Sibley, Iowa — October is designated as Coop Month, a time of the year set aside to recognize coops, and their contributions to the economy of the area, and the profitability of their member producers.
We had a chance to talk with Beth Vander Zee, who is responsible for marketing and communications at Cooperative Energy Company, which has several locations in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. She tell us a little about coops and coop month.
She says coops present great employment opportunities to people looking to work in the agriculture industry.
According to Vander Zee, contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a farmer to be a coop member. She says they have a number of private individuals and other companies on their membership rolls.
Vander Zee says any focus on coops has to include a shout-out to their members.
While we think of petroleum and grain when we think of coops in northwest Iowa, the National Cooperative Business Association reminds us that coops are all over. There are electric coops, childcare coops, telecommunication coops, fruit and vegetable coops, organic food coops, and much more. They say that one of the top benefits of the coop system is democratic control of operations of the coop.
