LINCOLN — 19 agricultural students and their professors from 3 different Nebraska Colleges traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota February 15-18th to learn about cooperatives under the guidance of Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU). The participating colleges included Northeast Community College at Norfolk, Southeast Community College at Beatrice, and Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis. The College Conference on Cooperatives (CCOC) was attended by more than 100 students from across the country.
The CCOC participants learned about different types of cooperatives from consumer and producer driven co-ops to senior living co-ops. “Cooperatives in Nebraska create nearly 14,000 jobs while contributing $2.2 billion in annual economic impact through sales and investments. The CCOC engages tomorrow’s leaders through a unique platform that teaches them about cooperative business principles and the opportunities available through the cooperative model,” said NeFU President John Hansen.
Students heard from cooperative leaders, farmers and government experts who explained current challenges they face. Presenters ranged from members, directors, employees and managers of traditional and value-added agricultural cooperatives to representatives of housing and worker-owned co-ops. “As a prospective Ag Communications and Ag Education major, I learned about numerous internship opportunities within cooperatives, and how those opportunities can be utilized to both promote cooperatives and advocate the importance of agriculture to urban communities,” said Alex Voichoskie, a Southeast Community College student from Wilcox, NE.
All of the attendees from Nebraska were from rural areas and towns. “I never expected co-ops to be so diverse,” Said Molly Glodowski, a student attending Northeast Community college. “The feedback I received was overwhelmingly positive. From the tour of the Mill City Museum to the general surprise that co-ops are more than just places to buy feed and fertilizer or sell grain. These students learn things they would otherwise never know, ultimately strengthening the ag industry in Nebraska”, said NeFU Program Director Camdyn Kavan.
The annual College Cooperative Conference is co-sponsored by the CHS Foundation in cooperation with the National Farmers Union Foundation. Nebraska Farmers Union was awarded a grant from the National Farmers Union Foundation to help defray the attendance costs for the Nebraska participants.
Nebraska Farmers Union is a general farm organization with 3,350 farm and ranch family members dedicated to protecting and enhancing the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers and ranchers, and their rural communities. Since 1913, Nebraska Farmers Union has helped organize over 445 cooperatives.
— Nebraska Farmers Union
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