Podcasts about cooperative development

Going it alone is a noble idea but for many solo ventures  cooperation with others pays off. Cooperatives are a unique legal business form that facilitates people coming together to tackle challenges that are overwhelming or impossible for the individual. Kim Coontz is the Executive Director of the California Center for Cooperative Development.  CCCD demonstrates the power of the self-help elements of cooperatives to help new farmers gain viability through cooperative purchasing, sales and product promotion, plus enabling food security in rural as well as urban enclaves through food cooperatives. http://www.cccd.coop/membership

Welcome back to Collab Farm, the podcast where we talk about all the ways small- and mid-scale farmers can work together, even in big $10 million food system rebuilding kinds of ways. Like this conversation that I had with Lexi Close from Appalachia Regional Cooperative Development and the Appalachia Producers Co-op. Now, Lexi is involved with much of the work going on in a cooperative beef processing facility that's currently under construction in Washington County, Eastern Tennessee. We get into how the project got started from the initial idea to the feasibility studies to raising such a large amount of capital. We also get into how the membership works, including some collective marketing opportunities for local producer members for the Eastern Tennessee region, and what these decentralized processing networks look like as much as 100 years ago, what we lost in centralization And how they can serve as a model for building them back. Folks who support Collab Farm Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply is your one-stop shop for cover crops, soil amendments, tools, and more. Save 20% on your first order now with code: NOTILL24. Apply for a commercial account for year-round savings and dedicated support! Visit Groworganic.com/notill ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) will offer the Business of Farming Conference on Saturday, February 22, in Asheville, North Carolina. Find out more at asapconnections.org Farmhand enables you to offload your administrative tasks, send and manage communications, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and book a free test drive at farmhand.partners/notill High Mowing Organic Seeds has the professional quality seeds and supportive grower reps to get you from seed to harvest. Visit highmowingseeds.com to request a catalog and use code NOTILL25 for 10% off your order of $100 or more!

Welcome back to Collab Farm, the podcast where we talk about all the ways small- and mid-scale farmers can work together, even in big $10 million food system rebuilding kinds of ways. Like this conversation that I had with Lexi Close from Appalachia Regional Cooperative Development and the Appalachia Producers Co-op. Now, Lexi is involved with much of the work going on in a cooperative beef processing facility that's currently under construction in Washington County, Eastern Tennessee. We get into how the project got started from the initial idea to the feasibility studies to raising such a large amount of capital. We also get into how the membership works, including some collective marketing opportunities for local producer members for the Eastern Tennessee region, and what these decentralized processing networks look like as much as 100 years ago, what we lost in centralization And how they can serve as a model for building them back. Folks who support Collab Farm Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply is your one-stop shop for cover crops, soil amendments, tools, and more. Save 20% on your first order now with code: NOTILL24. Apply for a commercial account for year-round savings and dedicated support! Visit Groworganic.com/notill ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) will offer the Business of Farming Conference on Saturday, February 22, in Asheville, North Carolina. Find out more at asapconnections.org Farmhand enables you to offload your administrative tasks, send and manage communications, and sell more to your customers. Learn more and book a free test drive at farmhand.partners/notill High Mowing Organic Seeds has the professional quality seeds and supportive grower reps to get you from seed to harvest. Visit highmowingseeds.com to request a catalog and use code NOTILL25 for 10% off your order of $100 or more!

Everything Co-op Broadcasts Live from the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund's 57th Annual Meeting. Vernon interviews Ben Burkette, Tremelle Sherman, and founding members John Zippert, Carol Zippert and Otis Williams. The guests discuss the Annual meeting, history and evolution of the Federation, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund Memorial Legacy Project. This year marks the 57th anniversary of the Federation's commitment to supporting Black farmers, landowners, cooperatives, and underserved communities in the South. On Thursday, August 15, 2024, the Federation began its festivities for the Annual Meeting with the Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony in Birmingham, Alabama. This year the award was presented to U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn. This award is given in memory of Estelle Witherspoon, a woman whose dedication to the advancement of her community and to all humanity epitomizes the true spirit of community and cooperation. After the awards ceremony on August 15, the Annual Meeting proceeded to the Federation's Rural Training and Research Center near Epes, Alabama on August 16 and 17. At the Epes Center a panel of USDA agency leaders and specialists will present information on the latest developments in USDA programs that support Black farmers, landowners, cooperatives, and rural communities; a series of workshops and demonstrations including Cooperative Development, Marketing, Heirs' Property, and Forestry will be presented; and a discussion of plans for improving farm policies, land retention, and conservation practice will be facilitated.

July 11, 2024 Vernon conducts an interview with Dr. Cynthia Pinchback-Hines, a Racial Justice Educator and Co-op Developer at Co-op Cincy. They delve into significant insights from Cynthia's work with cooperatives during the facilitation of "Power in Numbers: Black Co-op U," and discuss the experiences of the most recent graduating cohort. Dr. Cynthia Pinchback-Hines is a community activist and organizer, educator, organizational development consultant, diversity leader, personal development coach, and board member to several non-profits, including Co-op Cincy, where she serves as board member and Racial Justice Educator & Co-op Developer. She delights in managing and facilitating Power in Numbers: Black Co-op U, a 14-week bootcamp designed to help launch and support Black-led worker-owned cooperatives. Co-op Cincy is where she discovered that her life's journey had uniquely prepared her to serve as a catalyst for community building.

March 7, 2024 In honor of Women's History Month's 2024 theme of "Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion," Everything Co-op in collaboration with Co-op Leaders pay Tribute to a dear friend, Elizabeth (Liz) Carolyn Allen Bailey, who recently made her transition January 25, 2024. Liz Bailey, a native of Chippewa Falls, WI, grew up in an extended large, active and musically inclined family, many of whom, like Liz, firmly believed in improving each of the communities in which one lives and works. Liz served as the Managing Principal of The Bailey Group LLC, a Washington DC-based consulting firm focused on economic and community development that includes member-owned cooperative business enterprises. She provided her clients the benefit of her career experience in strategic public policy that combined the private sector, the executive branches of state and federal governments, and extensive non-profit program management. For much of her professional career, Liz held leadership positions with the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International, including Interim CEO, VP for Public Policy & Cooperative Development, and almost eight years as Executive Director of the Cooperative Development Foundation, NCBA CLUSA's non-profit affiliate. Bailey held degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. After leaving the NCBA CLUSA, Liz remained active in the promoting of the cooperatives business model through her private consulting and as a member of Cooperation Works, and as a member of the board of a non-profit, Cooperatives Build a Better World, to raise public awareness of cooperatives. She consistently argued that those who support and build cooperatives spend too much time talking to each other rather than to those who would benefit from a better comprehension of the public value of cooperatives.

1-4-2024 Elizabeth Carolyn Allen Bailey pays tribute to Vernon Oakes, on the occasion of the announcement of his induction into the Cooperative Hall of Fame. For much of her professional career, Liz held leadership positions with the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International, including Interim CEO, VP for Public Policy & Cooperative Development, and almost eight years as Executive Director of the Cooperative Development Foundation, NCBA CLUSA's non-profit affiliate. Bailey held degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. After leaving the NCBA CLUSA, Liz remained active in the promoting of the cooperatives business model through her private consulting and as a member of Cooperation Works, and as a member of the board of a non-profit, Cooperatives Build a Better World, to raise public awareness of cooperatives. She consistently argued that those who support and build cooperatives spend too much time talking to each other rather than to those who would benefit from a better comprehension of the public value of cooperatives.

The theme for this year's summit (2023) ~ Cultivating Cooperation a few panels to participate in: Starting a cooperative business in TennesseeLunchtime keynote panel, Dec 2nd, moderated by the co-director of Southeast Center for Cooperative Development. Building a Seed CommonsKeynote panel Friday, Dec. 1st - Building a Seed Commons from an Indigenous Peoples Lens.

Our-Hometown has recently been collaborating with a new customer, Main Street Media of Tennessee on consolidating their 17 individual newspaper websites into a single, multi-publication online presence. This process included custom development for managing the publication content, custom user roles, article templates, plus a customized expansion of our Reverse Publishing feature set. As we went through the process, it was a massive undertaking, probably a bigger undertaking than I anticipated it was going to be at the time we started. As we came up with issues, I think you guys were very attentive.Dave Gould, Publisher Content Management Shared ContentContent ReviewEnhanced...Article LinkLet us know your thoughts about this episode by reaching out on Social Media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourhometownincInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourhometownwebpublishing/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourhometownincLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/our-hometown-com/..........Our Hometown Web Publishing is The Last Newspaper CMS & Website You'll Ever Need.  We help you generate revenue, engage with readers, and increase efficiency with Our Hometown's Digital & PrePress CMS features to fit your needs & budget.OHT's Web Publishing Platform is:-Powered with WordPress-Hosted on Amazon Web Services-Integrated with Adobe InDesign & Google Drivehttps://our-hometown.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKw6KpKUiQkWldrX2-J1Kag?view_as=subscriberOur-Hometown can be reached via email for comments or questions at: ops@Our-Hometown.com

April 20, 2023 Everything Co-op continues its coverage of "Humanity@Work&life-Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience,” with co-editor Christina Clamp, Director of the Center for Co-operatives & Community Economic Development, and contributing author, Terry Lewis, CFO at the Center for Community Based Enterprise. Christina gives an overview of the book, and Terry discusses her experience of Building Mondragon in Detroit. Christina Clamp is the Director of the Center for Co-operatives and Economic Development, and has over 40 years of teaching experience at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), as a professor of Sociology. She is also a consulting researcher on a national study of catalyzing community wealth with the American Sustainable Business Network. Nationally and internationally recognized for her work in the study and promotion of cooperative ownership of businesses, Christina has been actively involved in promoting the study of cooperatives since her dissertation, which was a study of management in the Mondragon cooperatives. She has served as a consultant to various clients including National Cooperative Bank and US Department of Agriculture Rural Development. Her board work includes board chair of LEAF, a CDFI (community development finance institution); the ICA Group and the Fund for Jobs Worth Owning. Terry Lewis is the CFO of the Center for Community-Based Enterprises (C2BE) and Principal of LIA Advisors, LLC, a private consulting firm providing advisory services in community economic development. Formerly, she was Vice President of Cooperative Development for National Cooperative Bank (NCB), where she advised internal NCB teams and NCB customers in multiple lines of business on the structuring and development of cooperative and other community ownership entities. She also served as President and CEO of NCB Community Works, LLC, an affiliated for-profit affordable multi-family housing development organization. In 2011 President Barack Obama appointed Terry to the Board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. government's development finance institution, where she served until the agency sunset, to be replaced by the U.S. Development Finance Corporation in 2019. At OPIC, she served as a member of the organization's Audit and Risk Committees. From 1991 to 2014, she was a Director of the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF), where she served as Treasurer, and 8 years as Chair, managing governance, strategy, and the oversight functions of multiple grant and loan funds. She was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2008. “Humanity@Work&life - Global Diffusion of the Mondragon Cooperative Ecosystem Experience”, published by Oak Tree Press, frames a collective labor of earned merit, vision and determination by 36 contributors in six countries, three continents, proving how solidarity, innovation, and conviction forge sustaining local and global social economy practice on behalf of the greater common good.

In this episode we speak with Jonathan Welle of Cleveland Owns and Ellen Vera of Co-op Cincy – two Ohio-based nonprofits that are working around cooperative development and community wealth building. We dig into how both Jonathan and Ellen began working on cooperative development, mission of vision of their organizations, and talk about programs and initiatives they are currently working on to build community and worker owned enterprises SUPPORT THE SHOW: We make all episodes of Owners at Work free and never place them behind a paywall. But, they take time and money to produce. Consider making a DONATION today to help keep our work going.  GUEST INFO :  Jonathan Welle: https://www.clevelandowns.coop/our-team-1/jonathan-welle  Ellen Vera: https://coopcincy.org/staff-and-board  Ohio Worker-Ownership Network (OWN) Website: https://www.oeockent.org/the-ohio-worker-ownership-network   Past episodes: https://www.oeockent.org/owners-at-work-podcast/season-2-episode-10-employee-ownership-updates-taking-stock-and-looking-forward 

Everything Co-op kikced off its recognition of Women's History Month, with a focus on this year's theme of "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope." In our first installment, Vernon interviews Melbah McAfee Smith, retired Executive Director of the Mississippi Center for Cooperative Development, and a 2009 inductee into the Cooperative Hall of Fame. Vernon and Ms. McAfee Smith discussed her experiences working with cooperatives to address issues experienced by the communities she worked in. They also discussed her hopes to pass on her family's legacy of farming to the next Generation of she and her brother's Grandchildren. Melbah McAfee Smith worked for nearly 40 years as a trusted co-op developer in some of the most impoverished areas of the country. She started her career with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, returning to her home state to lead the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives and the Mississippi Cooperative Development Center. Her visionary leadership and hands-on, grassroots approach to building communities have helped bring health care, economic development, and social justice to people in need through the cooperative model.

October 14, 2021--Steve and Annie talk with Jim Kachik of The Woods Senior Mobile Home Park in Little River, and Kim Coontz, the Executive Director of the California Center for Cooperative Development in Davis, CA

In this episode Rosalinda Guillen talks with Sascha Fischel, who spent many years learning from CECOSESOLA (Cooperativa Central de Servicios Sociales del Estado Lara) in Venezuela.Songs in this episode:Los Yuyas, la página de YuyachkaniEl desperatar de la historia by Ali PrimeraLatinoamérica by Calle 13 ft. Totó la Momposina, Susan Baca, Maria RitaSupport the show (https://foodjustice.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=2)

Dr. Judith Hermanson, Director of the International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) of the US Overseas Cooperative Development Council; Dr. Isaac K. Nyamongo; and Leah M. Lucas, international development professional, discuss the US Overseas Cooperative Development Council's four country study, "What Difference Do Cooperatives Make," and the International Evidence Summit. The summit will be held on May 26, 2021, 9:00 am - 11:00 am. For more info visit ocdc.coop. Dr. Judith Hermanson is a both a previously tenured professor of public administration at Northern Illinois University and leader in the international non-profit sector. At the ICRG she brings her expertise as an academic and scholar in combination with her deep knowledge of international development practice. Examples of her recent research include: PI on a recently completed multi-year, four country study, What Difference Do Cooperatives Make? She was a CO-I and recently published a peer reviewed article in Development Practice on Side Selling in the Malt Barley Value Chain in Ethiopia (2020). Other cooperative research areas include resilience, gender inclusion, access to finance, governance, and climate change. Dr. Hermanson holds a BA, from Smith College, and a PhD from The George Washington University. Isaac K. Nyamongo currently serves as the Deputy Vice Chancellor of (Cooperative Development, Research and Innovation), at the Cooperative University of Kenya. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Florida, USA and has close to 30 years in teaching, research and consultancy. He has supervised and mentored more than 40 students both at Doctoral and Masters levels. Prof. Nyamongo has held research and training grants from many organizations. His research and training experience spans several countries within the Africa region. Prof. Nyamongo has more than 80 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals. In addition, he has published books and book chapters. Further, he has held visiting Professor positions in the US as a Fulbright Scholar (2009-2010) and in South Africa where he was a Carnegie Mellon Fellow (2012). His current research focuses on empowering communities through cooperatives. Leah M. Lucas is an international development professional with work experience spanning five continents and eight countries. Since 2010, she has worked with research organizations, United Nations and nongovernmental organizations, specializing in agriculture, food security and nutrition, rural economic livelihoods, social enterprise, gender, and humanitarian response. Through the World Food Prize Foundation’s Fellowship Programs for young leaders in agriculture and food security, Lucas has worked with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India, the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Washington DC. She was a 2015 Fulbright Scholar in Mozambique and a 2014 Davis Project for Peace Grant Recipient in Guatemala.

Cindy Houlden, cooperative development specialist with the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, discusses this year's round of mini grants awarded to cooperative enterprises in five rural communities across the state, and how and why the Center works to help rural communities prospers.

The Bronx's economic anchor institutions, primarily universities and hospitals, collectively spend $9 billion dollars on goods and services annually. However, small-business owners throughout the borough that span every sector, rarely receive these contracts. The Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative understands that even when purchasers are willing to increase contracts with local businesses—especially minority-and/or women-owned businesses—they face challenges to doing so. Michael Partis, Executive Director, & Gloria Alvarez, Strategic Partnership Manager, share with us how the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative aims to engage anchor institutions and democratize economic development on behalf of communities and residents in the borough. Learn more about the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative at bcdi.nyc and consider donating to support their work.

In this episode, Kevin, Cinar and Larry talk with two key figures at the Madison Cooperative Development Coalition (MCDC). Charity Schmidt is a cooperative development specialist at the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. Ruth Rohlich is a Business Development Specialist for the City of Madison, working in the Economic Development division. Among their many topics, they discuss how the city of Madison is approaching this cooperative initiative, the importance of community ecosystems, how entrenched legislation creates unforeseen barriers to cooperative ownership that must be changed, financing, and more.

Rob Brown is the Director of CDI’s Business Ownership Solutions (BOS) program. BOS promotes employee ownership and works with business owners and their employees to facilitate conversions. He was part of the advisory group that successfully converted three retail businesses into the Island Employee Cooperative, which is now the largest worker co-op in Maine and the second largest in New England. Rob participates in several national networks promoting the strategy of employee ownership conversion and best practices in the field, including as a 2015 DAWI Cooperative Developer Fellow and as a member of the Workers to Owners Collaborative. Rob joined CDI in 2012 as the Maine Housing Program Manager in CDI’s NEROC program, working to convert investor-owned parks into resident-owned cooperatives. He has a diverse background in community organizing, communications, non-profit and for-profit business development, and public policy development and advocacy. Rob studied economics and public policy at the University of Maine and College of the Atlantic, specializing in rural and community economic development, and has completed the Maine Association of Nonprofits’ Executive Leadership Institute.

As we begin our celebration of Women's History Month, and focus on this year's theme of "Valiant Women of the Vote," we pay tribute to valiant women, who have impacted the cooperative movement. This week Vernon interviews Elizabeth (Liz) Allen Bailey. principal of The Bailey Group, Vernon and Liz recognize many valiant women who exemplify the values and principles of the modern day cooperative, in their work. Liz Bailey is Managing Principal of The Bailey Group LLC, a Washington DC-based consulting firm focused on economic and community development that includes member-owned cooperative business enterprises. Ms. Bailey provides her clients the benefit of her career experience in strategic public policy that combines the private sector, the executive branches of state and federal governments and extensive non-profit program management. For much of the past decade, Ms. Bailey held leadership positions with the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International, including Interim CEO, VP for Public Policy & Cooperative Development and almost eight years as Executive Director of the Cooperative Development Foundation, NCBA CLUSA's non-profit affiliate. Bailey holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. The Bailey Group LLC is a Washington DC-based public policy consulting group focused on economic and community development that includes cooperative business enterprises. Client work includes design and implementation of strategic policy and communications initiatives that raise the profile of the cooperative model, address barriers to development and encourage new applications of the business model.

Courtney Berner, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, discusses the Center's cooperative development efforts with Host Vernon Oakes. She highlights: programs that are being used to help communities establish worker cooperatives to address succession planning; research efforts that are targeted to explore the many facets of cooperative governance; and conferences, roadshows and other techniques that are being used to educate the community about the cooperative model. Courtney joined the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives in 2011 and served as a cooperative development specialist until assuming the role of executive director in January 2018. Courtney develops research, outreach, and education programs on cooperatives and provides support to new and established cooperatives in a wide range of industries. Her areas of expertise include cooperative education, business development, cooperative finance and governance, and innovative uses of the cooperative model. Courtney also teaches a course on cooperatives at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and loves challenging students to think critically about why co-ops emerge, how they differ from other forms of enterprise, and how the model can be used to address current social and economic issues. Prior to joining the Center, Courtney worked at the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based research institute devoted to global environmental concerns. Courtney holds an M.S. in agroecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.S. from Pacific Lutheran University. Courtney originally hails from Oregon where she grew up riding horses, eating salmon, and picking blueberries. She moved to Madison in 2009 where she lives with her husband, son, and two orange cats. In her free time, Courtney enjoys gardening, cooking, travel, and channeling her Finnish heritage in her backyard sauna.

What common interests might faith and labor groups share? How might they partner with one another for realizing justice in the world? What's a worker cooperative and how does it differ from the capitalist workplace? All this and a whole lot of justice as we talk with Rosemarie Henkel-Rieger and Robert "Benny" Overton, co-directors of the South East Center for Cooperative Development in Nashville, Tennessee. Find their work and mission here: https://www.co-opsnow.org/ ~ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/faithandcapital ~ Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithAndCapital ~ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithandcapital/ ~ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faithandcapital/ ~ Email: faithandcapital@gmail.com ~ Music by Cotter KoopmanSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/faithandcapital)

The Feedback Episode: This 7th episode centres around the potentially polemic question of how to give and receive feedback within the setting of both official and peer observations of teachers. Christian Tiplady and Matthew Noble introduce Ideas for how we may more usefully approach developmental feedback to guide it a non-judgemental way. They incorporate inspiration from fields of research such as ‘Cooperative Development’ and ‘Non-Violent Communication.’

Everything Co-op, is a radio show that airs on WOL, Radio One's premiere talk show station. The show features people who have influenced or participated in the advancement of the cooperative business model to change lives and/or help people to leverage cooperation, for the betterment of others.

Everything Co-op, is a radio show that airs on WOL, Radio One's premiere talk show station. The show features people who have influenced or participated in the advancement of the cooperative business model to change lives and/or help people to leverage cooperation, for the betterment of others.

As we continue our celebration of Women's History Month, and focus on the theme of Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business, we pay tribute to an advocate who is a true trailblazer Ms. Elizabeth (Liz) Bailey. Vernon and Ms. Bailey discuss the role women have played in the "herstory" of cooperative movement, and in the facets of the movement that she has personally been involved with. Liz Bailey is Managing Principal of The Bailey Group LLC, a Washington DC-based consulting firm focused on economic and community development that includes member-owned cooperative business enterprises. Ms. Bailey provides her clients the benefit of her career experience in strategic public policy that combines the private sector, the executive branches of state and federal governments and extensive non-profit program management. For much of the past decade, Ms. Bailey held leadership positions with the National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International, including Interim CEO, VP for Public Policy & Cooperative Development and almost eight years as Executive Director of the Cooperative Development Foundation, NCBA CLUSA's non-profit affiliate. Bailey holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. About The Bailey Group LLC A Washington DC-based public policy consulting group focused on economic and community development that includes cooperative business enterprises. Client work includes design and implementation of strategic policy and communications initiatives that raise the profile of the cooperative model, address barriers to development and encourage new applications of the business model.

Vernon Interviews Paul Hazen, Executive Director, U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council. Vernon and Paul discuss his career in the cooperative movement; the Community Purchasing Alliance, and how OCDC brings together organizations committed to building a more prosperous world through cooperatives. Paul Hazen became executive director of the Overseas Cooperative Development Council in February 2012. Previously, he represented one of the member organizations and served as OCDC's board chair and as a board member. One of his most-recent initiatives with OCDC is the formation of its Research Group, whose mission is to research, formulate and share effective strategies for the development, performance and growth of cooperatives in developing countries. Throughout his career, Hazen has championed the U.S. cooperative system, which encompasses 29,000 co-ops; generates $654 billion in revenue; and creates more than two million jobs, representing $75 billion in wages and benefits. U.S. co-ops include Ace Hardware, Land O'Lakes, Inc., Sunkist, REI and the Associated Press. Hazen helped establish federal legislation promoting rural co-op development, formed a national network of co-op development centers and initiated national research into the impact of co-ops on the U.S. economy. Active in cooperative matters at many levels, Hazen is the one of the founders of DotCoop the top-level domain for cooperatives around the world. He also serves on the boards of the National Cooperative Bank, Capital Impact Partners and the Community Purchasing Alliance Cooperative. Past board service includes the International Co-operative Alliance, Consumer Federation of American, Cooperative Development Foundation, Cooperative Business International and NCB Retail Finance Corporation.

Vernon Interviews Ms. Noémi Giszpenc, Executive Director of Cooperative Development Institute. Vernon and Noémi discuss the role that cooperatives can play in the Arts,the role that African American Women have played in the cooperative movement, and CDI's work to help start-up cooperatives, and support existing cooperative businesses. Ms. Giszpenc, manages the day-to-day activities of the organization. She began her career as an economics researcher at the World Bank, worked as an editor at the Nonprofit Quarterly, a magazine for nonprofit managers, and became a principal at Ownership Associates, Inc., a consulting firm in Cambridge, MA specializing in developing an ownership culture at employee-owned firms. As part of earning a Master's in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University, she did a thesis on the creation of a cooperative economy in the Northeast, including the practical development of an interactive cooperative directory, which has now evolved into the Data Commons Cooperative (www.datacommons.coop).

Welcome back. This week we are excited to share with you the story and wisdom of Casey O’Neill - a second generation farmer residing in Northern Mendocino. Casey lives on a multi-generational, family farm where he they cultivate roughly an acre of land. Much of that - terraced fruit and vegetable gardens for their CSA, interspersed with the cannabis he, his wife & his parents grow within their 5000-sq ft permitted medicinal cultivation area they tend as well. He talks to us about what he sees as the two dominant perspectives within the current culture of cannabis - namely - Resource Extraction & the Homestead model - and which one he’s doing the hard work of fighting for right now. He tells us about his own journey….. From a degree in sociology… to the work of farming… and now onto policy… and how that’s shaped him over time. We talk about the pivotal moment inside his own life that shifted him from a self-identified mono-cropper, laboring inside the outlaw farmer/prohibition model to his present-day work as an advocate and staunch activist on behalf of the small-scale/bio-diversified farm he sees as key to restoring the health, viability & sovereignty not only of this small, north coast region - but also to the larger world of farming, agriculture & humanity as well. How he does not expect to see the rewards of his efforts any time soon - but what keeps him moving forward with them nonetheless. He shares his hard-earned advice on what it takes to set up a truly functional farmers’ cooperative and collective - and what practical steps need be taken to make it work. And what he sees as our pivotal moment - - and our last hope - and what shall determine whether we are consumed by the industrial-corporate-agricultural model that has failed us in so many ways - or if we - the counter-cannabis culture shall rise above - and shift the Conversation - to the betterment of all. This is capstone conversation for us here at MEND - and if we were to break down the entire ethos and drive of what we want you to walk away with inside this season - We would hand you this. Enjoy. To read some more of Casey’s words & wisdom (including the full article we read from @ the end) visit: http://www.theganjier.com/author/casey-oneill/ Or find out more about the California Center for Cooperative Development here : http://www.cccd.coop

For the show notes (guest bio, summary, resources, etc), go to: www.lifteconomy.com/podcast

The Earned Sick Days Bill recently passed City Council with a 11-6 vote for the measure, but a two-thirds majority, or 12 votes, will be needed to override another expected veto from Mayor Nutter. Janet Filante, Executive Director of Cooperative Development, Inc. (CCDI) speaks with The Northwest Soapbox about why the bill is an important workers rights and public health issue. The Northwest Soapbox is a platform for the people of Northwest Philadelphia to offer commentary, share news or make a call for action. Each week a different person speaks to issues affecting our community. Want to get on the soapbox? Contact us at: soapbox@gtownradio.com.

Republic Windows and Doors Company workers; *Ricky Maclin*, United Electrical Workers Local 10 Vice President; *Armando Robles*, United Electrical Workers Local 10 union President; *Denis Kelleher*, Center for Workplace Democracy Executive Director; *Franz** **Vandergroen, Sampat Weerasinghe, *Sarah Wells, Arizmendi Fourth Street members; *Paula*,  Arizmendi 4th Street candidate; *John Kusakabe*, Arizmendi Lakeshore member, *Tim Huet*, Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives co-founder; *Mikel Lezamiz*, Mondragon Director of Cooperative Dissemination; *Maria Jesus, *Mondragon worker/member;* Professor Fred Freundlich*, University of Mondragon researcher; *Ainara Uduando*, Lanki Institute Director For More Information: United Nations International Year of Co-operatives http://2012.coop/ Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives http://arizmendi.coop/ Mondragon Corporation http://www.mondragon-corporation.com/ENG.aspx Lanki Institute of Cooperative Research http://www.lanki.coop/home Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives (NoBAWC) http://nobawc.org/ US Federation of Worker Cooperatives http://usworker.coop/education Fairness at Republic http://www.ueunion.org/ue_republic.html National Cooperative Business Association http://www.ncba.coop/ United Electrical Workers http://www.ueunion.org/ Rainbow Grocery Cooperative http://www.rainbow.coop/ California Center for Cooperative Development http://www.cccd.coop/ Articles:  A Cooperative Manifesto by Tim Huet https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox Chicago Factory Occupiers Form Worker Cooperative http://truth-out.org/news/item/9500-republic-windows-and-doors-serious-materials-workers-form-cooperative Basque country's thriving big society http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/30/basque-country-big-society-spain Richard D. Wolff: Can We Remake Our Workplaces To Be More Democratic? http://www.alternet.org/richard-d-wolff-can-we-remake-our-workplaces-be-more-democratic Steelworkers Seek Job Creation via Worker-Owned Factories http://beavercountyblue.org/2009/11/04/steelworkers-seek-job-creation-via-worker-owned-factories/ The post Making Contact – Making it Our Business: Co-ops on the Rise appeared first on KPFA.