresses the subject. It is
only for your consideration and you are free to use it or not. We trust the
work we are doing is a benefit to Weld County through the increased income
to the local farmers and ranchers and that over a period of time it will create
new jobs for the community.
If there are other areas of cooperative development that we could address in
the county, I would be happy to yisit with you about them. In addition I
would be available to make a presentation on the work of the Center to the
County Commissioners in the future. Thank you for your continued support.
Pilov iuIN(, Sincerely,
RI.sot Rt I S VAI)
St.It(WI 1Y> / -'-X 72/
RI \I I Robert R. Mailander
I N\ I\ \I!\I. Director, Cooperative Development Center
t.UUPLI< !RI",011 110\s Enclosures
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News Release
USDA CO-OP GRANTS "OPEN DOORS OF RURAL OPPORTUNITY"
WASHINGTON, September 22, 1998--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today awarded$1.7 million in
grants to develop new member-owned rural cooperatives in 13 states.
"Whether its farmers forming new co-ops to process their crops into value-added products or rural people
forming day-care co-ops and credit unions to fill a service void in their communities,cooperatives are often an
ideal way for rural Americans to take care of business," Glickman said.
Recipients of the grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are cooperative development centers and
universities, which in turn are helping to organize new cooperatives. The funds will be used to finance
feasibility studies, business development plans, market analysis studies and product development plans for new
cooperatives.
"The cooperative concept is very basic: one person alone -- both as a consumer of goods and services and as a
producer of goods -- exerts little influence on the marketplace," said Jill Long Thompson, under secretary for
rural development. "But when rural people unite in a cooperative,they can open doors of opportunity and
conquer problems that seemed insurmountable when they stood alone."
"Agricultural co-ops also help maintain a floor for farm prices, a role which will become increasingly vital as
more federal farm safety net programs are eliminated," Glickman added.
The development funding is being provided by the Rural Cooperative Development Grant program of USDA
Rural Development.
In addition to the grant program, USDA Rural Development also offers a number of direct services to
cooperatives, including technical assistance from experts who help organize new cooperatives and improve the
operations of existing cooperatives. USDA also conducts cooperative research and produces a wide array of
educational materials to increase public understanding of the cooperative form of business.
For more information on how USDA can help rural cooperatives, call (202) 720-7558.
A list of the grants to be provided follows.
Media Contact: Jim Brownlee, (202) 720-2091
jim.brownlee@usda.gov
Public Contact: Dan Campbell, (202) 720-6483
dcampbel@rurdev.usda.gov
USDA 1998 Cooperative Development Grants
Dollar
State Applicant Protect Amount
AK Alaska Village Initiatives Provide existing and emerging $148, 000
cooperatives with management,
marketing, finance and
operational assistance
AR Winrock International Work with the Ozark Highland $140, 000
Institute for Agricultural Poultry Producers Cooperative
Development to dispose of chicken waste W,/5Za
CA The Regents of the Support existing center $127, 000
University of California initiatives in cooperative
development, education and
research
CO Rocky Mountain Farmers Continue and expand existing $124, 000
Union Education and center's efforts in cooperative
Charitable Foundation development
KS Kansas State University Develop Kansas Cooperative $100, 000
Co-op Development Development Center Education
Center and Assistance Program to
focus on development
education for new-generation
cooperatives
MA Cooperative Development Provide cooperative board and $140, 000
Institute, Inc. management training and
technical assistance through
Northeast Rural Energy and
Value-Added Cooperative
Development Project
MI Michigan Alliance of Develop Rural Cooperative $113, 000
Co-Ops, Central Development Center to form
Michigan University working relationships between
cooperatives
MS Mississippi Association Coordinate cooperative $110, 000
of Cooperatives development activities through
existing Mississippi Center for
Cooperative Development
MT Intertribal Agriculture Encourage and assist Native $135, 000
Council Americans in forming
marketing and production
cooperatives through existing
Rural Indian Agriculture
Cooperative Development
Center
ND North Dakota Association Develop Dakotas Center for $128, 000
of Rural Electric Co-ops Rural Cooperative Business
Development to provide
technical assistance to
developing and existing
cooperatives
NE Nebraska Community Develop Nebraska Cooperative $148, 000
Foundation, Inc. Development Center to
coordinate technical assistance
OH Ohio State University Establish Center for $148, 000
Cooperative Development to
foster new cooperatives and
assist existing cooperatives
WI Cooperative Development Establish Cooperative $139, 000
Services Fund, Inc. Development Services Fund,
Inc. , to work to improve
cooperative development
training, outreach and technical
assistance
TOTAL $1,700,000
Return to Rural Development News and Information Room
CORRESPONDENCE RESPONSE
YYon n c o,
DEPARTMENT (I lano :e l ,DE`rvl Co
****PLEASE RESPOND BY: I ; I L-I/c1FS *"
RECOMMENDED ACTION: p IeCoe DV
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Narrative: y f r'
Weld Cc:lnta/ Planning Dept.
NOV 2 01998
RECEIVED
METHOD OF RESPONSE:
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Staff Signature
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05/28/98
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